Hill Country Alliance

Burnet - Creatures of the Night Hike at Inks Lake
2025-10-31 18:30 - 19:30 UTC | Inks Lake State Park, 3630 Park Road 4 W, Burnet, TX, 78611, United States
Join us for a fun hike as we learn about some of our favorite nocturnal creatures!
Enjoy and easy hike to the Devil’s Waterhole as you learn about different critters that you might see roaming the park after dark!
This is a Halloween-themed nature event that will be both fun and educational. Be sure to bring your flashlight and a candy bag/bucket because the volunteers might just have some treats to hand out!
Please feel free to wear a costume if you have one but one is not required.
Location: Devil’s Waterhole Trail
Time: 6:30-7:30pm
Park admission is free with a Texas State Parks Pass. On busy weekends, reserve your day use pass early online! Please note: You do NOT need to register or make a reservation for this event, just be sure you have a day pass purchased for everyone attending.
*Program is subject to cancellation due to weather

Spring Branch - Star Party at Guadalupe River State Park
2025-11-01 19:00 - 21:00 | Guadalupe River State Park, 3350 Park Road 31, Spring Branch, TX, 78070, United States
Join us for stargazing and planet watching!
Members of the San Antonio Astronomical Association and park staff will be on site with their telescopes to point out the moon, constellations, planets and more. Drop-in any time between 7:00pm and 9:00pm!
*The time will shift throughout the year*
All ages are welcome!
Where: This event will be held in the large overflow parking lot (just up the road from the big river parking lot). Look for the big blue “Stargazing Tonight” sign on the park road just across from this parking lot.
Cost: Free with park admission; Adults: $7, Children 12 & under: Free
Visit the website below for more information.

Burnet - Night Sky Information Session
2025-11-05 17:00 - 18:00 | Herman Brown Free Library, 100 E. Washington Street, Burnet, TX, 78611, United States
The stars above are one of our region’s most treasured natural resources, yet increasing population growth and development across the Texas Hill Country are contributing to light pollution that dims our view of them. In Burnet County, preserving—and in some areas, restoring—the night sky is vital, not only for the health of all living things but also for sustaining our local economy, tourism, safety, and cultural heritage. With growing community interest in night sky preservation, we invite you to join one of our upcoming information sessions to learn more about the issue, explore the formation of a Friends of the Night Sky group, and take part in an open discussion and Q&A.
Click the link below to register.

Hill Country Alliance 20th Anniversary Party
2025-11-08 16:00 - 21:30 | Knibbe Ranch, 9836 Spring Branch Rd., Spring Branch, TX, 78070, United States
Join us on Saturday, November 8 from 4:00–9:30 PM at Knibbe Ranch as we celebrate 20 years of protecting the Texas Hill Country! This milestone evening will feature special performances by Hill Country musicians Bruce Robison, Will & The Wilderness, Katie Shore, and very special surprise guests!
This once-in-20-years event will bring together 400+ community leaders, conservation advocates, and Hill Country enthusiasts for a night of music, celebration, and impact. Your ticket includes a BBQ dinner, non-alcoholic beverages, and access to our limited open bar.

Recovering Your Land: Riparian Restoration Workshop - Hunt, TX
2025-11-09 12:00 - 17:00 | TX
Are you a landowner who was affected by the July floods? Please join us for one of our three upcoming Riparian Restoration workshops, designed for landowners ready to take an active role in restoring their creek or riverbanks.
Choose the date and location that works best for you:

Hunt, TX – Sunday, Nov. 9
Kerrville, TX – Friday, Nov. 14
Center Point, TX – Sunday, Nov. 16

During these in-depth workshops, you can expect the following:

Practical guidance on stewarding streamside (riparian) areas
Free native seeds and potted plants to help jumpstart the restoration of your property
Learn from local professionals about how to become an active steward during restoration
Opportunities to connect with neighbors, local experts, and landowner resources

Each workshop includes lunch for attendees and registration is required to attend. Space and plant materials are limited—register soon to reserve your spot!

