

I think it’s worth trying putting the link in the post body. Mastodon might generate a preview image with it.
Another option would be creating the posts on mastodon, and mentioning the lemmy community. The KDE community uses this method for their announcements. Example: https://lemmy.world/post/27768851
The construction of a hiking path depends on the environment and budget. There certainly is membrane used in some, especially in wet/boggy environments. I think it’s mostly gravel that’s used to prevent grass from growing. (people don’t walk on the entire width of the path usually)