Advice from the Experts on Parks

Park Ranger Nick Hirsch: Helping our Residents

Nick has been the Education Coordinator with the Austin Park Rangers for several years. They offer a variety of programs for anyone in the community: fishing, hiking in the nature preserves, cave explorations, wildlife presentations, rock climbing, and guided kayaking.

“The goal of all of our programs is to enable families and their children to spend time together, explore and appreciate nature, be outdoors, and have fun,” says Hirsch. To learn more about free activities, and for a calendar of upcoming events, visit www.AustinTexas.gov/ParkRangers or call 512-978-2600.

Chief Deputy Constable George Morales: Protecting our Neighborhoods

“Parks offer a great opportunity for walking – they give us a chance to be able to stay physically fit. We have walking trails in many of our parks! Playgrounds are also important, and it’s good to get kids started early. When children can go into a playscape and do physical activity, it keeps them mobile, healthy, and fit.

If you’re involved with your children at school, you should be involved in the parks. It’s something you can be doing together as a family, whether you’re throwing a ball, building castles, or pushing them on a swing.”
George Morales is on the Dove Springs Advisory Board.

Dove Springs community health worker, Frances Acuna, with City of Austin Park Rangers!

Community Parks in Dove Springs

Dove Springs District Park

Several community-based leaders and organizations want to create a healthier and safer living environment for our families, friends, neighbors, and our fellow residents of Dove Springs!

Below are the various parks available in our constantly improving community. Do you want to help make them even better? Call Jill Ramirez at 512-484-1507.

• DOVE SPRINGS DISTRICT PARK: Includes adjoining Roy Kizer Golf Course and Jimmy Clay Golf Course – 5801 Ainez Road (~72 acres) 
• FRANKLIN NEIGHBORHOOD PARK – 4800 Copperbend Blvd. (~5 acres) 
• KENDRA PAGE NEIGHBORHOOD PARK – 2203 Blue Meadow Dr. (~15 acres)
• HOUSTON PARK – 4800 Copperbend Blvd. (~5 acres) 
• ONION CREEK PARK – 7001 Onion Creek Dr. (~180 acres) 
• PONCIANA NEIGHBORHOOD PARK – 5200 Freidrich Lane (~5 acres)

ADOPTING FRANKLIN PARK

Franklin Neighborhood Park

Pastor Edward Craig and Brenda Craig of the Great Commission Baptist Church in Dove Springs organized a team, consisting of Lupe and Merita Williams, and others from the congregation, to adopt nearby Franklin Park in March of 2013. Being part of the church also means being part of the community, so they have been working to improve the park, with a focus on better security and lighting.

They’ve also been working on engaging neighborhood residents to create neighborhood watch teams and become involved. “Residents play a big role in safety because there are more of us that live in the neighborhood than there are police,” says Mrs. Craig. “It’s a challenging journey, but all good things take time.”

Neighborhood team working together!

Announcing the Dove Springs Neighborhood Farm Stand

Who: Urban Roots and Sustainable Food Center
What: Dove Springs Neighborhood Farm Stand, featuring a Double Dollar Incentive Program
When: 9:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. every Wednesday, June 5 through July 17
Where: Dove Springs Rec Center

This summer, the Sustainable Food Center is partnering with Urban Roots and the Austin Parks and Recreation Department – all whom are supporters of GO! Austin / VAMOS! Austin (GAVA) in Dove Springs – to host a Neighborhood Farm Stand in Dove Springs. The Neighborhood Farm Stand will be open from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00p.m. every Wednesday beginning June 5 through July 17 at the Dove Springs Recreation Center, 5801 Ainez Dr, 78744. The Neighborhood Farm Stand will feature fresh, seasonal fruits and vegetables from the Urban Roots farm and other local farmers.

This Farm Stand will help make healthy food choices more accessible and also make healthy fruits and vegetables more affordable by doubling the value of SNAP (food stamp) benefits and Farmers’ Market Nutrition Program (for WIC eligible families) vouchers. The Farm Stand is being launched as part of GAVA’s efforts to provide greater access to nutritious food while strengthening the food system in the Dove Springs community.

Families in and around the Dove Springs community can take advantage of the Double Dollar Incentive Program (Double DIP) by simply using their SNAP benefits to make purchases at the market – that means $1 can buy $2 worth of healthy, local fruits and veggies! Families eligible for WIC benefits can also pick up a $20 packet of Farmers’ Market Nutrition Program (FMNP) vouchers at the farm stand and receive an extra $20 in Double DIP. SFC and Urban Roots staff will be on site to help customers with SNAP, FMNP, and Double DIP.

The Neighborhood Farm Stand will serve as a source of locally grown fruits and vegetables, and will also provide a means of connecting with more residents. Shoppers at the Farm Stand can learn how to get involved with other aspects of the GAVA initiative, such as community gardening, other farmers’ markets, and healthier food in retail stores. Information about activities and programs offered by the Dove Springs Recreation Center will also be available.

About GAVA
GAVA is a coalition of residents, community leaders and nonprofits that share a common interest in improving the health of the Dove Springs community through increased access to and participation in physical activity and improved nutrition. GAVA supporters have agreed to align their resources and expertise for greater positive impact, especially as it relates to the health of Dove Springs-area children.

Words from the Food and Health Experts

“Making a few changes to how we eat can be simple, affordable, and convenient, and it’s a step towards improving our quality of life...and even saving a life! There are many free resources in our community, and neighborhood health improvement projects you can can participate in such as Go! Austin / Vamos! Austin.”

Andrew Smiley, Deputy Director of the Sustainable Food Center, has over 20 years experience working in sustainable agriculture and food systems, including on-farm production, agricultural marketing, micro-enterprise development, food journalism, farmer training and even food-service management.

“Shopping at a farmers market is a great way to be involved in your community and to know where and how your food is grown. Once you taste the difference of freshly picked fruits and vegetables, you’ll be hooked. There are also programs to help make it more affordable, such as WIC and SNAP.”

Growing up in a Mexican household and originally from South Texas, Claudia Harding (left) earned her Masters of Public Administration in San Antonio. During this time she read Jane Goodall’s Harvest for Hope and learned about the food we produce and consume. She is the Outreach Coordinator for the SFC Farmers’ Market East.

“For people trying to get to a healthier weight, good nutrition is super important! Because eating food with lots of calories is so tempting, it’s very hard to get to a healthy weight with physical activity alone. Good nutrition is even more important for our kids, as we want them to build strong bones and healthy brains! As Hippocrates, father of medicine said: Let your food be your medicine and your medicine be your food.”

Dr. Stephen Pont is a physician at the Dell Children’s Medical Center of Central Texas (Seton Family of Hospitals) and is medical director for AISD’s Student Health Services.

Watch the video!

Living Simply and Naturally

Josefina is married with eight children, ranging from 11 to 35 years old, but she and her family are all in great health. She is very active on her mini-farm in Dove Springs where she tends a vegetable garden, chicken, and sheep. What’s the secret to her youthful look and energy? It’s the way she eats! She used to have health issues, but since changing the way she eats, she feels healthy and no longer takes medications.

Josefina feels organic food is healthier because the vegetables are grown without pesticides and the meat raised without hormones and pesticides. Her family hasn’t been sick in over 10 years. “We may be spending more on food, but we save money by not going to to the doctor often,” says Josefina. “You can’t put a price tag on having good health.”

Watch the video!