Hill Country Alliance

Austin - Texas Land Conservancy - Beer for Water
2018-09-16 12:00 - 20:00 (America/Chicago) | Friends and Allies Brewing, 979 Springdale Rd #124, Austin, Texas
Let them know you’re coming!
First 50 people to RSVP for this event will automatically receive 5 raffle tickets at the door.
First 100 people to RSVP will be entered to win a TLC gift package, which includes: Your choice of a TLC hat or t-shirt, a TLC ornament, a red flashlight keychain, and 20 raffle tickets.

Austin - Hot Science Cool Talks - Hurricane Harvey: Flood Emergency Response
2018-09-14 19:00 - 20:30 | Student Activity Center (SAC), UT Campus, 2201 Speedway, Austin, TX, 78705, United States
Hurricane Harvey was the most significant severe storm of 3-5 days duration in United States history, raining 50 inches or more in parts of Texas. A new National Water Model can forecast water flow in streams and rivers similar to how the National Weather Service forecasts weather. David Maidment shares his experience applying this model to Texas, including his behind-the-scenes experience working in the State Operations Center during Hurricane Harvey and his recommendations for how Texas can become resilient in the face of future large-scale floods. For the Q&A session, David will be joined by a panel of experts on disaster recovery.Registration will open three weeks prior to event date.
Co-sponsored by Planet Texas 2050, UT’s first grand challenge research initiative that’s bringing together more than 100 researchers from across campus to find ways to make Texas more resilient in the face of rapid population growth and climate extremes. Additional support provided by the Leon Jones Hot Science – Cool Talks Endowment.
About the presenters

Dr. David Maidment
David R. Maidment is the Hussein M. Alharthy Centennial Chair in Civil Engineering at the University of Texas, where he has been on the faculty since 1981. In 2016, he was elected to the National Academy of Engineering for development of geographic information systems applied to hydrologic processes. He has received numerous awards for his leadership and research contributions.

Sarah Labowitz
Sarah Labowitz is the Communications and Policy Director for the City of Houston Housing and Community Development Department. During Hurricane Harvey, Sarah was part of the team that ran the mega-shelter at the George R. Brown Convention Center. She previously worked at the U.S. Department of State and was a co-founder of the NYU Stern Center for Business and Human Rights.

Texas Water Research Network Meeting
2018-09-13 12:00 - 17:00 | TX
The Texas Water Research Network (TWRN), part of theEnvironmental Science Institute at the University of Texas, will meet Sept. 13-15 in Austin and the meeting is open to anyone interested. Registration is free.
The meeting will cover sessions on Texas Water Markets, A New Era of Flooding – Challenges for Large Municipalities and Water Resilience Challenges in Small Municipalities and Rural Communities.
Since 2015, the TWRN has been bringing together researchers and stakeholders to address the grand challenges related to water resilience given the dual drivers of climate change and rapid urban growth. Networkwide meetings are held every six to 12 months to provide network members in shared experiences of learning and dialogue about topical issues and ways of linking science with management and policy. Network members are from 40 academic, research, government, nonprofit and commercial institutions.
Learn more from the Texas Water Research Network.

Austin - Texas Water Research Network - Improving Connections Between Science & Policy
2018-09-13 - 2018-09-14 | TX
The Texas Water Research Networking is bringing researchers together to collaborate in addressing the resilience of Texas water resources to changes in natural and human system, and to improve connections between science and policy.
They are hosting a 2-day meeting with sessions on Texas Water Markets, A New Era of Flooding – Challenges for Large Municipalities and Water Resilience Challenges in Small Municipalities and Rural Communities.
Registration is free. Learn more at www.esi.utexas.edu/texas-water-research-network.

Austin - Texas Desal Association - Texas Desal 2018: Managing Cost, Risk & Regulation
2018-09-13 - 2018-09-15 | Sheraton Austin at the Capitol, 701 E. 11th Street, Austin, TX, 78701, United States

Austin - Nerd Nite - From Sky to Springs
2018-09-12 19:30 - 21:30 | The North Door, 502 Brushy St., Austin, Texas, 78701
What do caves, fire, and food coloring have to do with Barton Springs? Wildland Conservation is taking over Nerd Nite Austin – be there and be square!
Doors for the main seating area open at 7:30. The show starts at 8:00. Our regular monthly show happens at The North Door. Pueblo Viejo makes us tacos there.
It’s a pretty cool set-up.

San Marcos - Mermaid Society - River Guardianship Symposium
2018-09-12 17:00 - 20:30 | San Marcos Activity Center Gym, 501 E. Hopkins St., San Marcos, Texas, 78666
Mermaid Society Symposiums are created to be signature events of the Mermaid SPLASH Festival, each year in September. The community platforms are designed to bring together like-minded individuals from students to seniors to cross-pollinate ideas, collaborate on existing projects and strengthen connectivity through engagement.

Fredericksburg - Montopolis - Music for Enchanted Rock
2018-09-07 19:30 - 21:30 | Fredericksburg Theater Company, 1668 US-87, Fredericksburg, Texas

San Antonio - Wine in the Wetlands Fundraiser
2018-09-07 18:30 - 22:30 | Magnolia Halle, 10319 Huebner Rd, San Antonio, Texas, 78240
Wine in the Wetlands is the signature, annual fundraising event for Mitchell Lake Audubon Center. In 2018, the cocktail event will take place at Magnolia Halle on the evening of Friday, September 7.

Photo: Laurel Smyth

The center opens new eyes to nature and often provides the first opportunity many children have to experience the joys of the outdoors and to learn about the importance of caring for and protecting our natural heritage. The evening benefits Mitchell Lake’s education programs, onsite restoration efforts, and community conservation.
Join them is in celebrating National Geographic’s “Year of the Bird” by supporting environmental education and conservation.

Austin - Living Springs Film Series and Night Swim
2018-09-06 19:30 - 20:30 | Barton Springs Pool, South Entrance off Azie Morton, Austin, Texas, 78746
Come spread your blanket and enjoy a selection of short films (45 minutes total) from the on-going Living Springs documentary series. On Thursday, September 6th, Living Springs, in collaboration with Splash! will feature Wildlands and A Reflecting Pool.
Wildlands showcases Austin’s water quality protection lands that Austin voters purchased through open space bonds to protect the aquifer. Learn about the diversity, history and significance of these protected lands.
A Reflecting Pool recounts Barton’s history from 1912-1962 through the memories of those who lived it. This documentary showcases wonderful archival photos, film and original historic re-creations. The story follows the memories of swimmers such as John Henry Faulk exploring the little-known history of Barton Springs before, during and after the time of racial segregation in Austin.
City of Austin environmental educators and local environmental groups will be on hand before the screening to talk about how you can get involved in community efforts to support the Springs, creeks and aquifer through volunteering and internships.
We will gather at 7:30 p.m. (near the big tree at the south entrance, Azie Morton (formerly Robert E. Lee) Road. The screening will begin at full dark and last approximately 40 minutes. Bring a chair or blanket to sit on. Before or after the screening, take a swim in the Springs!Bart

Austin - Alamo Drafthouse - Screening of THE UNFORESEEN with Live Q&A
2018-09-05 19:00 - 21:00 | Alamo Drafthouse Mueller, 1911 Aldrich Street, Suite 120, Austin, Texas, 78723
Join the Alamo Drafthouse and the City of Austin’s Austin Wildland Conservation for a special screening of Laura Dunn’s lyrical and beautifully crafted documentary THE UNFORESEEN followed by a discussion featuring director Laura Dunn, hydrogeologist Nico Hauwert and Mayor Pro Tem Kathie Tovo.
About THE UNFORESEEN
Laura Dunn’s THE UNFORESEEN tells the story of the birth of the Save Our Springs movement and how the citizens of Austin came to invest $155 million dollars in Austin’s best kept secret, the Water Quality Protection Lands.
More information and tickets here.

