August 2026 Newsletter
- Kacey Arntz
- 2 days ago
- 5 min read
Don't miss out on community updates, resources, and local event notifications. Join our digital channels to stay in the loop with the Alta Vista Community Sustainability Group: Email: altavistasustainabilitygroup@gmail.com Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/sustainaltavista/ Instagram: @SustainAltaVista |
NOTES FROM AVCSG |
You wouldn't know we are headed towards the end of summer with this 108* heat index, but he were are, and there are plenty of events happening in town soon!
In this month's newsletter, we're rounding up rebates and coupons available to San Antonio residents, sharing upcoming SATX community events and looking ahead to our next AVCSG gathering in October. We'll also get back to the basics with "What's a Native Plant?" and share some simple tips and tricks to help you prepare your garden for fall.
We recently joined the Office of Sustainability & Impact Guild's Climate Ready Neighborhood meeting where we learned about resources for homeowners, and can't wait to share those with you soon. We participated in Green Spaces Alliance's Create Your Own Pollinator Patch where we learned about pollinators and helped prepare and maintain the Labor Serena Community Garden. We also received a grant this month from The Impact Guild with the City of San Antonio's Department of Resilience and Sustainability, stay tuned to hear about our newest project(s). In preparation for our October AVCSG Event, we picked up a few rain barrels to raffle off!
So many exciting things!
We are always looking for community members to help out with our neighborhood projects, if you would like to join our small group, send us an email HERE! Let us know if there's anything you'd like to see in our newsletters!
Thank you for helping Sustain Alta Vista! Enjoy! |
REBATES & COUPONS |
We are always excited for this time of year with the SAWS WaterSaver Coupon!
CPS Rebates
You could qualify for a rebate on Central A/C, Heat Pumps, and/or Window A/C units!
SAWS WaterSaver Landscape Coupon
See if you qualify for a $150 coupon to replace 200 sq ft of grass!
*other types of coupons available!
COSA Project Cool
Residents 60 and older are eligible to receive a box fan free of charge.
SATX EVENTS |
There are so many great events happening in the next few months...these are just a few of our favorites that we want to attend! Most are free, some cost just a few bucks! August 31, 2026 SAWS GardenStyle SA WaterSaver Programs Learn about those WaterSaver coupon/rebate programs and other free resources. Great if you need a little help figuring it all out! Sept 12, 2026 San Antonio Composting Project Seed Swap by Eco Centro Join to learn about how to safely save your seeds while adding new ones to your collection. Bring seeds & exchange seeds Sept 12, 2026 Home Repair Fair by SATX Historic Preservation A FREE annual event that connects homeowners and renters with professionals, services, and resources for maintaining their homes. Sept 12, 2026 Pollinator Patches & Pocket Prairies by San Antonio Botanical Gardens Learn to create a pollinator patch or pocket prairie that can help our the native plants and conserve water. Sept 16, 2026 Secrets to Landscaping Success: Utilizing Native Plant Communities by Eco Centro Learn what a native plant community is, and discover easy ways to boost your garden's health and beauty. Great for beginners and seasoned gardeners! Sept 24, 2026 The History and Significance of San Pedro Springs Join Gregg Eckhardt of SAWS who will take you on an exploration of San Pedro Springs history. October 3, 2026 Monarch Butterfly and Pollinator Festival by Project Bloom Celebrate butterflies, pollinators, and the natural world. Adopt plants, engage with over 45 resource partners, and participate in the Monarch tagging event.  Oct 17, 2026 Wildflower Garden Preparation by Eco Centro Join us as we take you through the various native & pollinator seed mixes and how to create a successful wildflower landscape in your space. FREE SEEDS to get your garden started! |
AVCSG GARDEN CLUB |
 NATIVE VERSUS INVASIVE and what that means.... Throughout the month, I jot down topics for the newsletter, and often times it's when I'm doing research for my own gardens. I'm not from Texas, but I have called it home for the past 7 years. Learning how to plant in a drastically different hardiness and climate zone has been a fun challenge. As I've been learning what are native species and what are invasive and everything in between, I figured, I can't be the only one!
First, it's more complicated than native vs. non-native! Let's dig in... ~Kacey  But how do you know what's what? Our favorite is using the inaturalist.org app. Download the app, take a photo, identify the plant, and learn more about it! It's easy and fun to use. Invasive plant databases: But What Should We Plant Now?!? It's so dang hot out there, most of us are tearing out our spring and summer plants that have passed and preparing our soil for the fall. Please visit our previous newsletter for tips! We often talk about vegetables (because yay, food!), but wanted to share some of my favorite native pollinators that can be planted now (links for more information)! |
Texas Kidney Wood
Blooms May - October
Thrives in poor rocky soil & enriches the soil. Full sun and no irrigation needed once established. A great polinator.
Texas Lantana
Loves heat, full sun, poor soil, no water. Butterflies love it!
Autumn Sage
A low-water, full or partial sun plant that attracts hummingbirds, butterflies and other pollinators.
Gregg's Mist Flower
A drought-tolerant groundcover that attracts butterflies and other pollinators, especially in the fall.
Mealy Blue Sage
Very drought tolerant. Will grow in most soils and in full sun. Easy to divide and transplant.
Rock Rose
Full sun to partial shade. Blooms summer to fall. Fast growing and needs little water!
Turk's Cap
Thrives in clay, dry, or well drained moist soil. Shade to sun, low water.
But also... VEGGIES!
You can still plant the following: Beans, bush or pole, Cabbage, Cucumber, Garlic, Summer squash, Corn, Kale, Kohlrabi, Radish, Swiss chard, Turnip, Irish potato, Broccoli, Brussels sprouts, Chinese cabbage, Carrots, Cauliflower, Collards, and Leaf Lettuce.
ALTA VISTA MOVES |
It's been brutal out there, so our team has taken a break from our weekly walks and spending what little time we can tolerate prepping our gardens. Please stay cool and safe. Keep the COSA Project Cool Summer Program info handy for yourself and your neighbors: https://www.sanantonio.gov/humanservices/SeniorServices/ProjectCool Check this out or call 211 to see if you qualify for a box fan (60+ yrs old, resident, and in need), and also for those who want to donate. |
MIDTOWN MEETUP FOOD PANTRY |
AVCSG has partnered with Midtown Meetup to support an indoor food pantry!
The food pantry has shelves for dry goods, canned foods, and a small fridge space for fresh produce and eggs. Please consider donating food to the food pantry when you can and take what you need!
M-F 3pm - 1am and Sat-Sun 12pm - 1am
LOCAL BUSINESS & ORGANIZATIONS |
Please forward our newsletter to a neighbor as an invite to have them sign up by emailing us to be included in our directory. Spanish speaking? We need a volunteer who can translate our materials! We’re 125 neighbors strong so far! Copyright (C) 2026 Alta Vista Community Sustainability Group. All rights reserved. |
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