Almost 50 people gathered on the morning of June 9 in Schulle Canyon Natural Area to dedicate a tree in honor of retired San Marcos City Attorney Mark Taylor, who died in April 2025. The tree, a chinkapin oak, was donated by a group of Mark’s former colleagues, along with other friends.
In addition to past and present employees of the City of San Marcos, a number of members of the San Marcos Greenbelt Alliance, in which Mark was active since its founding in 1998, also attended.
In her remarks to the crowd, Parks and Recreation Director Jamie Lee Case spoke of Mark’s legacy to the community, particularly in the area of conservation. “While he contributed thoughtful feedback to several Parks, Recreation, and Open Space planning efforts over the years, his influence is most clearly reflected in the Natural Areas Land Management Plan adopted in September 2023,” Case noted. “His meticulous approach, deep respect for our natural areas, and unwavering commitment to preserving these spaces shaped the plan in ways we still feel today. Because of his work, we were able to create the strongest possible blueprint for caring for the places he cherished so deeply. His fingerprints are truly all over it. I have the multiple markups to prove it,” she added with a laugh.
“If I had to sum up his greatest contribution in a single soundbite, I’d say this: Mark gave our community the gift of stewardship, he helped San Marcos understand not just how to protect its natural areas, but why they matter.”
Todd Derkacz, who worked closely with Mark on SMGA’s Trail Crew, admitted that the word service doesn’t begin to capture Mark’s dedication to the city’s natural areas. “He loved the earth,” Derkacz said, adding that even the most grueling task on the trail could bring Mark joy. “For him it was sacred.”
To fellow Trail Crew member Monique Tschurr, Mark’s almost instinctual ability to problem solve was among his greatest gifts. As she pointed out, one of the demands of trail building is determining how water is going to flow down a given slope. And while Mark’s response to a particular dilemma might differ from everyone else’s, his fix always worked. Not only that, it lasted.
Located on Virginia Witte Way, near the entrance to Schulle Canyon Natural Area, the tree planted in Mark’s memory was chosen very intentionally. As Urban Forester Kelly Eby noted, the chinkapin oak is among the most “giving” of all the oaks. A hardy and highly-prized shade tree, it’s a larval host for the gray hairstreak and other butterflies, pollinator magnet, food for hummingbirds, and source of fall color. Most importantly, it produces the sweetest of acorns, which are enjoyed by deer, larger birds, and, when properly prepared, even humans.
To complement the oak, Eby said, a possumhaw was planted nearby. This small deciduous tree will be covered in bright red berries each winter, feeding a variety of wildlife—opossums, raccoons, and other mammals, as well as songbirds, such as cedar waxwings.
The 21-acre natural area at the end of Alamo Street, Schulle Canyon was of particular significance to Mark Taylor, as well as to his wife, Jo Ellen Korthals, and son, Ben. Because of its proximity to their home, the family has spent a great deal of time there over the years and has contributed many hours to its upkeep. Several years ago, Jo Ellen led the effort to add a wildlife viewing station there, and Mark was on the team that built it.
San Marcos city attorney from September 1989 through October 2006, Mark Taylor was born at Mitchel Field on Long Island on September 30, 1955, but grew up traveling both abroad and throughout the U.S. with his parents and brother, Jeff. When Mark was elected to the SMGA board in 2012, he was introduced in the organization’s newsletter in this way: “As a child Mark lived for three years on the edge of the Sahara in Libya followed by two years near Phoenix, and as he says, ‘Five years without trees greatly enhances your appreciation of trees.’ Mark’s connection with nature was instilled through hiking and camping trips with his father, mother and brother.”
Mark shared that connection with his wife, Jo Ellen, as well as with their son, Ben. He also passed on a philosophy he found represented in a photo taken by the late Inga VanNynatten, the National Park Service staff member who help organize the Greenbelt Alliance. Mark would look at the photo each day, making a point to note the inscription, which he took to heart: “Through simplicity and close rapport with nature, one encounters the sacred.”
Photos and text by Susan Hanson
