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The
Austin Pond Society: 20 Years of Giving
By BJ
Jenkins
It would
seem that the pond and garden tour sponsored by the Austin Pond Society would
be all about water features, lilies and fish. On the surface, it is. But if you
were to ask board members why it’s important that the tour be successful, they
would reply that it enables a donation to the organization selected as that
year’s beneficiary.
For 20
years a portion of the proceeds from the Austin Pond Tour has been given to a
group selected by the board and the membership. Monetary contributions have
gone to a wide variety of recipients. The APS has supported KLRU in the form of a donation to The Central Texas Gardener, which
graciously spotlights the tour each year. The APS is also grateful for its
association with the Zilker Botanical
Garden and has helped with funding repairs of the Lotus Pond and the Rose
Garden Pond.
The APS
has also made contributions to community organizations that don’t have a direct
connection to ponds and gardens. For instance, The Wright House offers care and compassion to those with chronic
illnesses; SafePlace provides
support and sanctuary for women who have experienced domestic violence; Down Home Ranch, in Elgin, is a non-profit working farm and ranch
for people with special needs and those who share their lives. TherapyWorks rehabilitates
horses that have been abused and pairs them with abused children to begin the
healing process for both; Marbridge is a private alternative to group
homes for mentally challenged adults.
After the fire that devastated Bastrop
County, a contribution was made to Bastrop
State Park. That same year a donation from the APS was given to the Austin Independent School District’s Media
Center for the purchase of materials related to ponding. Two years ago, Gus Garcia Middle School, Perez Elementary,
Ridgetop Elementary and Williams
Elementary were awarded grants to expand science programs that make use of
ponds and native plants. Many other schools have been given koi, water plants
and been visited whenever pond advice is needed.
But the APS is hands-on as well, having
donated time and effort in actually rebuilding and cleaning ponds at various
facilities throughout the Austin area. Besides volunteering during the
resealing of the ponds at Zilker Park, members help maintain the pond outside
the Zilker Garden Center each month during spring and summer. Members made
several trips to Elgin last year to completely rebuild the two ponds at Down
Home Ranch, and each spring members participate in an annual pond cleanup
there. The APS also gave the ranch a new pond vacuum and plenty of koi.
Recently, 15 members of the Pond Society
participated in a fish rescue at one member’s pond and took about 50 goldfish
to the ponds at Dell Children’s Medical
Center. This began a dialogue that resulted in the selection of the Healing
Garden within the Medical Center as the beneficiary for the 2014 tour. This
garden and pond, which is reserved as a sanctuary for young patients and their
families and not generally open to the public, can be visited during the Sunday
morning hours as part of this year’s tour.
The
members of the Austin Pond Society are all looking forward to the tour on June
7 and 8. This year, they will be celebrating 20 years of serene ponds, lovely
water lilies, and jewel-like koi; but most important, they will be celebrating
20 years of giving.
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