Barton Spring Conservancy

What Barton Spring Conservancy does

Barton Springs Conservancy is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit conservancy founded in 2014 and headquartered in Austin, Texas, dedicated to preserving and enhancing the Barton Springs Pool and surrounding Zilker Park through education and facility improvements. Its core programs center on the multi-year "For the Love of the Springs" capital campaign, which funds the rehabilitation of the historic Joan Means Khabele Bathhouse (originally built in 1947 and listed on the National Register of Historic Places), the development of the Sheffield Education Center environmental exhibits, an Aquatic Planting Project for salamander habitat restoration, the restoration of the historic Zilker Park gateposts, and planning for a future Visitor Welcome/Education Center. The conservancy operates as a public-private partner to the City of Austin Parks and Recreation Department, which owns and operates Barton Springs Pool.

The organization raises funds entirely through charitable contributions and grants from individuals, family foundations, and institutional donors rather than through commercial sales. The capital campaign raised $3.384 million in private funds, supplemented by 2012 voter-approved city bond proceeds and additional public funding, bringing total project funding to roughly $9.3 million across bathhouse rehabilitation and exhibits. Major donors include The Moody Foundation ($2.1 million lead grant), Austin Parks Foundation, Powell Foundation, Still Water Foundation, One Skye Foundation, LBJ Family Foundation, and Susan Vaughan Foundation. The conservancy employs 1-10 staff and is governed by a board chaired by Rich DePalma (FGM Architects VP), with Michael Cannatti as President and JJ Langston as Executive Director.

There is no proprietary technology platform; operations are delivered through community events (Toast to the Springs, 70th Birthday Bash, Gatepost Lighting, Deep Dives talks), an email newsletter via Constant Contact, Instagram and Facebook channels, and earned media coverage from Austin outlets (KVUE, KXAN, Austin American-Statesman, CultureMap Austin). The bathhouse groundbreaking was held February 22, 2024, the facility partially reopened October 28, 2025, and Rotunda construction is scheduled for completion in 2026. The conservancy also invests in habitat protection for the endangered Barton Springs Salamander and the Edwards Aquifer.

Name

Barton Spring Conservancy

Legal name

Barton Springs Conservancy

Website

https://bartonspringsconservancy.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2014

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Barton Springs Conservancy is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 2014 that preserves and enhances Barton Springs Pool in Austin, Texas through historic facility rehabilitation, environmental education exhibits, and habitat restoration, funded by charitable donations and a formal partnership with the City of Austin Parks and Recreation Department.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Environmental Conservation Services

NAICS

Nature Parks and Other Similar Institutions (71219), Nature Parks and Other Similar Institutions (712190)

akta.pro primary industry

Education & Community Programs (Junior Ranger, Citizen Science, School Programs) (THAAAGAK)

akta.pro secondary industry

Nature Lodges & Eco-Resorts (THAAAAAI)

Keywords

• Environmental conservation services
• Historic preservation
• Park facility rehabilitation
• Aquatic habitat restoration
• Environmental education programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Austin

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Fundraising: The conservancy raises funds through charitable donations from individuals, foundations, and corporate sponsors. The 'For the Love of the Springs' campaign has raised $3,384,000 in private funds and partnered with the city to raise at least $8 million in public and private funds for bathhouse rehabilitation. Major donors include The Moody Foundation ($2.1 million), Austin Parks Foundation, and numerous individual supporters.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Barton Springs Conservancy is a nonprofit environmental conservancy that preserves and enhances Barton Springs Pool in Austin, Texas through capital facility improvements and environmental education. Its work is anchored by the multi-year 'For the Love of the Springs' capital campaign, which funds projects such as the Joan Means Khabele Bathhouse Rehabilitation, the Sheffield Education Center Environmental Exhibits, the Historic Zilker Park Gateposts Restoration, and aquatic habitat restoration for the endangered Barton Springs Salamander. The conservancy operates as a private-sector fundraising and advocacy partner to the City of Austin Parks and Recreation Department.

