A Letter from Grand Pubah - Felix
Fonroche Off-Grid Solar - SoPac Respite
Friends of The SoPac Trail,
I hope you are enjoying the trail in spite of the heat. I have met and talked to several of you during our Saturday pollinator garden workdays and appreciate all your comments of support. We wanted to give you a short update and recap of the SoPac Trail projects that the steering committee is working on or has completed since the last time we spoke.
First, maintaining the pollinator garden and drinking fountain is an ongoing project. We have a team of committed volunteers who do the monthly workdays, mulching, trimming, and pruning the garden. Maintaining the drinking water fountain is also a constant job. As we have heard from many trail users, they depend on the drinking fountain as the sole source of water on the trail. Keeping it operating properly for the cyclists, runners, walkers, and dog walkers is critical, especially with the summer heat. As usual, we partner with Dallas Park and Recreation for all repairs. @sopactrailgarden
And just a short note on maintenance of the garden area, we asked for and received a new trash can next to the seating area. Trash in this spot was a continuing problem. Thanks to Dallas Park and Recreation for their donation.
In December 2025, The Friends partnered with The Dallas Bicycle Coalition and Pull Through Coffee to host a coffee and bike ride on the trail. Approximately 25 riders participated with a casual stop and orientation to pollinator gardening at the garden.
Last March, The Friends partnered with Allen Mabry and his group of volunteer geocachers to scrape and paint the underpass of Northwest Highway along the SoPac Trail. As many of you who use the trail know, this area, as well as all the bridge underpasses, was in serious need of cleaning and painting. So far, all bridge underpasses have been improved, with the Abrams Street bridge underpass remaining.
We are also working on a beautification project at the site of the SoPac Monument at the nexus of The White Rock Trail and Lakewood Blvd. The project will involve installing block seating and adding a mosaic art installation to beautify the monument. The Friends are partnering with the Lakewood Neighborhood Association for financing, with an in-kind contribution by Dallas Park and Recreation.
This June, we had a Fonroche Off-Grid Solar light purchased and installed near Fisher Rd. and Mockingbird Bridge. This project was made possible through the generous financial support of Friends of the SoPac Trail and the White Rock Neighborhood Association, with invaluable in-kind partnership from Dallas Park and Recreation and The Loop Dallas. The light will enhance safety while preserving the natural beauty of the trail. These innovative lighting systems are 100% autonomous, requiring no connection to the electrical grid, no trenching, and no utility bills—a sustainable solution that delivers reliable lighting while minimizing environmental impact. Designed with Dark Sky compliance in mind, the fixtures focus light only where it’s needed, reducing glare and light pollution to help protect our night skies. Nearby residents were consulted throughout the planning process to ensure the project thoughtfully balanced safety, sustainability, and neighborhood character.
Lastly, we are exploring two projects for this fall. One is a wildflower and Bluebonnet seeding of the east side portion of the trail from Mockingbird Bridge to the White Rock Lake juncture. This project is in partnership with the White Rock Neighborhood Association and the Dallas Park and Recreation Department. The other project is addressing the Abrams Bridge underpass. As this job is significantly larger than the other remediation projects we have undertaken, we are looking at fundraising to outsource this job.
As always, we on the steering committee are grateful for all your support in helping us maintain and enjoy the SoPac Trail.
Felix Saucedo Chairperson, Friends of The SoPac Trail Steering Committee. (GrAND PUBAH)
