Circle Acres
Circle acres Nature Preserve
Circle Acres Nature Preserve is located on roughly 10 acres in the Montopolis neighborhood of South East Austin. as a former landfill and E.P.A. brownfield, the site has suffered through a pattern of destructive uses but nonetheless bears a striking range of forest, wetland, and grassland environments within an overwhelmingly urban context.
Ecology Action continues to steward this natural urban amenity, cultivating a haven for wildlife and human visitors alike and re-envisioning this underutilized resource as an educational and recreational destination. In September of 2013, Ecology Action partnered with the Center for Maximum Potential Building Systems to develop a comprehensive master plan for the site. This plan outlines the vision for Circle Acres' future and serves as a model for how to conceptualize the reuse of wasted spaces. Our work in the coming years involves implementing and evolving that plan - turning theory into practice, while also evolving the plan itself to respond to changing natural conditions and the needs of the surrounding neighborhood.
The Center for Sustainable Futures is the programming framework for Ecology Action’s educational, advocacy, and research activities on the site. It includes classrooms, demonstration areas, operations & maintenance support, art, and social spaces.
With this endeavor, Ecology Action seeks a broadened definition of “waste” which addresses all the cycles of life. With a particular emphasis on the life cycles of materials, food, water, and energy, this concept of “waste” permeates the thinking behind trash, food waste and compost, building construction, resource use, and myriad other cycles that exemplify Ecology Action’s mission.
