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Conservation Insider - January 2025
Hello {{Constituent First Name}},
2025 is here and Comal Conservation is hitting the ground running. During our last board meeting we adopted a new three year strategic plan which will guide our efforts and increase our impact for the foreseeable future. This plan will help us secure funding and more importantly put that funding to good use.
Over the course of 2025 Comal Conservation like our county is poised for growth. Our work has never been more important. Our group is connecting the dots between landowners, and reputable land trusts resulting in conservation wins across the county. We're supporting the County Commissioners as they prepare to review Water Availability Reports in 2025 and as they wrestle with the idea of funding conservation projects over the next several years. We're training volunteers to conduct outreach activities and securing speakers for our Community Program Calendar. All of this work will help us ensure a successful 2025.
In addition to this work Comal Conservation and its partners are focused on a new initiative, to reconnect children with nature. One of the greatest threats our natural systems face are citizens who grow up disconnected and unaware of our communities' reliance on natural resources and the amazing benefits that these natural systems provide.
Children today spend on average seven minutes in unstructured natural play while they spend an astounding seven hours of time engaged with electronic media. In conjunction with our partners and with the support of the Texas Children in Nature Network. We're supporting the creation of a new Children in Nature Regional Collaborative. Known as the Texas Children in Nature Network: Hill Country. This regional collaborative will bring like minded organizations together to fan the flames of a regional movement to reconnect kids with the great outdoors. In the immediate this will help children become Healthier, Happier, and Smarter and over the long haul it will help foster the next generation of environmental stewards. Learn more about our partners the Texas Children in Nature Network and the children & nature movement.
Thank you for everything you do to preserve land, water, and wildlife in Comal County. I appreciate it.
Ryan Spencer Executive Director
Join the Comal Conservation Champions Today! By supporting Comal Conservation monthly you provide sustaining revenue that helps us focus on conservation impact in Comal County.
Comal Conservation Social!!! February 12, 2025 (5:00pm) @ Faust Brewery
Hi Friends,
Join us for our first social of 2025. The first 100 guests get a free beer thanks to our wonderful sponsors House Hunters NB, Toddcoe Aviation, and the Davidek Lawfirm.
The Faust Brewery is located at 499 S Castell Ave, New Braunfels, TX 78130. See yall there! Thanks again to our wonderful sponsors!
Community Program - March 11, 2025 (6:00pm) @ McKenna Center Children & Nature and its Impact on Conservation
Join us for a conversation with Sarah Coles the Executive Director of the Texas Children in Nature Network.
Sarah will highlight the disconnect that children currently have with nature. She will also outline how connecting children with nature can have a positive impact on their health and wellbeing. She will wrap up with a discussion that connects the dots between the Children & Nature movement and the sustainability of conservation efforts.
Join Our Team!!!!
Do you love natural areas and want to work protect them? We're looking for our next Administrative Coordinator and it could be you. Learn more about the job on our website and send your application in today.
Send your cover letter, references, and resume to Ryan Spencer at ryan@comalconservation.org
Volunteers Needed! Help Preserve Land, Water, and Wildlife Today!
Comal Conservation is a grassroots volunteer driven nonprofit and we need your help now more than ever. If you're interested in supporting our community programs, spreading the word during outreach events, help update our website, our keeping up with our social media accounts we would love your help. Learn more about our work at www.comalconservation.org and sign up to be a volunteer below:
Comal Conservation Outreach Training A Huge Success! By Ryan Spencer
On January 28th 2025 - Comal Conservation hosted its annual lunch and learn for OURTREACH volunteers. This year we had over 23 folks attend! Elizabeth Bowerman and Jane Finneran coordinated and led the effort. During the workshop volunteers learned about the mission of Comal Conservation, the goals behind the outreach program, and were trained in how to use all of our outreach activities. Huge kudos go out to Elizabeth and Jane for coordinating a wonderful event and for all of our volunteers who signed up to spread the good word in 2025.
COMMUNITY NEWS
When One Person Steps Forward, What a Difference!
By Frank Dietz Board Member
Through the decades there have been numerous persons who stepped forward with a passion to make a difference in the challenging world and society we live in.The underlying roadmap reflects a series of motivating questions: “Should I?”“Could I?” “Would I?”And, finally with resolve: “YES, I WILL!”These steps are clearly reflected in the inspirational telling of her tale of success by Lillian Collier, the 2024 recipient of the Jensie Madden Award for conservation leadership and exemplary courage of conviction. The award was presented publicly on October 26th in a festive event in Gruene and subsequently recognized with a timely resolution by the Comal County Commissioners.
On a crisp, clear afternoon, it was a privilege to sit with Leslie on their spacious deck out above the “Sentinel Peak” and Devil’s Backbone.We were at a perfect perch to see the lookout along Highway 32 between Purgatory Road and the recently built Canyon Lake High School campus.Amidst this rugged terrain while husband Brian harvested their first honey from their bees, Leslie explained her deep roots and affection for El Rancho Cima, the historic Boy Scout Camp of twenty-eight hundred acres.Among the thousands of youngsters and adult mentors, Leslie’s late father had been a frequent visitor and leader in numerous Scouting capacities.Many times, the family accompanied him.
