| SMGA
Update for March 25, 2008
In
This Issue...
Annual
Meeting This Friday
Help Us Strategize
Special Thanks!
For Your Calendar
Preserve The Peace, The Quiet, And The
Place...
Envision Central Texas
New Hill Country Outdoor Guide
Purgatory Greenspace Histroy
In The News
ANNUAL
MEETING THIS FRIDAY
Please
join us this Friday, March 28 for an informal, happy-hour
style reception at 5:30 p.m. at the Price Center, 222 W. San
Antonio Street in San Marcos. At 6:30 p.m., we’ll hold
our election of board members and hear reports on projects
past and present. Bring a friend! Also, if you have an “always
popular” dish that you would like to bring along, we’ll
gladly share it with members. Send Todd an email to let us
know (tobe@austin.rr.com).
HELP
US STRATEGIZE
Each
year, the SMGA board reviews its strategic plans and goals
for the coming year and beyond. This year, we hope to inform
that process with your input. Thanks to those of you who have
taken a few minutes to complete our survey. If you haven’t
done so yet, please click the link below and tell us what
you think:
http://www.questionpro.com/akira/TakeSurvey?id=900138
SPECIAL
THANKS!
SMGA
survives on the commitment of its volunteers and contributors
to preserving our local natural areas. Thanks goes out to
some extra special folks this month: Thanks to Randall Morris,
Andrew and Teresa Hobby, Bill and Celeste Healy and the Hochheim
Insurance Insurance Company for their recent, very generous
financial support. We’ll be putting those dollars to
work on Ringtail Ridge improvements and other projects here
in San Marcos.
FOR
YOUR CALENDAR
March
Wednesday 26th: Spring Lake webcam unveiling – Aquarena
Center - 3 p.m
Wednesday 26th: “Hero for the Planet” Dr. Sylvia
Earl - TX State LBJ Mall - 8 p.m. Details at
http://www.txstate.edu/bounce/www.txstate.edu/commonexperience/calendar/index.htm#sylviaearle
Friday 28th: SMGA Annual Meeting - Price Center – 5:30
to 7:30 p.m.
April
Saturday 5th: Bobcat Build - Upper Purgatory - 9:30 a.m. to
12:30 p.m.
Join us for trail shaping! The success of this event relies
on the participation of some of our more experienced trail
crew members. Email Todd at tobe@austin.rr.com
if you can help supervise a small group of volunteers.
Saturday 12th: Trail Building - Upper Purgatory - 8:30 a.m.
(8 a.m. for first timers)
Saturday 12th: Wildlife Management Workshop - Wimberley -
8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
Contact Kimberly at the Hays County Appraisal District for
more information at ksticher@hayscad.com
or 512 268-2522.
Sunday 20th: 2nd Annual Earth Day Festival - Aquarena Center
- 12 to 7 p.m.
The event is free to the public and will include educational
activities for all ages; recycling and green building displays;
live music entertainment; food and vendor booths; nature-based
entertainment; and blessing of the Springs. SMGA will have
a booth at this event; email Todd at tobe@austin.rr.com
if you can help in the booth for an hour or two.
Saturday 26th: SMRF water hyacinth removal - Aquarena Center
- 9 a.m. to 12 noon
Get
directions to greenspaces above at http://www.smgreenbelt.org/SMNaturalAreas.htm.
Trail
building requires heavy boots, gloves, and a water bottle;
eyewear, long pants, and hat highly recommended. We supply
tools and bug repellent. To join our trail crew list, email
alliance@smgreenbelt.org
(weather or other conditions may prompt last minute changes,
and only those on our email list will be notified).
May
Thursday 1st: 4th Annual Naturescapes content opens; details
available soon at http://www.smgreenbelt.org/PhotoContest.htm
PRESERVE
THE PEACE, THE QUIET, AND THE PLACE…
Please
review our park rules below. In particular, if you enjoy the
outdoors with your dog, be considerate of others! Remove your
dog’s waste and keep your dog on a leash. Your extra
consideration will make our natural areas more enjoyable for
everyone.
•
Take only photos, leave only footprints.
• Park open sunrise to sunset (curfew applies after
sunset).
• Keep dogs on a leash and remove their waste.
• Campfires, glass containers, motor vehicles, weapons,
horses, and camping are not permitted.
• Stay on established trails on public property.
• Bicycles yield to hikers, Refrain from biking on muddy
trails.
• Report problems to San Marcos Parks & Recreation
at (512) 393-8400.
ENVISION
CENTRAL TEXAS
Envison
Central Texas wants to know what’s on your mind. If
you missed their meeting here in San Marcos earlier this week,
weigh in with your opinion at
http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=4fT0W_2bV6NpQogWO6MsyOaQ_3d_3d
NEW
HILL COUNTRY OUTDOOR GUIDE
Thanks
to Robert Pressley for adding information about our San Marcos
greenspaces to the Hill Country Outdoor Guide website at http://hillcountryoutdoorguide.com.
Check out the site! It’s a great source of information
about things to do in central Texas.
PURGATORY
GREENSPACE HISTORY
In
order to complete our San Marcos Natural Areas Web page, volunteer
Vicki Gieri recently located this information about the acquisition
of the 450-acre Purgatory Greenspace:
According
to San Marcos Daily Record articles dated 6/15/2001 and 12/30/2001,
the city purchased the Prospect / Purgatory Natural Area acreage
in portions, culminating in December 2001. The first purchase
of about 33 acres had been zoned for high-density, multi-family
development back in 1979. Some 670 apartment units could have
been built on the site. Terrand Ltd., the previous owner of
the property, donated an additional 93 acres adjacent to Purgatory
Creek above the flood control dam on Purgatory Creek. The
city completed the purchase of another 326.3 acres on December
17, 2001. The Edwards Aquifer Authority supported the acquisition
as a partner with the city.
The
future expansion of Wonder World Drive will cross a portion
of the property. The acquisition is expected to help minimize
environmental impacts of the proposed state highway extension.
The land is within the Edwards Aquifer recharge zone and is
home to Purgatory Creek and several tributaries of both Purgatory
and Willow Creeks.
SMGA’s
team of trail building volunteers has been busy building hike
and bike trails in the Purgatory Natural Area. The 9-acre
Prospect Park portion offers about 1.2 miles of unmarked trails
(closer to 2 miles if you include the spur that takes you
into lower Purgatory). The trail crew is now focusing on design
and shaping in Upper Purgatory, and has completed about 1
mile of trail to date; see the calendar section above for
information on how you can participate in this effort.
The
3-mile Wonder World Drive expansion project, scheduled to
be completed in 2010, will route traffic around the city to
RR12. However, the project was delayed in late 2007 by the
discovery of an Archaic-era Native American archeological
site.
IN
THE NEWS
600-acre
annexation heading for council
San Marcos — Plans for San Marcos to annex nearly 600
acres south of town for a high-end development that would
feature resort-style homes, a golf course and limited retail
space could be set for a first council vote soon. http://www.sanmarcosrecord.com/local/local_story_081114149.html
Pak Mail and The Peanut Hotline Go Green
Pak
Mail centers around the country have joined the Peanut Hotline,
a packaging peanuts reuse program created in 1991 by the Plastic
Loose Fill Council. “Our customers can now drop off
unwanted plastic peanuts at our store where we will recycle
and reuse them…”
http://newstreamz.com/2008/03/19/pak-mail-and-the-peanut-hotline-go-green
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