Austin Pond Society

The pollinator garden pond at the Brackenridge Field Laboratory (BFL) was built as part of a collaborative restoration effort by the Capitol Area Master Naturalists, the Austin Pond Society, and the Travis County Master Gardeners. The garden was originally established in 2008 as a memorial garden for a former student, Vanessa Stringer. The garden fell into disrepair over the years until a dedicated group of naturalists decided to restore it in 2022. The garden is situated in a publicly accessible section of the field station, where visitors are encouraged to walk about and explore the native landscaping and the various arthropods that they attract. Within the garden space lies a greenhouse which is periodically used to study various aspects of bee cognition by UT faculty. The garden is maintained by BFL staff and volunteers.

First and foremost, the motivation to rebuild our pond and restore the surrounding area stemmed from a desire to transform a neglected space into something we could be proud of while honoring the memory of Vanessa Stringer and her family. The garden now represents the success of collaboration amongst passionate naturalists and provides a great example of how native Texas landscaping can merge beauty and sustainability.