Williamson County has seen explosive growth in recent years, and that kind of development can wreak havoc on natural habitats. Good news, then, for threatened species like the Salado salamander and the golden-cheeked warbler, that 1,205 acres of ecologically sensitive private land within the Edwards Aquifer Recharge Zone was gifted last year to the Hill Country Conservancy. The preserve isn’t open to the public on a regular basis, but nature lovers should check the website for scheduled birding and nature hikes to take in some of the property’s splendors – including six limestone caves and the headwaters for three tributaries of Salado Creek – themselves.