Llano - Drought Proof Texas
2018-08-30 17:30 - 19:00 | Llano County Library, 102 E Haynie St, Llano, Texas

Fredericksburg - NPSOT: Pollinator Garden Advice and Recognition Program
2018-08-28 18:30 | Memorial Presbyterian Church, 607 North Milam, Fredericksburg, TX, 78624, United States
Fredericksburg Native Plant Society Presents
“Pollinator Garden Advice and Recognition Program”
August 28, 2018

What: Fredericksburg Native Plant Society Meeting
Topic: “Pollinator Garden Advice and Recognition Program”
Brief: Mr. Richard Coleman discusses a new program which has been developed to encourage re-establishment of native plant pollinator gardens. The program’s volunteers are available to offer free advice to gardeners who are interested in planting native pollinator plants. Established, qualified gardens are awarded a Certificate of Recognition. The program is supported by the Texas Master Naturalist organization and by the Native Plant Society chapters in Fredericksburg, Kerrville, and Boerne. https://txmn.org/hillcountry/pgarp/
Speaker: Richard Coleman
Upon retirement from an entrepreneurial career in Houston, Richard Coleman recently relocated to Kerrville. Not used to having time on his hands, he completed the Hill Country Master Naturalist program in 2016. Richard and his wife, Teresa, also a Master Naturalist, are regular volunteers at the Riverside Nature Center. Chagrined by the lack of knowledge about native pollinator plants by residents of the greater Hill Country, Richard has developed the Pollinator Garden Advice and Recognition Program.

Date: August 28, 2018
Time: 6:30 p.m.-Light refreshments and social; 7:00 p.m.- meeting
Where: Memorial Presbyterian Church
607 North Milam
Fredericksburg, Texas 78624

San Antonio - Texas Alliance of Groundwater Districts - Texas Groundwater Summit
2018-08-28 - 2018-08-30 | Hyatt Regency Hill Country, 9800 Hyatt Resort Dr., San Antonio, Texas, 78251

Wimberley - NPSOT - Pollinators and Native Plants
2018-08-27 18:00 - 20:00 | VFW Post #6441, 401 Jacobs Well Road, Wimberley, Texas, 78676
POLLINATORS AND NATIVE PLANTS
Presented by
Elizabeth Bates,
Texas Parks and Wildlife
Interest in conservation of native pollinators has grown rapidly over the last few years as several species have experienced dramatic population declines. Elizabeth Bates, Conservation Initiatives Specialist, will tell us about Hill Country pollinators and their critical ecosystem service that helps to maintain the ecological integrity of native plant communities and ensures the production of U.S. agricultural crops.
6:00 pm – Social
6:30 pm – Program and Meeting
VFW Post #6441, 401 Jacobs Well Road (CR 182), Wimberley TX 78676

Dripping Springs - Coffee & Conservation
2018-08-24 08:30 - 11:00 | Mazama Coffee Company, 301 Mercer St., Dripping Springs, TX, 78620, United States

Boerne - Cibolo Conservancy - Conservation Easement Workshop
2018-08-17 13:30 - 18:00 | Cibolo Nature Center, 140 City Park Road, Boerne, TX, 78006, United States

Sunrise Beach - Save Sandy Creek Update Meeting
2018-08-16 18:30 - 20:00 | Sunrise Beach Community Center, 124 Sunrise Drive, Sunrise Beach, TX, 78643, United States
Save Sandy Creek will provide an informational update about the proposed sand mine at a meeting sponsored by Citizens for Community Action Association (CCAA) of Sunrise Beach.
Come for an update by Save Sandy Creek and local officials. Bring your questions or submit them in advance to: savesandycreek@outlook.com

Thursday, August 16 @ 6:30pm
Sunrise Beach Community Center
124 Sunrise Drive, Sunrise Beach

Canyon Lake - Advocating for Land, Water, and Wildlife in Comal County
2018-08-14 18:00 - 20:00 | GVTC Auditorium, 36101 FM 3159, New Braunfels, TX, 78132, United States
ADVOCATING FOR LAND, WATER, AND WILDLIFE IN COMAL COUNTY

