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
Teacher Celebration at the Wildflower Center, Sept. 3
The Children in Nature Collaborative of Austin is holding a Teacher Celebration September 3rd at the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center. Stroll through the gardens at the Wildflower Center and visit with CiNCA member organizations and learn about the variety...
The best time to plan for drought is when we aren’t in one
Drought is nothing new to Texans; it is frequent and inevitable. Across much of Texas the end of the current drought is being declared—soil moisture levels are nearing normal and ephemeral rivers are flowing again—while other portions of the state are already on the...
The Safety Valve
"Water transfers may play a role in Texas' water future, but as we explore in The Safety Valve, there is plenty of reason to believe they won't solve the problem of fresh groundwater depletion on their own. Only regulation can do that, and as we see in visits to West...
It takes a Texan
"On a Saturday morning, we stood with Gary Perez at the edge of what in more recent years has come to be called Aquarena Springs. There was a sense that time had been suspended, or that somehow, all times were happening at once. Preparations were being made for a...
Three SWIFT projects funded in the Texas Hill Country
The Texas Water Development Board (TWDB) recently approved approximately $3.9 billion in financial assistance from the State Water Implementation Fund for Texas (SWIFT). The inaugural round of SWIFT financing will be distributed to 21 applicants for approximately $1...
Town Hall Meeting on New Groundwater Protection in Hays County
How will new state law affect your well and your drinking water? Get answers and ask questions at a town hall meeting Monday, Aug. 17, at the Wimberley Community Center, 6-8 p.m. In May, after public protests against a large wholesale groundwater exportation project,...