Join Maria for the Outdoor Speakers Series

Author Maria Mudd Ruth fell in love with clouds the same way she fell for an imperiled seabird—madly and unexpectedly. Her infatuations, a decade apart, inspired her to undertake two book projects. But how does a non-birder find her way into the world of an elusive, little-studied bird? How does a non-meteorologist tackle the complex science and meaning of the shape-shifting clouds?  And why would she want to?

Find out as Maria discusses her latest books, the critically acclaimed Rare Bird: Pursuing the Mystery of the Marbled Murrelet and her newly released A Sideways Look at Clouds. Both books combine memoir, natural history, and humor—follow a steep and often bumpy learning curve as Maria pursues her enigmatic subjects. During her research adventures, Maria discovers a world of unexpected beauty, frustration, fascination, joy, and even solace.

Maria’s program will highlight the value of curiosity, the common challenges of studying birds and clouds (and other things about which you know nothing), and the importance of forging abiding connections to the natural world.  The program will be a combination of short reading from her two book, a selection of slides featuring stunning Pacific Northwest clouds, Q&A, and sales/signing of her two books.

Outdoor sports enthusiasts, birdwatchers, and cloudgazers will find common ground as they discover new and fundamentally simple ways to enrich their experience of natural world. 

Program starts at 6 p.m. Doors open at 5:30.