2026 WBNA Community Calendar Photo Contest:  “Celebrating Wells Branch”

The annual WBNA Community Calendar Photo Contest is ready to launch. Our 2025 calendar was extremely popular and every image stood out as testament to our wonderful community. 2026 marks a special publication milestone: We are marking the 10 year anniversary of the Wells Branch Community Calendar. It’s worth noting that the WB Friends of the Library group worked to produce the first two years and the WBNA has continued the contest and calendar tradition since the first FOL issue in 2016-17.

The 2026 theme is “Celebrating Wells Branch”, in honor of the 10^th anniversary. Images should focus on anything that “celebrates” the unique charm and spirit of our community. Once again the contest will take place both live in the WB MUD Recreation Center main lobby as well as online via the our WBNA Facebook gallery for viewing and voting. The WB MUD Rec Center will host the contest gallery and “live” votes will be collected in a drop box. You may vote often, but only once for a single image.

As a reminder, anyone who lives in Wells Branch can submit a photo (up to six photos). The image format MUST be in 8×10 landscape format for the calendar. The only real “rules” are that images must be taken within Wells Branch boundaries by Wells Branch residents (or their friends and family). Watch our website and the various social media groups for complete contest details.

Important Dates to Remember:

Jun. 1: Contest opens. Use the online form and drop photo entry at the WB MUD Rec Center

Aug. 31: Contest closes and voting ends

Sept. 5: Winners announced

Sept. 27: Early sales begin at the WBNA Crafter’s Marketplace

Oct. 7: The new 2026 Calendars will be available at National Night Out

Voting will take place online via the WBNA Facebook page:

facebook.com/WBNA.WellsBranchNeighborhoodAssociation/

Photos will be featured for online voting in the “2026 Calendar Contest” facebook album and onsite at the Rec Center Gallery. NOTE: All participants MUST provide an 8×10 printed hi-res color image for the gallery display at the Rec Center. Questions? Contact Margaret Sufke, Calendar Contest Coordinator, at mmsufke@gmail.com

Please visit: wbna.us/community/calendar-contest/ for rules and entry information.

WBNA Easter Egg Hunt Extravaganza 2025!

Saturday, April 19 | 10:30am
Come Early!

The Homestead at KF Park
2106 Klattenhoff Drive

Hop on in! Spring has sprung! Join your friends, neighbors and The Easter Bunny himself at the annual Wells Branch Easter Egg Hunt. The “Hunts” will be by age group and begin at 10:30am SHARP! Plan to come early and visit with the Easter Bunny. This is a community event and ALL Wells Branch residents and their invited guests are welcome. We are asking that parents help set the example of behavior during this event. Please read and go over the rules with your hunters!

ONE parent will be allowed inside the hunting area to help with the youngest age groups (0-18 mos. and 19-36 mos.) We ask that you respect this restriction. Children in all other age groups must hunt on their own. There will be 7 minutes between each of the age groups to allow parents with multiple children to navigate to the next area. Please ensure that your children hunt with their respective age group only. If for some reason, your child ends up with only  a few eggs, please approach any of our WBNA volunteers in bunny ears, they will have extra goodies to share. In recent years we have made an extra effort to include children with special needs. Please send a private message to info@wbna.us with your request so that we may coordinate with you and plan ahead.

Last, but not least, please remember that this event is put on by volunteers. We spend weeks getting ready and usually stuff 10,000 to 12,000 eggs (if you are wondering, yes we recycle those eggs each year.) It’s no small feat. So, if a volunteer asks something of you, please be respectful of their requests. We love our neighbors and our community. We’re asking for everyone’s help in advance in creating an enjoyable experience for all involved. Please help us and remember to recycle your eggs before you leave. We always need extra volunteers to help things run more smoothly. Anyone whose kids have aged out of the hunt, community service groups, or older teens who need service hours, we would be so appreciative of your time! Please contact us for more information: info@wbna.us or text 208-869-5224. To sign up to volunteer, scan the first QR code for egg stuffing and the second one for activities the day of the event or visit these websites: early stuffing at tinyurl.com/2025-EEH-VOL or volunteering the day of the event at tinyurl.com/2025-EEH-EVENT

Easter Egg Hunt Rules:

Those of you who’ve attended our hunts in the past know we have very few rules, but we do ask parents to follow those rules and be courteous and respectful of your neighbors so that all of our children may safely enjoy the hunt.

