Dick McBride was born and raised in the Chicago area. After becoming a dentist, he was drafted into the Army and ended up in Lawton, Oklahoma, at Ft. Sill.  Dick spent 35 years practicing orthodontics as a civilian in Lawton.  He came to San Marcos in 2008 after retiring. Dick’s first contact with the San Marcos community was SMGA, which led to more contacts, including the San Marcos River Foundation, Austin Water Wildlands, Texas Parks & Wildlife, and Hays County Master Naturalists. Dick credits these organizations with giving him a new and worthwhile life.

Why  do you think natural spaces are important?
Natural spaces are important for many reasons. They are habitat for our wildlife neighbors; we have a zoo in our backyard! They are important for our water because of aquifer recharge. They provide recreation; countless studies have observed that humans’ mental health benefits from time in nature.

Who or what most influenced your view of the natural world? 
I was fortunate to have been born when children had fewer diversions and spent much time in nature. I was lucky to have a “cool” city park across the street. It had steep slopes for sledding and a creek to explore. WWII had ended only a few years before and we had “wars” with anything handy—dirt clods, crabapples, rotten tomatoes, even green berries for our pea shooters. It was great out there. Later I was attracted to Minnesota’s Boundary Canoe area.  Wonderful nature.

What attracted you to the Greenbelt Alliance? 
I moved to San Marcos in 2008. Not knowing anyone here I wanted to get involved in my new community. I read about trail work in the Daily Record and thought it might be interesting.  When I showed up Todd Derkacz was leading (as always-right). There were a few other people there. In those days 5 people showing up was a good turnout. Lance Jones was there that day and we have been friends ever since. He had completed the Master Naturalist program and encouraged me to take it. The rest of that story is history.

What do you most enjoy doing in support of SMGA? 
My primary connection with SMGA is working with the trail crew, which I have been doing for 15 years. I’ve been regular with my participation, putting in 8-10 hours a month, at least 100 hours a year and at least 1500 hours – and counting. It has been remarkable seeing the growth in numbers of volunteers for trail crew. It wasn’t all that long ago that we were dreaming about having enough people to have two teams out. We’ve had up to four teams out sometimes now.

What is your favorite trail? What do you like about it? 
I find Malacoda Trail interesting, complete with its “grotto,” but I really don’t have a favorite trail. I’ve worked on all of the trails at some point. When I walk a trail I often think back to working on the section I’m on. I don’t do a lot of hiking when not doing trail work. I enjoy working on the trails more than just walking on them. I always wear my clippers when I venture into the trails.

What recommendations would you give new users of the trail?
New users should follow best practices.  Have a map, water and sun protection at least.