Dear Hill Country Neighbors,
September is off to a busy start for the Hill Country. While we are normally busy planning fall potlucks and an in-person Leadership Summit, we’re grateful for the opportunity to bring you the same news, information and educational resources as always, all from a COVID-safe distance. Under our events section, check out the register today link for HCA's VIRTUAL Hill Country Leadership Summit happening September 23-25th! Explore highlights and resources from both Hays County Master Gardeners and Texas Living Waters Project, and dig in to our planning materials for Hill Country Night Sky Month, which launches this October.
In personal news, we are expecting the arrival of the newest member of the HCA family with the birth of our second baby, anticipated on or around October 24th. HCA’s work will charge ahead while I take some time to focus on motherhood—our incredible staff have been working overtime this summer, building momentum and growing the tent of folks dedicated to the long-term protection of the Hill Country. I hope you’ll consider joining us and supporting this work for future generations of Hill Country residents.
All my best,
Katherine Romans
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LEADERSHIP SUMMIT: Join the Hill Country Alliance as we look to The Future of Conservation in the Texas Hill Country
This year, the Hill Country Alliance is hosting a fully virtual Leadership Summit. The Summit will be spread out over the course of three days – Wednesday, Sep. 23 from 2-4 PM, Thursday, Sep. 24 from 10-12 PM, and Friday, Sep. 25 from 10-12 PM – and all three days are included in the $25 registration fee. Tune-in for inspiring and informative talks from local and national environmental resource experts, community leaders, and conservation practitioners. Read more from Hill Country Alliance
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CONSERVATION SUCCESS STORY: Blue Hole Primary wins TWDB Rain Catcher Award
The Wimberley Valley Watershed Association is so proud of the collective accomplishment that is Wimberley ISD’s One Water School – Blue Hole Primary. The honor of the 2020 TWDB Rain Catcher Award will be shared by the many hands and minds that came together to make this reality—not just theory. Read more from Wimberley Valley Watershed Association
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NIGHT SKY: Mark your calendars—First-annual Hill Country Night Sky Month happening in October
This October, celebrate the night sky all month long during the Hill Country Alliance’s inaugural Hill Country Night Sky Month! Created to bring awareness to the importance of night sky preservation in the Texas Hill Country, Hill Country Night Sky Month will feature events and activities across the Hill Country for night sky lovers of all ages. Read more from Hill Country Alliance
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GROUNDWATER: City could store three Lake Austins' worth of water underground by 2040
Austin gets all of its water from the Highland Lakes, but that might not always be the case. The city recently took a first step towards storing massive amounts of water underground. If the plan works, it could help Austin survive as climate change threatens traditional water supplies. Read more from KUT
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WATER CONSERVATION: opinions+water: Time for Texas to get serious about controlling water loss
This fall the state’s 16 regional water planning groups will be submitting to the Texas Water Development Board (TWDB) revised plans for meeting projected water demands in their area of Texas over the next fifty years — to 2070 and even beyond. Read more from Texas+Water
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PUBLIC LANDS: Hay County kicks off Wimberley Valley Trails Initiative
Hays County is kicking-off its new Wimberley Valley Trails initiative, an effort to develop a multi-year vision to improve connectivity in the City of Wimberley and surrounding areas. Read more from San Marcos Corridor
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LAND STEWARDSHIP
To manage wildfire, California looks to what tribes have known all along
Read More →
OIL & GAS PIPELINES
Major pipelines hit legal snags. But business as usual in Texas.
Read More →
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WATER PLANNING
Texas must treat every drop of water as precious
Read More →
HCA IN THE NEWS
Preserving the view of the Night Stars in the Texas Hill Country
Read More →
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HCA IN THE NEWS
Healthy Creeks Initiative underway
Read More →
PARTNER NEWS
Manager of the SA River Authority to step own, lead The Nature Conservancy in Texas
Read More →
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WATER PLANNING
San Antonio aquifer, trail advocates lament sales tax vote
Read More →
REGIONAL PLANNING
Comal County needs to borrow tools from Hays
Read More →
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...AND MUCH MORE!
Check out HCA’s website for all of the latest news, including an in-depth look at the ongoing development concerns surrounding Honey Creek, a recent podcast from Sustainably Geeky featuring Cliff Kaplan - HCA's Night Sky Program Manager, and the full line-up of Texas Water Development Board Rain Catcher Award winners.
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Featured Photo: Scissor-tailed Flycatchers - Cathy Alba, 2016
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2020 Hill Country Leadership Summit
Registration for HCA's 2020 Hill Country Leadership Summit is open! The Hill Country Leadership Summit is HCA’s premier annual gathering. This year's Summit has gone virtual and is happening NEXT WEEK! We are excited for a new three-day, online format to give attendees an expanded opportunity to safely tune-in, without having to sit on your computer all day.
Learn more and register here →
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Hays County Master Gardeners Association: Plant Sale!
This year the Hays County Master Gardeners are taking their annual fall fundraiser and plant sale ONLINE! The tree sale is ongoing now - be sure to order your trees by September 30th! The online plant sale starts October 4 and runs through October 20.
Click the link below to learn more about the upcoming fall plant sale, which supports gardening education and outreach throughout Hays County.
Learn more and buy plants here →
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October is Hill Country Night Sky Month
The first annual Hill Country Night Sky Month, October 2020, is a celebration of our region’s night skies and of the hard work that Hill Country communities do to preserve it. The Hill Country Alliance is pleased to host a Hill Country-wide calendar, planning resources, and much more!
Learn more and get involved →
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Social Media Spotlight!
"Announcing the 2020 Hill Country Alliance Photo Contest People’s Choice Award WINNER!
The People’s Choice Award is determined by votes on our website and this year’s winner had 269 likes! Congratulations to Stegar Chapman, the photographer who submitted this image - titled “Wimberley Reflections” - to the 2020 Hill Country Photo Contest.
Stay tuned for more photo contest updates 📸"
Follow us @hillcountryalliance
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Texas Living Waters Project Report: Ensuring One Water Delivers for Healthy Waterways
A new report published in collaboration with the Texas Living Waters Protect, the National Wildlife Federation and the Pacific Institute presents a planning framework to assist communities in implementing the One Water approach in a way that optimizes water supplies to cities and keeps water flowing for the creeks, rivers, and bays that support healthy fish, wildlife, and their habitats.
Read the report from Texas Living Waters→
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The FESTIVAL is going VIRTUAL - Saturday, October 24th
We are excited to present an event where everyone gets a front row seat! This year's FESTIVAL will be all virtual, all online, and all safe. We are creating an interactive online experience complete with live streaming, engaging demonstrations, and will be hosting a virtual marketplace and educational resource hub!
Stay tuned for updates →
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