by Leah Cuddeback | Aug 1, 2024 | Community, HCA in the News, Linked Stories, News, Night Skies
“Shield Ranch is Texas’s 20th International Dark Sky Place certified in the International Dark Sky Places program. In addition to three Developments of Distinction, there are now 23 internationally recognized sites in the state that have gone above and beyond in the...
by Leah Cuddeback | Apr 9, 2024 | Community, Hill Country Tourism, Linked Stories, News, Night Skies
Once the eclipse has come and gone, you might be tempted to throw out your viewing glasses. The next total solar eclipse in Central Texas won’t be for at least 300 more years. But that doesn’t mean eclipses won’t happen elsewhere in the world. Read more from Luz...
by Leah Cuddeback | Apr 4, 2024 | Hill Country Tourism, Linked Stories, News, Night Skies
As local officials prepare for an influx of their own, they’ve been reviewing reports from the last eclipse and finishing up their own emergency plans — and warning local residents who can stay home to hunker down and stay out of the chaos. “We’ve been planning for...
by Leah Cuddeback | Apr 1, 2024 | Conservation Easements, HCA in the News, Land Conservation and Stewardship, Linked Stories, Native Landscapes, News, Night Skies, Wildlife
For land trusts that want to protect dark skies, the good news is this: They already do plenty to combat light pollution. By protecting undeveloped land with little human habitation, they inherently preserve darkness, at no added cost. And, when compared to problems...
by Leah Cuddeback | Mar 29, 2024 | HCA in the News, Hill Country Tourism, Linked Stories, News, Night Skies, Planning and Development
The urgency is partly because of the rarity of the phenomenon: the next total solar eclipse to be visible in continental U.S. won’t arrive until 2044. And the Hill Country may be an especially attractive destination because the region is enviably pleasant in the...
by Leah Cuddeback | Mar 20, 2024 | Hill Country Tourism, Linked Stories, News, Night Skies
When a rare total eclipse darkens the Texas sky on April 8, it’s expected to draw in as many as 1 million out-of-state visitors. Those visitors are expected to inject millions of dollars into the state’s economy — and a big chunk of that will be spent in the Hill...
