[r
- LISA REZNICEK: It's a way for us to get people
inspired about the outdoors and really to take that
inspiration that they have about nature
and channel it into some art form.
[music]
I'm Lisa Reznicek, Park Interpreter from
Galveston Island State Park.
Today in Galveston Island State Park, we're excited
to have a sand castle contest.
Everybody in the entire family can join.
You know if the contest doesn't draw them in,
the shade actually might.
It's an experience.
It's something that I remember when I was a kid
and I went to the beach with my family,
it was something that we all did.
[music]
Are you guys building sand castles?
- GIRL: Yeah.
- LISA: Did you know we're going to have a contest?
I'd love to get you guys involved.
It's a way for us to introduce the concept of
Arts in the Parks
and three-dimensional art or sculpture.
Do you sand castle at all?
You got some good skills?
It looks like you guys are already working pretty hard
on some sand castles.
I would love for you to join.
I also do camera phone hikes,
watercoloring programs,
drawing and journaling programs.
So, just a little bit of what the Texas State Parks
can offer in our Arts in the Parks programs.
[music]
Stemming back from some of the earliest national parks
that we've had, America has had a really long history of
fine arts and environmental conservation.
[gulls squawk]
More than once I've heard adults, kids and families
in general come up to me and say, "I had no idea
"that I could do this outside,
"and now it's just one more thing that gets me back
outside, gets me back into the Texas state parks."
I've even had a family with young toddlers who now have
watercolor sets for the entire family,
and every time they go camping,
they now take out their watercolor sets.
Today we are going to do some watercolor painting...
I'm Lauren Hartwick
and I am the Park Interpreter at Lockhart State Park.
...one of our dry watercolor palettes.
For me it's just a way to relax outside,
draw in people.
Now you can see right away that the wet-on-wet technique
is going to give you nice blurry lines.
I try to give them enough information to get them started.
Pretty cool, right?
After that, it's all about giving them a chance
to express whatever they want to express.
- Hmmm.
- It allows people to get outside
and express their creativity
and make observations about nature
and try to translate the beauty of nature onto a page.
- WOMAN: Yeah, cool.
- What about green?
- Yeah.
- LAUREN: Are you going to do a landscape?
- GIRL: I don't know.
- LAUREN: I like having arts in the parks programs
because sometimes it draws a different audience
into the park.
That is really cool.
- WOMAN: That looks good.
- BOY: That is still black.
- LAUREN: It's really appealing to families...
and kids,
or just the young at heart.
- BOY: That's a cherry.
- LAUREN: Thank you.
It helps to have objects to draw sometimes,
like an antler or a feather.
Something you can look at in front of you
and translate onto the page.
- GIRL: I need brown.
- LAUREN: Some of them were drawing the wildlife
that you would find here in the park.
- BOY: I see it!
- LAUREN: We do painting, we do block printing,
we do origami.
We try to do an art specific program once a month,
once every other month.
That's a beautiful painting.
Lots of inspiration to be had.
[laughs]
Well enjoy your camping too.
- GIRL: Thank you.
- LAUREN: Sure thing.
See you guys.
Enjoy your stay.
[bird chirping]
- ZACH RIGGS: You're good to go.
My name is Zach Riggs...
Oh yeah!
I am the park interpreter here at Dinosaur Valley State Park.
Everyone comes down here
and heads straight for the dinosaur tracks.
[camera shutter click]
We just got finished with archery out here.
We've got the hiking and biking.
We've got horse riding here.
Not every park gets to claim that.
Later on tonight, we're going to do a nature photography class.
- CASEY CLICK: I've taken these pictures with my phone
which is an iPhone 8.
If you've got any questions about these before we go,
just let me know.
I am going to lead a nature photography hike
which is utilizing smart phones, primarily,
because everyone has smart phones with them all the time.
Most of the time we see something pretty
and we just take a quick picture of it.
We don't really think about exactly where it is
in the photograph, or think about the colors.
- ZACH: Casey is a great photographer.
So Casey is one of our volunteers here at the park.
She's helped me out with so many different programs
and this nature photography hike was actually her idea.
- CASEY: We're going to walk about two miles.
I think a lot of people aren't really used to exactly
what all the phones can do.
Is that an Android?
- WOMAN: I found it.
- CASEY: Okay, good.
Oh yeah, that looks good.
That looks great.
I used to carry a camera around all the time, years ago,
wherever I went because I never knew what was going
to strike me as beautiful.
But these smart phones, they're fantastic,
and it's nice to have it with you.
That spot right there is one of my favorite spots,
where the river curls right there.
We're going to visit a part of the river
that's not normally seen.
People don't go down that way that much.
That's why I like it too.
I'm not saying don't look at the dinosaur tracks,
but don't just look at the dinosaur tracks.
They've got great hiking trails, and there's so much more to see.
[upbeat music]
I just think it's all about where you look and how you look.
If you're looking for little pieces of beauty,
you will find them.
[upbeat music]
We're surrounded by concrete all the time, you know,
and people are always on their phones.
We're going to go this way.
But if they're using them to capture something beautiful
and get out in nature,
it can maybe spur them to go out and find different things
outside that they would enjoy.
[upbeat music]
[crickets chirp]
[whistle blows]
- Sand castle contest!
Some people call it like a ditch or a moat
or like a little bitty river.
If you want to make a mermaid out of sand,
that's totally fine, you can be as creative as you want.
Think big.
Once people get their hands in the sand,
they don't want to stop.
That's looking really good.
I think that part of the experience of joining the
sand castle contest is just building, being with friends,
being with family, being in a beautiful setting.
I think it's fun just to participate.
- Lots of fun, all the kids on the beach
coming together like this.
It's fun.
[playful music]
- LISA: Looks good.
Nice.
Oh, it's like a pond, that's going to be great.
Five minutes!
The rain is coming.
Even castles made of sand fall into the sea eventually.
[laughing]
- MAN: It looks really nice.
- LISA: You were inspired by the beach, I love it.
[clapping]
We do give out prizes to help inspire people.
The most creative castle for the day,
nice job!
So a lot of pencils, stickers, temporary tattoos
for all our participants.
Best volcano!
Ow!
[applause]
You guys get the best teamwork, you work so well...
We're only going to cover just about this much of 2,000 acres.
We start with sand castles, but we're hoping people
continue to go out and explore
and continue to be inspired by nature.
[rolling waves]