Native Planting in Texas Community Gardens
2025-11-14 09:00 - 12:00 | High Country Community Garden, 16418 Cypress Park St, San Antonio, Texas, 78247
Join us for a volunteer day at High Country Community Garden!
We’ll kick things off with a discussion on the importance of native planting in community gardens in Texas. Native plants play a crucial role in conserving water, supporting pollinators, and maintaining the health of our local ecosystems—all while keeping gardens vibrant and sustainable.
After the discussion, we’ll put our learning into action by planting a variety of native species in the garden’s demonstration bed. This hands-on project will showcase how native plants can enhance the beauty and resilience of a shared community space.
This is a wonderful opportunity to learn about sustainable gardening practices, connect with fellow volunteers, and make a lasting impact on this community garden.
No prior experience is needed! We’ll provide snacks and beverages – just bring your energy and get ready to get your hands dirty!
Sign up today!

Recovering Your Land: Riparian Restoration Workshop - Kerrville, TX
2025-11-14 09:00 - 14:00 | TX

Workshop: Soil Health in Raised Beds
2025-11-15 09:00 - 12:00 | Labor Serena Community Garden, 1246 Chalmers Ave, San Antonio, Texas, 78211
Join us for a volunteer day at Labor Serena Community Garden!
We’ll begin with a discussion on the importance of soil health in raised garden beds. Good soil, with amendments like mulch and compost, is vital for conserving water and supporting healthy plant growth.
Then we’ll dive right in with some hands-on work! Together, we’ll be revamping several raised beds from the ground up. We’ll build a new foundation so the beds retain more soil during watering. Then we’ll fill the beds with soil and fresh compost, before topping them off with a protective layer of mulch.
This is a great opportunity to build practical gardening skills, connect with others, and ensure that this community garden has a solid foundation for its spring growing season.
No prior experience is needed! The staff of Labor Serena will be providing food and beverages – Just bring your energy and get ready to get your hands in the soil.

SAVE THE HIDDEN HEART OF TEXAS: GEAA’s 2025 GALA
2025-11-15 16:00 - 22:00 | Twin Sisters Dance Hall, 6720 Hwy 281 South Blanco, Blanco, TX, 78606, United States
More than just a great night of music—-this event is your chance to help protect the land and water that make the Hill Country so special. Proceeds benefit the Greater Edwards Aquifer Alliance, working hard to safeguard the Edwards and Trinity aquifers, the lifeblood of Central Texas. Every two-step and every ticket helps keep our water clean and wild spaces thriving.

Recovering Your Land: Riparian Restoration Workshop - Center Point, TX
2025-11-16 12:00 - 17:00 | Center Point, TX

2026 Water Wonks Hour Lecture Series #1
2026-01-28 15:30 - 16:30 | zoom
In 2022, the Natural Resource Conservation Service began sampling soils in San Antonio and Bexar County, Texas to measure soil organic carbon. This project was started in conjunction with the Greater Edwards Aquifer Alliance and the City of San Antonio Parks and Recreation Department. Travis Waiser will cover the sampling technique, where samples were taken, and summarize the data collected from the project. At the end of the talk Travis will cover some management strategies that can be implemented to build soil carbon in your soils.

2026 Water Wonks Hour Lecture Series #2: Building a Grassroots Movement to Protect Urban Waterways in San Antonio
2026-02-25 15:30 - 16:30 | zoom
Brendan Gibbons will discuss River Aid San Antonio’s (RASA’s) efforts to raise an army of volunteer stewards to help keep the San Antonio River and its tributaries clean and thriving. RASA hosts multiple watershed cleanup events per month where volunteers remove thousands of pounds of litter from streams. Since the group’s founding, RASA volunteers have removed more than 600,000 pounds of waste from the San Antonio River and its tributaries. RASA has also accepted the leadership baton for Basura Bash, the largest single-day trash cleanup event in Texas, an event that drew 2,130 volunteers in 2025, its 30th year. Gibbons will also discuss RASA’s small but growing network of water quality monitoring sites via Texas Stream Team, which trains citizen scientists to conduct monthly water quality monitoring of local waterways. Gibbons will also detail RASA’s partnership with GEAA on a water quality retrofit on HOA property at Lorence Creek, which helps improve the quality of stormwater flowing into the Edwards Aquifer Recharge Zone.

