News
Laura Bush: Texans, turn out the lights at night to help migratory birds
Each year, nearly 2 billion birds migrate through Texas in one of the planet’s great wildlife spectacles. Birds have intrigued me since I was a little girl. My mother was a knowledgeable, self-taught naturalist who was passionate about birds. Her fascination with...
Hill Country Alliance 15th annual photo contest kicks off
Theme of contest is “Solace and Strength: Portraits of Resilience in the Texas Hill Country” The last year has been unimaginably difficult for so many of us. We have missed milestones and family members, traded neighborly potlucks for Zooms, and seen our worlds...
Golden-cheeked Warbler is back!
Golden-cheeked Warblers (GCWA) are beginning to arrive within their Hill Country haunts. The folks at Westcave Outdoor Discovery Center reported at least one GCWA on the Balcones Canyonlands Preserve on 5 March 2021 – right on time. Many more of these birds will...
LCRA adopts moratorium on commercial dredging on the Highland Lakes
The Lower Colorado River Authority Board of Directors on Wednesday adopted a one-year moratorium prohibiting commercial dredging on the Highland Lakes. LCRA’s Highland Lakes Watershed Ordinance, which is designed to protect water quality, addresses non-commercial...
An audacious and timely conservation challenge
We should all applaud President Biden's executive order calling for conservation of 30% of the U.S. land base by 2030. This bold "30x30" vision is firmly rooted in science, given that protected land is key to a healthy and secure future for all Americans. It provides...
Guadalupe Master Naturalists win Best In Texas award
The Schertz Parks & Recreation Dept. entered Guadalupe Master Naturalists’ Nature Discovery Series into a state-wide competition for the Best Educational Program in Texas – and won. The Schertz City Council recognized the honor from the Texas Festival & Event...
Texas State Parks working to return to normal capacity
Texas State Parks have begun a strategic and thoughtful process of expanding capacity statewide, tracking Gov. Greg Abbott’s latest reopening order, and allowing more Texans the opportunity to visit their favorite parks. Masks are strongly encouraged for park...
Experts fear reversing electricity prices from winter storm could make things worse
Companies and entities at every level of the Texas energy supply chain are anxiously waiting to see whether the Texas Legislature will retroactively adjust the price of power in the state’s electricity market during the February blackouts in which more than 50 people...
Judge strikes down air quality permit for proposed 1,500-acre limestone quarry in Comal County
Opponents of a proposed 1,500-acre open-pit limestone quarry between New Braunfels and Bulverde scored a “monumental” victory on Friday when an Austin judge struck down an air-quality permit Alabama-based Vulcan Construction Materials needed to proceed with the...
It’s time to stop pointing fingers and take steps to make the Texas grid more reliable
The withering winter weather and associated power outages across Texas left millions without electricity for days (including some of my kids and grandkids). It was the most extensive and will likely to be the most expensive storm in Texas history. The resulting...
Vaccinating Texas: Continued frustration for some, guilt for others
Texas Standard is collecting stories from across the state about individual journeys to getting COVID-19 vaccinations. We want to hear the positive as well as the negative. If you’re currently eligible or are trying to secure a vaccine for an eligible loved one, share...
Want to save the bees? You don’t need to put out sugar water
The icy weather of February affected all sorts of wildlife in Texas and damaged plants across the state, including the ones honeybees rely on for food. Some on social media have suggested putting sugar water out as a potential food source for the bees. But Dr. Jessica...
Here’s how Texans can apply for federal help to recover from the devastating winter storm
Texans in more than 100 counties can begin applying for federal assistance to help them recover from last week’s massive winter storm that caused widespread power outages, water disruptions and building damages from burst pipes. And the number of counties whose...
Do thousands of bat deaths mean Texans will face a mosquito-ridden summer?
No one knows yet just how many bats were killed by the frigid conditions of last month’s disastrous winter storm in Texas. Reports popped up across the state about thousands of the winged mammals found either dead or dying. The hardest-hit species appears to have been...
County asks Leg for more regs on miners
Kerr County Commissioners unanimously approved a resolution asking the Texas Legislature to place more regulations on mining operations. The resolution states that although mining operations - also known as aggregate production operations - have attempted to be "good...
