PLEASURE ISLAND — Carolyn Worsham has spent a year here recovering pathways, clearing underbrush, planting wildflowers — all in an effort to carve out a nature trail from a dormant, overgrown, public golf course in this part of Port Arthur. The question is: Will anyone else ever see it?

Worsham, who has lived on this manmade island for 28 years with her husband of 56 years, Bill, used to ride her bicycle along the forsaken cart paths and take pleasure in the wildlife and plant life that she’d pass. It wasn’t always pleasant — even the concrete paths were hard to find — but a year ago Worsham, who is a Texas Master Naturalist, decided the natural riches of the island were just too precious to not share.

That’s when she took shovel and clippers and other garden tools along the 21/2 miles of pathways that traversed the back nine holes of what had been The Palms golf course. The gate — locked — was a stone’s throw from her Pleasure Island neighborhood.

Along the way she’s had some allies — Morris Albright, with his tractor, is one, and her husband, another — and she has recruited some volunteer help from time to time. Together, they’ve largely reclaimed the cart path and pushed pack the overgrowth to reveal the area’s natural beauty.

So what is the rest of Port Arthur missing?

“They are missing the opportunity to be out in nature within the city limits of Port Arthur,” she said. “It’s an opportunity unmatched in Port Arthur.

“I would love for it to be enjoyed by everyone. If one person a day gets out of their house and into nature, that’s what it’s all about.”

Worsham said she and her husband have visited some 40 state parks. What she’s seen at Pleasure Island, she said, often rivals what she visits elsewhere.

“We travel all over,” she said, “and when I get back here I ask myself, ‘Why did I leave home?’”

About a year ago, she asked Albright, a neighbor, if he’d help clear some of the pathways so she could ride her bike. Within days, she said, she decided that everyone should have that opportunity: walkers, bikers, birders, equestrians.

She has pitched that idea to appointed and elected officials; some have responded with enthusiasm. She said she’s had encouraging conversations with Mayor Derrick Freeman; Port Arthur ISD Superintendent Mark Porterie; and Tammy Kotzur of the Port Arthur Convention & Visitors Commission. Councilmember Cal Jones — Pleasure Island is in his district — has been enthusiastic and a great supporter, she said.

A retired educator — she taught math and was a counselor in public schools — Worsham suggests the trail might be a popular site for class hikes. In fact, it might become popular with anyone who needs the serenity of a natural wonderland.

“Some much research has been done about getting out into nature to improve mental health,” she said.

Elsewhere, response has been tepid, especially among people who think the island might be commercially developed. The Pleasure Island Advisory Board suggested at a recent City Council meeting that former interim City Manager Harvey Robinson was wrong to allow Worsham access to a city-owned riding mower to cut grass along the trails. She’s not quibbling with that, she said.

Newly appointed interim City Manager Rebecca Underhill said she does not object to Worsham working on the trail with her own tools. Worsham said there is no danger; while the area has wild animals — rabbits, snakes, alligators, deer, feral hogs, turtles and bobcats — they are not aggressive animals. Some are nocturnal. She’s seen a couple of coyotes on a game camera.

A tour of the fledgling trail on Thursday revealed a rabbit — it was the first she’s seen this year — and a turtle. A gator could be heard from a pond. An osprey rested atop a utility pole, although Worsham said this spring has not been good for birding.

From the pathway, some Port Arthur landmarks — Woodrow Wilson Early College High School, the Masonic Lodge — are visible. Tankers pass by routinely in the nearby ship channel. Those are views everyone should have the chance to enjoy, she said, suggesting that the city could provide a preserve at minimal cost.

“It’s hard for me to give up on it,” she said. “We have to take advantage of our opportunities or they will get past us.

“Yesterday I’d given up on it. Then today I’ll be out there again.”