The new Flying Fish is here! 
Every year, we ask the River Watchers to tell us what they love about the program. Do they have a special memory they treasure? How has Austin Youth River Watch affected their life? The River Watchers write stories, draw pictures — whatever inspires them! Our “Flying Fish Review” is the annual compilation of these reflections, and we think you’ll agree that this year’s Flying Fish is especially good. But don’t take our word for it, download your own copy here.
Download the Flying Fish Review here!
AYRW Senior Dinner celebrates upcoming graduates
April 5, 2012: 16 River Watch High School Seniors attend the annual AYRW Senior Dinner to commend graduating seniors. Travis High Culinary Arts catered and housed the special event. Thank you Rob and everyone at Culinary Arts who helped put on a worthy celebration for our most worthy River Watch graduates!
River Watchers host Kazakhstan delegation
March 7,2012: 19 River Watch students host a Center for Safe Energy delegation from Kazakhstan at the Hornsby EcoHouse. The delegation was made up of Environmental Scientists, Educators, and Journalists. Students and staff participated in an hour question and answer session about Austin Youth River Watch and Kazakhstan environmental issues. It was an exciting and transformative experience for both parties.
River Watch Open House
Please join us for an Open House on Sunday, February 26th, 2-5 p.m. Come learn about our programs and relax with River Watch students, staff, Board members, and our families.
If you’ve come to our open houses over the last couple of years, you know to expect fun conversations, tasty snacks, and family-friendly activities. This time, we’ll have archery from 2:30 – 3:30 and a nature hike from 3:30 – 4:30. We’ll also have some kites on hand for anyone who wants to give that a try in the open area next door.
The River Watch EcoHouse is at 10611 Platt Lane.
Directions: Take 71 east, just past the airport, to FM973. Turn left at the light, and go north 2.2 miles. Turn left on Platt Lane, which then doglegs to the left. River Watch is the third house on the left.
An RSVP is not necessary, but we would love to hear that you’re coming: Contact Brent Lyles at brent@ayrw.org or 512-773-9789.
In case of bad weather, check message at 512-773-9789.
Feel free to forward this invitation to other friends and family! See you there!
Volunteers needed for EcoHouse work day on Saturday, Feb. 25th
Volunteers needed! On Saturday, February 25th, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., we need 10-15 people to help us tidy up and get ready for our Open House the next day. Come do some light cleaning around the River Watch EcoHouse; do some yard work; and help set up tables, chairs, and decorations. There will be two shifts, from 10 to 1, and from 1 to 4. If you’re interested and available, please email our Executive Director, Brent Lyles, at brent@ayrw.org
Young Women River Watchers call for owls and search for mussels
January 20 – 21, 2012 15 River Watch students from three Austin high schools spend the night at the Hornsby EcoHouse. Fun and adventure was had with games, a night hike calling for owls, and a morning freshwater mussel search. Photos from the hike.
Introducing River Watch’s new Strategic Plan
It’s been nearly a year in the making, and it’s finally done! Our new Strategic Plan is available for download (see link below), and we welcome your comments and feedback.
What’s more, we’ll especially welcome your support as we grow over the next few years!
Our plan has three main goals:
- Double the size of our core program;
- Add new service-learning projects to complement our core program; and
- Behind the scenes, grow our organizational capacity (Board, staff, infrastructure, etc.) to support this programmatic expansion.
Click on this link to download a PDF of our plan:
A new grant for River Watch
We are pleased to announce that the Philip T. Bee Charitable Trust has awarded Austin Youth River Watch a grant for $5,000 to support our core programs in the coming semester. The Philip T. Bee Charitable Trust is based in Dallas, Texas, and supports a variety of charitable organizations in Dallas and Austin, as well as statewide programs benefiting all Texans. This is their first gift to River Watch, and we are honored to have been chosen for support — thanks, y’all, we’ll make you proud!
New video of Spring Break EcoAdventure 2011
Click below to see the short (and wonderful) video of our Spring Break trip to West Texas in March 2011. On that trip, 11 of our high-school students traveled to Balmorhea, the Davis Mountains, McDonald Observatory, Big Bend National Park, Kickapoo Cavern State Park, and many spots in between. We camped under the stars, swam with endangered pupfish, competed to see who could sound like an angry javelina, hiked for miles in Big Bend, and even did some karaoke with Cowboy Cooter in Terlingua. In 2011, it was the girls’ turn to go on a road trip, and next year, it’ll be the boys’ turn for a similarly life-changing adventure…
A big THANK YOU goes out to Michelle Canning and her husband Jim, who volunteered hours of their time to put this video together!
Website is live!
Our new website is live! (Of course, if you’re reading this, you already know that…) The site was designed by Causality, and it’s built on a WordPress platform. Causality did a terrific job, and was a great group to work with. This has been a team effort, and we’d like to thank all of the Board, staff, and community members who helped with reviews and edits. Please, take a look around, and let us know what you think!
