A six-week course called Introduction to Birding Orcas Island will be offered by Kim Middleton at the Orcas Island Public Library on Saturdays from 10 a.m. to noon, beginning Oct. 4. The course will involve five classroom sessions and one field trip. “Whether you like to travel, get out in nature, or watch the birds in your backyard, you will learn lifelong techniques to enhance your birding experience and increase your success in identifying birds,” says Orcas Librarian Nita Couchman.

Instructor Kim Middleton has been an avid bird watcher since she was 10 years old. She has dedicated her life to the conservation of birds through field research, rehabilitation, and public education. Middleton has degrees in Biology and Chemistry from Western Washington University, and has worked as a research chemist, a science teacher in Botswana with the Peace Corps, an ornithologist, bird trainer, wildlife rehabilitator, and environmental educator. Now residing in Eastsound, Middleton shares her passion for birds through her artwork, guided fieldtrips and ornithology classes.

The cost of the class is $45 and class size is limited to 20 students. The class will run through Nov. 8. Participants are asked to sign up at the Orcas Island Public Library for this introduction to the common birds of Orcas Island and the fundamentals of bird identification. For more information, call the Library at 376-4985.