Texan by Nature’s Conservation Wrangler program is made possible due to support from program and project sponsors. Their dedication to conservation allows Texan by Nature to support selected projects in a myriad of ways, amplifying & accelerating their impact across the state of Texas.

THIS 2023 CONSERVATION WRANGLER PROJECT IS PROUDLY SPONSORED BY:

Project Summary:

There is something magical about the starry night sky in the Hill Country. Stepping outside on a crisp, clear night to gaze at the stars helps us escape from the fast pace of our daily lives and connect with the natural world around us. The experience of a dazzling night sky inspires art, literature, photography, curiosity, and space exploration. It is a part of human heritage and a special part of the region’s identity. However, little stands in place to preserve this experience for future generations. According to the State of the Hill Country Report, the population is currently at 3.8 million, growing by nearly 50% in the last 20 years. Additionally, the Hill Country is expected to grow another 35% over the next 20 years, with a population of 5.2 million expected by 2040. As more people move to the Hill Country, they bring more development and inherently, more light. In fact, recent studies show that we are losing our night skies at an alarming rate of up to 10% each year.

Light pollution, defined as outdoor light that shines where or when it isn’t being used, has harmful effects on our health and quality of life, economic prosperity through energy wasted, and the natural cycles of plants and wildlife. As night skies become brighter, the following issues become more prominent:

• Plants and animals depend on the 24-hour day/night cycle, known as circadian rhythm, to inform essential behaviors such as reproduction, nourishment, sleep, and protection from predators. The introduction of artificial light at night significantly impacts these behaviors and, thus, the health of these populations.
• Lighting that emits too much light or shines when and where it isn’t needed is wasteful, resulting in significant negative consequences on both the environment and the economy. It is estimated that at least 30 percent of all outdoor lighting in the U.S. alone is wasted, mostly by lights that aren’t shielded, costing approximately $3.3B annually in wasted energy nationwide, $300M in Texas.

Light pollution also threatens the economy of rural Hill Country communities since the star-filled sky is a major tourism draw for the Hill Country region. The Texas Hill Country is home to an increasing number of designated Dark Sky parks and communities, which are popular “astrotourism” destinations for travelers from around the world seeking the natural beauty of night skies. 

Thanks to the work of dedicated night sky advocates across the region, the Hill Country is currently home to more activity for night sky preservation than any other similar-sized region in the world, according to DarkSky International. As shown in the map below, there are currently 13 International Dark Sky Places in the Hill Country – including the City of Dripping Springs and Enchanted Rock State Natural Area– with many more in the works. As of 2023, communities from Blanco to Bee Cave have put additional protections in place for their starry skies through the adoption of 29 outdoor lighting ordinances. 

The Hill Country Alliance (HCA)’s Night Sky Program and its partners work to reduce light pollution and keep the stars in Texas’ night skies “big and bright.” The HCA Night Sky Program collaborates with counties and cities to minimize the environmental and economic impacts of light pollution through supporting in the following ways as needed: 

• Education and outreach,
• Recognition of best practices,
• Creation and revision of outdoor lighting ordinances,
• Technical assistance with night sky quality readings, and
• Celebration of designated Dark Sky Places.

The program is active across 17 central Texas counties, including Bandera, Bexar, Blanco, Burnet, Comal, Edwards, Gillespie, Hays, Kendall, Kerr, Kimble, Llano, Mason, Medina, Real, Travis, and Uvalde.

Over the past 12 years, this program has supported and partnered with 15 community-based Friends of the Night Sky groups and helped to grow the Night Sky movement to prominence in the region through Hill Country Night Sky Month and other outreach programs. Meanwhile, over the past two years, the Hill Country Eclipse team—which began as a spin-off of the HCA Night Sky Program has grown to over 500 members, spilling out beyond the Hill Country, across 50 cities in over 23 counties, all preparing for the annular solar eclipse in October 2023 and the total solar eclipse in April 2024.

The HCA Night Sky Program is also working towards the creation of an International Dark Sky Reserve surrounding Enchanted Rock State Natural Area. This Reserve would provide a designation to the landscape and encourage additional protection for the starry skies above, spanning both public and private lands. The foundation for this regional effort was laid in 2013 when volunteers working with HCA began educating local elected officials and communities to secure the needed local ordinances to make the Reserve a reality. HCA aims to assist in a Reserve designation by 2027.

Project Mission: 

The Hill Country Alliance Night Sky Program helps counties and cities minimize the impacts of light pollution through education and outreach, business and neighborhood recognition programs, the establishment of outdoor lighting policies, and the celebration of starry night skies across the Hill Country region.

Project Impact:

• Improvements in outdoor lighting could result in approximately $300 M saved annually in energy costs across the state of Texas
• Potential to impact 20,747 square miles (just over 11 million acres) in the Hill Country 
• Over 3.8 million Hill Country residents are positively impacted by decreased light pollution
• The Hill Country Alliance engages with more than ~200 local partners through the Night Sky Team – a collaborative group of key personnel in more than 30 Hill Country communities, state and local parks, formal and informal education, chambers of commerce, and volunteer-led Friends groups
• The Annual Hill Country Night Sky Month celebration – launched in October 2020 – features collaborative and creative night sky events and has led to the passage of over 60 proclamations and resolutions across the Hill Country 
• 500+ individuals are involved in the Hill Country Eclipse Team, which has met since 2020 to prepare and share resources for upcoming 2023 and 2024 solar eclipse events
• Technical assistance and outreach support for outdoor lighting ordinances and dark sky designations across the region

Partners Include:

Hill Country Alliance would not be able to protect Texas’ night skies without the support of the following partners: Bandera County Friends of the Night Sky, Blanco County Friends of the Night Sky, Comal County Friends of the Night Sky, Enchanted Rock State Natural Area, Friends of Enchanted Rock State Natural Area, Gillespie County Friends of the Night Sky, Hays County Friends of the Night Sky, DarkSky International (formerly International Dark-Sky Association) and their State Chapter DarkSky Texas, Jonestown Night Sky Advocacy, Kendall County Friends of the Night Sky, Kerr County Friends of the Night Sky, Lago Vista Starry Skies, Lampasas County Friends of the Night Sky, Llano County Friends of the Night Sky, Spicewood Starry Skies, Travis County Friends of the Night Sky, Uvalde County Friends of the Night Sky, and Wimberley Valley Dark Sky Committee.

In addition to the above Friends of the Night Sky groups, local governments, chambers of commerce, utility companies, and so many more across the Hill Country support this work for the stars.

Project Needs:

Hill Country Alliance was selected as a Texan by Nature Conservation Wrangler based on the project’s positive impact to people, prosperity, and natural resources. Through the program, Texan by Nature is working with Hill Country Alliance to address the following needs:

• Media visibility to bring awareness to the Night Sky program and its benefits to local communities and their economy, environmental services, and ecotourism
• Diverse partnerships with industry, landowners, and conservation organizations to expand the adoption of night sky practices
• Impact reporting to incentivize the value of the night sky to people, natural resources, and the economy

Texan by Nature’s Vision and Support:

Texan by Nature (TxN) is working with Hill Country Alliance (HCA) to use existing data to quantify the negative impacts of light pollution and better understand the value that dark night skies provide for wildlife, energy, human health, ecotourism, local identity, and quality of life. During the Conservation Wrangler partnership, TxN and HCA will utilize the Hill Country Night Sky Program as a foundation to replicate and amplify impact across the Hill Country and beyond.

Contact Texan by Nature at programs@texanbynature.org if you can provide resources, connections, or are interested in partnering and would like to learn more.