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WELCOME, WELCOME TO CITY HALL, AND LET ME GET MY NOTES.
SO WE'VE GOT TWO PROCLAMATIONS TO OFFER OUT HERE IN THE ATRIUM, AND WE'RE DOING IT OUT HERE.
WHILE THERE ARE A COUPLE OTHER PROCS HAPPENING INSIDE THE BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS ROOM, BECAUSE WE EXPECTED THERE WOULD BE A REALLY GOOD TURNOUT AND IT LOOKS LIKE THERE IS FOR THE, UM, PRESENTATION ON BIRD CITY PROCLAMATION, AND THEN ALSO A RECOGNITION OF EARTH DAY, A COUPLE OF DAYS EARLY.
WE WILL HAVE A RECEPTION AND WE WILL UNCOVER ALL THE, THE LOVELY PASTRIES AND OPEN UP THE COFFEE FOR EVERYONE AS SOON AS WE'RE DONE HERE.
I'M LESLIE POOL AND I'M THE COUNCIL MEMBER FOR DISTRICT SEVEN, AND I'M REALLY HAPPY TO BE LEADING ON A COUPLE OF IMPORTANT ENVIRONMENTAL INITIATIVES TODAY THAT'LL BE ON OUR AGENDA AND ALSO TO PRESENT THE EARTH TODAY PROCLAMATION.
[Additional Item]
BEFORE WE GET TO THAT, I WANNA BRING UP MY COLLEAGUE, COUNCIL MEMBER ALLISON AL ALTER TO MAKE A PROCLAMATION CONCERNING AUSTIN'S NEW STATUS AS BIRD CITY.ALISON, THANK YOU SO MUCH, COUNCIL MEMBER POOL, AND THANK YOU EVERYONE FOR BEING HERE.
UH, MY NAME IS ALLISON AL ALTER AND I'M PROUD TO REPRESENT CENTRAL NORTHWEST AUSTIN, DISTRICT 10 ON THE CITY COUNCIL.
THANK YOU TO TRAVIS AUDUBON, AUSTIN PARKS AND RECREATION AND AUSTIN WATER FOR JOINING US TODAY AND WATERSHED.
I FIRST RAN FOR OFFICE AS A PARKS ADVOCATE AND ONE OF MY PRIORITIES AS A COUNCIL MEMBER HAS BEEN TO ENHANCE AND PROTECT OUR OUTDOOR SPACES.
LAST YEAR I WAS PLEASED TO AUTHOR A RESOLUTION SUPPORTING AUSTIN'S PURSUIT OF THE BIRD CITY CERTIFICATION.
I WANNA THANK COUNCIL MEMBER LESLIE POOLE FOR HER SUPPORT OF THIS EFFORT, AS WELL AS TRAVIS AUDUBON, DIRECTOR NICOLE NETHERTON, AUSTIN PARKS AND RECREATION, AND MY STAFF MEMBER AND MASTER NATURALIST MINA SHAKI WE'RE JOINED UP HERE TODAY ALSO BY COUNCIL MEMBER FUENTES.
UM, THANK YOU FOR JOINING US FOR NINE MONTHS.
AUSTIN WATER AND TRAVIS AUDUBON WORK TOGETHER TO CREATE MORE BIRD FRIENDLY HABITATS AND INFRASTRUCTURE AROUND OUR OUT OUTDOOR SPACES AND TO PROMOTE BIRDING EDUCATION AND CONSERVATION EFFORTS.
I THINK THAT MIGHT HAVE BEEN WATERSHED.
UM, I'M PROUD THAT IN FEBRUARY OF THIS YEAR, AUSTIN WAS DESIGNATED AS AN OFFICIAL BIRD CITY BY TEXAS PARKS AND WILDLIFE AND AUDUBON, TEXAS.
BY WORKING TO MAKE OUR URBAN HABITATS MORE BIRD FRIENDLY, WE HAVE INVESTED IN OUR BELOVED OUTDOOR SPACES FOR OURSELVES, FOR FUTURE GENERATIONS, AND FOR THE WILDLIFE THAT SHARES THESE SPACES WITH US.
AND THIS OFFICIAL CELEBRATION OF OUR STATUS AS A BIRD CITY COMES JUST IN TIME FOR TRAVIS AUDUBON'S CELEBRATION OF WORLD MIGRATORY BIRD DAY OUT AT HORNS OF EVENT ON SATURDAY MAY 13TH.
THERE WILL BE PLENTY OF FAMILY FRIENDLY BIRDING EDUCATION OPPORTUNITIES, AND I ENCOURAGE YOU TO CHECK IT OUT.
IT ALSO IS FITTING TO CELEBRATE OUR NEW STATUS AS A BIRD CITY ALONGSIDE OUR EARTH DAY COMMEMORATIONS.
