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
Golden-cheeked warbler to remain on endangered list
Rejecting a bid by former state Comptroller Susan Combs and others to remove special habitat protections for the golden-cheeked warbler, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is set to announce their petition “did not present substantial information that delisting is...
I-35 corridor could see more groundwater from Burleson County
Another private company is quietly trying to sell central Texas groundwater to utilities along the fast-growing Interstate 35 corridor, putting it in competition with the San Antonio Water System and others. Coastal Water Regional Supply Co. is trying to sell Hays...
Lights off for the love of lightning bugs
For the love of lightning bugs, experts ask people to turn off as many exterior lights as possible during peak mating months. Artificial lights have eradicated large populations of lightning bugs in East Tennessee and across the developed world. "Light pollution is a...
Opinion: What San Antonio should learn from Melbourne
San Antonio just made it through one of the worst droughts in Texas history. Climate change means we’ll have more — unpredictably longer and more intense. Is San Antonio prepared? Nope. And the San Antonio Water System is leading us the wrong direction. Express-News...
Leaving land alone to hold floodwater west of Houston
Houston sprawls for miles, but we went to where that sprawl stops. “I think if you’d listen for a minute, you don’t hear any cars,” says Mary Anne Piacentini as she stands near a pond on the Katy Prairie 45 miles west of downtown Houston. “We protect over 20,000 acres...
Adler drops surprise $720M mobility bond proposal
Mayor Steve Adler has blasted into the middle of the ongoing conversation about a November mobility bond election by proposing an estimated $720 million package of projects along Austin’s most vital arterials. In a closed-door speech before the Greater Austin Chamber...