HOBBS HAPPENINGS
Photographer to Present Dragonfly Program
While wandering through Zilker Park Botanical Gardens in Austin, Texas, Robert Thomas was photographing flowers and wildlife. Suddenly, a beautiful bright red dragonfly landed in front of him. Stunned at the beauty and vibrancy of its color, he shot a photo from about 15 feet away. That was all it took for him to be totally fascinated by these creatures.
Robert Thomas has spent the last 13 years travelling and photographing odonates (dragonflies). Thomas’s collection of photographs contains many very rare species, and some of his special photographs have graced the covers of numerous field guides. As he puts it, “It’s a matter of being in the right place at the right time, and a little good luck and know how.”
Bring the family and join Robert Thomas for a colorful, unique, and exciting program all about dragonflies. Immediately following the lecture will be an outdoor dragonfly catch and release at the Hobbs State Park visitor center. Bring your camera for close-up shots.
When: 2 p.m. Saturday, July 13
Where: Hobbs State Park Conservation Area’s visitor center
Cost: Free
This program is a cooperative effort between the Photographic Society of Northwest Arkansas and Hobbs State Park. To learn more about the PSNWA and upcoming Hobbs State Park programs, go to psnwa.org/ws.
Nature painting workshop slated
Whether you’ve painted in the past, or if you have never held a paint brush, this is the nature painting workshop for you. Lyshell Reann Hiatt-Blech, your instructor, comes from a family of artists. She does personal art instruction as well as group workshops for all ages.
Lyshell will inspire you, and guide you step by step as you create your own nature masterpiece. Thanks to her supportive teaching techniques, even the novice painter becomes successful.
At the end of the two-hour workshop, you will leave with new friends, new skills, and your very own painting. Included in the price of the event is everything you will need: canvas, brushes, paint, and easel.
Check or cash accepted
on day of workshop: Participants must pre-register. Minimum age: 8 years.
Where: Hobbs State Park visitor center
When: 2 to 4 p.m. Sunday, July 14
Cost: $30 per person
Gardening with native plants talk set
Do you know the important role that native plants play in the local ecosystem and what the benefits are in using native species for landscaping and in home gardens?
Perhaps you are stumped when it comes to planning your native plant garden and what you should look for when selecting which species to place in a particular location. Eric Fuselier
will be at Hobbs State Park to answer your questions.
For more than a decade, Fuselier has been studying the native plants found growing wild in the Ozarks. His love of the outdoors began on the trail as an avid hiker and backpacker, but eventually he was able to put his knowledge of native plants to use in a more professional capacity while working as an environmental scientist for a local engineering firm.
Don’t miss this opportunity to learn from a professional how to utilize native plants at your home.
Where: Hobbs State Park visitor center
When: Sunday, July 21 Time: 2 p.m.
Cost: Free.