Hello {{Constituent First Name}},

Summer is in full swing and Comal Conservation is busier than ever. I want to start by saying thank you to everyone who came out during our last Comal Conservation Social. It was a huge success and special thanks go out to our sponsors Toddcoe Aviation, Davidek Law Firm, PLLC, House Hunters NB Real Estate, NB ParTee Haus for bringing the entertainment! Connecting with new people and bringing them into the conversation about our natural systems is one of the single greatest things we can do to encourage our communities to preserve them. 

As we move into July our organization will be highlighting the natural wonders of the Hill Country and Texas more broadly with one of our first "Kid Friendly" events on July 15th, 2025! Join us at the McKenna Center as we screen 5 short films that highlight the awe and wonder of nature and the incredible people who are trying to protect land, water, and wildlife in Texas. Our partners over at HEB will provide the refreshments and plenty of snacks so bring a friend and learn more about what makes Texas so special. 

As much as it is a nonprofit, Comal Conservation is a group of people, and it is our people that make our work so valuable to the community and for the natural systems we care about. In June our very own Heather Harrison did something incredible. She paddled her 10th Texas Water Safari, traveling hundreds of miles in a canoe, to raise awareness and money for our efforts to preserve land, water, and wildlife. During her journey she saw the river's power in flood stage and worked with other paddlers to ensure folks remained safe. She exemplifies our values, and we are so grateful that she is a part of our leadership team. I encourage you to read below about her experience as we are reminded how important this work is and what it takes to get the job done.  

Now more than ever the natural systems of Comal County need your support. You can make a difference today. Consider volunteering, make a donation, speak up about the environmental issues you care about and explore the wonderful natural resources Comal County has to offer. Thank you for everything you do. I am grateful 
 

     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. 

Our easy peel stickers are available, for a donation, at our events and in the office.  

COMAL CONSERVATION EVENTS

IN THE LOOP

WE NEED YOUR HELP to make the 

Comal Conservation's largest fundraiser of the year, a success!

CALLING ALL PHOTOGRAPHERS AND VIDEOGRAPHERS!  Our Keep it Country Music Jam is shaping up to be something very special for Comal Conservation and we want YOU to be a part of it!  Let us know if you are interested in using your skills to support to Comal Conservation make this an evening to remember.

Our silent auction is a large part of what makes our music jam a success and allows us to do the work we do in preserving our local land, water, and wildlife.  WE ARE SEEKING EXPERIENCES, ADVENTURES, STAYCATIONS AND VACATIONS to offer, to help raise money to support Comal Conservation's efforts throughout the year.  

PLEASE CONTACT US AT INFO@COMALCONSERVATION.ORG IF YOU ARE ABLE TO HELP

Ryan visited the Leadership Knocks podcast shed, meeting with Comal Conservation volunteer Mark Caples, and giving a voice, and some perspective, to the much-anticipated Drought and Demand Q&A session. (video above)

WILD WEEKEND WALKS.  OBSERVE WITH JAXON.

INaturalist is not just “nature social media,” but an online tool where users can post photos of wildlife along with a location (that can be exact or obscured for privacy- I obscure the locations of observations made in my backyard) which can allow anyone to look at the discoveries people make across the world. I have used iNaturalist extensively when studying and identifying plants and animals, as it provides a massive database of photos taken by everyday people. Rather than searching up images of species in Google images, I have found that searching up species in iNaturalist yields more accurate and detailed images to study. I have spent lots of time posting on iNaturalist (I’m almost at 500 observations!) but even more time scouring what can be found locally and across the world. By using iNaturalist’s “explore” features on a desktop, you can narrow your searches down to specific areas, taxonomic groups, months of the year, and photo licensing, if you want to find royalty-free photos for your projects. For instance, I often search “birds” and “Comal County” to find out what others have found in my community. There are 12 observations of an Elegant Trogon, a bird that is rarely found in the States, let alone Texas, that wandered into Landa Park in 2018! INaturalist also contribute their observations to scientific studies, allowing “citizen science” to help track species populations and ranges. Pretty cool!

INaturalist has another app called “Seek,” which is a great way to engage others in nature, especially kids. Take a photo of any species, and the app will help identify the species for you! You can also earn “badges” for the observations you make, turning nature education into a fun game where you and your friends and family can learn about the species we share a home within Comal County.

if you make a profile, give “jcauf” a follow.  

Follow Jaxon the Intern and Keep It Wild in Comal County

CONSERVATION IN THE NEWS

COMMUNITY EVENTS

• Greater Edwards Aquifer Alliance events

• Headwaters at the Comal events

• July Fischer Park events

  • Wee Discovery Preschool

  • Nature Camp

  • Garden Volunteer Day

  • Archery in the Park

  • Summer Teen Program

• Lindheimer Native Plant Society events

  • Seed cleaning

• New Braunfels Native Plant Society 

• G]

• Texas Children in Nature

  • Our Open Spaces

  • Youth Physical Activity in Our Warming World

Bracken Bat Flights

All month long, witness one of nature's most spectacular sights - 20 million bats taking to the Hill Country skies from Bracken Cave.

2025 Outreach Events (Tentative):

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 3rd (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)