The Eyes of the San Marcos River Are Watching
by Holly Ratcliff
The Eyes of the San Marcos River was established in March 2014 by Zach Halfin and Derrick Lee. The organization continues to preserve the river and promote conservation.
Nick Steger, one of the group’s members on Facebook, began a heated discussion with the following post: “Every year the parks get trashed on Easter. Confetti eggs are one of the biggest culprits. Yesterday, I saw pallets of them for sale at Wal-Mart. What can be done about this? I feel like we need more law enforcement out there or something.” The discussion took place on March 26 and continued for several days.
These confetti eggs, also knows as cascarones, are hollowed out eggs filled with colorful paper and glitter. People crack the eggs upon each other’s heads in customary celebration of spring.
Members suggested enacting a park ban, filling eggs with seeds or biodegradable materials instead of confetti, marking off a designated area for breakage to restrict the spread of litter, requesting city funds go to a grass-friendly vacuum, and monitoring the areas on a voluntary basis. Few members proposed gating the parks, posting rules, and charging admission for entry.
It is valuable to cross-compare this city’s current issue with another city’s response to excessive litter. In Houston, the following ban is currently in place: “all party favors containing paper, confetti, rice, silly string, glitter, or other filling which is designed to pop/break/shatter or otherwise burst and litter our parks are prohibited. This shall include but is not limited to: poppers, piñatas, confetti eggs, and silly string” (Section 23 of Harris County Parks’ rules and regulations specifies this in Precinct 4).
Nearly four years ago, Hays County outlined its own goals in the “Hays County Parks, Open Space, and Natural Areas Master Plan” (April 2012). The foreword states, “for many, Hays County is the gateway to the Hill Country, where the coastal plains give way to rolling hills, natural springs, clean rivers and unspoiled open vistas… In guiding this plan, Hays County sought a way to balance the reality of advancing urbanization with the common desires of its citizens to maintain the character, traditions, and unique natural assets of its communities.”
It is clear that the city of San Marcos will continually struggle to balance its natural assets with a growing demand for expansion. Even still, citizens are encouraged to nurture and protect the “unspoiled open vistas” at the heart of their Hill Country.
The conversation currently ends with another group member’s video post entitled “Celebrate spring with Cascarones: Confetti-filled eggs” by Scott Meeks. The video implements some of the members’ suggestions. In lieu of confetti, utilize recyclable shredded paper; bird seed and wildflower seeds are also suggested. Drain eggs, saving whites and yolks to prevent waste. Eggs can be soaked in red cabbage (purple hue) and turmeric (yellow hue) for added color. Once the dye has dried, they are ready to be filled. This video includes an additional recipe for natural glue that is used to seal the eggs.
Click the following link to watch the video: http://www.kusi.com/Clip/8745904/celebrate-spring-with-cascarones-confetti-filled-eggs
Join The Eyes of the San Marcos River to help preserve the local environment:
