Many years ago, when we were living west of Excelsior and my interest in birding was turning seriously serious, I spent much of my birding time at Carver Park Reserve. Many of the bird questions I had — and they were numerous — were answered by Kathy Heidel. She was a naturalist on staff there from 1968 through 2003. Kathy died May 17.

There must be thousands of people like me who had their questions answered by Kathy. She took your interest in all things wild and natural and sharpened it, in my case to a continuing passion for birds. One day in early spring I hurried to the nature center from a park lake to tell Kathy about the unusual loon I had just seen, a new bird for me. I described it, and she said, gently, with a smile, yes, the Common Merganser.

Memorial donations are welcomed by Kathy's family and Three Rivers Parks. They can be sent to: Kathy Heidel Memorial Fund-LNC, Three Rivers Park District, 3000 Xenium Lane N., Plymouth MN 55441. They will be used to continue support of Kathy's efforts to educate people about the wonders and preservation of our natural resources.