Dear Friends of the Comal County Conservation Alliance,
Please join us for our next Community Meeting on Tuesday, August 14th, from 6:00-8:00 PM at the GVTC Auditorium in the Canyon Lake/Smithson Valley area (36101 FM 3159, New Braunfels, TX 78132). Many of you are receiving our Meeting Invitation for the first time and we extend a special welcome to you as we reach out to include more people who are interested in preserving the unique open lands and habitats in our county and protecting the aquifer we all depend on.
We have some new plans to tell you about and an interesting and informative speaker, James Oliver, of the Texas Agricultural Land Trust, who will be explaining ” Conservation Easements – How They Really Work.” We hope you’ll join us to learn about this important land conservation opportunity, one which helps preserve open lands in Comal County while leaving a legacy of conservation.
Meeting Agenda:
6:00 – Welcome and Introductions
6:10 – What’s going on in Comal County; updates and announcements from partner groups
6:25 – Committee Chair reports on progress and planned activities of CCCA
6:45 – Speaker: James Oliver, on “Conservation Easements – How They Really Work.” James, a lifelong rancher, is the Chief Operating Officer of the Texas Agricultural Land Trust, and brings a unique understanding of land ownership and succession to his work helping landowners understand available options for financial assistance and legacy decisions.
7:30 – Committees break into groups for planning sessions. Every one is encouraged to join in with the group that interests you most, hear what they’re doing and help with the planning!
7:55 – Wrap-up. Next meeting details: September 11, 6:00-8:00 PM, GVTC Auditorium. Please check our website for speaker and topic information.
8:00 – Adjourn
Come, get involved! Help us protect open spaces and preserve priority areas in Comal County. We hope to see you at the GVTC Auditorium on Tuesday, August 14th, at 6:00 PM.
SAVE THE DATE: You’re invited to a “Celebration for Conservation” – our inaugural social event and first fundraiser – Tuesday, September 18th, 4:00-8:00 PM at the Gruene Grove patio bar! No entry fee, live band, signature appetizers and a great silent auction! Please plan to join us for the fun!

San Marcos - Texas State University - Small Producers Conference
2018-08-13 - 2018-08-15 | Texas State University, Department of Agriculture Building, Pleasant St, San Marcos, Texas, 78666
Texas State University’s Department of Agriculture will host the
2nd Annual
Small Producers Conference
August 13 – 15, 2018
Conference Registration is open, register here.
Small Equipment Demonstration to be held on August 15th
The conference will be held in the Department of Agriculture’s building on Texas State University’s campus from August 13th-14th and followed by a small equipment demonstration on August 15th. Registration is $90 and limited to 150 attendees.
All this is possible thanks to generous grants from the USDA programs of Office of Advocacy and Outreach and Non-Land Grant Colleges of Agriculture, and from Capital Farm Credit.

Driftwood - Star Party for Perseid Meteor Shower
2018-08-11 20:00 - 23:00 | Water Quality Protection Lands’ Onion Creek Management Unit, Driftwood, Texas
The Perseid meteor shower will be peaking and the moon will be new, so come join us on the Wildlands for an evening of star gazing, complete with telescopes and popsicles!
The Water Quality Protection Lands’ Onion Creek Management Unit is near FM 967 & FM 1826 (Driftwood area); exact directions will be sent upon registration. This is a free, public event, but space is limited, so please register here.

Johnson City - Johnson City Library - BioBlitz
2018-08-04 | LBJ National Historical Park, 100 Ladybird Lane, Johnson City, TX, 78636, United States

Blanco - Gem of the Hills - Night Sky Issues
2018-08-02 18:30 - 20:30 | Gem of the Hills, 2233 US Highway 281 North, Blanco, Texas
Are you concerned about how light pollution is affecting the quality of Blanco County’s night sky? Are you upset at a neighbor whose light shines into your bedroom window at night? Do you ever get blinded by glare when driving at night? Do you want to know what you can do about these things?
On Thursday, August 2, at 6:30 pm, the Gem of the Hills Community Center in Blanco will host a special presentation entitled “Big and Bright are the Stars at Night.” The event is free to the public and features a multi-media presentation by local resident, Wayne Gosnell, focusing on the problems of light pollution in the Texas Hill Country and what can be done about it. He will demonstrate examples of good and bad types of outdoor lighting. There will also be an open discussion of the proposed revision of the City of Blanco’s Outdoor Lighting Ordinance that the City Council will consider on August 14th. Finally, attendees will have the opportunity to become members of the Blanco County Dark Sky Committee, a group of residents now forming to actively support night sky preservation activities throughout Blanco County. There will be a list of specific activities that need doing such as working with the International Dark Sky Association to qualify Blanco and Johnson City as International Dark Sky Communities, measuring the darkness of the night sky, coordinating award presentations for Night Sky-Friendly Business Recognition programs, and other, hands-on activities to protect the treasured night sky of the Texas Hill Country.
The Gem of the Hills is located at 2233 US Highway 281 North in Blanco. For more information, contact the Gem of the Hills at (830) 833-2713

Austin - wrg - Texas Water Roundtable
2018-08-02 10:00 - 12:00 | State Capitol, Texas Senate, Betty King Room
The Texas Water Roundtable will hold a panel discussion on August the 2nd from 10-12 at the Capitol in the Betty King Room. These discussions are designed primarily for legislative staff and the general public.
Open forum discussion on three key drivers;

Water
Transportation
Land Use

A call to action: Texas growth and demographics is outpacing our ability to meet these needs!

