Good People, Good Works

There was once a railroad track that ran through Boerne Texas, but has been unused for quite a few years. It was called the Old #9, and it cut a straight, diagonal line through Boerne from southeast to Northwest. After the tracks had been pulled, some progressive someone decided that the right-of-way could be put to use as a hike-n-bike path.

The city of Boerne came on board with it and a few years later the town has the beginnings of a nice hike-n-bike corridor. It begins at the Cibolo Nature Center, Boerne's premiere preserve that features four separate natural environments all within a small 100 acres. Plans for the bike path call for it eventually to continue past where it ends in north Boerne, to go underneath I-10, and all the way to Boerne's City Lake. I can imagine a time when Boerne kids can bike all the way to the lake in safety, swim for a while, and bike back home.

Enter the Native Plant Society of Texas, Boerne division. The Native Plant Society, as you might guess, promotes the use of native plants in home and business landscapes. Since they're more easily grown than exotics, the success rate is far higher than if one tries to grow something native to Great Britain. Besides, planting native helps a locale keep its overall sense of self.

So yesterday morning me and about 27 Native Plant Society folks showed up at the Southeast terminus of the Old #9 Bikeway and planted 28 trees and shrubs. The city of Boerne had already dug the holes for the trees with an overly-ambitious machine (B-I-G holes!), so it wasn't as much work as it might have been. Parents brought kids to help, old folks showed up and defied their age with their labor. It was a great endeavor, and the fruits of our labors will only grow as the years go by.

There's something supremely optimistic about planting trees. It metaphorically says "I believe in the future..." and if you're 80, like a friend named Ellie who worked particularly hard, you're not really planting them for yourself. The trees she planted are for her kids and grandkids to enjoy.

So I salute the Native Plant Society for its energy and efforts, and the City of Boerne for its wisdom and attitude. And if you're ever down this way, be sure to bring your bike and seek out the Old #9. Maybe by then part of your sunny ride will be shaded by trees we planted yesterday.