Letter from the Hill Country
DAVID HILLIS, Ph.D., Professor of Integrative Biology & Biodiversity Center Director
The following is an excerpt from an interview with Hillis about his latest book, “Armadillos to Ziziphus: A Naturalist in the Texas Hill Country.”
The first thing that caught my eye about the Hill Country were all the springs and spring-fed rivers, with crystal-clear water. I was drawn to a group of groundwater salamanders that are endemic to the area. I started working, too, with the ubiquitous leopard frogs.
“There is an increasing awareness, but unfortunately also diminishing opportunities for some to experience nature. ”
These days, the climate is becoming more variable. In Central Texas, that has especially affected rainfall patterns. Now we get more droughts and floods. It’s also true that the ones we get are more serious, compared to the past. We have endured some of the worst short-term droughts in recorded history since the turn of the millennium.
Still, even now, there remain places to find vernal pools with life in them. One good spot is at the top of Enchanted Rock in Llano County after a period of wet weather, as the pools dry up in dry weather.
There is an increasing awareness, but unfortunately also diminishing opportunities for some to experience nature. We need to increase parks and wild areas that are open and accessible to the public. There are efforts to do that, but the rapidly increasing population of Texas is putting a lot of pressure on the public natural areas that exist.
