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The Big Give 2024: A Day of Impact and Community Connection

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10.21.24
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culture
contributors
Amy Starling Rampy

Every year, on the last Friday in September, TBG employees set aside their usual work for a day dedicated to giving back to the community through The Big Give. This annual event allows our team to support local non-profits and contribute to meaningful projects, reflecting our firm’s commitment to community engagement and the broader principles of landscape architecture. In its 9th year, The Big Give 2024 saw our teams from all four offices collaborating with local organizations on projects that directly benefit their communities.

Here’s a look at how each office made a difference this year:

Austin: Partnering with Urban Roots

In Austin, we teamed up with Urban Roots, a local organization that empowers youth through sustainable farming and food justice advocacy. Urban Roots works to cultivate leadership skills among young people while promoting food security and regenerative agriculture.

Our Austin team embraced the opportunity to help at Urban Roots’ farm, planting over 1,000 seedlings, prepping farm beds with fresh compost, weeding, and harvesting a variety of peppers. We also helped construct a much-needed “resting nook,” offering a space for volunteers to recharge. The day was full of hands-on work and enthusiasm, and we were perpetually cheered on by the amazing Urban Roots staff. Their guidance kept us organized, motivated, and on task, ensuring that we maximized our impact while enjoying the experience. It was a day of meaningful work, as we played a small part in advancing Urban Roots’ mission to build a more just and joyful food system.

Dallas: Supporting Joppy Momma’s Farm

Our Dallas team worked with Joppy Momma’s Farm, a community farm founded by Miss Kim, who has turned her personal health journey into a mission to serve her neighborhood, located in a food desert. After struggling with a family history of Type 2 Diabetes and being insulin-dependent, Miss Kim discovered the power of fresh food, fresh air, and hard work while volunteering at Bonton Farms (another urban farm in south Dallas.) Over time, she became healthier and no longer needed insulin. Using the wisdom gained at Bonton, she now runs Joppy Momma’s Farm on the same land where her great-grandmother, Joppy Momma, grew food for her family. Miss Kim’s story was an inspiration to us all, and her passion for making a difference in her community was outstanding.

Kim Townsend, a local Master Naturalist and beekeeper, joined us later in the day to help with the pollinator garden and bee house construction. She shared fascinating bee facts with the team—did you know it takes 12 bees their lifespan to produce just one teaspoon of honey?!

We spent the day working on a variety of projects at Joppy Momma’s Farm including planting a pollinator garden, constructing 2 bee houses and wheelbarrow storage, reinforcing and beautifying an existing chicken coop, painting benches.

Throughout the day, the energy was high as we worked alongside Miss Kim and Kim Townsend, each bringing their own expertise to the project. It was a day filled with learning, bonding, and giving back, and our team left feeling inspired by both Kim Townsend’s knowledge and Miss Kim’s resilience and dedication to her community.

Houston: Partnering with Exploration Green

In Houston, our team partnered with Exploration Green, a local nonprofit dedicated to flood control and ecosystem restoration through the development of wetlands. The organization focuses on transforming land into functioning wetlands that protect the surrounding areas from flooding while promoting biodiversity.

Our team’s primary task was to plant 1,500 wetland plants, including pickerel weed, iris, and bull rush. Despite the typical humidity of Houston in late September, the weather was surprisingly cooperative. We managed to complete all the planting before lunch and then enjoyed a break under the shade of oak trees, with a view of the wetlands we had helped restore.

In the afternoon, we turned our attention to the on-site nursery, cleaning, weeding, and preparing the area for future use. The day’s activities were both rewarding and educational, as we contributed to ongoing conservation efforts in the region. The hard work and collaboration among team members made it a fulfilling experience, with some unexpected excitement—like a surprise alligator sighting.

San Antonio: Enhancing a Community Garden with Eco Centro

In San Antonio, we spent the day working at the William R. Sinkin Eco Centro, a community and environmental sustainability center at San Antonio College. Located just a few blocks from our office, Eco Centro was recently awarded a grant to develop a pollinator garden, and our team was eager to assist with this important initiative.

Our work included realigning the garden’s edge, moving half a ton of soil, and carrying several loads of mulch. The team also worked on pruning trees and addressing unexpected challenges—such as digging out buried concrete posts that had us all laughing at the unexpected workout! The day was full of camaraderie, and the sense of accomplishment was palpable as the pollinator garden took shape. The hard work paid off, and by the end of the day, we were proud to see the tangible results of our efforts in supporting a community-focused sustainability project.

The Big Give is always a highlight of the year for TBG, and this year was no different. The dedication and enthusiasm displayed by employees across all offices reinforced our firm’s commitment to making a positive impact in the communities we serve. We’re grateful to the non-profit organizations that allowed us to contribute to their meaningful work and are already looking forward to next year’s 10th annual Big Give.