The Randolph Roadrunners celebrated Pi Day on March 14th of this year by hosting their Crownridge Canyon Natural Area Year Round Event and giving away free pies to walkers!
Above are Pat G. (left) and Ellen O. at the Start/Finish holding the brochure for this event and some of the pies. Martin Callahan took the picture above and most of the others in this post, and he shared the information below about the walk and Pi Day:
This walk was in conjunction with the celebration of National Pi Day which takes place on the March 14th every year. Pi is the symbol used in mathematics which is the ratio of the circumference of a circle to its diameter. The first three digits of Pi are 3.14, thus the reason for celebrating the event on March 14 every year. A delicious small pie like those displayed in this picture were provided free of charge to every Volkssporter who completed the walk event by the Randolph Roadrunners Volksmarch club in commemoration of National Pi Day. You can learn more about Pi Day online at: Pi Day | Celebrate Mathematics on March 14th.
In the picture below, Martin is standing by the entrance to Crownridge Canyon Natural Area with Rudy.
The website for the “Friends of San Antonio Natural Areas” gives this description of the natural area:
Crownridge Canyon was the first City natural area developed as part of the Edwards Aquifer Protection ballot initiative. The 200-acre preserve features Level 1 ADA trails and Level 4 hiking trails through a variety of habitats. Features include a canopy level bridge overlook, beautiful forested canyon bottoms, hillside vistas, and restored grasslands. There are excellent opportunities to view the endangered Golden Cheeked Warbler during its nesting season. This park features interpretive elements highlighting local flora, fauna, geology and the aquifer recharge cycle, as well as the area’s early human inhabitants. The landscape at Crownridge feature native plants of northern Bexar county. Many are numbered and can be identified using the Natural Areas Plant Key.
fosana.org
In the picture below, Darren and Susan M. are standing by 2 of the 6 interpretative signs at the trailhead pavilion, where Pat and Ellen were working the Start/Finish table.
Below, Martin is photographing the homes lining the rim of the canyon in the distance, and the following picture shows the homes.
Below, Stephanie K. is on the trail by Bear Grass Falls, which is dry most of the year.
Below are a few more pictures of Martin on the trail.
There is a sign along the trail that describes the efforts to restore the grassland savannah in parts of Crownridge Canyon. The text of that sign is below.
The Texas Hill Country was once dominated by a savannah of grasses, trees and shrubs. Juniper (Mountain Cedar) and other woody plants were limited by natural fire, and primarily found on steep slopes and along waterways. Today, much of the grasslands are non-existent or in poor condition. Many of our native plants and animals are dependent on grassland savannahs.
San Antonio Natural Areas’ staff are restoring grassland savannah on this site by removing the juniper and allowing grasses to recover. This will also allow many other plant and animal species to reestablish or continue to survive in this park.
San Antonio Parks & Recreation Department
Below are more walkers on the 10k route along Camp Bullis Road. Left to right are Robert T., Michael M., Gerry K., Sheri L., and Linda G.
After walking through the Crownridge Canyon Natural Area, the route then went through the upscale Heights of Crownridge neighborhood. Below are a few pictures of some pretty impressive homes! Stephanie and Rudy are in the first one, and Martin and Rudy are in the second one in front of a home with Easter decorations out front.
It was a nice walk with lots to see, and of course, pie for dessert. Thank you Randolph Roadrunners!
