Welcome to this issue of Stumped by Nature, where we notice nature lurking just beyond our screens, curate a list of outside-y events in Austin, and build community with other folks in the thick of the startup ecosystem.
In this week’s issue:
🌳 SbN community celebration
🌱 SXSW is looming
🌤️ Upcoming outdoors events
🚙 Adventures just beyond Austin
Let’s dig in!
-Nicole
CELEBRATION
ATX Outsiders is a batch of Austin business leaders and creatives who get outside together. Our first community event (!) was Tuesday.
Main takeaways:
Intentionally meeting with folks to, uh, see a large tree, made the conversations feel refreshingly different from the usual social stranger gatherings. I highly recommend having nature curiosity as the entry ticket to conversation.
We would absolutely clobber a trivia night with the diverse range of obscure facts taking up our collective brain space. The things I now know about bluebonnets and lobsters is life-changing.
If we ever have to live in a post-apocalyptic society, nature-curious people are 100% who I want to have in my corner. Dibs on being on a team with Maria.
Join us next time!
Do note the 2008 Large Tree of the Year in the background
Do you need to cut something with a knife?
I’ve got you.
TL;DR: I’m collaborating with the brilliant artist/writer Amber Byfield for a Linocut Printmaking 101 session. You’re cordially invited to join a small group of business professionals and creatives as we make something more compelling than a slide deck.
The backstory: remember cyanotypes? Amber’s the creative who put it on my radar (with special thanks for Adam Butler making the connection!).
Amber and I met during an (excellent) event called Cross Pollinate, planned a hike to continue our conversation, and fully formed the high-level design for this event between studying the trail map and returning to our cars.
You need not be an artist to join—just be curious.
Photos of Amber’s previous linocut process below:
Space is limited—snag your spot today!
NATURE SPOTLIGHT
I made a guide for SXSW.
It’s crucial for your professional development.
You’re welcome.
SEED STAGE
Our Tuesday evening newsletter-reader gathering confirmed my suspicion that we need a Spring Gardening Season Support Group.
If you’re interested in joining us for conversations about abundant okra, failed flowers, and the power of a drip irrigation system, vote in this poll:
Least Annoying Gardening Group Chat Option
PSA #1
March 8th is an hour shorter than normal. Good luck with a reasonable bedtime, parents.
PSA #2
PSA #3
Bluebonnets have arrived. 📸: Andrea Bridges-Smith
UPCOMING EVENTS
🗓️ March 6: Wood Reclamation: Come get you some logs
March 6-7: BBQ Austin: Cook off + carnival rides
🗓️ March 7 +/- a few days: It’s My Park Day: Pick a park. Make it better with your buddies.
🗓️ March 7: The Board Walks: 5 miles for deep conversation
🗓️ March 7: Austin Ruck Club: great opportunity to move the bones
🗓️ March 7: Plant Swap: Brush off your bartering skills for this 1:1 plant trade
🗓️ March 7: Beginner Birding Walk & Talk: Just embrace it. Birding’s coming for you.
🗓️ March 7: Birds of the Austin Area: It’s migratory bird season. This is your edge.
🗓️ March 7: Ghost Tours: You, the moon, and disembodied voices.
🗓️ March 8: American Modernism from the Charles Butt Collection: From Edward Hopper to Alma Thomas: Oh, boy. Art! Opening weekend! I hear rumors there’s Georgia O’Keeffe and some more Alice Neel in the collection
🗓️ March 8: Family Day : Spring Forward : Celebrate longer days with a study of sunlight
🗓️ March 8: Nature of Texas: Mushrooms: Fungi + art
🗓️ March 11: Star Party: Rooftop rally at the Physics, Math, and Astronomy Building at UT
🗓️ March 12: Eco-Printing and Dyes: Repurpose color from the wild
🗓️ March 12: Heartwood book release + author reception, for a PhD-level perspective of tree-loving
🗓️ March 12: Science Under the Stars: Rare Plants: Thanks for putting this on my radar, Thomas!
🗓️ March 13: 2nd Annual Hill Climbers SXSW Ride: Bikers, unite!
🗓️ March 24: Linocut Printmaking 101: I’m co-hosting this! From the people to the venue to the learning, this is going to be a great evening.
JUST OUTSIDE OF AUSTIN
🚙 March 6: Stargazing with a Ranger at Pedernales
🚙 March 7: Guided Summit Hike at Enchanted Rock
🚙 March 8: Skins and Skulls at Inks
🚙 March 9-11: Cibolo Nature Center Family Days
🚙 March 10: Fishing with a Ranger for some Guadalupe River time
LOCAL FARMERS’ MARKETS
👩🌾 Arboretum Food & Artisan Market Saturdays 11am-3pm
👩🌾 Barton Creek Farmers Market Saturdays 9am-1pm
👩🌾 Domain Farmers Market Sundays 12pm-4pm
👩🌾 Lakeline Farmers Market Saturdays 9am-1pm
👩🌾 SFC Farmers’ Market Downtown Saturdays 9am-1pm
👩🌾 SFC Farmers’ Market Sunset Valley Saturdays 9am-1pm
👩🌾 Texas Farmers’ Market at Bell Saturdays 9am-1pm
👩🌾 Texas Farmers’ Market at Mueller Sundays 10am-2pm
That’s all for this week!
In the meantime, I hope you BINGO your way through this week as a practice round for SX.
-Nicole
OPTIONAL SIDE QUESTS
🪵 Are you sitting on a misogi-esque story? Spill.
🪵 Do you need to commission a writer? I’m happy to discuss projects that might make me cry in public/funnel my experiential/existential dread into essays like this one.
🪵 Is this newsletter not your vibe? Forward it to your enemies to make them suffer too.
💰It’s safe to assume there are affiliate links, and I’ll monetarily benefit from any purchases you make. Hooray, capitalism! So far, this newsletter has generated $3.46 of cold hard cash. 💸