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EVENTS 2020 |
October Virtual Program: Night Skies
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On Tuesday, October 13, 2020, CCCA presented its first, and successful, virtual community meeting. The program featured Cliff Kaplan, Program Director for the Hill Country Alliance, who spoke about Preserving Hill Country Night Skies. Land conservation has many benefits; one seldom discussed is the preservation of naturally dark habitat and the night skies over our communities. This talk addressed the reasons for night sky preservation, the fundamentals of dark-sky friendly lighting, and what communities in our region, including those here in Comal County, are doing to preserve our star-filled skies.
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September Fundraiser: The Big Give 2020
March: Guided Tour of Honey Creek State Natural
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On March 14, about 45 Friends of CCCA went on a 2-mile guided nature walk in the restricted-entry section of Guadalupe River State Park that contains Honey Creek, one of the state's most pristine streams. Home to a rich variety of wildlife, ranging from jackrabbits and songbirds to turtles and salamanders, the natural beauty of this fragile ecosystem makes Honey Creek a special place.
The photo is a portion of the participants that gathered for the hike. They are standing on the back porch of the 100+ year-old Rust House. Second from right is one of our Honey Creek State Natural Area guides, MacKenzie Brown. He led an outstanding two-hour tour that touched on the history of Honey Creek, its ecological zones, geology, and showed examples of different kinds of relationships that exist between organisms. |
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February Outreach: Annual Fun Fish
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Water Oriented Recreation District of Comal County (WORD) presented its 24th Annual Fun Fish event. CCCA joined the fun by having our outreach table there, where we shared information about the importance of land preservation, the need to save our water, what conservation means to wildlife, an interactive education station for kids to learn about the importance of conservation in a community.
On Sunday, February 23rd, CCCA volunteers worked long hours engaging 155 kids and 200 adults in a conversation about the importance of conservation and what they can do to save and ensure clean water gets to the Edwards Aquifer. Our Director-at-large, Leah Cuddeback, made two awesome EnviroScapes to teach what happens when gunk gets into the aquifer. Jane Finneran spent lots of time creating waterscopes so kids could explore what's in the deep, and we had Fun Fish pledge cards for kids to sign promising to do small acts to help the planet. This was a fun and very successful day. |
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February Landowner Workshop: "Creating A Land Legacy"
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CREATING A LAND LEGACY
On Friday, February 21, 2020 about 35 people attended the second CCCA Landowner Workshop at Anhalt Dance Hall. The workshop covered conservation easements, the role of land trust organizations, open space and wildlife valuations, financial tools/resources available to landowners, and a panel discussion with landowners. SPEAKERS
BREAKOUT SESSIONS
Kathryn Tancig, Braun & Gresham Attorneys-at-Law
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LANDOWNER PANEL
Sponsored by Alamo Resource Conservation & Development Area, Inc. Kay and John Flowers & Jenny Carloye The workshop was hosted by CCCA and the Great Springs Project. Many thanks to our sponsors:
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February Outreach: Farmers Market, New Braunfels, TX
The CCCA's outreach booth was at New Braunfels Farmers Market. The Farmers Market is a weekly community event held at 186 S. Castell Ave. New Braunfels, TX, next to Krause's Cafe. The market is held Saturday, from 9:00 to 1:00pm and hosts local vendors with a variety of goods to offer. Meet neighbors from all over Comal County as you stroll through the aisles and shop for everything from baked goods, to locally made honey, and to pet necessities such as leashes and toys. And amid the booths, the live music, and the libations, you will find outreach committee volunteers demonstrating the action of the Edwards Aquifer, the importance of land preservation, the need to save our water, and what conservation means to wildlife.
February Community Program: Forest Therapy
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On Tuesday, February 11th, Kortnee McDowell brought her expertise and enthusiasm to Landa Haus to talk about the positive impact spending time in nature has on our physical, mental, and emotional well-being.
Anyone who spends time outdoors knows that it leaves us feeling relaxed, refreshed, and more positive. After sharing experiences from her work in “Forest Therapy,” Kortnee talked about the Japanese studies that have documented the scientific basis behind these positive effects. A tree chemical called phytoncide actually improves the human immune system by increasing natural killer (NK) cell activity and intracellular anti-cancer proteins. In other words, walking in the woods can not only improve your mental health, but your physical health, as well. |
Kortnee McDowell
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January Community Program: Devil's Backbone
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On Tuesday, January 14th, nearly 100 people gathered in the McKenna Center to hear Leslie and Randy Collier tell the story of El Rancho Cima, the former Boy Scout Ranch.
Leslie began by telling of her personal experience, spending many summers at the ranch. She loved the place so much that she and Randy bought property near it as their planned retirement home. And then, they learned that the Scouts had sold the property without any restrictions. Despite being nearby property owners, news of the sale got to them long after the fact. The couple then began an effort to raise awareness of the sale and $24.5 million to purchase the property. Awareness seemed to come easier than millions of dollars. With volunteer videographers and drone pilots, they produced videos to help more people experience the property. They posted signs at the overlook on the Devil’s Backbone announcing the sale. They spoke with people at the overlook. They developed a website and a Facebook page. And, they gave presentations to any group that would listen. |
Leslie & Randy Collier
A packed audience gathered to hear about the Devil's Backbone.
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