Posted by Leah Cuddeback | Apr 9, 2023 | Children in Nature, Community, Hill Country Tourism, Land Conservation and Stewardship, Land Stewardship, Low Impact & Sustainable Development, News, Planning and Development, Water Conservation, Water Resources
The SITES Gold Campsite at Shield Ranch, located just 22 miles from downtown Austin, Texas, serves as the new home for Camp El Ranchito, a scholarship-based overnight camp. El Ranchito started in 2007 as a primitive campsite with the mission to connect children with...
Posted by Leah Cuddeback | Apr 9, 2023 | Camp Bullis Sentinel Landscape, Land Conservation and Stewardship, Land Stewardship, Low Impact & Sustainable Development, News
Now with the help of the Sentinel Landscape designation, efforts are underway to help area landowners preserve nearly 1 million acres around the camp, protect water and wildlife, and reduce noise and light pollution. “The challenge is how do we work across this vast...
Posted by Leah Cuddeback | Apr 3, 2023 | News, Night Skies, Wildlife
Deep in the heart of Texas, the stars at night burn big and bright, but if you’re hoping to catch a glimpse of the Milky Way over Austin, you are probably out of luck. As the region continues to experience rapid growth, Austinites are robbed of the spectacular...
Posted by Leah Cuddeback | Apr 3, 2023 | Conservation Easements, Land Conservation and Stewardship, News
A Central Texas nonprofit announced Thursday it received a 367-acre land donation in Hill Country to be saved and protected from development. Scott Shannon of Scott Shannon Ranch donated a conservation easement, roughly the size of Zilker Park, along U.S. Highway 290...
Posted by Leah Cuddeback | Mar 23, 2023 | Community, Conservation Easements, Economics of Sound Planning, Habitat Conservation Plans, Land Conservation and Stewardship, Land Stewardship, News, Planning and Development, Public Lands, Regional Planning
Over 1,000 acres of biodiverse habitat in the Texas Hill Country will be shielded from future development under a new conservation agreement that is part of a network of protected conservation lands. That network will be the state’s largest unbroken parcel of urban...
Posted by Leah Cuddeback | Mar 17, 2023 | Land Conservation and Stewardship, Legislature and Regulation, Native Landscapes, News, Planning and Development, Water Resources
Each year Texas loses nearly 250,000 acres of land to development. Rural work areas that form the wide open spaces that define Texas character are evaporating at an alarming rate. These lands are not only meant to be enjoyed by Texans, but they work every day to...