Our Work
Land
HCA’s Land Program seeks to increase private land stewardship and permanent land conservation across the Hill Country, and works with regional land trusts to educate owners about conservation easements, track conservation metrics, and consider conservation priorities.
Water
HCA’s Water Program assists grassroots groups that champion water stewardship in their communities, advocates for policies that protect groundwater and surface water, and promotes resilient water supplies through the advancement of One Water projects.
Night Sky
HCA’s Night Skies Program helps Hill Country counties and cities minimize the impacts of light pollution through education and outreach, the establishment of outdoor lighting policies, and the recognition and celebration of certified Dark Sky Places in our region.
Communities
HCA’s Communities Program builds connections across county lines, supporting rural leaders in protecting the unique character of their communities while promoting innovative approaches to building healthy, vibrant communities throughout the Texas Hill Country.
The Latest
Proposed pipeline would cut through Golden-cheeked Warbler habitat
Every March, birders spill into the canyonlands outside of Austin, Texas, to search for Golden-cheeked Warblers. The tiny black-and-white songbird, with vibrant yellow splashed across its face, is the state’s sole endemic bird, and a federally protected species with...
Water recycling system at new elementary school will cut use by 90%
The newest elementary school in Wimberley will be the most water-efficient school in the state, conservation groups and planners hope. The school, funded through 2018 bond money, will gather rainwater and air conditioning condensate to flush toilets; that wastewater...
Letter to the Editor, Time to get past denial and start finding solutions
by Eva Silverfine Ott, Comal County Resident Letter to the Editor of the New Braunfels Herald-Zeitung June 27, 2019 I want to applaud Chris Lykins for his editorial, “The Climate Change Conspiracy” (Herald-Zeitung, 6-16-19). The effects of greenhouse gases (82% of...
Letter to the Editor, Face the challenge of growth
By Jeri Porter, Fischer, TX Letter to the Editor of the New Braunfels Herald-Zietung June 27, 2019 Comal County is at a crossroads. We have options in the directions to take and your readers can help! The changes we see today in our landscape and wildlife are...
Ground water pumping is bleeding US’s rivers dry
New research led by a hydrologist at the University of Arizona warns that massive groundwater pumping since the 1950s is bleeding rivers dry. The findings can help shape policy for the proper management of U.S. water resources, the authors say, and should be of...
Kinder Morgan wins Texas court challenge, removing obstacle to $2 billion gas pipeline
Kinder Morgan can begin work on a $2 billion natural gas pipeline without having the Texas energy regulator approve its proposed route, a state judge ruled on Tuesday. The decision removes a challenge to the state’s licensing process that lets gas pipeline companies...