Love the Outdoors? Want to Meet People? Try EPIC

Outdoor lifestyle on Lady Bird Lake (Credit: Hill Country Conservancy)

One of the best ways to make connections in any city is to find folks who share your passion. If you love Austin’s outdoor lifestyle, meeting up with EPIC may be the path to finding a new circle of friends.

They’ll also guide you to Austin’s newest trail.

Outdoor People Meet Up Through EPIC

Membership in EPIC and HCC provide guided access to many special and restricted areas (Credit: Hill Country Conservancy)

EPIC stands for “Emerging Professionals in Conservation,” and it’s the social membership branch of Hill Country Conservancy. HCC works to preserve the beautiful open spaces and waterways of central Texas and the surrounding Hill Country, and EPIC is made up of young people who are passionate about furthering this mission.

Credit: Hill Country Conservancy

They’re also passionate about enjoying themselves while doing good works. EPIC holds monthly outdoor events for members, in addition to the regularly planned Hill Country Conservancy outings. Beyond the larger group’s monthly hiking and birding excursions are rock climbing events, stand-up paddle boarding and kayaking, among many other outdoor activities organized especially for EPIC members.

Credit: Hill Country Conservancy

There are also lunch-and-learn meetings, such as the upcoming August 10th discussion, “Shades of Green.” A panel of experts will address their personal experiences, both in and outside of Austin, regarding racial diversity in the environmental and conservation communities.

Sneak Peek at Violet Crown Trail

These EPIC members take a stroll down some of the soon-to-be-opened Violet Crown Trail
(Credit: Hill Country Conservancy)

The new Violet Crown Trail is almost open!

EPIC has been working hard to assist Hill Country Conservancy with this huge undertaking, which will transform Austin’s trail system: the Violet Crown Trail. What started out as the “Walk for a Day” project became the vision for a system of more than 30 miles of continuous urban and wildland trails, which will thread through a 100,000-acre network of open spaces. It will connect existing trails, such as the Barton Creek Greenbelt, with newly created pathways and trailheads.

Through membership dues and fundraising activities, EPIC has contributed more than $20,000 to Hill Country Conervancy for this project so far. To give you a feel for the expenses involved in this undertaking, the Parks Foundation recently invested $100,000 in new signage for the Violet Crown Trail and Barton Creek Greenbelt. And there’s much more work to be done.

EPIC members were also the primary financial supporter for this short documentary, “Hill Country Conservancy: Here Forever.”

Austinot Trail Guide Coming Soon

Phase I of the Violet Crown Trail opens on August 14, 2015, and The Austinot is bringing you a step-by-step description. You’ll be able to use our illustrated guide as a reference for accessing this new hike and bike trail.

In addition, we’ll give you the scoop on an exciting new partnership between Hill Country Conservancy and outdoor retailer REI, and how YOU can help grow Violet Crown Trail with a few simple clicks.

leahruns100 wants to know:

What do you think is Austin’s most underrated outdoor treasure?