The Field Station

Hill Country Field Station for Biodiversity Research

Mirasol Springs and the University of Texas will partner to create the Hill Country Field Station for biodiversity research. The field station will provide the backdrop for UT to conduct world-class research on biodiversity in the natural environment and strengthen UT Austin’s impact in managing Texas lands and waters for future generations.

The field station will feature research and teaching labs, cabins for faculty and students, and create dedicated land for biodiversity research. The establishment of the Hill Country Field Station will help to bolster and expand the University’s biological field station network, setting the stage for long-term studies and data collection on biodiversity, water resources, and land management throughout the state.

Hill Country Field Station research focus areas will include:

Biodiversity and genomics: understanding the factors the drive and control biodiversity

Land and fire management: practical applications for conservation and restoration

Understanding ecosystem changes over time

Water resources: understanding aquifer function and water quality maintenance

Long-term studies of interaction among plants, arthropods and vertebrates, with special attention to the fauna of the Edwards Aquifer