Media Contact: Leanne Ingle, Communications Specialist, (877) 284-6237, ext. 2508

Naturalist Katie Keehner will share some fascinating facts about birds and a hands-on examination of feathers, beaks and bones at the annual meeting of the Friends of the North Mason Timberland Library. All area residents will be welcome to participate. The program is geared toward adults and high school youth. The presentation will begin after a short meeting of the library’s Friends group. The event will be held Wednesday, March 8 from 7 to 8:30 p.m. at the library, located at 23081 NE State Route 3, Belfair.

Keehner will explore a myriad of bird topics: coloration, body structure, flight, habits and habitats. She said she hopes that people will bring "curiosity, questions, and a good sense of humor." While she has two teaching degrees and partial marine biology and partial zoology degrees, much of Keehner’s expertise has been gained in the field, from books and from studying with other experts.

"I have spent the greater part of my life in the out-of-doors!" Keehner states in her biography. "As a small child, I learned to track and trap with my father in the back woods of Minnesota." Later on she taught her sons the same skills. Keehner still does a great deal of tracking, bird watching and teaching. She "hunts" with a camera. Her curiosity and her delight in teaching others about wildlife keeps her learning and sharing, she writes. Keehner has lived and worked in the Olympic Peninsula for 15 years.

The Friends of the North Mason Timberland Library are sponsoring Keehner’s presentation. For more information, people may call the library at (360) 275-3232.