{"id":433315,"date":"2026-09-11T23:40:08","date_gmt":"2026-09-11T23:40:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/433315\/"},"modified":"2026-09-11T23:40:08","modified_gmt":"2026-09-11T23:40:08","slug":"hillwood-communities-hires-ranger-amy-for-denton-development-community-impact","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/433315\/","title":{"rendered":"Hillwood Communities hires Ranger Amy for Denton development | Community Impact"},"content":{"rendered":"

At Landmark<\/a> by Hillwood<\/a>, a walk down the trail is rarely just a walk. It might mean learning to identify a bird overhead, discovering which animal left tracks along the dirt or finally feeling comfortable enough to pause and appreciate the wildlife calling the neighborhood home.<\/p>\n

That\u2019s the idea behind a new chapter of Lifestyle by Hillwood at Landmark, a 3,200-acre master-planned community in Denton where nature is woven directly into the design\u2014and now, into its daily programming.<\/p>\n

Hillwood Communities recently appointed Amy Massingill as its first director of Wellness in Nature. Known as \u201cRanger Amy,\u201d Massingill brings more than two decades of outdoor education and recreation experience to help residents build a deeper, everyday connection with the land they call home.<\/p>\n

Why make nature part of the lifestyle?<\/p>\n

For Hillwood, Landmark\u2019s<\/a> lifestyle began taking shape before the first home was built.<\/p>\n

During the community\u2019s planning process, Hillwood brought together historians, architects, city officials, parks and recreation leaders, land experts and lifestyle professionals to study the land and determine how its natural character could shape the community.<\/p>\n

At Landmark, that meant preserving the landscape rather than building over it. The 3,200-acre community includes rolling knobs, a preserved stretch of the Cross Timbers Forest and about 1,100 acres of parks, trails and wild spaces. Its planned 35-mile trail network will give residents plenty of opportunities to explore. But Hillwood wanted those spaces to be more than amenities.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe don\u2019t want to say we have trails and that\u2019s the end of the story,\u201d Senior Lifestyle Director Page Austin said. \u201cWe\u2019ve got trails\u2014and now we have someone who is going to guide you through them.\u201d<\/p>\n

That thinking helped lead to Massingill\u2019s role, giving residents an expert who can help them better understand, experience and appreciate the land around them.<\/p>\n

Who is Ranger Amy?<\/p>\n

For Massingill<\/a>, that deep connection to the outdoors started on a farm, where camping and fishing were simply part of growing up. That passion turned into a 14-year career running an outdoor education program at a YMCA camp, using nature as a living classroom for school-age children.<\/p>\n

A certified Texas Master Naturalist with a master\u2019s degree in recreation, Massingill brings a warm, approachable style to the neighborhood.<\/p>\n

\u201cHaving someone in the community who can actually teach makes all the difference,\u201d Massingill said. \u201cPeople won\u2019t naturally step outside their comfort zone without a little prompt. Whether it\u2019s identifying animal tracks or helping someone feel safe around local wildlife, I\u2019m here to give residents the exposure and confidence they need to explore.\u201d<\/p>\n

What will residents experience?<\/p>\n

Massingill\u2019s role is designed to activate Landmark\u2019s natural spaces\u2014from its trails and lakes to its neighborhood gathering spots. Guided hikes turn trail walks into hands-on lessons in native wildlife and tracking, while lakes and ponds provide natural backdrops for community fishing days and aquatic ecology lessons.<\/p>\n

Massingill\u2019s<\/a> programming will also extend into Landmark\u2019s broader amenities, including the Hilltop Amenity Center and dedicated STEAM Learning Parks. Outdoor spaces will host activities such as Plant Bingo, art workshops using natural materials, outdoor fitness and live music on the lawn.<\/p>\n

For kids, the upcoming Landmark Explorers program will offer a Junior Ranger experience with monthly adventures such as fishing, meeting local wildlife experts and earning collectible pins along the way.<\/p>\n

\u201cNature has an incredible way of bringing people together, so some of life\u2019s best moments happen outside\u2014whether it\u2019s watching a child discover wildlife for the first time, meeting a neighbor on a trail or simply slowing down long enough to appreciate the world around you,\u201d Massingill said.<\/p>\n

What happens when residents connect with the land?<\/p>\n

For Massingill, the hope extends beyond getting people outside.<\/p>\n

\u201cI really want people to develop their own passion for nature,\u201d Massingill said. \u201cWhen residents understand and enjoy the landscape right outside their back door, it creates a genuine culture of stewardship. They care for the land because it\u2019s an active part of their daily lives.\u201d<\/p>\n

Whether it\u2019s keeping trails clear or understanding local ecosystems, Hillwood is building more than green space. The goal is to create a culture where neighbors connect with each other and the land they live on.<\/p>\n

Ready to explore Landmark?<\/p>\n

Landmark\u2019s connection to nature continues to grow. Its trail network is expected to open to the public later this fall and eventually be mapped on the AllTrails app. Plans are also underway for a dedicated public city park within the community.<\/p>\n

Want a sneak peek? Landmark is hosting Lawn Fest from 3-6 p.m. Sept. 19. Open to the public, the event features model home tours across all nine featured builders, live music, a local pumpkin patch and a Highland cow.<\/p>\n

Here are more ways to check out Landmark:<\/p>\n

Frequently asked questions<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"At Landmark by Hillwood, a walk down the trail is rarely just a walk. It might mean learning…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":433316,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[9],"tags":[150532,102,104,103,1313,150531,17017,150535,150533,150534],"class_list":["post-433315","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-dallas","tag-amy-massingill","tag-dallas","tag-dallas-headlines","tag-dallas-news","tag-denton","tag-hillwood-communities","tag-landmark","tag-landmark-by-hillwood","tag-ranger-amy","tag-wellness-in-nature"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/433315","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=433315"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/433315\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/433316"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=433315"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=433315"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=433315"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}