by Carol Garrison, Class of 2015

In November 2020, the Preservation Society for Spring Creek Forest asked for volunteers to help map the park. Tina Rust stepped up to the challenge. Claudia Beltran, Casey Llamas, & Tina explored trails, calculated mileage, & recorded these findings for a draft document. Tina became the team leader for the project and saw it through to completion.

Thanks to her efforts, Spring Creek Forest now has a beautiful full-color map with color-coded hiking trails, amenities, mileages (7 miles between paved and natural surface trails), and detailed text describing how to access the park. 

This map along with the associated GIS datasets will be an essential planning tool for the Preservation Society for Spring Creek Forest, the city of Garland’s Parks, Recreation, and Cultural Arts Department, and for area visitors.  

David Parrish, President of the Executive Committee for The Preservation Society nominated Tina for the quarterly volunteer award due to her dedication, focus, & persistence in bringing this fantastic project to its completion! 

Dylan Hedrick, Mayor Pro Tem of Garland, Texas has this testimonial:  “The Spring Creek Forest Preserve is a wonderful natural resource located in the center of Garland which offers significant recreational, educational and volunteer opportunities to the citizens of Garland. I am happy to recognize the great work of Tina Rust to meticulously document and map the Preserve. Her efforts will serve as a guide to those individuals and organizations who follow to better explore, enjoy and maintain the Preserve for years to come.”  

Congratulations, Tina, on being recognized as the Quarterly Volunteer Award recipient!