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

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.