Ken J. Weber (November 28, 1943 – August 2, 2007), born in

Ottoville, Ohio Ottoville is a village in Putnam County, Ohio, in the United States. The population was 976 at the 2010 census. History The first plat at Ottoville was made in 1845 for John Otto Bredeick. The effort at first proved unsuccessful, and the town ...

, was a

Rhode Island Rhode Island (, like ''road'') is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It is the List of U.S. states by area, smallest U.S. state by area and the List of states and territories of the United States ...

journalist A journalist is an individual that collects/gathers information in form of text, audio, or pictures, processes them into a news-worthy form, and disseminates it to the public. The act or process mainly done by the journalist is called journalism ...

and nature writer. He worked for the

Providence Journal ''The Providence Journal'', colloquially known as the ''ProJo'', is a daily newspaper serving the metropolitan area of Providence, Rhode Island, and is the largest newspaper in Rhode Island. The newspaper was first published in 1829. The newspape ...

from 1971 until 1996, when he retired as section editor. He continued to write a weekly nature article until his death. He has written many books about hiking, including bird-watching trails. His book, ''Weekend Walks in Rhode Island,'' is in its fourth edition, and is a popular guide for day hikes in the state. He wrote the text for the guide through the Mowry Conservation Area, used to guide visitors through the seven scenic walks in

Smithfield, Rhode Island Smithfield is a town that is located in Providence County, Rhode Island, United States. It includes the historic villages of Esmond, Georgiaville, Mountaindale, Hanton City, Stillwater and Greenville. The population was 22,118 at the 2020 cen ...

. Ken held a staff position at the Audubon Society of Rhode Island and offered occasional nature talks. Weber was posthumously inducted into the 2008 Hall of Fame, by the Rhode Island Press Association. He is survived by his wife of 42 years, Betti J. (Hoorman) Weber, and four children.

Bibliography

*''Wanderings'', co-authored with Providence Journal Company, Dutch Island Press, 1989. *''More Walks and Rambles in Rhode Island'', Backcountry Publications, 1992. *''Walks and Rambles in Rhode Island: A Guide to the Natural and Historic Wonders of the Ocean State'', Backcountry Publications, 1993. *''Canoeing Massachusetts, Rhode Island and Connecticut'', Backcountry Publications, 1995. *''A century of dedication: The first 100 years of the Audubon Society of Rhode Island'', Audubon Society of Rhode Island, 1997. *''Paddling Southern New England: 30 Canoe Trips in Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut'', W.W. Norton Inc., 2001. *''Weekend Walks in Rhode Island: 40 Trails for Hiking, Birding & Nature Viewing'', W.W. Norton Inc., 2005. In December 2016, the book, ''Rhode Island Birding Trails: Over 60 Places to Watch Birds in the Ocean State'', was published and dedicated to Weber. His close friend Jeff Hall had co-authored the book with Weber, however, after Weber's death in 2007, the book sat unfinished and unpublished until Hall and a colleague, rechecked the work, beginning in 2013.

External links

*
The Audubon Society of Rhode Island

References

1943 births 2007 deaths 20th-century American journalists American male journalists American nature writers American male non-fiction writers {{US-journalist-1940s-stub