IT IS NOW MY HONOR TO OFFER THIS PROCLAMATION, AND IF NICOLE NETHERTON WOULD LIKE TO JOIN ME TO RECEIVE IT PROCLAMATION BE IT KNOWN THAT WHEREAS THE CITY OF AUSTIN IS WIDELY KNOWN AS A CITY OF CULTURE LEARNING AND TREMENDOUS NATURAL BEAUTY, AND WHEREAS ITS CITIZENS HAVE A DEEP APPRECIATION OF THIS NATURAL BEAUTY AND HARBOR, A STRONG DESIRE FOR THE CONSERVATION OF ITS NATURAL RESOURCES IN WILDLIFE.
AND WHEREAS THE MANY BENEFITS AND PLEASURES OF SPENDING TIME IN NATURE ARE CONNECTED TO THIS IMPORTANT CONSERVATION WORK.
AND THAT CONNECTING WITH OUR ENVIRONMENT AFFECTS PROFOUNDLY THE PHYSICAL, SPIRITUAL, AND ECONOMIC WELFARE OF OUR CITY AND EACH OF ITS CITIZENS.
AND WHEREAS SINCE AUSTIN LIES IN THE CENTRAL FLYWAY, MILLIONS OF MIGRATORY BIRDS PASS THROUGH OUR SKIES DURING MIGRATION AND ARE SOME OF THE MOST EASILY OBSERVED WILDLIFE IN URBAN AREAS.
AND WHEREAS PUBLIC AWARENESS AND CONCERN ARE CRUCIAL COMPONENTS OF MIGRATORY BIRD CONSERVATION.
AND WHEREAS THE BIRD CITY TEXAS PROGRAM IS A CERTIFICATION CREATED BY A PARTNERSHIP BETWEEN AUDUBON, TEXAS AND TEXAN PARK, TEXAS PARKS AND WILDLIFE, WITH CRITERIA FOR CITIES TO ENHANCE AND RESTORE HABITATS, NATIVE PLANT COVERAGE AND PUBLIC AWARENESS TO SUPPORT BIRD CONSERVATION.
AND WHEREAS AUSTIN WAS PROCLAIMED IN OFFICIAL BIRD CITY IN MARCH OF 2023.
NOW THEREFORE, I, COUNCIL MEMBER ALLISON ALTER, TOGETHER WITH COUNCIL MEMBERS POOL F FUENTES AND, AND MAYOR PROTO ELLIS ON BEHALF OF KIRK WATSON, MAYOR OF THE CITY OF AUSTIN, TEXAS, DO HEREBY PROCLAIM APRIL 20TH, 2023 AS BIRD CITY CELEBRATION DAY IN AUSTIN.
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WE WILL NOW HEAR BRIEFLY FROM NICOLE NETHERTON.IT'S A GREAT DAY FOR BIRDS AND HABITATS IN TEXAS.
ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I LOVE ABOUT BIRDING IS HOW IF YOU GET INTERESTED IN BIRDS AND START PAYING ATTENTION TO THEM, YOU SEE HOW THEY'RE CONNECTED TO EVERYTHING ELSE IN OUR ENVIRONMENT.
IT'S A GREAT GATEWAY TO CONSERVATION AND ENVIRONMENTAL ACTION, AND I HOPE THAT WE WILL USE THIS OPPORTUNITY TO ENCOURAGE OTHERS WHO MAYBE HAVE STARTED NOTICING BIRDS OR GETTING INTERESTED IN THEM TO REALLY PLUG INTO THE, THE REST OF OUR ENVIRONMENTAL AND CONSERVATION WORK HERE IN THE CITY.
AND, UM, WANNA INVITE YOU ALL TO COME OUT TO HORNS BEYOND MAY 13TH.
SO THANKS AGAIN SO MUCH FOR THIS HONOR AND FOR ALL OF OUR PARTNERS, UH, HARD WORK, UH, THAT WE'VE BEEN DOING IN AUSTIN FOR A LONG TIME.
[Proclamation – Earth Day – To be presented by Council Member Leslie Pool]
ALL RIGHT, THANK YOU ALL.NICOLE, THANK YOU FOR ALL THE WORK THAT AUDUBON TRAVIS AUDUBON IS DOING.
AND LOOK AT ALL THESE HAPPY FACES.
I AM SO GLAD YOU ALL ARE HERE TODAY.
UM, IT'S, IT'S, I'M HAPPY TO SEE EVERYBODY AND ALSO HEARTENING TO SEE SO MANY FAMILIAR FACES.
I WANNA THANK MY COLLEAGUES FOR STANDING HERE WITH ME AS WE PRESENT THIS EARTH DAY PROCLAMATION MAYOR PRO TE PAGE, ELLI AND COUNCIL MEMBERS, VANESSA PUENTES AND ALISON ALTAR.
WE'RE COMING TODAY WITH YOU ALL TO MARK THE ANNUAL OBSERVANCE OF EARTH DAY.
