It may only be about seven miles from Boerne, but when you visit in the coming years, you’ll feel like you’re far away. Since 2011, intentional and meticulous development and preservation have been ongoing, trying to keep the 3,757 acres in its natural state while preparing it for the public as the Albert & Bessie Kronkosky State Natural Area.
“That’s a mouthful, so we just say ABK,” says James Rice, the project superintendent. Rice, who has long worked with Texas Parks & Wildlife, got the job almost as soon as the Kronkosky family donated the land to the state. Rice says the plan has always been for the property to become a state natural area. But the Friends of ABK SNA—a nonprofit group of volunteers who are passionate about the project—helped the state figure out how to balance developing the area for people to enjoy while also preserving as much of the area’s natural beauty as possible. Once official proposals were approved, major development began about five years ago. However, the history of these rolling hills goes back a lot further than 2011.
The modern history of what would become ABK State Natural Area goes back to 1946 when the Kronkosky family started purchasing the land. “During the time they owned the land, they did little to disturb it,” says Kathy Ward, Volunteer and Geology Team Leader of the project. “They did not have any cattle and did very little planting.” Ward also explained that geological evidence suggests that millions of years ago, the land on which ABK stands was actually a shallow sea.
“The Kronkoskys wanted to leave their land to become a state natural area,” says Nancye Drukker, who has volunteered at ABK for 12 years. The Kronkosky estate donated all 3800 acres to the state, specifically with the intent of conserving it. “What we decided when we got this property is that we designated it as a state natural area, not a state natural park,” says Rice, “And there is a difference.” The main difference between the two is that a state natural area is dedicated to conserving the land with emphasis on minimal manmade additions. Since the mission from the beginning has been to protect the land, the next step was to know the land. “Then what we had to do is go out and catalog all of the sensitive areas,” Rice says.
“Before we got this property, we knew it was coming our way,” says Rice. He says that even before the property was received by the state, they were allowed to go out and survey the area and find out what was out there. “We knew that there were some rare things out there,” says Rice. More than 260 volunteers joined Drukker and Ward to survey the land for precisely what’s out there, including plants, animals, and rocks—even the soil has been surveyed. The reason for all this documentation? “All of that determines where the public is allowed to go,” says Drukker, “The goal is conservation and education.”
Ever since the state got the land, the volunteers have undertaken numerous “walks” where the mission is to catalog their findings in specific categories. “At the time, we were also doing plant walks and butterfly walks,” says Ward. Designated groups have meticulously recorded everything from the fish to all the plants that cover the property. “There’s basically a walk for everything you can name,” Ward says.
Everything the volunteers document will determine how any development—like road construction and campsites—will be mapped out on the land. “If the state wanted to come out and build a bunch of cabins, and the cabins are in a fragile ecological area, you don’t want to do that,” says Drukker. Drukker and Ward have been instrumental in cataloging many of the animals found on the ABK land—some of which are endangered. “Golden-cheeked Warblers are an endangered species,” says Drukker, “We have a lot of them out there.” Drukker talks about how road construction had to pause briefly for the bird’s breeding season. Another rare plant found on ABK might surprise you: the Boerne Bean. “Even though it’s quite common, it’s only quite common in very small areas,” says Rice, “It’s an actual bean, it’s a legume, and it’s wild.”
“The infrastructure is going to be minimized in order to prioritize the natural beauty,” says Drukker, “This is going to be a little more primitive, but there’s a reason for that.” Rice says that although there will be some campgrounds and places to park, a key factor will be deciding how many people per day will be allowed into the area. “We’re only developing about 125 acres,” says Rice, “Even the disturbance is strategically placed.”
Although the official opening date is still in the air, the ABK State Natural Area is expected to open within the next few years. “I’m looking forward to visitors coming out here and finding their own experience,” says Rice, “It might be someone who’s just bombarded at work, and they need a place to decompress. We provide that opportunity for that to happen.”
People like Rice, Ward, and Drukker are dedicated to the mission of protecting this Texas land for decades to come. “What is this going to be year 30, year 40, year 50? We have to set up some sustainability for the future,” Rice emphasizes.
Drukker says that she’s excited for people to come out with their families and experience the beauty of the area—but also for people to be educated on the nature that surrounds them. “It's a place you can go and have beauty and quiet,” she says. “I think it’s important for the people moving out here to learn the ecology of this area so they can care for it well.”
Albert & Bessie Kronkosky SNA tpwd.texas.gov/state-parks/albert-bessie-kronkosky
Friends of ABK SNA facebook.com/p/Friends-of-ABK-SNA-61558942793483
“It’s important for the people…to learn the ecology of this area so they can care for it well.” —Nancye Drukker
“We were also doing plant walks, butterfly walks. There’s basically a walk for everything you can name.” —Kathy Ward
“I’m looking forward to visitors coming out here and finding their own experience.” —James Rice