San Marcos Greenbelt Alliance

A Project of Hays County Master Naturalist
San Marcos, Texas

Hays County Master Naturalists remove invasive plants at Ringtail Ridge Natural Area, February 2013. Photo: courtesy Lance Jones

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.

The Trail Crew works on the New Paraiso Trail in Purgatory Creek Natural Area, September 2023. Photo: courtesy Lance Jones

25 Trail Crew members work on the River Recharge Natural Area, (formerly the Buie Tract) February 2022. Photo: courtesy Lance Jones

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.

Todd Derkacz assesses the 2015 Memorial Day flood damage at Purgatory Creek Natural Area. Photo: courtesy Dick McBride

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. Read more about the July 2022 opening of the River Recharge Natural Area in a previous Hays Humm article here.

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.

HCMN Cindy Hobson (orange fleece) and SMGA volunteers spread various collected and purchased seeds and rake them into prepared soil at Purgatory Creek Natural Area, Lower Purgatory Creek, December 2023. Photo: courtesy Lance Jones

Team Flora and the Trail Crew join forces to re-route Beatrice Trail in Purgatory Creek Natural Area, May 2023. Photo: courtesy Lance Jones

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.

Native plants and wildflowers are common across the natural areas. Photos: courtesy Lance Jones

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.

HCMNs Kenneth Dees (far left), Donna Browning (blue shirt), and Jo Korthals (green shirt), along with other SMGA members, review the planned construction site for a bird viewing station in Schulle Canyon Natural Area, a project funded by a HCMN Firefly Grant and a fundraiser in partnership with SMGA, December 2021. Photo: Lance Jones

Schulle Canyon Natural Area is a beautifully conserved green space located right in the middle of San Marcos proper. Read more about Schulle Canyon and what birds you can expect to see there in this May 2022 Hays Humm article.

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 Loop Greenbelt Corridor Graphic: courtesy Stephen Ramirez on behalf of the San Marcos River Foundation

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.