Sorry Becky/Decky so far as I know GoY is not on Pinterest could you be a little clearer please.

I have had an old Hackberry tree cut into 2 1/2" discs (slices) to be used in making a wooded walking path in an area of my yard. The discs range from 12 to 20" in diameter. I need to know how to seal the wood so that any rotting of the wood will be delayed/minimized. Semi transparent stain was suggested by a friend. What do you suggest? Becky

So far as I know the wood needed to be treated before it was cut up. 1/2 inch slices of wood will rot even if you do seal them and will be very slippery to walk on when wet.

The wood from Hackberry is classed as 'Soft Hardwood', which just means its not as prone to rot as a completely soft wood like pine, but not so hard as something like tapele. How long it might last on the ground is open to debate - the only treatments available these days commercially for home use aren't that effective as preservatives. Creosote is pretty good, but is no longer available to the public. Most woods produced for use in gardens or outside are pressure treated as a factory process at the point of production, which gives them some protection from the elements.
Suggest you ask at your hardware store for the best wood preservative for outdoor use they have available, and re treat with it annually in an attempt to delay the inevitable rot that will occur. Probably not wise to lacquer or varnish over the top because that will increase slipperiness, though doing the underside which will be in contact with the ground might help a bit.

Hope this isn't too depressing for you - it sounded like a lovely project to start with. Best of luck with it.