On Saturday, April 11, 2015, the second annual Texas wild rice festival was held in City Park, San Marcos along the banks of the San Marcos River. Texas wild rice is a federally listed endangered aquatic plant that is endemic to the San Marcos River and occurs nowhere else in the world. Along with Texas wild rice, the San Marcos River and Springs are critical habitat for four other federally endangered and threatened species such as the fountain darter, Texas blind salamander, San Marcos salamander, and the Comal Springs riffle beetle. Created to bring more awareness to Texas wild rice and the importance of protecting the river, the festival began as the brainchild of two students from Texas State University in 2014.
Botanists Jeff Hutchinson and Leah Murray were there with a booth representing the USFWS San Marcos Aquatic Resources Center at the event. They set up a 1000 L tank with all the native and non-native aquatic plants found in the San Marcos River in coordination with the City of San Marcos Parks and Recreation Department. Visitors to the festival were allowed to pick up the plants and learn key characteristics. Explanations were provided on why non-native plants pose serious threats to Texas wild rice and other listed species found in the San Marcos River. Jars of preserved fish and salamanders were also on display. Entertainment was provided by several local bands playing music and various talks were given on edible native plants, sustainability, and hydrology of the San Marcos River. At 9:00 PM the festival closed with an interpretive dance by ARTheism and a screening of the documentary film Yakona to a live score of music. The festival was a success with over 3,000 people in attendance.
