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
Meet Andrew Murr
Andrew Murr will face a Libertarian challenger in November to represent District 53 in the Texas House of Representatives. This District includes Bandera, Crockett, Edwards, Kerr, Kimble, Llano, Mason, Medina, Menard, Real, Schleicher, Sutton counties. Texas House of...
Managers Discuss Hill Country’s Water Resources and the Drought
Livestock Weekly May 22, 2014 By Colleen Schreiber SAN ANTONIO – The Trinity Aquifer and the Upper Guadalupe River are major components of the hill country’s available water supply. While these water resources typically do not receive as much attention as the more...
Thinking about becoming a Master Naturalist?
The Hill Country Master Naturalists are now recruiting for their Fall Class. With a mission to “develop a corps of well-informed volunteers to provide education, outreach, and service dedicated to the beneficial management of natural resources and natural areas within...
EPA Releases EnviroAtlas Ecosystem Mapping Tool
May 27, 2014 WASHINGTON – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) today released EnviroAtlas, a web-based interactive tool that integrates over 300 separate data layers, helps decision makers understand the implications of planning and policy decisions on our...
Lawn alternatives gain popularity but ‘carpet grass’ remains norm
By Elena Tucker, Features Writer The Boerne Star Part one of a two-part series At a glance, Boerne shows up as an emerald dot on a NASA map of lawns. The area’s cultivated green St. Augustine or “carpet” grass also figures as a fraction of Duke University data in...
Support for Low Impact Development
May 27, 2014 Central Texas Land/Water Sustainability Forum. No one doubts that conventional land development impacts our creeks and lakes. Urban land development with buildings, roads, and other impervious surfaces allow less rain to soak into the ground, so the...