TRAILBLAZING IN THE ‘BACK FORTY’

GREEN BELT ALLIANCE

Trail system being built at St. Mark’s Episcopal Church

For 14 years now, the “back forty” at St. Mark’s Episcopal Church, located on Ranch Road 12 near San Marcos Academy, has been a bit of a mystery to its members. A tangle of scrub — agarita, Mexican persimmon, mustang grapes and more — this portion of the church’s 20-acre property was anything but inviting.

Granted, the parish had joined with neighboring First Christian Church some years ago to create a Stations of the Cross trail more or less along their shared property line, but this track left the rest of the church’s land unexplored.

After batting the idea around for many months, the members of St. Mark’s recently embarked on an ambitious venture — creating a trail through the land behind the main campus. With assistance from some expert trail builders, who helped scout a potential route and taught a dozen or so volunteers some of the basic skills they would need, St. Mark’s Trailblazers — as one member refers to the group — have already cleared about a quarter of what will be a one-mile trail. Working Tuesday and Saturday mornings, they have lopped, sawed, raked and built tread, becoming a real team along the way.

Initially, volunteer Carolyn Burkland admits, working on the project “sounded like a great way to spend an hour or so in nature” but not more. Up to this point, her experience with St. Mark’s landscape was limited.

“I had only been back behind the church for the Stations of the Cross at Easter,” she said. “I had never really explored anything beyond that.”

But that was to change. “It has become so much more,” said Burkland, now a regular volunteer. “Since then, it’s been like developing a new relationship, not only with the people, but also the trail. It’s changed my idea about what serves a purpose.”

Growing up in the country, Burkland explained, she was accustomed to land being valued for what it provided farmers and ranchers; what wasn’t productive wasn’t protected.

“On the trail and with the help of our leaders,” she said, “I have learned that the [utilitarian] ‘purpose’ is not always a priority. How you feel as you traverse the trail is the priority.“ Burkland looks forward to working on the trail “because it feeds my spirit” and allows her to stay in the moment.

“For those two hours I am at peace. I anticipate and understand that feeling when I am in the church, in the building,” Burkland said. “I was surprised to feel it so much behind the church.”

For the Rev. Christian Hawley, rector at St. Mark’s, working on the trail has been a “co-creative process with trees, rocks and tread-building, something that collaborates, not conquers.” It’s a “tangible way to improve our community and offers the almost monastic sense of peace in manual labor working with God’s creation and other people.”

That’s a concept that comes up in the comments of many of the volunteers.

“Walking the path is peaceful,” said crew member Elly Dietz.

Isaac Wiegman concurred.

“We care about nature and creating spaces for people to be at peace in nature,” he said of the parish. “Even if someone doesn’t attend St. Mark’s, I hope they can walk down our trail and experience a gift of peace and beauty from us.”

Indeed, part of the rationale for creating this trail has been to offer it to the larger community. “Hiking it will be an intentionally contemplative experience, with the chance to walk the labyrinth or play on a playground as well,” said Hawley, referring to the fact that the trailhead will be located immediately behind the church’s labyrinth and natural playground.

Building this trail also reflects St. Mark’s ethos as a parish. Developing a responsible and collaborative relationship with the earth, learning to see the natural world as holy and valuable in its own right, finding time to actually see and experience nearby nature — these are all ideals the church hopes to communicate both to its members and to the larger community.

“Already a forest school has popped up for families to explore together, but writ large, this is a chance to commune with nature,” Hawley noted, referring to the nature preschool held at St. Mark’s every Friday morning.

Ann Walsh hoped that the creation of the trail could spur interest in the natural area.

“And spark ideas of how to protect it while enjoying it,” said volunteer Ann Walsh, who has appreciated getting to know this part of the property. “It’s amazing how the environment of this area differs from the upper area of the church buildings. Immediately, I notice the huge reduction of road noise, which has worsened over the years.

Walsh said the area has a variety of plants, trees and small meadows.

“The way the trail winds through, you feel like you’re in a much larger wilderness,” she said. “It will be interesting to see how the plants respond in the years to come. We can witness now the effects of several years of devastating freezes and drought, as there are many shattered trees. I’m looking forward to visiting through the seasons to follow bird migrations and watch wildflowers regrow. The huisache trees, devilish as they can be, are beautiful when they bloom and bring in swarms of bees.”

Wiegman has his own way of exploring and tending this landscape.

“I like the feeling of taking care of the trees as we work,” he explained. “Clearing out dead trees to make room for young ones, pruning in ways that make the trees more beautiful and possibly also more healthy. Even when there isn’t a health benefit to the trees, it’s satisfying to help make the trail navigable and well-groomed.”

Considering what the new trail might make possible, the volunteers imagined a variety of scenarios.

“I would like to see moonlight walks, family walks, dogs and babies on the path, treasure or scavenger hunts for kids,” Elly Dietz said.

Anne Walsh added that the trails intersect the Stations of the Cross at several places.

“Church members and visitors can have an opportunity to sit and rest a bit while taking it all in,” Walsh said.

Christian Hawley took that idea a step further.

“Our sister trail we share with First Christian outlines the 14 stations of the cross, and I’d love to see this new trail speak to the stations of the resurrection or serve as a kind of community art exhibit around saint shrines, maybe even incorporating some stained glass suncatchers or windows,” he explained.

Isaac Wiegman envisioned an even more far-reaching goal.

“I hope that maybe we can find a way to link it up with other trails in the area,” he said.

Whatever it becomes, St. Mark’s wants the trail it’s building to be an inviting place not just for its own members, but for hikers and walkers from all of San Marcos.