Karen Kocher
All of us who have lived in Austin for a long time have witnessed the push and pull between developers and environmentalists in our town. Karen Kocher, who recently retired from her teaching post in the Radio-Television-Film Department at the University of Texas after 26 years, has had a hand in telling the story of Austin’s green spaces. Now that she has made a shift in her career, Kocher can devote herself more fully to this subject that holds special meaning for her.
She is firmly committed to preserving the story of Austin’s natural environment and has created the Living Springs series to document the history, science, and culture of Barton Springs. Twice, she has won the prestigious Katherine Drake Hart award from the Austin History Center Association—first in 2003 and again in 2023—recognizing her contributions to preserving and interpreting Austin’s history through film and digital media. Of special concern to Kocher is the story of how Austinites worked together to balance development with a significant amount of natural, uninhabited environment, specifically along the Barton Creek Greenbelt.
The 2023 award honored two works in her oeuvre: the documentary "Origins of a Green Identity," which focused on the 1950s-1970s, exploring the evolution of Austin’s environmental movement, and "Barton Creek Timestream," an interactive website. Both works were created with her producing partner, Monica Flores.
Now she and Flores are working on “Foreverland,” a 57-minute historical documentary that will air on PBS. This video focuses on the period from 1990 to 1992.
Her films tend to center on people who have driven the subject matter during a specific time frame. “Origins of Green Identity” focused on local parks legends Beverly Sheffield and Roberta Crenshaw. “Foreverland” covers four people of special interest. Many of the quartet’s meetings took place at the 1990s version of Sweetish Hill Restaurant. The ideas discussed and the projects promulgated as a result of these get-togethers still play a part in the environmental movement. In no particular order, the key players are Ted Siff, Beverly Griffith, Butch Smith, and George Cofer.
According to Kocher, Siff took the project of acquiring land to the next level during this time frame. “He was a boots-on-the-ground guy, and his energy and his business acumen made a huge difference in the effort,” she says. In the early 1990s, he became the Texas Director of the Trust for Public Land, a national nonprofit, thereby bringing in concepts being implemented across the country. This organization assists groups seeking to purchase land and convert it to public use. Kocher points out that he was one of the first people to advocate strongly for buying land for this purpose, because if they didn’t do it then, the cause would have been lost. “His wisdom was invaluable,” she says.
Griffith was the Chair of the Parks Board in that era, presiding over that group’s monthly meetings. She also had an executive position with a bank, and her husband, Bailey, also had connections in the business community. With their professional contacts, they were able to bring key people such as Jimmy Gaines, the owner of much of the land now in the Greenbelt, into meetings and discussions.
Smith is the least known of the group. He was a senior parks planner and wilderness manager who had the ambitious idea of creating an urban wilderness park in the southwest part of the Austin area, where people could immerse themselves in nature. As Kocher puts it, “where you don’t see houses or hear vacuum cleaners running.” Indeed, that vision has been implemented, and you can now drive there from the center of town in about ten minutes.
George Cofer is the “young guy” of the group, who served as the liaison with the Save Barton Creek Association. He was a dynamo who organized many events that supported the Wilderness Park and other related groups.
As documented in “Origins of a Green Identity,” Austin native Phil Sterzing’s 1970 plan to preserve the entire Barton Creek watershed out to Highway 71 pre-dated the work of the four civic heroes of the current film, but due to a number of factors, his grand plan would never come to fruition.
The time frame of “Foreverland” is 1990-92. Many West Austin News readers will recall the legendary City Council meeting chaired by Mayor Lee Cooke on June 7, 1990, when developers, led by Jim Bob Moffett, and local environmentalists had a showdown. (For those unable to attend, it was televised.) One highlight was Esther’s Follies godmother, Shannon Sedwick, performing “Cry Me a River” with lyrics revised to support the environmentalists’ case. According to Kocher, that confrontation in the Council Chamber was the catalyst that pushed this project to the next level. The rest of the film follows along with subsequent events.
Kocher says the film begins with an exciting “fly-in” shot of Austin. Then it segues into the urban trappings of fun things, such as live music, the arts, and festivals -- and asserts that what makes Austin truly unique is its singular nature experience.
They follow with “man on the street” scenes, taking a camera out onto the Greenbelt Trail, where they ask random people about how the Greenbelt came to be. It turns out that only one person they encountered knew that it had been privately owned before. Doing it this way creates a sense of curiosity. “That’s what we are trying to explore, and we are trying to present it in a non-boring fashion,” Kocher says.
The Barton Creek Greenbelt, from the austintexas.gov site.
If you're new to town or have never tried walking on the Greenbelt, here's some information about it.
With over 12 miles to explore, the Barton Creek Greenbelt offers a variety of recreational activities and stunning natural beauty. Visitors can hike through scenic trails, wade in refreshing swimming holes, and bike along the rugged terrain renowned for its limestone cliffs. Whether you're seeking adventure or tranquility, the Barton Creek Greenbelt provides a peaceful escape from the city, making it a popular attraction for locals and tourists alike. You can bring your dog, if it’s on a leash six feet or shorter. The only trash cans are located at the trailheads, and there is a “Leave No Trace” policy.* A trail map, trailhead listing, and hiking tips can be found on the austintexas.gov site.
*In other words, bring a backpack or at least a bag of some sort.
