Springtime may just be the best time to live in the Hill Country. Bluebonnet blooms give way to fields of firewheels as flights of butterflies swoop across winding roads and migrating songbirds return to their summer homes. I n many places, recent rains have greened things up and allowed local swimming holes a brief respite before the summer heat hits in full force.
Picturesque small towns are bustling on the weekends with spring concert series and mural unveilings – like the one in Kerrville on Saturday, 5/4. Across the region, locals and weekenders alike are appreciating the delicate wonder of our beautiful home – whether they realize it or not.
To celebrate this springtime beauty and remind folks of the importance of protecting our home in the Hill Country, the Hill Country Alliance (HCA) is hosting a region-wide photo contest – running May 1-31, 2024.
Photographers of all ages and skill levels, from amateur to professional, are invited to participate in HCA’s 18th annual photography contest. Winners will receive cash prizes and their photos will appear in HCA’s 2025 Calendar.
Photography should be original and capture the vibrant beauty of our native landscapes, wildlife, and water resources of the Texas Hill Country – from rocky creekbeds to wide-open vistas to our starry skies. Beyond wildlife and plants that call the Hill Country home, contest judges are particularly excited to see photography that captures the people and communities that make up this special part of Texas. Throughout the month of May, entries can be submitted at hillcountryalliance. org/PhotoContest. At the Hill Country Alliance (HCA), we are dedicated to ensuring current and future generations get to experience, enjoy, and benefit from the remarkable beauty of the Hill Country we know and love. Our mission is to bring together a diverse coalition of partners to preserve the open spaces, starry night skies, clean and abundant waters, and the unique character of the Texas Hill Country. Since 2006, HCA has hosted an annual photo contest to spotlight the Texas Hill Country’s unique region of diverse wildlife, pristine springs, sprawling landscapes, star-filled skies, multi-generational land stewards, historic towns, and hidden oases. With a rapidly growing population and increasing development coming into the region, many of these special qualities are at risk of being lost forever unless we act now.
Whether you call the Hill Country home on paper or only in your heart, we invite you to enter our photo contest and share your view of Home in the Hill Country. Entering the photo contest is easy. Photos can be submitted online in just a few minutes by visiting HCA’s website: www.hillcountryalliance.org/ PhotoContest.
Winning photographs will be featured in HCA’s annual Texas Hill Country Calendar, which features stunning photography from each year’s photo contest. Both the photo contest and the calendar aim to highlight the beauty of the region, provide an informative resource on Hill Country conservation, and inspire folks to learn more and become involved in the issues important to keeping the natural resources of this unique region intact.
The Hill Country Alliance is a nonprofit organization whose purpose is to raise public awareness and build community support around the need to preserve the natural resources and heritage of the Central Texas Hill Country. Visit us at www.hillcountryalliance. org.
