Event Host Resources
Event Host Toolkit
Welcome to the resources page for event hosts! Check back often as resources will be added as they become available.
Below, you’ll find:
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Learn more about honey bees, native bees, and more with a variety of Natural Inquirer resources. Browse by topic, grade, and resource type.
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Know of a fun bird activity that would be perfect for Roots & Wings Festival event? Email us!
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Host a Xerces Kids activity and turn your neighborhood kids into invertebrate saving superheroes! A member of the City of Austin DSD Urban Forestry Youth Program can come to your event to lead this educational activity! Use familiar cooking ingredients to create a colorful art project that details the lifecycle of a butterfly. This activity typically lasts 45-60 minutes and is appropriate for children K-5. Want to bring this activity to your event? Want to bring this activity to your event?
Bring pollinators to the party! Visit the Natural Inquirer resources webpage for a variety of activities. Browse by topic, grade band, and resource type.
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Host a tree planting day! Get free trees, mulch and how-to.
Print or request copies of A Guide to Austin’s Forest Coloring Book.
Learn how to lead Observing Leaves, Using Our Senses activity. All you need are some leaves!
Get free lesson plans from Project Learning Tree.
Host a Kids’ Climb
The City of Austin Parks and Recreation Department’s Urban Forestry Team can bring equipment and staff to your site to facilitate a tree-climbing experience for children in grades K-12! Kids will be belayed using ropes and saddles using methods that are age-appropriate. A Kids’ Climb may last between one and six hours, depending upon the age and number of children participating. Site selection will be made in collaboration with the Urban Forestry Team.Contact the Urban Forestry Team to learn more.
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Host a work day! Use the Grow Green Guide to Central Texas to select your plants and get ready to dig in! Check out the searchable database or dowload the PDF.
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Visit the Hands-On Sensory Activities Exploring the Importance of Soil webpage hosted by Project Learning Tree. Get ready to lead a soil focused activity at your event!
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Often overlooked and under-appreciated, fungi are an important part of our environment. Lead a lesson that takes a closer look at this vital ecosystem resident.
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Get ideas for bat centered activities to host at your event! Check out the Bat Conservation International’s Backyard Bativists website.
What activities will you host at your event? We’ve gathered some possibilities to get you started.
Event Activities
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The Austin Recycle and Reuse Drop-off Center has free mulch available for pick-up. Visiting the Drop-off center is by appointment only. You must load the mulch yourself. Mulch is free for everyone
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Request your own tree-centric education and outreach materials through the Urban Forest Materials Request Form.
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Keep Austin Beautiful Generation Zero Waste: Activity Kits.
City of Austin Parks and Recreation Department’s Loose Parts Lending Kits
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Material Resources
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Invite the Urban Forest Youth Program out to your event to host a Super Sapling activity for the littles.
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Invite Urban Forest Steward Stephanie Simmons to your event for an Introduction to Tree ID presentation and/or walk.
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Help Attendees Learn the Life Cycle of a Butterfly! A member of the City of Austin DSD Urban Forestry Youth Program can come to your event to lead this educational activity! Use familiar cooking ingredients to create a colorful art project that details the lifecycle of a butterfly. This activity typically lasts 45-60 minutes and is appropriate for children K-5. Want to bring this activity to your event? Contact the Youth Forest Council.
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Harvé is the Horticultural Specialist at The Carver Museum, teaching a variety of classes to the community. As a long-term garden and arts educator, Harvé often shares lessons she learned as a child at her grandparents’ farm in the historic St. John Freedmen’s Colony, and how that journey into the nature of the garden taught her how to nurture herself, others, and the planet. She also speaks on living off grid and her journey to food sustainability. Contact Harvé about speaking at your event or sharing her expertise through activity!
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Katherine Tombs is a Capital Area Master Naturalist at Keep Austin Beautiful. She looks forward to sharing information and resources about KAB’s Vermicomposting program: Composting with worms! Contact Katherine Tombs for more information.
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Ready to learn about bats? Invite Erin Cord of Bat Conservation International to join your community event. Contact Erin Cord for more information.
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Invite Central Texas Mycology to your event and encourage your community to learn about growing their own mushrooms!
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Vicki is an experienced and enthusiastic Texas Master Gardener and Master Naturalist. As co-chair of PollinATX and a member of Austin’s Bee City USA initiative, Vicki is eager to teach your community about insects, pollinators, and more! Contact Vicki Blachman to see about having her speak at your event.
Community Experts
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As larger events are confirmed we’ll share them here.
Join An Event
Larger events will often have plenty of capacity for smaller Roots & Wings Festival events to join this. This type of partnership is encouraged if it helps our partners reach more of their community by sharing resources.
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UT Austin's OUTreach Student Volunteer Organization can help you find volunteers for your event!
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Generation SERVE Nonprofit Partnerships is for nonprofits looking for volunteers.