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
Invasive Aquatic Species Are Threatening Texas Waterways
Across the street from Sewell Park, while most people tried to get a suntan or go tubing on a cloudy day, a group of researchers worked to capture suckermouth armored catfish, an invasive species in the San Marcos River. The fish are seemingly invisible in the murky...
TESPA Comments on Potential Rock Crushing Facility on Needmore Ranch
For immediate release March 15, 2022 The Trinity Edwards Springs Protection Association (TESPA) is following the Proposed Air Quality permit application filed with the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) seeking authorization to construct and operate a...
Federal recognition to advance conservation and military readiness around Camp Bullis
On the west side of Camp Bullis, at the edge of the Dominion neighborhood, Rustin Tabor pulls his truck to the side of a winding road and walks a few feet into the wooded area that lines it. Farther in, stretched across the dirt, is an entrance to a cave — a karst...
New report shows Texas Hill Country facing serious challenges tied to growth
The Hill Country has exploded over the past 20 years, growing by 50 percent to over 3.8 million people in the 18-county area north of San Antonio.That number is projected to increase another 35 percent in the next two decades. But all of that growth comes with a...
QuikTrip can move forward with gas station
The Helotes City Council has approved design plans of a proposed 24-hour gas station and convenience store on a rural stretch of road that some residents want to protect from commercial development. The 4-1 vote on Feb. 24 was not the final approval for the project,...
Population growth challenges Texas’ Hill Country
Booming population growth, coupled with changing climate patterns, unslakable groundwater thirst and political challenges, leave the Texas Hill Country newly vulnerable. What they're saying: "The Hill Country's breathtaking vistas, natural spaces, clear waters,...