The Trail Foundation announces Boardwalk benches available for adoption
Bench adoptions last 10 years; limited number available
The Trail Foundation will install new benches along the Ann and Roy Butler Hike-and-Bike Trail and give members of the public the opportunity to dedicate the benches through a new program.
The benches will be installed at overlook points on the 1.2-mile Boardwalk, the Foundation’s most acclaimed project to date, which completes the 10-mile loop of the Trail over land and above wetland areas. All proceeds benefit The Trail Foundation, the nonprofit organization that protects and enhances the Ann and Roy Butler Hike-and-Bike Trail at Lady Bird Lake.
A limited number of benches are available, and they can be reserved on a first-come basis. Adoptions last 10 years, and adopters receive first right of refusal to renew for another decade. Bench adoption is $12,500 and includes dedication engraving and maintenance for the duration.
“These benches will create spaces for remembrance, rest, and contemplation for all to enjoy, and adopting a bench is a beautiful and impactful way to personalize a part of the Trail and honor a loved one,” says Heidi Cohn, executive director of TTF.
In alignment with TTF’s priority of ecological restoration, the benches will be made from reclaimed bald cypress and/or white oak trees removed by the City of Austin’s Urban Forestry Department because they are at the end of their lifespan, pose a safety hazard, or are approved for construction removal. Through this process, the trees’ life cycle will not end once they are removed; they will be repurposed in a way that is functional, beautiful, and appreciated by the 2.6 million annual Trail users.
Boardwalk overlook points where the benches will be installed are East Bouldin, Blunn Creek, Blunn, Woodland C, Norwood, Rest Area, I-35, East Bluff, Middle Bluff, and Festival Point.
Studio Balcones, a highly respected and experienced landscape architecture firm, has designed the benches to harmoniously blend with the surrounding built and natural environments, and Hatch Workshop will complete the high-quality fabrication.
TTF’s bench adoption program is offered in collaboration with the Urban Forestry Grant Program. Entire platforms are also available for adoption, subject to availability.
For questions regarding bench adoption, please contact TTF’s development director Rachel Rountree at 512-791-7572 or development manager Kelly Grajeda at 512-699-5902.
For more information or to adopt a bench today while they remain available, visit https://thetrailfoundation.org/portfolio/boardwalk-benches/.