BE ON TIME (early is better) AS THE “HUNTS” GO QUICKLY

• Wait until your age group is called
• Check all eggs for prize slips
• Let a volunteer know if there’s an issue
• Recycle your eggs with the WBNA
• For everyone’s safety, please consider leaving your fur babies at home
• MOST of ALL, Have FUN!

AGE GROUPS:

0-18 mos. • 19-36 mos.
*Only 1 parent per child in egg hunting area
*Watch out for potential choking hazards

4-6yrs • 7-9yrs • 10-12yrs
* No parents or siblings allowed in egg hunting area

The Easter Bunny will be available for photos beginning at 10:00am and will stay until everyone has had a chance to talk to him. Photos will be posted to an album on the WBNA Facebook page or you’re welcome to use your own camera.

WBNA Meeting:  Tax Appraisal Protest Info
Presented by Pam Wachholz, REALTOR®

Thursday, April 24 | 7:00-8:30pm
WB MUD Community Center | 2106 Klattenhoff

You’ve Received Your Property Appraisal Notice, Now What?

Learn why it is so important to protest your appraised property value every year – yes, even if you’ve had the Homestead exemption for 20 years! We will talk briefly about the Homestead exemption; the differences between the CAD and the actual taxing entities – and how they affect your property tax bill; talk about the pro’s & con’s of hiring a service and finally, the steps to take if you decide to protest your appraisal!

Don’t miss this jam-packed session that could save you money in the long run, if not this year!

Parking Safety Reminders for School Zones

We’ve recently experienced issues with the areas surrounding Wells Branch Elementary (Town Hill/Merrilltown, Town Hill/Donald and Town Hill/Robert I. Walker) and

Joe Lee Johnson Elementary (Sauls/Crissom, Crissom/Kissman)

Even if there isn’t a sign for it, please use common sense and courtesy when parking close to intersections or crosswalks. Thank you for helping keep our kids safe!

• Do not park within 30 ft of a stop sign.
• Do not park within 20 ft of the designated crosswalks.
• Do not park right up to the edge of an intersection as this prevents emerging traffic from having clear vision and safe entry into the intersection.
• Do not block the driveways of residents even if only for a moment.
• Do not leave cars running unattended.  Park your car.  Turn it off.  Set the brake. Lock it and take the keys with you.

Please remember that everything we ask of you is for the safety of our children and their families.

Avian Flu Awareness
and How You Can Help

On January 8th, the city of Austin shared a press release about the detection of avian flu in our area. As concerns grow about what this means for humans, pets, and wildlife, we’ve put together a few simple guidelines to help keep everyone safe:

• Avoid direct contact with sick or dead animals and their droppings, and please don’t bring sick wild animals into your home.
• Keep your pets away from sick or dead animals and their waste.
• For cat owners:
• Keep your cats indoors.
• Remove shoes before entering the home if you’ve been walking in areas with bird activity. There have been reports of cats getting sick from the avian flu.
• Texas Parks and Wildlife, along with Travis Audubon, recommends taking down bird feeders and bird baths for now. These can encourage birds to gather, potentially spreading the disease. The virus can be passed through the saliva, mucus, and droppings of infected birds.

If you notice sick or dead poultry, please report it to the Texas Animal Health Commission anytime at 1-800-550-8242.

You can also help wildlife in a positive way! Consider planting native plants in your yard. These support local insects, which in turn provide food for birds, especially during migration and breeding season. During spring, when water is plentiful, keep bird baths dry. But when the dry season hits, cleaning your bird bath regularly will help stop the spread of disease.

Also, if you’re interested in purchasing native plants for your yard, be sure to visit the Native Plant Sale at the Pioneer Festival on Saturday, April 26 from noon to 5:00pm!