Water Wonks Hour Lecture Series #3: How water utilities can protect the water supply
2026-03-25 15:30 - 16:30 | zoom
Some of the tools Municipal and Private Water Utilities use to protect the water supply are very similar while other methodologies seem very different. Suzanne will talk about what Texas Water Company, a private water utility company, has done to protect the water supply and how various tools can be modified and utilized throughout the public and private water systems.

Landowner Hillside Stewardship Workshop
2026-03-28 09:00 - 15:00 | TX
The Hill Country Alliance (HCA) is hosting a Hillside Stewardship Workshop on Saturday, March 28th at Pure Pastures Ranch in Canyon Lake, TX, for landowners interested in building healthier soils while slowing and sinking water on their landscape.
Led by Dr. Mollie Walton, a restoration ecologist with over 30 years of experience helping landowners restore land productivity, participants will learn how to read a landscape to determine where and how to build simple erosion control structures featured in HCA’s Hillside Stewardship Guide.
Hosted by the Eubank family at their family-owned grazing ranch, this hands-on workshop will provide attendees with the knowledge and experience to implement these practices on their own landscape. To learn more about the event and register, please visit: https://bit.ly/HCAHillside26 or reach out to Lauro Martinez at Lauro@HillCountyAlliance.org

Annual Family Day at Bamberger Ranch Preserve
2026-04-11 09:00 - 17:00 | Selah, Bamberger Ranch Preserve, 2341 Blue Ridge Drive, Johnson City, TX, 78636, United States
Annual Family Day at Selah, Bamberger Ranch Preserve presents a great opportunity to visit the preserve and support our education programs! Bring your children, grandchildren, neighbors, and friends for a fun-filled day of Bamberger Ranch Preserve activities! Walk our trail system and take a Selah moment to consider the beauty of the Hill Country. Take a tour of the preserve. Please remember to leave all pets and all alcohol at home. All proceeds directly support our top-notch programs.
Make sure to purchase your tickets now, as only 100 family tickets are available! Each family ticket includes one or two adults and 1-5 children. Individual tickets are also available.
We’ll send all registrants a map to the preserve closer to the date of the event. Make sure to bring your hat, sunscreen, good walking shoes, and a reusable water bottle. Please bring your picnic lunch and a picnic blanket or mat. We’ll have beverages and snacks for everyone!
We hope you’ll join us! Gate opens at 9:00 AM.

Austin PBS “Presents” The Stars at Night documentary feature nationwide broadcast
2026-04-23 21:00 - 22:00 | TX
Austin PBS to Broadcast The Stars at Night during International Dark Sky Week and Dark Sky Month: A Celebration of Astronomy, Mythology, Storytelling, and Dark-Sky Conservation.
Austin, TX — April 2026 — Austin PBS will broadcast The Stars at Night, a celebrated documentary exploring the connections between astronomy, mythology, and dark-sky conservation, during International Dark Sky Week, April 20–24, with an encore broadcast in October during Dark Sky Month.
Directed by Texas native Emmy and Peabody Award-winning filmmaker Elizabeth “Betty” Buckley, The Stars at Night blends science, storytelling, and cultural history to explore how humans across time and place have looked to the stars for meaning—and why protecting the night sky is increasingly important.
Inspired by the work with her Texas Hill Country Dark Skies group, the film will premiere on the PBS app on April 17th, and will be available nationwide for streaming over the next three years. The broadcast will air throughout International Dark Sky Week, with a featured Austin PBS broadcast at 9pm on Thursday, 4/23/2026, along with a second broadcast period in October, aligning with Dark Sky Month observances across Texas and beyond.
