Honoring Warren Skaaren with a new park installation…
Last week, a new Shummard red oak was planted in the neglected space right next to the playground at Shipe Park. Limestone block seating was installed around it, and as the tree becomes a huge shade tree, it's an space that will be enjoyed by children and families for generations to come!
This park project was funded through the generous support of Hyde Park neighbor Amon Burton, a trustee of the Warren Skaaren Trust. How this all came together is a beautiful story told by Friends of Shipe Park Steering Committee member Jill Nokes:
“Early in the summer of 2025, I was walking in Shipe Park with my friend and neighbor, Amon Burton. I was showing him all the trees the Friends of Shipe Park had planted over the last 20 years, and how those trees are a big part of the park’s transformation. I went on to explain how I was going to have a busy summer trying to raise money to plant another big tree together with limestone block seating in an empty, left over space in the middle of the playground area. Amon listened and then said, “We can take care of that for you”.
What that meant is that the Warren Skaaren Trust was going to take care of us. Warren Skaaren was an Austin screenwriter, producer, script doctor and young film maker phenom in the late ‘80’s and 90’s, with big hits such as Top Gun, the original Batman, and Beetlejuice only a few of the many projects he was involved in. Unfortunately, Skaaren contracted cancer and died young. He was a person with unbelievable creative talent and potential for so much more.
Amon Burton was Warren’s personal attorney going back to his earliest days when Warren founded and worked for the Texas Film Commission. He helped Warren set up a foundation dedicated to children’s issues and environmental causes. Amon has been the trustee of the foundation since the beginning.
“Warren always tried to plant a tree in memory of friends who had died, but no one ever planted one for him, so this project is a perfect fit for our small foundation” recalled Amon. The tree will be planted in Warren Skaaren’s memory and will be enjoyed by children and all park users.
It’s remarkable when an idea for a park project receives such immediate support to make it a reality.
Twistleaf design provided the construction drawings, and a neighbor came to our aid voluntarily to make it a reality. We are very fortunate for the confluence of friendship, generosity, and community engagement that brought it all together. When we sit in the shade of the huge Shummard red oak, I hope all of us will take a moment to be grateful for those who came to help Shipe Park.
