News & Updates
Over the moon: City of Blanco becomes 5th Dark Sky community in Texas, 35th on planet Earth
The city of Blanco in Blanco County has joined four other Texas cities — all in the Hill Country as well — as the latest to be granted the sought-after International Dark Sky Community designation. The International Dark-Sky Association announced this week that the...
Seizing the moment for rural water infrastructure
In February, 2021, Winter Storm Uri shined a light on the fragility of our state’s infrastructure as an energy crisis quickly evolved into a water crisis. However, even before Texas was plunged into the ice, our state’s water infrastructure systems received a C- for...
Be a friend to the night sky
Editorial by Soll Sussman, Hays County Friends of the Night Sky Protecting the night sky is not just about the stars, as magnificent as the sight of them might be. In Hays County, the fastest growing county in Texas and in the country for that matter, we’re working to...
Hays County Celebrates Earth Day with Upcoming Land Purchase of Sentinel Peak Preserve
Hays County expects to close on its purchase of the Sentinel Peak Preserve by April 29, 2022, mere days after celebrating Earth Day (April 22). This is the first project funded under the 2020 Hays County Parks and Open Space Bond. Read more from Hays County here.
Removing the mystery of groundwater
Editorial by Vanessa Puig-Williams, Environmental Defense Fund What makes the Texas Hill Country unique? In my mind, it comes down to one thing: groundwater. It is impossible to overstate the importance of groundwater to this precious region, because without it, the...
Report finds on-site water reuse can boost affordable housing, spread climate resilience
Strategic integration of onsite water reuse can bring financial and quality-of-life benefits to affordable housing residents, according to an extensive new study by the National Wildlife Federation. The report finds on-site collection, treatment, and non-potable use...
Protecting the Nueces, a lesson of love and legacy
UPDATE - June 7, 2022 It is with a heavy heart we share news of the passing of Sky Lewey, conservationist, mother, and Nueces River champion on Tuesday, May 31, 2022. Sky dedicated her life, work, and passion to protecting Texas's rivers and touched the hearts and...
100-mile nature trail connecting Austin to San Antonio springs into next phase
The Great Springs Project has released its Trails Plan, another step along the path to a proposed 100-plus-mile network of trails from the Alamo to the Capitol.The project, launched in 2018, aims to create a corridor of protected lands over the Edwards Aquifer...
Rethinking our relationship with Hill Country water, before it’s too late
Editorial by Jennifer Walker, National Wildlife Federation Water is an integral part of the Hill Country fabric, and it is embodied in the rivers and springs that make this region special. It is also the single most limiting factor in the Hill Country. The region’s...