On April 9, St. Edward’s University held its 12th annual community service project, called The Big Event. It is the university’s largest community service event and is hosted by the Student Government Association of the university. This event promotes giving back to the Austin community and St. Edward’s neighbors in a BIG way.
As part of The Big Event, over twenty students came to Wild Basin to give back to the preserve. Students were split into two different groups; one group removed invasive plant species along Bee Creek and the other picked up trash along the 360 Highway. Over a dozen bags of trash were filled with litter that was collected along the highway, and around 28 cubic feet of invasive plant matter was also removed. Both trash and invasive species can be detrimental to the ecological health of Wild Basin so it is imperative that both are managed continuously.
The work that the volunteers did had a BIG impact on the conservation of Wild Basin Wilderness Preserve, and we are incredibly thankful for everyone who participated. We would also like to thank the Student Government Association as well as all of the various sponsors of The Big Event for giving back to the community. In addition to special projects like The Big Event, Wild Basin also hosts public stewardship days for the community to get involved.