2008 Neighborhood Beautification Grant Recipients

Keep Austin Beautiful awards Dillo Dirt, Austin Energy native trees, and $10,000 to nine outstanding community improvement projects. Now in its fourth year, the KAB beautification grants program has funded 33 diverse projects, investing over $40,000 to support public space beautification and community involvement.

Special thanks to our panel of judges for donating their time and talents to the selection process. 

2008 Recipients

• Casa Marianella (Gunter Street, 78702)– will plant 40 native trees: Texas Persimmon, Pecan, Mexican Plum, and Live Oak in the neighborhood surrounding their immigrant and refugee shelter to foster a sense of community pride.

• EcoTexas (multiple locations)– A group of young energetic volunteers will continue their work fighting invasive plant species in parks, preserves, and greenbelts around Austin.

• French Legation (802 San Marcos Street, 78702)– Volunteers from the Native Plant Society, Master Naturalists, NWF Habitat Stewards, and Wildlife Austin will collaborate to transform an uninspiring landscape into a vibrant habitat demonstration garden.

• Friends of McKinney Falls State Park (5808 McKinney Falls Parkway, 78744) – will enhance their habitat garden’s pond with natural stone edging, native plant border, and native aquatic plants.

• Homewood Heights Neighborhood Association (2606 Sol Wilson, 78702)– will accent their new community garden with two beautiful Texas Red Oaks.

• Northeast Walnut Creek Neighborhood Association (900 Plaza Drive, 78753)–The NEWCNA Garden Club will add native trees to the North Oaks Park to add shade and seasonal color.

• People Organized in Defense of Earth and her Resources (3160 Oak Springs Dr, 78702)-  PODER will continue their restoration work at Oak Springs by increasing the number and diversity of native plants, creating stone edged planting beds, and installing educational signage.

• Plaza Saltillo (412 Comal Street, 78702) – The grant was originally awarded for UT students to design 3 bus stops emphasizing the culture and energy of the stops' location in the city, sustainable and recycled materials, and native drought tolerant plantings.  Due to logistical issues the grant funds have been redirected to landscape Plaza Saltillo (a MetroRail stop).  Landscape design will be overseen by local designer, Ilse Frank, and the surrounding neighborhood will be involved in workdays and events.