The Austin area is home to a number of well-utilized public green spaces, from state parks to natural pools. Local nonprofit Hill Country Conservancy is working to showcase the city’s outdoor areas amid shelter-in-place orders, bringing Austin’s wildlife preserves and hiking trails to a virtual platform.
Gov. Greg Abbott issued an order closing all state parks and historical sites April 7. Travis County followed, closing all parks and boat ramps through the Easter weekend, with many closed indefinitely.
Prior to the health pandemic, the HCC regularly hosted guided hikes along the sections of the Violet Crown Trail, which is set to be completed by fall 2021. Those interested in bird watching participated in monthly nature hikes at Nalle Bunny Run Wildlife Preserve.
The events usually attract about 15 to 25 individuals, so out of an abundance of caution, these gatherings have been canceled. Instead, the HCC is going virtual, uploading a number of guided trail videos to its social media platforms.
“We hope these images and videos will help provide moments of peace and contentment during these turbulent times,” CEO George Cofer wrote in a letter to the community.
A number of those curated hikes will be led by Adrienne Longenecker, the chief operating officer for the nonprofit.
“We pretty quickly as an organization pivoted to providing these virtual experiences,” Longenecker said, adding each video will offer a slightly different experience.
A guided 10-minute hike featuring Longenecker can be found on the HCC’s website, where she manages to bring a section of the Violet Crown Trail in Southwest Austin to the comfort of viewers' homes. Those tuning in will be privy to Longenecker’s knowledge of the area’s wildlife and plant species.
In another video made available through the organization’s Youtube channel, Longenecker begins by noting the importance of spending time outdoors in light of shelter-in-place orders. The audio then fades out to highlight the sounds of nature.
“It’s just an immersive experience in nature where for about eight minutes you can just kind of drift off,” Longnecker said.
The HCC has set a goal to record virtual hikes along every section of the trail, according to Longenecker. New videos are expected to be released every two weeks, some of which will be led by Cofer or other members of the team.
“It’s so important from a health and wellness perspective and that’s really at the core of our mission,” Longenecker said.
The nonprofit recently sent out a newsletter highlighting the importance of self-care and health during the coronavirus outbreak. Nature can be used as a method of lowering stress and anxiety, according to the HCC.
“There is a trove of scientific evidence indicating exposure to nature makes you feel better emotionally and contributes to your physical well-being,” the letter states.
Longenecker added this practice could be as simple as observing nature from your window or tuning into the virtual hikes.
The Violet Crown Trail remains open for public use with social distancing measures in mind. According to the HCC, anyone utilizing the trail is required to abide by the guidelines set in place by Travis County.
With regard to the economic repercussions of the COVID-19 outbreak, Longnecker notes the nonprofit is anticipating feeling the effects, but the HCC came into the pandemic in a strong place with donations annually increasing for the past three years.
“I know we’ll come out on the other side very strong,” Longnecker said, adding the organization has planned to optimize federal programs available to nonprofits to weather the storm.
The HCC will continue to have conversations with previous donors in an effort to effectively forecast the effect of COVID-19.
Despite the unprecedented time, the HCC will work to provide virtual resources to the community, Longnecker said. More information on the virtual hikes can be found on the nonprofit’s website.
“Yes, we are a land conservation group, and we build trails,” Longenecker said. “But the reason we do all of that is because Austin is the best place in the world.”
