About Living Springs

Living Springs is a multi-platform documentary series about the history, science and culture and spiritual practices at Barton Springs. Our films explore the many values of Barton Springs in the following ways. We work to build community around the Springs in the following ways.

HOME BASE

Beverly S. Sheffield Education Center

Living Springs Interactive Installation

Over 90,000 visitors each year seek out the Splash! exhibit at Barton Springs, a water science education center. The re-programmable engine we created and donated to the Center allows Living Springs to be evergreen, expanding and programmable to meet the multi-purpose needs of the theater space.

Once the Barton Springs bathhouse is renovated, Living Springs will be available both in the renovated rotunda space, and in the expanded educational theater.

SUMMER SCREENING SERIES

We have worked to build community around the Springs with free open-air screenings featuring content from our on-going series. Community stakeholders are invited to our screenings to disseminate important information about how screening attendees can get involved in Barton Springs protection efforts and showcase the work of local musicians.

INTERACTIVE INSTALLATIONS

The Barton Creek Time Stream Installation2020-2021

This hands-on exhibit explores preservation efforts along Barton Creek through key historic events over the last 50+ year and through the stories of over 80 individuals whose effort helped create and preserve the 13-mile greenbelt that so many Austin citizens and visitors enjoy each year. Note: This exhibit will soon be available on-line.

Faces of Barton Springs Installation2018

As part of our efforts to engage the community, in 2018 we created the Faces of Barton Springs exhibit, where the community shared their favorite Barton Springs image, comments and poetry.

EDUCATING COMMUNITY STAKEHOLDERS

Our website and You Tube Channel provide an on-demand educational library for training non-profit volunteers and for educators.

DOCUMENTING BARTON SPRINGS SWIMMERS

We collect and present the stories of Barton Springs swimmers.

Do you have a Barton Springs story? Contact us.

REACHING A BROADER AUDIENCE

Over 30,000 viewers reached by our 6-part series Living Springs broadcast on KLRU.

CREATING an ARCHIVE for FUTURE GENERATIONS

Over 60 hours of raw interviews and ephemeral footage that we have gathered in the production of this project will be donated to local archives for future generations.

COMMUNITY LECTURES

Living Springs project creator, Karen Kocher regularly gives talks and lectures to community groups on various topics related to Barton Springs.

AWARDS and RECOGNITION

• 2020 Sierra Club Lonestar Chapter “Art in Service of the Environment”.
• 2018 Wildlands film selected for inclusion on the U.S. Forest Service website for cave education.
• 2017 Living Springs: National Association for Interpretation, Outstanding Multi-Media, Region 6.
• 2017 Winner One of 10 Best Interactive Digital Stories in the Madeira Film Festival -Interactive Digital Stories Track. Showcased at Teatro Municipal Baltazar Dias (Funchal, Portugal) from April 19 to April 23, 2017.
• 2016 Save Barton Creek Association Distinguished Community Partner Award.
• 2015 SXSW Interactive, Dewey Winburne Community Service Award.