Plant Walk with Minnette Marr

Our continuing series of nature walks was held March 17th at Prospect Park. Minnette Marr, local resident and plant conservationist, led the group of 18 around Limbo Loop. The walks began in 2012 as a prelude to the Bobcat Build project where students and SMGA members removed invasive ligustrum, aka privet, and planted Texas native grasses and wildflowers.
The importance of clearing the land of invasives with filtering grasses and wildflowers was evident when more karst features were visible. The limestone rock openings to the Edwards Aquifer allow excess rain water to go underground and not flood the creeks and neighborhoods.

Minnette provided a little history to the original natural area that developers had scrapped bare 20 years ago. The succession of plants and trees traces to that time.
The group also learned about native trees and shrubs like evergreen sumac, rusty blackhaw and Texas mountain laurel that offer good choices in place of privet and nandina.

In addition to the monthly bird (first Saturday) and bug walks (second Saturday), two more nature hikes are scheduled for the spring. April 28 is a bug walk at Spring Lake, Lime Kiln trail head, led by Ben Hutchins with Texas Parks. On Friday, May 11 we have a tree walk in Schulle Canyon led by Kelly Eby, Urban Forester for the City of San Marcos.