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
2,500-acre Veramendi development will bring 5,000 new homes to New Braunfels
New Braunfels has been changing for years. Now, that change will be coming in earnest with a massive new proposed development north of Loop 337. On Friday, members of the team of developers of the sprawling Veramendi project detailed many ways the project will alter...
Texas parks won’t get promised funds
The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department won’t see $36 million in promised state money over the next two years even as the agency grapples with millions of dollars in backlogged park maintenance. In 2015, state lawmakers passed a law to dedicate 94 percent of sporting...
Despite “Texas miracle,” affordable housing difficult for many urban dwellers
A new Harvard study found that Americans — especially poorer ones — are having a harder time find a suitable place to call home. Texas lawmakers, experts and development industry leaders say there are plenty of reasons why that's true here, too. It’s becoming harder...
Volunteers and Partners Work to Control Invasive Chinaberry Trees Along Llano River
On Monday, June 12th, volunteers joined staff from the Hill Country Alliance and Native American Seed at the Texas Tech University (TTU) Llano River Field Station in Junction, Texas. There, they set fort an ambitious goal: control the more than 100 Chinaberry trees...
Climate disaster maps shows Texas is clearly the most apocalyptic state in the nation
U.S. climate officials recently released a series of maps that show just how terrible the Lone Star State's weather is. The heat maps were created by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and used in a study that examines billion-dollar weather and...
Spicewood company fills niche in Central Texas rainwater harvesting needs
Zak Crosby, owner and operator of Tall Drink Rainwater Harvesting, said once the public uses rainwater, it will never want to use well water or city water again. “Rainwater tastes better than any water you can get,” he said. “And once you bathe in it, taste it, wash...