City of Austin Park Rangers

These are the last photos from training our summer interns and seasonal rangers. And they mark a big milestone, we've got a couple rangers that can certify folks in First Aid, CPR and AED. It's convenient that we now have in-house trainers to lead this crucial part of safety training for all of our staff. From now on posts about the temporary staff will only show them working hard. See y'all on the trail!

https://www.austintexas.gov/parks/programs/park-rangers

Bat vibes only! Rangers were hanging around with our educational bat materials under the Congress Bridge for the first Bat Table of the season. We were echoing the message that Austin's mexican free-tailed bat colony is unique and adds to the wonder of Austin, and our night life. There's no de-bat-e about it, we're doing a whole bat-ch of Bat Tables this season. We'll be back at the same spot on Thursday June 25th from 7-9pm. Check that bat-itude so these bat puns don't go over your head. Guano what I'm sayin?

Park Ranger Bat Table
Thursday June 25th 7-9pm
100 S. Congress Ave. Austin, TX 78704

We'll also have bat tables on July 8th, 16th, and August 4th, and 13th.

Click the link for information from Texas Parks and Wildlife about the bats that live under the Congress Bridge.
https://tpwd.texas.gov/huntwild/wild/species/brazilfreetailbat/

There's another longhorn you'll see in the Austin area. This here is a native longhorn beetle, specifically a cottonwood borer (Plectrodera scalator). These intriguing insects can stimulate an Austinites' interest in Greek mythology and teach an important ecological lesson through their controversial life history. Rangers spotted this one in the Barton Creek Greenbelt.

Longhorn beetles are in the family Cerambycidae. Longicorn is another common name for beetles in this family. The family name comes from Cerambus, the Greek mythological figure who was a cattle rancher and a great musician. He'd fit right in here in Austin. Cerambus was highly praised for his folk song performances, and it really went to his head. His overconfidence caused him to ignore advice from the god Pan, the flute guy with goat legs. Pan recommended that Cerambus move his cattle to a place to avoid the coming winter. Due to his hubris, all of Cerambus' cattle died and he was turned into a wood eating beetle. Hence, Cerambycidae.

Like the burnt orange long-horned brethren, cottonwood borers are herbivores. Instead of eating hay they munch on trees. Cottonwood, poplar, and willow are their preferred chow. Adult females find a suitable tree and eat a pocket into the base. Then they lay their eggs into the pocket. The young larvae eat their way down into the roots of the tree for two years. They pupate in their chambers and emerge as adults.

All that wood eating can damage trees, especially young trees. Over time the trees can become weakened and become susceptible to wind damage. The impact on mature trees is thought to be minimal. Cottonwood borers will also feed on snags, dead standing trees. It's another great reason to leave dead and dying trees on the landscape. This gives the beetles something to munch on, so they aren't only going after living healthy trees.

They are seen mostly from May through July, so if you are hiking around our wild parks in the next few weeks, you might get lucky and see a longicorn. Don't get too arrogant about it though or the gods will turn you into one!

There is an Extreme Heat Warning and Heat Advisory in the Austin Area today until 8pm. Expect heat indices above 113° F. If you must visit parks this afternoon, make a plan so you stay safe. Drink and bring lots of water. Wear loose fitting light colored clothing. Stay in the shade. Restrict strenuous activities to cooler parts of the day and limit the time and intensity of the activity. Y'all be safe out there!

Click the link for information on:
-Cooling Centers
-Pets
-Symptoms of Heat Related Illness
-High Risk Populations
-and more
https://www.austintexas.gov/emergency-management/news/beating-heat-central-texas

Thanks so much to everyone who joined our guided hike at Mary Moore Searight Metro Park! It was a warm morning and we had fun chatting about Mary Moore Searight herself, the park's ecology, and how Slaughter Creek connects south Austin. We had 27 attendees and 3 dogs! What a fabulous turnout! This was the last hike until this fall, so stay tuned for details about the next hike later in the summer. See y'all later!

https://www.austintexas.gov/parks/programs/park-rangers

Juneteenth commemorates the end of formal slavery in Texas on June 19, 1865, two and a half years after President Abraham Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation on January 1, 1863, and more than one month following the end of the American Civil War. Colloquially known as “The Black 4th of July,” Juneteenth marks the beginning of an African American journey to carve a new place in society for free people to shape identities independent of racial caricature, eradicate slave culture, promote ethnic pride, and create economic prosperity.

There are two notable celebrations connected to Austin's Parks.

Click the link below for information about the Juneteenth celebration and parade ending at Rosewood Park on Friday June 19th.
https://www.austintexas.gov/ace/events/central-texas-juneteenth

Click the link below for information about the Carver Kickback: Juneteenth Edition. It's a public event at the George Washington Carver Museum on Saturday June 20th.
https://www.austintexas.gov/carver/juneteenth

We get it- when going outside in the Austin summer, the only place to be is near the water. However, next time you visit Lady Bird Lake please be on the lookout for algae and take some precautions to keep you and your dog safe when enjoying the parks. Austin Watershed Protection recommends:

💧Do not drink or let your pets drink water directly from natural water bodies and prevent your pet from licking themselves after getting wet.
💧Avoid contact with algae, especially if it is stagnant/warm or has rained in the last three days.
💧Rinse skin and fur after contact with water.

For more information about algae, how to stay safe around it, and what to do if you come into contact with potential toxins, visit: https://www.austintexas.gov/watershed-protection/algae-austins-waterways