Talking Water with The Watershed Association

We welcome Ellen Evans and David Baker of The Watershed Association.

The Watershed Association’s vision is for a future with clean, plentiful water flowing from Jacob’s Well into Cypress Creek, a healthy ecosystem essential to the culture and economy of the Wimberley Valley. Over the past two decades, our broader mission has emerged to include fostering community awareness of the watershed and the community’s responsibility to its watershed in the Wimberley Valley, across the Hill Country region, and throughout the state of Texas. At the heart of what we do is working to engage communities and provide experiences that reconnect people with nature. This principle runs throughout our six impact areas, which support implementing education, land conservation, and water policies to ensure water quality and availability for generations to come.

David Baker

David Baker is an artist, conservationist, and environmental advocate equally at ease with a brush in his studio or envisioning an environmental canvas the size of the Texas Hill Country. Since moving his family to the iconic Jacob’s Well Spring near Wimberley in 1988, he has dedicated his life and boundless creative energy to the land, water, and building a conservation network across the Cypress Creek and Blanco River watershed and the Texas Hill Country. He founded the Wimberley Valley Watershed Association in 1996 and has since served as the Executive Director, having assembled more than 400 acres of owned and managed conserved lands surrounding Jacob’s Well in honor of protecting it and the waters that feed it. As a catalyst, collaborator, and networker, David has inspired and driven the restoration and preservation of sacred artesian springs, protecting their recharge lands through advocacy, public partnerships, and determined removal of impervious cover to reclaim and restore open space and habitat in a sustainable model for generations.

In 2015, through his decades of work to protect Jacob’s Well, Cypress Creek, and the Blanco River, David envisioned and conceived the Hill Country Conservation Network, which resulted in creating a collaborative effort with Hill Country Alliance, where he served on the board for over ten years, to develop joint funding proposals and collective impact across the Hill Country. His service on numerous other boards and founding of several NGOs and public agencies, including the Hays Trinity Groundwater Conservation District, has led to collaborations with agencies and stakeholders in ongoing efforts to conserve land, and water, and to adopt a science-based public policy. David continues to create powerful outcomes and increase investment in conservation across the state through convening diverse partners and organizations to engage them in shared initiatives to address complex challenges facing our region.

Recently, David established Art4Water to tell powerful stories that communicate the value of water beyond words and engage artists in environmental stewardship. Art4Water programming is designed to inspire diverse artistic expression to educate and connect our communities to a reverence for natural springs and water and motivate collective action toward expanded investment in the protection of watersheds and pristine waters across Texas and beyond.

Ellen Evans

Drawing from decades of management and organizational leadership, Ellen brings a holistic perspective and a diverse blend of skills to her work with the Watershed Association. Rooted in her multifaceted background as an acupuncturist, environmental advocate, and facilitator of transformative experiences, Ellen applies a profound understanding of systems thinking and contextual awareness to inspire stewardship of person, place and planet.  

With a deep reverence for the natural world and a profound understanding of holistic wellbeing, Ellen's approach is one of experiential immersion, fortifying the bridge between academic knowledge and personal experience through innovative program design and organizational development.  

Whether overseeing the day-to-day operations, crafting innovative programming, or fostering organizational growth, Ellen brings a unique perspective that harmonizes the tangible and intangible aspects of the work. Her practical skills in project management, financial operations, and process optimization are complemented by her deep understanding of balanced and self-sustaining systems and her ability to inhabit and create spaces for collective growth and impact.

Ellen intertwines the practical necessities of running a successful organization with the profound potential for community health and healing that lies at the heart of the Watershed Association's mission. Her unique touch ensures that the logistical elements are executed with precision, while also infusing each endeavor with a sense of purpose, connection, and holistic well-being.

Ellen's diverse skills and passion continue to be a driving force in creating accessible and inspiring experiences for the community. Her ability to uplift individuals and systems simultaneously, coupled with her commitment to environmental wellness and advocacy, make her an invaluable asset in supporting transformational change within the context of the organization and its service to the community and the natural environment.