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
Recycling center planned for Fair Oaks Ranch property runs afoul of local laws, residents
A New Braunfels company hoping to open a recycling plant on a property in Fair Oaks Ranch may be permanently sidelined because it didn’t request approvals or permits beforehand. Tobin Maples, the city manager of Fair Oaks Ranch, which is located northwest of San...
Roy Creek Canyon has been untouched for 80 years. Its owners want it to stay that way.
When Lew Adams’ father bought half of Roy Creek Canyon in the early 1940s, he entered into a handshake agreement with the friend who had purchased the other half. Both men promised to preserve the land and change as little as possible. “There's been no cattle, no...
Texas Hill Country: Rolling hills or empty moonscape
I am Milann Guckian, president of Preserve our Hill Country Environment. This is not the job I asked for or wanted in retirement but one I felt I must undertake. I’ve always known I wanted to come back to Central Texas to live out my days. Born in Lockhart, my...
Opinion: How to prevent repeat water crises? Reuse is a part of the answer
February 15, 2021, will forever be etched into our memory. At the height of the climate disaster that struck our state a year ago, over 13 million Texans lost access to clean drinking water. That is approximately half of the state’s population and also includes many...
How to find your city’s sustainability plan online
If you’re watching this latest episode of “Solutionaries,” the newest from our solutions journalism-based digital show, then you’re already well aware that the topic is climate change, and everything environmentally related. You might be wondering, “How sustainable...
Most Texans Worry Water Taps Will Run Dry as Droughts Worsen.
Almost nine of every 10 Texans are concerned that water supplies will be exhausted, given current weather trends and the prospect for worsening drought conditions, according to a new poll. The survey by the non-profit group Texas 2036 found that 88% of registered...