El Rancho Cima and its first programming dates back to 1953. This was when the Sam Houston Council of BSA acquired and launched use of the land for scouting in the greater Houston region.That led to thousands of reports by achievers of their “survival solo merit badges” and a rich myriad of other outdoor and river recreational skills and adventures.My own sons did their “on their own” 24-hour survivals on that rugged turf.The retelling of camp tales would take several volumes, no doubt.Suffice to say here that when unfortunate necessity required that the BSA liquidate many such properties it meant a realtor’s large sign went up at the Sentinel Peak fence line.When Leslie looked out and saw the activity for the public listing, “it was like lightening struck.”Though never aspiring to public speaking or bold big bucks’ askings, Leslie enlisted Brian for support.Her fevered networking effort and search for the $24.5 million asking price in 2017 spread rapidly.Her first five good friends took her high fevered case, reached another five or more and how word spread. Well-meaning donations began to roll in but modestly. These enabled a campaign to be sustained and key folk enlisted.With 200 of the 2800 acres of El Rancho Cima located on the Hays County side of the Blanco River, Hays folks got instantly to work, utilizing “mitigation funds” and achieving a match from the Nature Conservancy to address that parcel.On the Comal side private “set asides” for yellow cheeked warblers have been secured outside the county.Thus, private efforts ensued, conservation minded investors for large sections were successfully reached and the final two of six ranch portions by the peak have closed.
What a difference someone can make! Leslie proved to be an excellent and persuasive speaker and a willing outreaching requester of funders.When the scouters “decommissioned” the “sacred ground” over a thousand gathered from far and wide.El Rancho Cima lives in memories and legacy futures.
Thank you, Leslie Collier for stepping forward and making a difference!As the song says, “it only takes a spark to get a fire burning!”Indeed!
Comal Water Advocates and Comal Conservation Partner in support of Water Conservation Campaign
By Tyler Johnson NEW BRAUNFELS HERALD-ZEITUNG:
A group of local retired women are using their energy to help bring water conservation awareness to Comal County.
Comal Water Advocates, in collaboration with Comal Conservation, is using bumper stickers to spread the message. Janyth Fredrickson, one of the members of Comal Water Advocates, said the urgency for water conservation is greater than ever before.
“In the 1950s, there was a terrible drought. Comal County had around 17,000 people living here. Today, we’re in an ongoing drought and we have 200,000 people living in Comal County. Water is such a treasure. It’s a necessity for us all. It’s important for our lives, for our families. Also, it’s a huge economic driver in our community,” she said. She noted the efforts of New Braunfels Utilities and New Braunfels City Council, adding that Comal Water Advocates “wanted to lend our support and our energy.”
The group of women held a contest for who can design the best bumper stickers with a clear water-conservation message. The winners were local artists Dyan Lee and Terry McCaffery. Lee said that when she got the email, she immediately got to work.
TAKE A HIKE: Water Oriented Recreation District of Comal County begins free series of guided excursions
By Kaitlynn Hutchins NEW BRAUNFELS HERALD-ZEITUNG:
On Friday morning, nature fans gathered at Canyon Park, where they embarked on the rocky, winding Madrone Trail and learned about some of Comal County’s native plants and wildlife.
Friday’s guided trail hike was the first of a series of monthly activities put on by the Water Oriented Recreation District (WORD) of Comal County. While WORD is usually known as being the agency responsible for making sure recreational areas in unincorporated parts of the county have adequate law enforcement and clean-up during peak tourism season, it also leases and maintains Comal and Canyon parks, which were previously under the operation of the Army Corps of Engineers.
Recently, WORD decided it wanted to provide free recreational activities to give back to the community, such as the guided trail hike.
“This one was kind of like a trial run,” park supervisor Chris Sager said. “I did not expect so many people to be interested in this. Like I said, it was a trial run. We were just gonna see what happens. This isn’t the greatest weather for this type of thing, and it’s not the right time of year, but as we get warmer and into the season of opening the park, we’ll do it a lot more.”
Trout Fest (Guadalupe River Trout Unlimited event) – February 22 (9:00-5:00) and 23rd (10:00 –4:00pm) – Lazy L&L Campgrounds – 11699 River Rd, New Braunfels
Dino Day (Heritage Museum event) – March 29rd (12:00 – 4:00) – FM 1863, Sattler
AgriLife Open House and Resource Fair – April 5th (9:00 - 1:00) – AgriLife Extension Office, Resource Dr., off Hwy 46
Earth Day & Arbor Day (Combined event) – April 12nd (9:00 - 2:00) – Landa Park, NB
NBTX Pride Festival (Riverside Pride event) – Oct 2025
Comal County Fair School Days – September 24th and 25th (8:00 - 1:30) – Fairgrounds, NB
Fisher Park Monarch Festival – October 25th (11:00 – 5:00) – Fisher Park, N
NB Farmers Market – various Saturdays, when invited (9:00 – 1:00) – downtown NB
Other outreach activities open to volunteers: Pollinator Fiesta – March 15th (10:00 – 2:00) – Guadalupe River State Park, Spring Branch
Sweaty Yeti Run/Walk – April 12th (8:00 – 11:00am) – Landa Park (Panther Canyon) NB
Land and Sky Celebration - May 10th (5:00pm – 11:00pm) - Dot’s Spots Campground at 5080 Purgatory Rd. New Braunfels (limited VH credit)
Comal County Fair Parade Float (Decorating Team) – September 26th (7:00-9:30) - downtown New Braunfels (no VH credit)
Working to preserve land, water, and wildlife in Comal County!
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Comal Conservation PO Box 2804 Canyon Lake, TX 78133
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