05 Dec “What is Conservation Worth to You?” Contest

'Tis the season for giving thanks, spending time with loved ones, and reflecting on this year’s successes.

In 2013, thanks to your support, we have accomplished a great deal. We had our most successful Hill Country Nights to date, we are working to finalize another conservation agreement by the end of the year, which will add another beautiful and significant 750 acre property to HCC’s “Vast Open Spaces” vision for the Texas Hill Country, and we have made great progress in the creation of the Violet Crown Trail, a 30+ mile hike-and-bike trail system that will connect Lady Bird Lake in downtown Austin through the Barton Creek Greenbelt to the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center, and southward into Hays County.

The Violet Crown Trail system will allow families to walk their children to schools, libraries, and parks safely. Cyclists will be able to ride their bikes directly to the Veloway instead of driving there first! We will have the opportunity to walk or cycle in and out of downtown as a means of recreation and alternative transportation. And the trail will also offer first-time public-access to 6,000 acres of historic ranchlands, showing our community first hand the positive impacts of having open space and nature right outside your doorstep.

Of course, we cannot accomplish these things without generous supporters like you. So, this holiday season, we ask you to consider, “What is Conservation worth to you?” What is access to open space and nature worth to you? What effect does nature have on your mental health, the growth and development of your children, and the future of your family?

Several members of our community including Austin Mayor Lee Leffingwell, Sunset Valley Mayor Rose Cardona, Bicycle Sport Shop’s Hill Abell, Give Realty’s Laurie Loew, and more think our open spaces are worth quite a bit. We’re telling their stories this holiday season and we’d like to tell YOURS too!

Please click here to read these stories and tell us what conservation is worth to you! We’ll be highlighting these stories through December on Facebook and if we pick yours, you’ll get a special holiday gift from HCC!