The new River Recharge Natural Area is San Marcos’ seventh natural area, and plans call for this new trail eventually to tie into a planned circum-city trail system.

See those shoe insoles floating in my bird watering station? This morning, there they were…. So how did they go for a swim? I’ll wait while you think.

The first half of this year was the fifth driest on record, and this summer hasn’t been any better. How exactly do our native plants cope with stress caused by a prolonged period without water? It’s complicated and pretty amazing.

Karst is well known and is often described as a landscape, a geological formation occurring in limestone and carbonate rocks. More importantly, it is an aquifer and often a remarkable groundwater reservoir.

There is no doubt these are dry times that will likely continue through the summer. This is a critical time for wildlife as well. If you can, set out a pan of water for the wildlife. They will show up.

Most of my life I’ve called these gentle amphibians “frogs,” and maybe you have too. But these little guys are actually true toads, more specifically Gulf Coast Toads, and I’ve noticed a lot of them in my yard this summer.

If we were to paint—or photograph—the Hill Country today in ways for our unknown descendants to remember us, what would they see? And if they record images of their Texas hills for their posterity, what will those generations see?

Seriously, it’s hot here in Hays County this summer. In spite of the surface-of-the-sun temperatures, there are a few things blooming. I thought I’d share a few colorful flowers with you.

Have you ever wondered about the value of Texas thistle in your landscape and whether or not to keep it or remove it? Well, worry no more. If you want to attract lots of bees, butterflies, birds, and other pollinators, the answer is simple—love it and leave it.

Roadcuts are a great way to see Texas geology as you drive west from the central Hill Country to the expansive Edwards Plateau. Rockhounds can hunt for rocks and fossils legally on public easements along Texas roads, and roadcuts can prove useful for collecting.

On Saturday, June 18, our dedicated volunteers worked in the Texas summer heat to continue making our park special.

Do areas on your property look like this—sparse vegetation and very little topsoil? Hill County soils are notoriously thin. At one time, this spot likely had lots more soil and vegetation. What happened?

Grasses and fence lines, cedars and oak scrub were all deep, featureless, silent black. Out of that dark came a scream, a quick descending hoarse rasp with a brittle choke at the bottom.

Flower Moon is a Native American name for the May full moon. It speaks to the arrival of spring and all that it entails. But what is a “Super Flower Blood Moon?”

I love exploring the Texas Hill Country and often find myself at the base of a cliff. I always remember the advice I received from a geology professor about not climbing road-cut cliffs because of the hazard created by falling rocks.

Sentinel Peak Preserve is the newest and largest park in Hays County (over 530 acres). You can follow its development and all the other new open spaces made available by the passage of the 2020 Hays County Parks and Open Spaces Bond here.

On Saturday, May 14, eight Hays County Master Naturalist volunteers braved the hot weather and helped with maintenance at Charro Ranch Park in Dripping Springs, Texas. The park is a northern Hays County treasure. Come out and see for yourself!

One question landowners ask when the HELM team pays them a visit is “What should I do about all this cedar?” We start by dispelling myths surrounding cedar.

Schulle Canyon Natural Area is a beautifully conserved green space located right in middle of San Marcos proper.

“Got a minute? Let’s go relax in Patsy Glen.” In 2014, I’d just moved to Wimberley, and a new friend’s invitation was irresistible. A glen, or glenn from old Gaelic gleann, is a small, narrow, secluded valley, forested, sometimes with a stream running through it.