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
Liberty Hill wastewater treatment plant accused of dumping chemicals into river
LEANDER, Texas — The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality is investigating after getting a complaint about foam and a bleach odor being discharged from the Liberty Hill Wastewater Treatment Plant outfall into the San Gabriel River. Chemicals discharged Thursday...
Climate change could turn Earth’s aquifers into a time bomb
Groundwater is one of the most important resources on Earth. People use around 77 billion gallons of groundwater every day, nearly all of it originating in bodies of permeable rock known as aquifers. A new scientific study shows that if climate change wreaks havoc on...
Differing opinions on source of river algae during Liberty Hill town hall
LIBERTY HILL — An angry crowd faced off Tuesday night against city of Liberty Hill officials and engineers with their concerns that wastewater released into the South San Gabriel River by the city’s treatment plant was still causing algae in the river. Many people at...
Game ranch fined for pesticide misuse in Hill Country bat cave incident
The Texas Department of Agriculture slapped a $1,200 fine on the Star S Ranch near Mason this week for two violations of pesticide drift at the Eckert James River Bat Cave last summer. The six-month investigation found the Star S Ranch, which shares a fence line with...
Nationally renowned educational and environmental strategist joins Cibolo Nature Center & Farm team
January 22, 2018- BOERNE, Texas – Margaret Lamar has joined the Cibolo Nature Center & Farm(CNC&F) as the Chief Strategy Officer (CSO). In this position, she will lead and collaborate on key initiatives focusing on programming, fundraising, and conservation. ...
Don’t blow it: Unregulated wind farms encroach on pristine Texas wilderness
The Devils River Conservancy, is spearheading the “Don’t Blow It” campaign to advocate for thoughtful regulation of wind energy development — an industry quickly expanding in rural Texas, largely without rules and with serious negative implications for Texans. While...