Austin - Screening of “Look & See: A Portrait of Wendell Berry” with Laura Dunn
2018-07-31 19:15 - 21:30 | Alamo Drafthouse Slaughter, 5701 W. Slaughter Ln., Austin, TX, 78749, United States
Austin filmmaker Laura Dunn explores the work of Wendell Berry in her documentary “Look & See: A Portrait of Wendell Berry.” The film revolves around stories of several residents of Henry County, Kentucky, who each face difficult choices that will dramatically reshape their relationship with the land and their community.
In the span of a generation, the agrarian virtues of simplicity, land stewardship, sustainable farming, local economies, and rootedness to place have been replaced by a capital-intensive model of industrial agriculture characterized by machine labor, chemical fertilizers, soil erosion, and debt. Berry has watched this struggle unfold, becoming one of its most passionate and eloquent voices in defense of agrarian life.
Dunn will answer questions after the screening, which is sponsored by the Multicultural Refugee Coalition and its New Leaf Refugee Agriculture project. MRC staff members will join the conversation about regenerative agriculture.
Tickets are available online. More information on the Facebook event page, or contact Laura Robinson, lrobinson@mrcaustin.org.

Kerrville - UGRA’s 15th Annual River Clean Up
2018-07-28 08:00 - 12:00 | Flat Rock Park, 3840 Riverside Dr, Kerrville, TX, 78028, United States

San Antonio - Phil Hardberger Park Conservancy - Nature Walk: Poetry in Nature
2018-07-28 08:00 - 10:00 | Phil Hardberger Park, 8400 NW Military Hwy, San Antonio, TX, 78231, United States
Local poet, teacher and naturalist Mobi Warren combines a deep love for nature and poetic expression as she leads the walk. Ms. Warren shares her original poems, as well as poems of other poets to inspire participants to express nature in words.
The 2018 Phil Hardberger Park Nature Walk series is sponsored by the Phil Hardberger Park Conservancy, the Alamo Area Texas Master Naturalist and the Sierra Club. It is free and no registration is required. A donation to the PHP Conservancy of $3/ person OR $5/ family is suggested.

Driftwood - TESPA - Groundwater Legal Defense: Hill Country Jamboree!
2018-07-22 16:00 - 20:00 | Vintage Oaks Farm, 400 Limestone Lane, Driftwood, TX, 78619, United States

San Antonio - Book Signing: Seasons at Selah
2018-07-17 17:00 - 19:00 | TX
Seasons at Selah
Signing Event

DATE: July 17, 2018
TIME: 5-7 p.m.
PLACE: The Twig Book Shop
ADDRESS: 306 Pearl Parkway, #106
(In the Can Plant, Historic Pearl Brewery)
San Antonio, TX 78215
PHONE: 210/826-6411
DETAILS: Remarks and refreshments.
Andy Sansom, Rusty Yates, David K. Langford
Book sales and signing.
Photography exhibit and sales.
All are invited.

Texas A&M University Press, 2018
http://www.tamupress.com/product/Seasons-at-Selah,9080.aspx

San Antonio - Dimming the Lights for Dark Skies
2018-07-17 11:30 - 13:00 | TX
Approximately 80 percent of Americans have never seen the Milky Way. Excess artificial light creates neighborly concerns, disrupts nocturnal wildlife, carries human health consequences and increases electricity consumption. The good news is that Texas is becoming a leader in the dark sky movement to correct this. Municipalities are beginning to change outdoor lighting practices and restore the darkness associated with a more natural rhythm of living. This luncheon will raise awareness about reclaiming the pristine night environment and share ideas on how to include San Antonio as a dark sky place.
