East Wenatchee resident and Wenatchee Naturalist, Keith Minard,
![Keith Minard](https://i0.wp.com/www.wenatcheenaturalist.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/IMG_0093.jpg?resize=300%2C225&ssl=1)
Keith Minard
enrolled in the fall 2018 course as a retiree, wanting to rekindle his childhood habit of keeping a field journal. He dug up his youthful fishing journal from 1961 with detailed notes about his catch, including a clipped fin for each fish.
![Keith MInard's boyhood fishing journal](https://i0.wp.com/www.wenatcheenaturalist.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/KeithMPage1.jpg?resize=300%2C279&ssl=1)
Keith MInard’s boyhood fishing journal
He has dabbled in nature journaling off and on as he walks the Apple Capital Loop Trail along the Wenatchee River.
![Keith Minard's quick field sketch](https://i0.wp.com/www.wenatcheenaturalist.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/KeithMPage2-e1549912010940-300x259.jpg?resize=300%2C259&ssl=1)
Keith Minard’s quick field sketch in 2010
After spending a class session with the entomology collection and using magnification to look at insects, Keith created a more detailed sketch of this cranefly.
![Keith Minard's Cranefly sketch](https://i0.wp.com/www.wenatcheenaturalist.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/KeithMPage-3.jpg?resize=208%2C300&ssl=1)
Keith Minard’s Cranefly sketch
Each week, Keith visited his field site along the Columbia River and recorded his observations, using sketching, water color painting, and hand-written texts. This open journal page shows his mid-October class field trip observations along the Entiat River at the left, and his own field site observations on the right.
![Keith Minard's 10/18/18 field journal entry](https://i0.wp.com/www.wenatcheenaturalist.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/KeithMPage4.jpg?resize=300%2C218&ssl=1)
Keith Minard’s 10/18/18 field journal entry
![Keith Minard's Grand Fir Study](https://i0.wp.com/www.wenatcheenaturalist.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/KMinardPage5.jpg?resize=229%2C300&ssl=1)
Keith Minard’s Grand Fir Study
In 2019, Keith has continued his practice of learning by drawing and adding color as he studies our watershed’s native conifer species. Keith is a great example of life-long learning that is a centerpiece of the Wenatchee Naturalist program design. Watch for Keith any day of the year on the loop trail, strollng and observing what is happening along the Columbia River!