One Travis Audubon employee told KVUE Blair Woods Sanctuary will be closed “for the foreseeable future.” Now they’re asking for the public’s help to reopen sooner.
AUSTIN, Texas — One Austin conservation group is facing a long cleanup after Wednesday’s microburst storm.
Blair Woods Sanctuary in East Austin is now closed “for the foreseeable future,” said Lisa Ramie, development manager for Travis Audubon, on Saturday.
“There is a lot of damage,” said Ramie, describing the preserve and the surrounding neighborhood along East Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard near U.S. 183. “It really looks like a hurricane came through.”
The microburst storm left extensive damage across the 10-acre free nature preserve. While touring a small part of the preserve on Saturday, Ramie showed KVUE several downed trees and tree limbs out of reach.
Ramie said it’s not safe yet for volunteers to help with cleanup.
“There’s a lot of work that’s just beyond our scope,” said Ramie. “Going up in the canopy and removing a huge limb that’s 30 feet up the trunk, that is something we have to hire crews to come out and do, and larger tree removal as well.”
Ramie said removing trees and fixing trails will cost $20,000, an unexpected expense not in the nonprofit’s budget.
Blair Woods Preserve is one of three preserves run by Travis Audubon, but it’s the only one open to non-members.
“It’s unfortunate because … the longer it takes us to get Blair Woods back to where it’s open for the public, the longer that we can’t do education programs out here,” said Ramie. “We can’t lead groups around and use this space to teach them about the importance of conservation.”
Ramie said the faster Travis Audubon can hire tree removal crews, the sooner the preserve can reopen.
Anyone wanting to help can donate to the group’s fundraiser.