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
Additional CWD Cases Discovered at a Quarantined Captive White-tailed Deer Breeding Facility
Thirteen new cases of chronic wasting disease (CWD) were confirmed at a Medina County captive white-tailed deer breeding facility on June 29. Texas Animal Health Commission (TAHC) and Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) discovered these cases while conducting...
The Forgotten History of Environmental Protection in Texas
Before there was this thing called the internet, families who could afford to often bought an encyclopedia as a home reference. Typically they came with an atlas as well – a thick book of maps, charts and comparisons. Now Texas has one of its own: an unprecedented...
Reclaiming the Night
We can see the Milky Way from Dripping Springs, but lights in Austin steal a piece of our sky," Cindy Luongo Cassidy says looking out from the viewing deck of her personal observatory to the starry horizon. Nearby, her husband John tinkers with his large aperture...
Dripping Springs homeowners push against treated wastewater in creek
A group of neighbors in Dripping Springs are hoping to stop the city from dumping treated wastewater into their local creek. Thursday night, members of the Hays Trinity Groundwater Conservation District held a special meeting to discuss the city’s application with the...
Texas Comptroller Announces Partnerships with Texas A&M, Sam Houston State University to Study Monarch Butterfly
Texas Comptroller Glenn Hegar recently announced Texas A&M University and Sam Houston State University will share about $500,000 in funding for a research project to study the monarch butterfly. The research will document the monarch butterfly population in Texas...
Graduate research study explores origin, quality of Pedernales water
Sarah Zappitello, a graduate student in the Department of Biology at Texas State University, has published results from a year-long study determining the origin and quality of water carried by the Pedernales River. The research is part of a larger study facilitated by...