The leaves are changing, cooler temperatures have made their debut, and the days are getting shorter. Every year it seems as though time passes quickly between Halloween and the November/ December Holidays. As we acknowledge and give thanks to our family, friends, co-workers, and all those that were there for us this year. Our management company would like to thank all our homeowners and renters for maintaining and caring for their property, yard and their community. With your help we can continue to make our community a safe, clean, and wonderful place for everyone. We are forever grateful!!!

As the pandemic ground the tourism industry on Bali to a halt, a man sought to do the same to the problem of plastic pollution, by offering rice in exchange for plastic garbage. The reaction was immediate, and compounding, with over 500 tons of plastic collected by over 200 villages on the Indonesian island, for which the organizers have given out over 550 tons of rice. Local neighborhood groups called Banjars began organizing plastic collections once a month in the forests, towns, and on the beaches, before bringing it to Yasa for their main staple food. Bali Tribune reports that in a single two-hour period in August of this year, a Plastic Exchange in the village of Saba collected turned in two tons of plastic, and that Yasa’s project was beginning to change the attitudes of islanders. “Now, people think that plastic waste must be sorted and collected, then exchanged. There are even my people who collect plastic on the streets every day,” explained the director of the Saba Banjar, Kadek Merta Anggara. “People in Bali live in nature,” Yasa said. “Traditionally, we believe nature has a soul. People do care about the environment. But the plastic pollution in Bali is because of lack of education and practice.”

A new study has found that shade provided by solar panels increased the abundance of flowers under the panels and delayed the timing of their bloom, both findings that could aid the agricultural community. The study, believed to be the first that looked at the impact of solar panels on flowering plants and insects, has important implications for solar developers who manage the land under solar panels, as well as agriculture and pollinator health advocates who are seeking land for pollinator habitat restoration. Pollinating insects aid in the reproduction of 75% of flowering plant species and 35% of crop species globally. Habitat for pollinating insects is declining globally as a result of urbanization, agricultural intensification and land development. Changes in global climate can also cause shifts in habitat availability. Meanwhile, solar photovoltaic installation in the U.S. has increased by an average of 48% per year over the past decade, and current capacity is expected to double again over the next five years, the researchers say. The increased demand for solar panels leads to an interest in the field of agrivoltaics, where solar energy production is combined with agricultural production, such as planting agricultural crops or grazing animals, on the same land. Graham works with Chad Higgins, an associate professor in Oregon State’s College of Agricultural Sciences. Higgins recently published a paper that found co-developing land for both solar photovoltaic power and agriculture could provide 20% of total electricity generation in the United States with an investment of less than 1% of the annual U.S. budget. Furthermore, wide-scale installation of agrivoltaic systems could lead to an annual reduction of 330,000 tons of carbon dioxide emissions in the U.S—the equivalent of 75,000 cars off the road per year—and the creation of more than 100,000 jobs in rural communities, while minimally impacting crop yield, Higgins found.

The bones of two elephant cousins, camel, rhino, horses, tortoises, and even a toothed-salmon weighing 400 pounds were all subsequently discovered there in what is one of the largest single discoveries in the state’s history. Most charismatic of Francek’s ‘Great Beasts’ was undoubtedly the complete skull of an American mastodon with all its teeth and magnificent tusks intact—the first discovery in the area since 1947. Needing over four days of work and eight people to load it into a truck, the two-tusked mastodon roamed Earth more than 10 million years ago before becoming extinct during the Pleistocene, just 12,000 years ago.

Uniquely suited to care about marine life, as the world’s only island continent, the investment package will also support Australian Marine Parks, expand the Indigenous Protected Areas in the Sea Country and protection of marine species.

Much of the funding will go towards ecosystems that involve sea-grass and mangroves, which play a key role in drawing carbon out of the atmosphere.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison said Australia’s oceans would be key to the country’s role in driving down emissions.

“The climate and the planet’s oceans are inextricably linked. This investment is a major contribution to domestic and international efforts to build healthier oceans and combat climate change,” said Morrison.

“This investment will boost the sea-grass and mangroves that will help cut emissions and it’ll mean cleaner beaches, lower fisheries by catch, more fish stocks, better protection for turtles and seabirds, and help for coastal and Indigenous communities reliant on the ocean for their livelihoods.”

During the international Climate Summit, three governments and nine giant corporations announced a groundbreaking coalition, called LEAF, which is mobilizing to raise at least $1 billion this year, alone, for large-scale forest protection and sustainable development. The coalition already includes the governments of the UK, US, and Norway, and international companies, including Airbnb, Amazon, Bayer, GlaxoSmithKline, Nestle, and Unilever. The goal is for governments, businesses, and NGOs to pay for high-quality emissions reductions from tropical forests. The LEAF Coalition offers an important new approach that can help protect trees by offering the financial assurance needed for countries to start prioritizing policies that reduces deforestation.

Earth Day is coming up fast and there's plenty you can do to show your love for the planet! Take a walk instead of driving, recycle and many more! I've started a small flower garden for the spring! I'm also thinking about growing some strawberries! I may live in a small apartment right in the middle of the city but that doesn't mean I can't help. With every plant that grows up big and strong the Earth becomes stronger and healthier too. What are you going to be doing this year?

We invite you to visit the Crossroads of Texas! We are expanding our reach toward Evant, Texas with a new office! Our main office is still in Round Rock and though that is not changing any time soon, we are very excited to tell you that we are growing thanks to your help and trust in our abilities. Evant is a cute, small town with locally owned stores featuring art, boutiques, antiques, home goods, baked goods, and more. They also have attractions such as the Buena Vista Wildlife Safari and the RV Park. Attend the local rodeo; visit a winery; attend the Pearl Bluegrass Jam and Stage Show. Evant is located at the junction of Highways 281 and 84, it’s 1½ hours from Austin, 30 minutes from Lampasas and an hour from Waco.

With time the Austin market has become very saturated, and the rental prices have become more and more unreasonable so, we thought it best to grow outward and discover more properties in different areas of central Texas. During this search we found the great secret of Evant; Being that Evant is the crossroads of Texas, it means we can reach new areas we couldn’t before! Such as, Killeen, Fort Hood, Temple and many more. There is plenty of fresh, beautiful land with a much more reasonable housing market to go with it, as well as plenty to do. Museums to water parks, fun for a whole family or you can go to the golfing clubs and spas if that more towards your style. There is something for everyone out in this northwestern part of central Texas; for you and your future residents alike.

If you have any questions about purchasing and/or investing in any properties out in these areas, please don’t hesitate to send an email or call Tonia McCoy at (512) 567-3038. We are also answering any questions or concerns about our new upcoming office and area itself. Again, thank you all for trusting and believing in us. We couldn’t have gotten here without you and we hope you are excited as we are as we continue to grow!

Hi! As I am a new face to this business, I thought it best to introduce myself! I'm Taylor McCoy. I'm 19, 20 in may and I am Tonia's kiddo! I may be young but I grew up in this business, going to make readies and shows since I was small. I've watched as my parents business grew and now that it's big enough I'm proud to be an official employee. I also will be running this website from now on, so if you have any questions please don't be afraid to ask!