Read through our list of accomplishments from last year, and we think you'll agree that we made important gains in our outreach, stewardship, and conservation efforts!
Outreach
Outreach
- Reached triple-digit membership for the first time in our history.
- Repaired kiosk display cases and updated displays at Ringtail Ridge, Prospect Park/Lower Purgatory, and Schulle Canyon Natural Areas.
- Continued to develop and improve display materials for meetings and booth events.
- Finalized a high-level graphic of the Loop & Check greenbelt concept for display in booths and on the web site.
- Grew list of newsletter recipients to just under 700.
- Established a Facebook page.
Stewardship
- Continued to expand and improve the natural area monitoring program to report on trail conditions to the city and SMGA.
- Weed-whacked tall thistle, rerouted trails to protect sensitive areas, and repaired over 15 miles of trails.
- Completed the Ringtail Ridge Improvements grant from the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department. Final improvements included installing gravel, an additional bridge, signs, trash barrels, and other amenities.
- Worked with large student groups: Bobcat Build supplied more than 50 students at Ringtail to improve drainage, remove fencing, and plant trees. For the Fall River Clean-Up more than 75 Chi Omega members worked in Purgatory, planting seeds, removing trash, and painting bollards.
- Installed signs, blazed trails with emergency responders, and developed names for the trails to improve the user experience and safety.
- Developed trail maps for Schulle Canyon and Ringtail Ridge natural areas.
- Scouted new trails, including one at San Marcos High School.
- Advocated with the City of San Marcos in install barriers to block automotive traffic at Blanco Shoals and assisted with improvements to the access road to Ringtail Ridge.
Conservation
- Sponsored a spring golden cheek warbler habitat survey in the Sink Creek watershed.
- Developed a powerpoint presentation on existing natural areas in San Marcos, the greenbelt concept, and SMGA's vision.
- Convinced Paso Robles developers to dedicate the headwaters of both Cottonwood and Willow Springs Creeks for parkland.
- Met with the city Parks and Recreation Department to review existing parklands along waterways and identify connections between them.
- Reviewed and provided updates for the San Marcos Parks Master Plan, including adding the greenbelt concept and correcting the omission of existing parkland.
- Assisted the Trust for Public Land in applying for county parks funding for expanding the Purgatory Creek Natural Area.
