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Snowy owl’s story to be told at Marietta museum

Photo provided by Julie Zickefoose A snowy owl was adopted by the community after he was hit by a car and found starving near Grand Central Mall. The owl was rehabilitated and released in Erie, Pa.

MARIETTA — For a couple of months this winter, a majestic creature from the Arctic enthralled a community as the saga of an injured snowy owl in Parkersburg and Vienna spread quickly on Facebook.

Local author and artist Julie Zickefoose will recount the owl’s journey from the first sighting of him atop the Lowe’s in Marietta in November, to his unfortunate collision with a vehicle, to his rehabilitation and eventual release in Presque Isle park in Erie, Pa.

Her keynote presentation will be 7 p.m. March 29 at Campus Martius Museum in Marietta.

“I think his story reaches across the gap from those who have never seen an owl to those, like me, who get to see them all the time,” Zickefoose said.

The author of “Letters from Eden,” “The Bluebird Effect” and “Baby Birds: An Artist Looks Into the Nest” documented the owl’s journey on her blog, http://juliezickefoose.blogspot.com. Several photographers and other concerned citizens shared the story on Facebook and word got to the Avian Conservation Center of Appalachia in Morgantown. A fundraiser for the snowy owl even exceeded its $3,000 goal by a couple hundred dollars.

Julie Zickefoose

“I saw that Julie had given a talk in Athens and I thought that people here locally, where this happened, would really like to hear her presentation,” said Andrea Ralston, Outreach Services Manager for the Washington County Public Library.

The library and museums frequently partner on events, such as Brown Baggin’ Through History and the Inland Waterways Festival.

“I talked to Julie and she was really excited to be able to give the talk locally,” Ralston said. “The museum is a great place to have it because they can hold over 100 people.”

Part of the interest in the snowy owl, Zickefoose said, had to do with the way the owl looked, his white downy feathers, and the popularity of the “wise” figures in popular culture, such as Harry Potter’s Hedwig.

Zickefoose said that some even tried to give the owl a nickname.

“I thought that was beneath him. Let him have his dignity,” she said. “And also, it’s never a good idea to name something that you don’t know if its going to survive.”

The keynote presentation will run roughly 50 minutes and is free to the public.

“I waded through 15,000 words and more than 300 photos to put together this presentation. It’s a doozy … there will also be a question and answer session and booksigning afterward,” Zickefoose said. “Huge thanks to Andrea with the library, Ohio River Museum and Campus Martius Museum for sponsoring the talk.”

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If You Go…

* What: Messenger from the Arctic: The Story of the Snowy Owl

* When: Thursday, March 29 at 7 p.m.

* Where: Campus Martius Museum, 601 Second St.

* Details: Join author and illustrator Julie Zickefoose as she revisits the saga of Vienna’s Snowy Owl; free to the public

* Contact: 740-373-1057 ext. 606, Andrea Ralston, Outreach Services Manager, Washington County Public Library

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