Digging in with the Grounds Team at Laguna Gloria

The Contemporary Austin – Laguna Gloria is a sprawling, 14-acre art-in-nature site home to the Betty and Edward Marcus Sculpture Park, the historic Driscoll Villa, and The Art School. It's also home to a rich array of flora and fauna as dynamic, varied, and immense as the outdoor sculptures on view. With woodlands, meadows, gardens, and waterfront, it's a jewel within the city and a sought out destination for art and nature lovers alike.

We caught up with Liz Brewer, Paustian Hajek, and Annie Kittrell of our grounds team to learn what it takes to maintain this thriving landscape (with support from the Urban Forest Grant), and what makes it so special.

Tell us about your roles at Laguna Gloria?

Liz Brewer: I work on restoration of the wild areas of the grounds. This consists of removing exotic invasive plants (including trees and vines) and planting and seeding native species which would occur naturally in the habitats.

Paustian Hajek: I work to maintain the outdoor areas where the more formal gardens meet the wild areas. We are a team of three, and we all strive to adhere to methods of restoration and conservation in all areas and garden beds on the grounds.   

Annie Kittrell: I work on maintaining the formal gardens in the upper grounds of Laguna Gloria. This includes coming up with inventive solutions for issues presented by our changing environment that may not have been around when the gardens were first planted!
 

What is the Urban Forest Grant?

The Urban Forest Grant is a great initiative from the City of Austin which strengthens Austin’s urban forest by funding stewardship activities like tree planting, tree care, and education.

Resources for the grant primarily come from the Urban Forest Replenishment Fund which consists of mitigation fees paid by developers for loss of trees during construction projects.

The City of Austin is widely considered a leader in urban tree protection having passed one of the first tree protection ordinances in 1983. In 2010, the Heritage Tree Ordinance was passed to protect valuable community trees. The grant is the city's way of showing its commitment to the urban forest.
 

This is the 6th year we’ve been awarded the grant. In what ways has the grant being utilized? How will it be used this year?

We are really grateful to have received this grant so many times over the years. The money has been used for restoration consisting of invasive species removal and replanting with natives. We’ve been working on this restoration project for almost 10 years now, and it is a huge undertaking. With the help of the grant, we’ve removed hundreds of invasive trees and acres of invasive vines. We’ve also replanted hundreds of native trees adapted to the various habitats we have on our 14-acre site. Most of the funding is used to contract the removal of large trees and areas of vines. It's also used for buying native trees, seeds, and tools. Our grounds team also does a lot of this work with volunteers, but the grant ensures we can do the work at a reasonable pace, which makes eradication of these invasive species possible.

This year we plan to use the grant to continue removing invasive trees and pernicious vines, followed by replanting of native trees and reseeding. We are also hoping to get educational signage for existing trees and work towards an arboretum accreditation.
 

Why are initiatives like the Urban Forest Grant important?

Without the grant we wouldn’t be able to do anywhere near the work required to really make an impact on restoring the landscape.  

The Urban Forest Grant has allowed us to work at top speed on our restoration endeavors. It’s enabled us to hire contractors to help with the work and see massive results quickly. The funding has also helped us buy new trees, seed, irrigation supplies, and the tools to empower our projects.
 

Why should spaces like Laguna Gloria be protected?

Laguna Gloria is an oasis in the city. It’s a huge green space with multiple ecosystems, old and lovely trees, plentiful wildlife, and space to roam. It’s a place where you can get lost. It’s inspiring and untamed. It’s a place for community and introspection, a place where you can see the seasons change!
 

What’s a little-known fact about the trees at Laguna Gloria?

We have over 140 heritage trees on site including our largest live oaks, pecans, and bald cypress trees. Some of our live oaks predate the Driscoll Villa (built in 1914) making them over 100 years old.
 

How many species of trees can visitors and critters encounter at Laguna Gloria? 

There are hundreds of trees on the site and with over 50 species of native trees.  

Laguna Gloria is teeming with critters. There have been over 200 different bird species sighted at Laguna Gloria that roost and nest on the grounds. Also, skunk, armadillo, fox, lizards and insects—there is fantastic habitat out here!

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IMAGES
1,3-5,7,8 Photography by Brian Fitzsimmons.
2,6 Photography by Rebekah Flake.