Big Haynes Creek Nature Center in Conyers awarded grant for public art photo station

CONYERS, GA— Big Haynes Creek Nature Center (BHCNC), located at the Georgia International Horse Park (GIHP), has been awarded the Irene Irwin Fund Grant from the Conyers Civic League.

The League’s mission is to encourage and promote the development of the arts in Conyers and Rockdale County.

The grant, in collaboration with the Conyers Rockdale Council of the Arts(CRCA), was approved for just under $2,000 to refurbish a dilapidated, 7-foot-tall bird blind and rehabilitate a section of the wetlands so that birding photographers and nature enthusiasts can once again utilize the structure.

Through this project, overgrowth that currently obstructs wildlife-viewing opportunities will be removed, and the bird blind will be fully restored and painted with a colorful set of Great blue heron wings that will double as an interactive photo station.

“Currently, the bird blind is not painted and is often overlooked because it blends in with the natural surroundings. Painting it in a multitude of bright blue and gray hues will turn it into an inviting space for hikers to stop, pose, and take home a piece of Big Haynes Creek Nature Center through their personal photographs, in addition to being able to observe the staggering biodiversity that surrounds them,” said GIHP Event Manager Dawn Tanner.

Entitled “Spread Your Wings & Fly,” the project’s intent is to not only illustrate the grandeur of one of the most beautiful wading birds in the wetland’s ecosystem, but the beauty of each visitor, evoking positivity and inspiration through the wild world of art and nature. Signage, also funded by the grant, will emphasize this important message.

Designs for the project are underway and expected to be completed by the end of March by local artists from The Sketching Pad, located in Olde Town Conyers.

“The “Spread Your Wings & Fly” project is an incredible partnership between four Rockdale County organizations to create a striking piece of public art,” said Executive Director Shelli Siebert. “It represents an example of the implementation of every aspect of CRCA’s mission at once.”