BIRDwalk, ARTtalk

July 11, 2026 | 9 am - 12 pm

All ages- Children under 16 must be accompanied by an adult who is also registered for this workshop.

Instructors: Doray Lendacky, Elan Blitch, and Heather Carter

Workshop Description:

In this two-part workshop, you'll enjoy a peaceful morning of bird watching and art discussion! We'll start with a short walk at Patsy Glenn Refuge in Wimberley, looking for native birds with Master Naturalist Doray Lendacky. While at Patsy Glenn Refuge, artist Heather Carter will talk about her public art installation, 'Sanctuary,' that is on display at the park. The group will then head across the street to our contemporary art gallery ARTSPACE to discuss wildlife photography with photographer Elan Blitch, whose work is on display in the current exhibit at ARTSPACE entitled -flight- the sky, practicing us. Light refreshments will be served.

This workshop is provided by projectART as a companion event to our gallery exhibit -flight- the sky, practicing us.

Instructor Bios:

Doray Lendacky received her Hill Country Master Naturalist certification in 2019, the class of the Texas Horned Lizards, and served as the Chapter Vice President from 2023-25. She is one of the HELM team leads, participates in four of the local annual Audubon Christmas Bird Counts, and conducts monthly bird surveys for Dripping Springs Parks. Doray was the casual bird watcher, putting out seed feeders and filling bird baths so she could observe the backyard birds. She spent many hours photographing, identifying, and listening to these feathered visitors. This passion quickly grew into an obsession. She travels afar to score “Lifers” and is honing her bird song and call skills.

Elan Blitch is a passionate wildlife photographer with a focus on conservation. Spending the majority of his life documenting and recording species native to where he has resided has allowed him to find what is really important in conservation. People do not know what there is to protect in natural spaces without seeing the beauty they hold firsthand. The unique way he captures animals by immersing himself in their home allows a broader audience to appreciate what lies just feet away.

Heather Carter is a wood sculptor, parent, and former school board trustee of a public charter school, Katherine Anne Porter School. She has a BFA from Southwestern University and has been invited to speak to undergraduate students about her work and success as a public artist. Her commissions include work for an Austin Public Library, several Texas restaurants, and office lobby spaces. She has taught project-based learning activities with local junior high and high school students and has served as a visiting artist/teacher at the Junior High, High school, and college levels. Heather enjoys her continuing work designing a curriculum for students that includes Maker Spaces and Entrepreneurship and hopes that ProjectART can be a catalyst for this new way of bringing ART into every subject.