You may have noticed the unusual trail markers in Brackenridge Park. The eastern part of the park has four wooded trails, each about a mile long. The markers at the trailheads are by Susan Budge, who at the time of the trail markers’ creation in 2006 was the head of the ceramics department at San Antonio College. She has since retired and moved to Houston.
The marker pictured above is called Quercus, the Latin genus for the oak. The hollow space in the center is in the shape of an acorn.
The blue marker is called Waterworks and represents a flowing stream of water. Anaqua, in burnt orange, is a vertical bird head, pointing towards the sky, with a hollow eye and small anaqua seed in the its mouth. The anaqua tree (Ehretia anacua) is also known as “Nockaway”, “Knackaway”, “Manzanita”, “Sandpaper Tree”, and “Sugarberry.”. Old time Texans found the hard, dense wood handy for making tool handles, wheel spokes, axles and yokes. The small sweet berries were good for making jelly, and the stiff, rough leaves were useful for sanding wood. Native Americans living in the vicinity supposedly used the leaves to smooth their arrow shafts.
To the right in the photo of the trail markers there is a little faux bois (concrete that mimics wood) hut made by Dionicio Rodriguez
Also in Brackenridge Park you will come across a sculpture called Glorieta, made of cast bronze and natural tree-trunk slices. Glorieta is Spanish for traffic circle. The name also refers to “La Gloria,” or “heaven,” in Spanish. Also installed in 2006, it is by Ann Wallace.
