Community Outreach, Reimagined 

By Sarah Meyer, Executive Director, Friends of Balcones Canyonlands NWR, TX

Tech start-ups aren’t the only things booming in Austin, Texas. Food trucks are multiplying in the self-proclaimed “Live Music Capital of the World” as well. Officials estimate there are more than 1,200 mobile food vendors in the Austin area. There are standalone vendors, as well as food-court trailer parks where you can find multiple vendors, catering to a wide range of tastes, all in one place. The flexibility, mobility, and low-overhead costs are all appealing to restaurateurs. So, when the Friends of Balcones Canyonlands National Wildlife Refuge teamed up with their local USFWS partners to discuss how to best reach and welcome visitors during COVID shutdowns, it isn’t all that surprising that the idea of the Mobile Ranger Station was born. In a city where you can grab tacos, BBQ, cupcakes, or coffee from a mobile vendor, why not create opportunities to connect with nature, too? 

The concession trailer was purchased by the Friends organization and donated to the refuge. With the help of supporters, grants, and volunteers, it has since been wrapped with eye-catching artwork, outfitted with ample storage systems, and filled with Junior Ranger booklets and activity backpacks for young nature enthusiasts. 

While refuge headquarters remains closed, the Mobile Ranger Station is open for business! Since its unveiling at the Friends of Balcones Canyonlands annual membership meeting in December 2021, the Mobile Ranger Station has spent time at the trailheads as well as at a local outdoor festival. The plan is for the Mobile Ranger Station to hit the road and make trips into local communities, providing opportunities to raise awareness and promote the benefits and value of nearby wild spaces. The Mobile Ranger Station, staffed by volunteers, will also make regular appearances at the refuge, enabling visitors to receive information and environmental education materials, even when the headquarters is closed. The new mobile unit may not be providing meals, but it’s providing lots of Vitamin N(ature)!