Product overview

Barton Springs Conservancy is a nonprofit organization that honors, preserves, and enhances the experience of Barton Springs for everyone through education and park improvements. The organization operates as a single-focus conservancy with multiple linked projects under its 'For the Love of the Springs' Campaign. Core offerings include the historic Bathhouse Rehabilitation project (renamed Joan Means Khabele Bathhouse in 2024), environmental education exhibits in the Sheffield Education Center, aquatic planting for habitat restoration, and a planned Visitor Welcome/Education Center. These projects are designed to work together to provide environmental literacy, conservation awareness, and improved public access to the natural springs.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Joan Means Khabele Bathhouse Rehabilitation Rehabilitation of the historic bathhouse facility at Barton Springs Pool (originally built in 1947 and listed on the National Register of Historic Places), renamed the Joan Means Khabele Bathhouse by Austin City Council on April 4, 2024, with restored rotunda and dressing areas, modern accessibility and usability improvements, and integrated environmental education. The project partially reopened on October 28, 2025 with renovated indoor restrooms and showers, with continued construction scheduled into 2026.
• Sheffield Education Center Environmental Exhibits New environmental education exhibits in the rehabilitated Bathhouse Education Center promoting preservation and conservation of natural resources, habitat establishment, and improved environmental literacy. Exhibits target pool visitors and educate them about the endangered Barton Springs Salamander, water-quality protection, and conservation measures for Barton Springs and the Edwards Aquifer.
• Aquatic Planting Project Restoration and establishment of aquatic plant life in Barton Springs Pool, including re-vegetation of native plants to improve water quality and endangered Barton Springs Salamander habitat, delivered in collaboration with City of Austin staff and partner organizations.
• Historic Zilker Park Gateposts Restoration Restoration and illumination of the historic entry gateposts on William Barton Drive at the Barton Springs Pool entrance, completing one of the early signature projects of the 'For the Love of the Springs' campaign.
• For the Love of the Springs Campaign Multi-year capital campaign focused on three priorities: restoration of the historic gateposts, rehabilitation of the historic Barton Springs Pool Bathhouse, and creation of a Visitor Education Center for Zilker Park. The campaign has raised $3.384 million in private funds and helped secure more than $8 million in total public and private funds toward bathhouse rehabilitation.
• Ongoing Environmental Education Programs Continuous environmental and natural-science education programming for the Austin community, delivered through the planned Visitor Education Center using adaptive reuse of existing facilities, support for existing City of Austin education programs, and event-based learning such as art shows and the Education Speaker Series (Deep Dives).

Quantifiable outcome

• 1.5 million+ visitors served annually at Barton Springs
• +3 more outcomes

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and supporting.

• City of Austin - Parks and Recreation Department (PARD)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2014Primary strategic partner for all Barton Springs projects. PARD is the city department responsible for operating and maintaining Barton Springs Pool. The conservancy works with PARD Director Kimberly McNeeley and staff to implement projects including the $8 million bathhouse rehabilitation. The 2008 Barton Springs Pool Master Plan calls for these improvements.
• Limbacher & Godfrey ArchitectsmajorTechnology or IntegrationProfessional design consultant team engaged by PARD to complete design and construction bid documents for the historic bathhouse rehabilitation project.
• SpawGlass ContractorsmajorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerConstruction firm engaged by PARD with Austin City Council approval for construction services to complete the Bathhouse Rehabilitation project.
• Friends of Barton Springs PoolmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerActive nonprofit partner organization dedicated to Barton Springs Pool. Board member David Polkinghorn previously served as president of this organization. Collaborates on preservation efforts.
• Hill Country ConservancysupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerNeighbor organization working for Barton Springs and Zilker Park. Part of collective effort to support environmental stewardship and education in the Austin area.
• Save Our Springs AlliancesupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner organization in the Barton Springs/Zilker Park area working on water quality and conservation issues.
• Siglo GroupsupportingImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerSurvey consultant selected to develop the Zilker Park Natural Resource Inventory & Management Guidelines report, bringing planning, design and conservation expertise.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Austin Parks Foundation: The citywide nonprofit partner to Austin Parks and Recreation Department, funding projects across the full parks system. Comparable in funding model and city-partnership structure but at a broader portfolio level rather than a single-site focus.
• National Trust for Historic Preservation: National nonprofit that leads preservation of historic sites, mirroring the conservancy's National Register of Historic Places bathhouse rehabilitation work. Highly relevant for the historic-preservation half of the conservancy's mission.
• The Trust for Public Land: National nonprofit that helps cities and communities create and conserve parks, including urban and natural areas. Operates at significantly larger scale but uses the same conservancy + city partnership model the Barton Springs Conservancy follows.
• National Parks Conservation Association: National nonprofit dedicated to protecting and enhancing National Park System units. Comparable mission of combining advocacy, education, and facility-improvement fundraising in partnership with public land managers, though focused on federal rather than municipal parks.
• The Nature Conservancy: The largest global conservation nonprofit, working on land and water preservation including aquifers, springs, and endangered species habitats. Highly relevant peer for the conservancy's aquifer and salamander conservation work, though at vastly larger scale.

Direct peers

• Hill Country Conservancy: Austin-area land trust working on conservation around Barton Springs and the Hill Country. Closely mirrors the conservancy's nonprofit, community-led, partnership-with-cities model and is a listed strategic alliance partner.
• Waterloo Greenway Conservancy: Austin-based park conservancy delivering a major downtown greenway capital project with city partnership and private fundraising. Shares the same local-capital-campaign-plus-public-partnership model; board member Marian Casey previously served on its board.
• Friends of Barton Springs Pool: A sister 501(c)(3) also dedicated to Barton Springs Pool, with overlapping board representation (David Polkinghorn is a past president) and shared mission of pool stewardship. It is the closest comparable organization, focused on the same single asset.
• Save Our Springs Alliance: Austin-area nonprofit focused on protecting Barton Springs and the Edwards Aquifer through water-quality advocacy and policy work. Shares the same conservation mission on the same site, but is more advocacy-focused than the conservancy's capital-project model.
• Zilker Botanical Garden Conservancy: Austin-based nonprofit partner to the City of Austin that supports Zilker Botanical Garden through fundraising, education, and volunteer programs. Same city-partnership + visitor-education + conservation model, applied to an adjacent Zilker Park asset.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/bartonsprngs

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles14 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Barton Spring Conservancy