Ben Masters is a filmmaker and writer specializing in wildlife and adventure stories and Director of the film Deep in the Heart: A Texas Wildlife Story. He is most known for directing the feature-length documentary The River and The Wall (SXSW 2019 award winner) and for producing Unbranded (Mountainfilm 2015 Audience Award winner). Ben studied wildlife biology at Texas A&M University and founded Fin and Fur Films, a production company specializing in short films featuring wildlife research, conservation, and activism. He is the author of two other books published by Texas A&M University Press and has written for National Geographic and Western Horseman. His films have been distributed on Netflix, National Geographic, STARZ, PBS, and he has worked with The Wildlife Society, Borderlands Research Institute, YETI, Texas Parks and Wildlife Foundation, and other great brands and NGOs. A proud Texan, Ben loves riding a good horse through new country, filming wildlife stories that haven’t been documented before, and using movies to help conserve wildlife and wild places.

Katy Baldock, a Producer for Deep in the Heart film, has a passion for conservation and visual storytelling, using creative outlets such as photography, graphic design, and writing to communicate powerful messages and advocate for the protection of natural environments and wildlife. She is a proud East Texas native; studied communications, journalism, and art at Texas A&M University; and now lives in Austin. Katy was Associate Producer for the Emmy-nominated feature documentary The River and the Wall, Produced American Ocelot, helped produce the annual Wild Texas Film Tours, and assists with other Fin and Fur production needs. Outside of work, she’s typically finding ways to get outside in Austin, baking, reading, or exploring Texas and the western US. She hopes the beautiful imagery and stories in this book will engage readers, spark interest in conservation issues, raise awareness of the challenges we face across Texas, and inspire the public to take action in both large and small ways.

Jay Kleberg, a Producer of the Deep in the Heart film, has dedicated much of his time to creating a campaign to generate awareness for Texas’ most impactful conservation organizations and developing free K-12 educational programming specific to the film. He began working with Fin and Fur when he joined the 1,200-mile excursion along Texas’ Rio Grande River as one of the key characters and Associate Producer of The River and the Wall. Jay previously served as Associate Director and Director of Conservation Initiatives for Texas Parks and Wildlife Foundation. Prior to his work in Texas, he worked in conservation in the Brazilian Amazon and Grand Canyon National Park. Jay is a graduate of Williams College and holds an MBA from the University of Texas. He serves on the board of several land, water and wildlife conservation organizations, runs a private lands travel company, and lives in Austin with his wife and three daughters. Jay knows that to conserve the wildness that draws so many to Texas, we must imagine and invest in a more sustainable and vibrant future. He hopes that the stories and images of this book inspire a new generation of conservation-minded Texans.