Mary Ann's Mountain Protected Forever
The Hill Country Conservancy Team
Hill Country Conservancy and landowner Mary Ann Bennett have partnered to protect 118 acres of waterways, grasslands, scenic open spaces, and wildlife habitat on Mary Ann's Mountain.
Through a voluntary conservation easement, Mary Ann continues to own and care for the property while ensuring its natural features remain protected from future development. These protections will remain in place even if the property changes hands.
Located in Gillespie County, about 16 miles from Fredericksburg and 10 miles from Kerrville, the property sits in an area experiencing rapid population growth and development. Protecting it now ensures the water, wildlife habitat, scenic views, and open spaces will remain intact even as the area around it changes.
MARY ANN'S MOUNTAIN AT A GLANCE
- 118 acres in Gillespie County
- Includes more than half a mile of White Oak Creek
- Provides habitat for the endangered Golden-cheeked Warbler, along with many other wildlife species
- Preserves native grassland, wooded, and creekside habitats
- Safeguards important land within the Pedernales River basin
A FAMILY LEGACY
The Bennett Family's legacy began when Mary Ann's parents first purchased 739 acres on White Oak Creek in 1969. An artist and fervent lover of nature, Mary Ann has since named her beloved 118-acre remainder of the larger ranch “Mary Ann's Mountain.” The land straddles approximately 1/2 mile of White Oak Creek, an all-weather tributary of the Pedernales River. The conservation easement was carefully developed to ensure that the property's natural resources, native landscapes, and ecological values will remain intact for future generations, with Ms. Bennett and any future owners to be the long-term stewards of the legacy she’s created with HCC.
"When you're standing on this land, looking out across the hills and listening to the creek, it's hard not to feel a responsibility to take care of it. We've been fortunate to enjoy this special place, and we wanted to make sure it stays this way long after we're gone. Knowing that future generations will be able to see the same views, hear the same birds, and experience the same sense of peace means a great deal to our family."
A Lasting Home for Wildlife
Mary Ann’s Mountain provides habitat for the endangered Golden-cheeked Warbler, which breeds only in Central Texas. Its native grasslands and creekside areas also support monarch butterflies and declining bird species such as the Eastern Meadowlark, Field Sparrow, Grasshopper Sparrow, Loggerhead Shrike, and Wilson’s Warbler.
Protecting these connected habitats gives wildlife space to feed, nest, rest during migration, and move across the landscape as nearby ranches and open spaces face growing development pressure.
More than 95 percent of Texas land is privately owned, making partnerships with landowners essential to protecting the Hill Country. Voluntary conservation agreements give landowners a way to permanently protect the natural resources, scenic beauty, and rural character of their land while continuing to own and care for it.
The protection of Mary Ann’s Mountain was made possible through the Hill Country Headwaters Conservation Initiative, an HCC-led partnership of nonprofit, academic, and public organizations. The initiative is funded by the Natural Resources Conservation Service through its Regional Conservation Partnership Program.
With the conservation easement now in place, Mary Ann’s Mountain will continue to protect water, wildlife habitat, and the open landscapes that make the Texas Hill Country unlike anywhere else.