Maggie Saucedo, Class of 2011 is a masterful Master Gardener. Maggie is the recipient of the Making a Difference award today. Maggie has served as project leader for 3 official DCMGA projects including Make a Wish Foundation, and Athletes for Change. She currently serves as the project leader of the Salvation Army Garden. Since 2011, Maggie has achieved the Gold Star 100 hour award every year, compiling roughly 2500 volunteer hours. But this is only the tip of the spade for Maggie. She and her husband Felix, spearheaded a collaboration between the Friends of the SoPac Trail and the City of Dallas Parks and Rec Department to create a native pollinator garden in the SoPac Trail Respite Area. If you are not familiar with the trail, the SoPac Trail is a commuter and recreational hike and bike trail in East Dallas that runs from White Rock Lake to the Northwest along the former Southern Pacific Line Railway. The trail serves as access to White Rock Lake for the Park Cities, North Dallas and Richardson.

After the city’s completion of the hardscape, and Maggie’s successful application for grant funding for plants from the Dallas Chapter of the Native Plant Society of Texas, the initial planting of the Respite Area took place in 2021 under Maggie’s supervision. She continues to organize and oversee the community volunteers who tend this garden. The garden has achieved official certification as a Monarch Waystation and was featured as a bonus stop on the DCMGA Garden Tour this year.

Although the garden was initially conceived as a beautification amenity for both trail users and neighborhood residents, it has also become a functional demonstration garden, highlighting the use of native and adapted plants. Garden Tour volunteers were gratified by the numerous walkers, runners, and bikers shouting out “Thank You” in appreciation for the addition of the beautiful garden to the trail.

Additionally in an area adjacent to the pollinator garden, Maggie directed a Prairie Team in a Native Blackland Prairie reclamation project working with the Lakewood Trails Neighborhood Association, the Texas Conservation Alliance and the City of Dallas Parks and Rec Department.

Her team members say,

Maggie is always fun, encouraging, and so incredibly knowledgeable. She has been a wonderful mentor to me, and I know everyone who has ever gardened with Maggie would agree.

Maggie, your expertise as a gardener, fundraiser, volunteer coordinator, collaborator and general garden cheerleader has made a difference in our organization, your neighborhood, and the City of Dallas.

We appreciate and thank you!