Photo Credit: Quinta Mazatlan
Many years ago, I had the opportunity to visit Tanzania in East Africa and view the famous Serengeti annual migration, the largest and longest overland migration on earth. In earlier times, visitors brought home trophies of the “Big 5,” but fortunately today most leave with only photographs of the beautiful African elephant, Cape buffalo, leopard, rhinoceros, and lion.
The first stop in Tanzania was an inner-city park designed to educate the local children and families on the importance of protecting their natural heritage. The 20-acre park featured a half mile of interpretive trails. The first sign stated “KARIBU-welcome! You are about to start a journey… following the tracks of the wildebeest. You will learn about the Serengeti migrants and their annual cycle.” The walk was memorable, as trail signage was accompanied by sculptures featuring wildlife that I would soon see on the savannah. And then it hit me— a similar concept could be implemented back home in McAllen, Texas.
A Jumping-Off Point
Owned and operated by the McAllen Parks & Recreation Department, Quinta Mazatlan opened in 2006 as a “mansion with a mission.” The department works to enrich people’s lives by sharing knowledge of birds, animals, and plants, and to encourage stewardship of South Texas. My challenge as the manager is that the agency doesn’t get the “Big 5,” and would be lucky to guarantee sightings of a “Little 5.” So how could staff members entertain, educate, and inspire while communicating our own bio-diversity in a small city park? A Forest Sculpture Trail was the answer!