Representative Biedermann files Texas Hill Country protection legislation
Today, Representative Kyle Biedermann (R-Fredericksburg) filed HB 3883& HB 3884 to protect Kendall County's fragile resources. Both bills were a product of teamwork between Rep. Biedermman and the Kendall County Commissioner's Court. Biedermann said, "The Hill...
Biden should use private partnerships to save US lands
Conserving land is an essential element of any effort to battle climate change, a fact highlighted by the 30x30 plan supported by President Biden. Fulfilling a campaign pledge, one of Biden’s first actions as president was to sign an executive order that established...
Axis Deer Project wraps up
Hill Country Alliance, Texas Tech University’s Department of Natural Resources Management, and partners are grateful to the land stewards that supported the Axis Deer Control Project. Tissue samples will be used to understand the ecology and population dynamics of...
Texans used mutual aid to help their communities through a devastating winter storm
When the massive winter storm hit Texas last week, University of Texas at Austin student Sam Miles noticed that there seemed to be a lot of need expressed on social media that got lost “in the void” because there wasn’t a centralized system for keeping track of...
Axis deer had overrun the Hill Country. The winter storm devastated them.
LEARN MORE: You can learn more about ongoing efforts related to the Axis Deer Control Project here. The spotted fawn was leaning against the screen door of Daniel Oppenheimer’s back porch near Luckenbach. Oppenheimer found it when he ventured outside on the first...
Lift station generator failure causes wastewater spill
Approximately 1 million gallons of wastewater overflowed into the San Marcos River early Thursday morning following a generator failure, the City of San Marcos announced Friday. The city said the generator failure occurred at its main wastewater lift station — located...
New water institute to explore the resource’s impact on society
UTSA has launched the Institute for Water Research, Sustainability and Policy. Led by Saugata Datta, the Weldon W. Hammond Jr. Endowed Distinguished Professor in Hydrogeology, the institute brings together faculty across UTSA to collaborate in the areas of water...
“One thing after another”: Rural Texans faced the same storm — with unique hardships
As humanitarian aid workers in Armenia and South Sudan, Jerry and Meaghan Kenney have huddled around wood stoves to keep warm and bathed with buckets for lack of water. But the couple didn’t expect they’d need such survival skills to get through the winter storm at...
Some Hill Country residents could be without power for weeks
While the power is on in nearby Fredericksburg, homeowners in the rural parts of Gillespie County have been told it could be several weeks before they’re able to turn the lights back on. “This is what’s left of our mailbox,” said Michael Cahill, remarking at the...
Hays Trinity Groundwater – Water-Wise Speaker Series
The Hays Trinity Groundwater Conservation District has announced its 2021 Water-Wise Speaker Series. Subject matter experts will discuss a variety of water topics important to Hays County residents. Hays County is listed by the US Census Bureau as the second fastest...
Where to volunteer in Austin right now
Due to last week's crisis, thousands of Austinites are still in need of clean water, food, and other essential items. From online phone banking to hands-on work, here's how you can help. Emergency Essentials Distribution Mayor Pro Tem Natasha Harper-Madison and her...
Energy officials: Extreme cold crippled natural gas, wind, coal, and nuclear plants
Every type of power generator suffered problems as a winter storm gripped Texas this week, with state and local power officials saying their industry was caught off guard by an unprecedented deep freeze. “I don’t know of one technology in producing power that has not...
“We are resilient people”: Texans share how they weathered the winter storm
After days without power or running water, many Texans say they're frustrated, but determined to overcome the latest challenge thrown their way. We caught up with several people to hear about what they endured as a historic winter storm with catastrophic consequences...
How to help and get help in Texas as the winter storm causes power outages
Winter Storm 2021 As Texas faced record-low temperatures this February and snow and ice made roads impassable, the state’s electric grid operator lost control of the power supply, leaving millions without access to electricity. As the blackouts extended from hours to...
The importance of dark skies
Lost in the forest until nightfall, a young child faces his fears and learns how nature flourishes in darkness in the latest book from Shearer Publishing, based in Fredericksburg. The children’s book, “Who Loves the Dark? Why Nature Loves and Needs Dark Skies” brought...