Pease Park’s Treehouse is temporarily closed as of Jan. 16 for renovations, however, a Jan. 31 Instagram post from the park said the closure is extended until April.
Chuck Smith, chief operating officer of the Pease Park Conservancy, said that upon inspection, both the upper and lower nets that line the Treehouse needed repair. He said the price of materials and the cost of installation make these restorations “significant,” but are crucial for the Treehouse’s longevity. To help offset this, he said the park is asking for donations from the community.
“Unfortunately, (the top net) gets vandalized, cut, burned and stuff like that,” Smith said. “We had already budgeted this year to do the annual replacement of the top (net, but) in one of our routine daily inspections, we saw some things that indicated that we needed to do further inspection of the area.”
Mechanical engineering freshman Guillermo Barrera said the UT community could positively contribute to Pease Park. He said volunteering can provide a tangible way for students to get involved.
“If people are able (to) play an active role in something, and the impacts of the work that they’re putting in can be visibly seen … in a place that matters to them, I think that can make them feel they’re a part of something just a little bit bigger,” Barrera said. “It’s a little bit more necessary for, say, UT students because a lot of us have not lived in Austin our whole lives.”
Christina Duncan, a public health sophomore, said she was unaware of the Treehouse’s repairs. She added that effective community outreach is critical.
“Definitely flyers and QR codes to help sign up to volunteer, and just letting these (student) organizations of 500 ambitious students know that there’s this cool opportunity to help give back to a place that you’ve probably gone to decompress,” Duncan said.
Smith said the UT community makes up a majority of the visitors at the park and is appreciative of any financial support that residents can provide.
“It’s an incredibly valuable resource,” Barrera said. “We’re very lucky to have a park like this so close to campus.”