DID YOU KNOW THAT THIS IS, ITS 53RD YEAR? WHERE WERE YOU ALL 53 YEARS AGO?
I'M, SO I WASN'T GONNA TURN IT INTO COMEDY HOUR, BUT GOOD ONE.
AS WE REFLECT ON HOW LUCKY WE ARE TO LIVE ON THIS GREAT PLANET, I WANT YOU TO LOOK AROUND AND SEE YOUR FELLOW ALLIES WHO ARE HERE WITH US TODAY.
MANY OF YOU HERE HAVE BEEN IN THE TRENCHES DOING THE HARD WORK, AND I WANT TO APPLAUD AND RECOGNIZE YOUR EFFORTS.
WE HAVE SO MANY CHALLENGES FACING US AT THIS TIME.
CLIMATE CHANGE, POLLUTION, THE LOSS OF BIODIVERSITY.
THE GOOD NEWS IS THAT WE CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE.
AND I THINK WE ALL RECOGNIZE THAT ON THIS EARTH DAY, LET US COMMIT AGAIN TO DOING OUR PART NO MATTER HOW SMALL, LET US PLEDGE TO REDUCE OUR CARBON FOOTPRINT, TO RECYCLE, TO CONSERVE WATER, TO SUPPORT SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURE, TO PROTECT WILDLIFE, TO PROTECT THE BIRDS, AND TO PROTECT OUR WILD SPACES.
LET'S REMEMBER THAT ENVIRONMENTALISM IS NOT JUST A MATTER OF PERSONAL RESPONSIBILITY, IT'S A MATTER OF POLICY, OF COMMUNITY, ACTION AND COLLECTIVE EFFORT.
SO LET US CELEBRATE THIS EARTH DAY, NOT JUST WITH WORDS, BUT WITH ACTION AND WITH NAT.
AND WITH THAT, I WILL NOW READ THE PROCLAMATION AND THEN WE'RE GONNA GET A PICTURE AFTER WE DO THIS.
OH, AND, AND KATIE KO, WOULD YOU PLEASE JOIN ME UP HERE TO RECEIVE THIS PROCLAMATION AND EVERYBODY ELSE BE READY TO COME UP SO THAT WE CAN ALL HAVE A PICTURE TOGETHER TO SHOW, UM, THE COMMUNITY ACTION INVOLVED HERE IN AUSTIN ON THIS EARTH DAY.
HERE'S THE PROCLAMATION, BE IT KNOWN THAT WHEREAS CREATED IN 19 19 70, EARTH DAY IS AN ANNUAL EVENT THAT IS WIDELY RECOGNIZED AS THE LARGEST SECULAR OBSERVANCE IN THE WORLD AND IS CELEBRATED BY MORE THAN A BILLION PEOPLE EVERY YEAR.
AND WHEREAS EARTH DAY IS AN OPPORTUNITY FOR COMMUNITIES TO CREATE CHANGE IN HUMAN BEHAVIOR AND INITIATE GLOBAL, NATIONAL AND LOCAL POLICY CHANGES.
AND WHEREAS THE THEME OF EARTH DAY 2023 IS INVEST IN OUR PLANET, WHICH HIGHLIGHTS THE IMPORTANCE OF DEDICATING OUR TIME, RESOURCES, AND ENERGY TO SOLVING CLIMATE CHANGE AND OTHER ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES.
AND WHEREAS INVESTING IN OUR PLANET IS NECESSARY TO PROTECT IT AND IS THE BEST WAY TO ENSURE A PROSPEROUS FUTURE.
AND WHEREAS AUSTIN HAS A HISTORY OF ACTIVISM RELATED TO PROTECTING ITS NATURAL ENVIRONMENTAL FEATURES AND CONTINUES TO LEAD AND FURTHER THE CONVERSATION WHEN IT COMES TO ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION, BIODIVERSITY, AND CLIMATE ISSUES.
AND WHEREAS THE CITY OF AUSTIN RECOGNIZES THE URGENT NEED
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TO CURB CLIMATE CHANGE AND RECOMMITS TO LEADING THESE EFFORTS SO THAT OUR COMMUNITY HAS A THRIVING AND HEALTHY ENVIRONMENT FOR GENERATIONS TO COME.NOW THEREFORE, ILES POOL COUNCIL MEMBER FOR DISTRICT SEVEN ON BEHALF OF MAYOR KIRK WATSON, MY COLLEAGUE STANDING HERE WITH ME TODAY AND THE ENTIRE CITY COUNCIL DO HEREBY PROCLAIM APRIL 22ND, 2023 AS EARTH DAY.
CAN I HAVE, INVITE EVERYBODY UP TO GET A PICTURE? IS THAT HOW WE'RE GOING TO DO THAT? AHA.
YEAH, THIS IS THE ONLY THING THAT I OWN AND THE RECEPTION WITH THOSE BEST BREAKFAST, PASTRIES AND COFFEE IS NOW OPEN.