Thank you for helping protect our birds and the environment!

Jill Douglass | Wells Branch Wild Conservancy
wellsbranchwild.org | 512-293-9022

Wells Branch Wild Conservancy Update

Wells Branch Wild Conservancy’s mission is to lead, inspire, and engage our community in stewardship of a healthy and sustainable ecosystem.  We accomplish this through educational programs, collaborative alliances, and advocacy. Our vision is to have diverse and vibrant natural spaces and living creatures in Wells Branch, now and for future generations.

Follow us on Instagram | Facebook | wellsbranchwild.org
Contact us at hello@wellsbranchwild.org

Wells Branch Wild Conservancy Meetings

Join us for the Wells Branch Wild Conservancy’s monthly meetings to learn about important topics that impact our local habitats! Meetings are held at 9:00am on the second Saturday of each month in the WB MUD Rec. Center, 3000 Shoreline Drive

Here’s what’s coming up:

April 12 – Spring Bird Migration
Celebrate spring migration with our first Mills Pond Birding Mini-Conference . Partnering with Travis Audubon and TPWD for an early morning bird-ID walk, followed by    presentations at the WB Community Center Saturday, April 12 from 7:15am to noon!
We hope to see you there!  Register HERE:  https://tinyurl.com/bdbwhpyx

April 26 — Native Plant Sale at Pioneer Fest
Homestead at KF Park | Noon-5:00pm

May 10 — Monthly Meeting: Purple Martins Field Trip

Get Your Emergency Preparation Supplies Sales Tax Free April 26-28

Natural disasters will continue to happen and they come with little notice. Prepare yourself, your family and your pets, stock or re-stock during the 2025 Sales Tax Holiday just for these supplies. There is no limit on the number of qualifying items you can purchase.

This year’s holiday begins at 12:01 a.m. on Saturday, April 26, and ends at midnight on Monday, April 28. These emergency preparation supplies qualify for tax exemption: Continue reading Get Your Emergency Preparation Supplies Sales Tax Free April 26-28 →

WBNA 2025 Arts at the Library Crafter’s Market Place Program Update

Saturday, September 27 | 10am-3pm

The 2024 WBNA Arts at the Library program was  heralded as a complete success by vendors and   community members. Many friends and neighbors stopped by the WBNA information booth to thank us for hosting a truly “community-based” pop-up marketplace. We are reaching out early so our vendors can plan ahead. Please email: info@wbna.us    if you are interested in participating in the 2025 event or have any questions.

Nearly 40 vendors signed up last year, most living in Wells Branch! Each artist or crafter brought something unique to the market. Price points ranged from $1 so even the youngest child could have the thrill of discovering a true treasure and up to $100 or more for larger, beautiful hand crafted wooden or glass items. Pottery, jewelry, textiles, plant based products, and personal care items such as soaps and lotions were all on display. A truly an amazing range of unique creations!

SPECIAL EVENT NOTE: This annual event is typically held on the 4th Saturday in September. There are several reasons for this date including weather, run up to the holidays and limited outside event venues. So, we are looking at September 27, 2025. HOWEVER, there may be a conflict due to the upcoming construction project at the library.  We are seeking alternatives.

We are requesting that anyone interested in participating to please use the Early Bird” sign up sheet to reserve a space. No money will be collected until we have finalized the venue.

SIGN UP: https://tinyurl.com/2025-AATL-Market

2025 will mark the 3rd annual WB Crafter’s Marketplace. The WBNA team is currently working to finalize this year’s venue. The WBNA team would like to sincerely thank Donita Ward, WB Library Director, the WB Library Board of Trustees and the library staff for allowing us to use their facilities in the past.

Hello WB Cultural Hosts,

First, I would like to extend a sincere thank you to each community member who committed to participating in the 2025 Wells Branch Cultural Diversity Fair. It is with deep regret and after careful consideration that the event committee has taken the decision to cancel the event this year. Continue reading Cancelled: WB CDF 2025 →