During our recent deep freeze and snowfall, most of our native plant species were able to survive, even as many exotic species perished. One early spring bloomer that survived during the freeze was giant spiderwort (Tradescantia gigantea). Even though this perennial plant’s long, slender leaves were already apparent prior to the freeze, they came out nearly unscathed (some leaf tips experienced “freeze burn”). Now these survivors are displaying their three-petal…
Green Infrastructure for Your Yard With increasing pressure to better handle flood events and improve water quality, many municipalities (including the City of Austin) are implementing measures to slow down, retain, and treat stormwater on-site, allowing it to permeate into the groundwater while carrying less runoff pollution. The methods for accomplishing this are collectively known as green infrastructure. While cities are funding these projects with public money and installing them…
ESC Completes Two Year Program Daylighting and Restoring Urban Creek at Oak Springs In late 2016, ESC completed the restoration of a creek that had been previously capped off and channeled underground. Existing vegetation was limited to exotic turfgrass and other quick-cover species. ESC’s restoration work was performed in conjunction with the City of Austin Watershed Protection Department. The site, at the corner of Tillery St. and Oak Springs Dr.,…
ESC Leading Numerous Water Quality Projects in Austin’s Urban Core Over the past three years Environmental Survey Consulting (ESC) has engaged in numerous projects along Lady Bird Lake and contributing creeks, all of which serve to stabilize vulnerable riparian slopes, catch and treat runoff from impervious cover, and slow down and dissipate storm flows to reduce flood severity. By using the principles of ecological restoration on these projects, ESC is…
Six Native Texas Plants that Can Tolerate Flood and Drought Texas weather can be fickle to extremes, especially when compounded with global climate change and changes in storm patterns. In the past year Central Texas and the southwest experienced both extended drought and historical flooding resulting in altered landscape conditions. ESC has observed a few plants in both our residential landscape projects and ecological restoration efforts that have achieved a…
Engaging Volunteers for the Environment Austin is fortunate to have a community of active, environmentally and socially responsible people ready and willing to donate their time to meaningful projects that improve our health, education, and quality of life. ESC has been involved in many projects over the years that involve volunteers, but maintaining and rewarding the interest and enthusiasm of volunteers can sometimes be a challenge. ESC has been able…
AISD’s Wildlife Habitat Demonstration Garden Approaches One Year Anniversary This coming May, ESC will mark the 1st anniversary of completion on a key project in the local wildlife habitat restoration movement. On May 16, 2013 AISD’s Wildlife Habitat Demonstration Garden officially opened to a well attended crowd of volunteers, sponsors, workers, teachers, parents and children. The garden was a project of the National Wildlife Federation and AISD, with generous…
Realizing that your landscape requires a lot of water when a drought arrives, is similar to seeing that your roof leaks when it rains. Intelligent people not only repair the damage caused by the leak, but fix the roof also. So, what are you planting now? When I design a planting project I use the plant species that are native to the part of the state that I am in,…