Written By Betsy Cross
A Project of Hays County Master Naturalist
San Marcos, Texas
My Time on the Trail Crew
Dick McBride
I’m a San Marcos Greenbelt Alliance (SMGA) “old-timer,” going back to 2009, but a few “older” old-timers—Hays County Master Naturalists Todd Derkacz, Sherwood Bishop, and JoEllen Korthals—have been around since SMGA’s founding in 1998. My introduction to the Hays County Master Naturalist (HCMN) Chapter came through SMGA members Lance Jones and Todd Derkacz, who had taken the Master Naturalist training class and recommended it. So I applied to the HCMN program and graduated with the 2010 Class of Prickly Pears to become a dual member of HCMN and SMGA.
Since 2009, I have spent most of my Thursday mornings working on the SMGA trail system, and I have enjoyed every one of them. When I first started working with SMGA and Todd Derkacz, a typical workday included only 4 to 5 people. These days, the Trail Crew has grown to 15 or more regulars, and sometimes up to 20 workers, not including Todd; and it’s common to have two or more groups working in different natural areas across the city.
SMGA has an agreement with the City of San Marcos to construct and maintain the natural surface trails in the city’s seven natural areas: Purgatory Creek Natural Area, Spring Lake Natural Area, Ringtail Ridge Natural Area, Schulle Canyon Natural Area, Blanco Shoals Natural Area, Sessom Creek Park, and the River Recharge Natural Area.
The most recent trail system was completed in the River Recharge Natural Area, which opened a couple of years ago along Wonderworld Drive at Craddock Street, just behind The Cottages at San Marcos apartments. A reroute of the Paraiso Trail in Upper Purgatory, of the Purgatory Creek Natural Area, was also recently finished. Then immediately, SMGA started on a brand-new trail system in the Elsik Tract (land purchased by the county in October, 2023), which will eventually connect to the River Recharge trails and will be called Limestone Link.
Trail maintenance and construction dominates most of what SMGA does. It includes a lot of lopping and line trimming, as well as rerouting old or eroded trails. The work can be quite physical and time-consuming and can prove too difficult for some of our dedicated volunteers. So a few years ago, “Team Flora” was formed to accommodate those who can’t do the strenuous trail work but still want to contribute. Team Flora works to improve the vegetation in the natural areas by planting and seeding native plants, removing invasive plants, and planting and caring for trees.
Amid the diversity of native plants, a bee gathers pollen and a caterpillar munches on wild parsley during a SMGA tree planting project at Prospect Park in May 2019. Photos: courtesy Lance Jones
SMGA sponsors guided hikes and expert-led nature walks on city properties.
HCMN and plant conservationist Minnette Marr occasionally leads plant identification walks, teaching the benefits of native plants and trees in our area. She also points out the various invasive and non-native plants and trees and discusses ways to control their spread.
HCMN and conservationist Stephen Ramirez leads monthly bird walks on behalf of SMGA. He educates participants about how to identify bird species by sight through the use of binoculars and spotting scopes as well as by listening to bird songs and calls. His bird walks are conducted throughout the seasons, giving participants the chance to observe different species that pass through our area during spring and fall migrations as well as getting familiar with our resident year round birds.
Since its inception, the SMGA has maintained a vision of creating a contiguous loop of interconnecting trail systems around the city of San Marcos. To further this effort, the San Marcos River Foundation partnered with SMGA by purchasing parcels of land along the envisaged loop and has worked with the city to take ownership of the properties. The eventual San Marcos Loop Greenbelt Corridor will be about 18 miles long. San Marcos Daily Record, June 9, 2024
San Marcos is famous for, and justly proud of, its river.People flock to the San Marcos River for recreation, especially in the summer.Our natural areas and trail systems add another dimension to the city’s list of amenities. The trail system is gaining popularity and drawing increasing numbers of people to San Marcos, particularly mountain bikers.SMGA plays a crucial role in developing and maintaining the trail system.The organization has been recognized multiple times for its contributions and works closely with the city and the city’s three full-time trail staff.SMGA has earned the appreciation and respect of the city’s citizens. Fifteen members of the Hays County Chapter of Texas Master Naturalist™ are proud to play an essential part in this remarkable organization.
Slideshow courtesy Lance Jones
Plant walk with Minnette Marr March 2018
Dick McBride is certainly excited by Minnette's talk
HCMNs Learn to use the iNaturalist Application
HCMNs and SMGA Partnering to Build a Bird Viewing Station at Schulle Canyon
A Future Bird Viewing Station
Schulle Canyon Bird Viewing Station Project Gains Ground
The Trail Crew Begins Work on the Buie Tract, February 2022
Preparing to work the Karst Corner Trail April 2022
Ligustrum Removal at Prospect Park 2022 - Melanie Howard and Crew
Find many more photos by HCMN Lance Jones here: San Marcos Greenbelt Alliance Albums
Betsy Cross
