Environmental Corps collaborates with many partners and sponsors on a variety of projects around the state of Texas.  Past projects have ranged from backcountry trail construction in the Texas Panhandle, to invasive species removal in Austin, to constructing handicap accessible boardwalk in far South Texas.

Recent Projects

Capulin Volcano National Monument – Invasive Plant Management

May 2011 – E-Corps spent 10 days working with the National Park Service Exotic Plant Management Team at Capulin Volcano National Monument in Northeastern Mew Mexico.  The project was centered around eradicating four invasive species (burning bush, woolly mullein, horehound, and yellow sweet clover) from the park’s high plains prairie environment.   While there the crew enjoyed mountain views and abundant wildlife sightings including a heard of mule deer and a diverse bird population.

Trails Across Texas Crew – Seminole Canyon Rim Trail

The TAT Crew is in the process of creating a brand new, 4 mile multi-use trail at Seminole Canyon State Park in Comstock, Texas.  The trail will follow the canyon rim high above the upper reaches of Lake Amistad and will be open to hiking and mountain biking.  The trail also provides views of some of the park’s cultural resources such as pictographs and stone relics from up to 4000 years ago.

Barton Creek Trail Crew – Twin Falls Retaining Wall

The Barton Creek Trail Crew got off to a great start this year by improving one of Austin’s favorite swimming areas.   The crew added a two-tiered retaining wall and a stone staircase to the swimming area, as well as an alternate trail away from the creek for cyclists.  Check it out!

Emma Long Metro Park – Turkey Creek Trail Re-route

All of the  E-Corps crews, lead by our Service Learning Academy Crews,  spent the month of February re-routing a very steep, eroding section of one of Austin’s favorite hiking and off-leash dog trails.  The new 1000 foot section of trail was designed to minimize erosion, and was constructed entirely with on-site materials.  It took a lot of hard work clearing brush, placing stones and cutting new trail in steep terrain, but the results were fantastic!  You have to see the trail in person to fully appreciate the work, so go check it out!

Before

After

During Construction

Bull Creek District Park – Restoration Project

In partnership with the City of Austin Watershed Protection Department, Environmental Corps completed a restoration project at Bull Creek District Park.  The project consisted mainly of installing erosion control devices to protect the roots of several large Live Oak trees and to catch sediment, followed by re-planting native vegetation that had been driven out by over-use.  The resulting park is now much more sustainable and has contributed much better water quality in Bull Creek.  For more information, visit the Bull Creek District Park Webpage at the City of Austin Parks and Recreation website.

San Antonio Missions National Historic Park – Historic Restoration

Thanks to partnerships with the National Park Service and Los Compadres de San Antonio Missions, Environmental Corps has been able to be a part of the restoration and upkeep of some of the oldest remaining structures from the Spanish colonization of the American West.

Past Projects

City of Austin, Parks and Recreation Department

• Spicewood Valley Trail
• Northwest Balcones
• Austin Nature Center – Rock Staircase

Austin Parks Foundation

• Barton Creek Greenbelt – Twin Falls retaining wall, trail reroute, and habitat restoration
• Extensive Invasive Plant removal, habitat improvement, and stream bank restoration – Public Lands

Travis County

• Southeast Metro Park – Construction of wilderness trail system
• Habitat Restoration

National Park Service

• Palo Alto National Historic site– Interpretive Trail construction
• San Antonio Missions – Historic site restoration
• Big Bend National Park – Multiple park improvement projects.

Texas Parks and Wildlife Department

• 20+ sites served