The Austin Parks and Recreation Department does a lot of work in our parks. Maybe you\u2019ve seen us out mowing turf, pruning trees, restocking bathrooms, cleaning graffiti, emptying trash, making repairs, or taking care of 100,000 other important tasks. Hundreds of City of Austin staff dedicate their careers to serving our 361 parks.\u00a0<\/p>\n
But we can\u2019t do it all. The Department could never have enough funding or time to mulch every tree, pick up every scrap of litter, or weed out every invasive plant. We can\u2019t give every park the playscape, dog-friendly water fountain, landscaping, ecological restoration, or art installation that Austinites have asked for. Austin Parks and Recreation wants more for our parks than we can give alone.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Luckily, the Department is not alone. In the gap between what we can do and what Austinites deserve, we have PARKners.\u00a0<\/p>\n
What is a PARKner?<\/p>\n
A PARKner is a community-based organization that partners with Austin Parks and Recreation. A PARKnership is their partnership. \u201cPARKner\u201d is a word mashup, or portmanteau, of \u201cpark\u201d and \u201cpartner.\u201d<\/p>\n
Through the Community PARKnerships Program<\/a>, Austin Parks and Recreation cooperates with over 50 PARKners. Just as an ecosystem needs a rich variety of plants, animals, and other natural elements to stay healthy, Austin needs all kinds of PARKners to create the best possible parks.<\/p>\n Some PARKners are large, established nonprofits with 20 or 30 years of experience in Austin parks, such as The Trail Conservancy<\/a> or Austin Parks Foundation<\/a>. Some PARKners are other government institutions, such as Austin Independent School District<\/a>. AISD partners with the Department to run 21 Joint-Use Sites, or School Parks<\/a>, that Austinites can enjoy when school is out. Many other PARKners are grassroots nonprofits like Austin Ridge Riders Mountain Bike Club<\/a> and neighborhood groups like East Williamson Creek Greenbelt\u2019s park adopters<\/a>.<\/p>\n Every organization contributes to the ecosystem of Austin parks.<\/p>\n What do PARKnerships do for Austin?<\/p>\n By teaming up with the City of Austin, PARKners help us meet residents\u2019 demands for more and better parks in the face of limited public resources.<\/p>\n