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
May 2012 News Archive
May 31, 2012 Southern Great Plains could run out of groundwater in 30 years, study finds Key farming regions in the US are drawing water from underground sources at unsustainable rates, with slightly more than one-third of the southern Great Plains at risk of tapping...
2012 Drought News
November 21, 2012 LCRA hands down compromise emergency drought order “The water release planning for 2013 has been the subject of a collision of interests as drought drags on in the region,” Read the Statesman report here. This decision is described as...
April 2012 News Archive
April 13, 2012 Rainwater Revival Opens Grant Applications to Schools in 17 Hill Country Counties The Hill Country Alliance, organizer of the Rainwater Revival, is seeking grant applications from elementary and middle schools in 17 counties throughout the Hill Country...
March 2012 News Archive
March 30, 2012 International Water Expert to Highlight Sierra Club Water Conference, April 27 Brian Richter, an international authority on river conservation and the director of The Nature Conservancy’s Global Freshwater Program, will be the keynote speaker for a...
Golden-cheeked Warbler comes home
Early March marks the return of the golden-cheeked warbler to the Texas Hill Country. Of the nearly 360 bird species that breed in Texas, the golden-cheeked warbler is the only one that nests exclusively in Texas. The major environmental threat to the warbler is...
February 2012 News Archive
February 28 2012 Groundwater ruling potentially unleashes geyser of future cases Prompted by the severity of the current drought, Texans have been earnestly discussing how to manage the state's water resources for the next several decades to meet the needs of a...