Bend, Oregon

Meet the Staff

Kevin LairKevin Lair 

     I moved to Bend from Missoula, MT in February of 2000 to purchase the Wild Birds Unlimited franchise in Bend. My girlfriend (and soon to be wife) Jen and I were both finishing up our Master's degrees in Wildlife Biology at the University of Montana and were looking forward to beginning a career that combined our passion for nature with the joy of working with people. Also, having grown up in Medford, I was excited to be moving back to Oregon. Now, nearly ten years later, I am incredibly fortunate to enjoy my job more than ever and to be able to live in the most beautiful place in the country.

     In my free time, Jen, our two sons Ethan (age 5) and Jonah (age 21 months), and I like hiking, camping, and taking advantage of all the outdoor opportunities that Central Oregon provides. I am also an avid trail runner and cyclist and enjoy competing in triathlons and local running races. Beyond participating in endurance sports I love watching sports, especially my alma mater the Oregon Ducks.

     My favorite bird is the Clark's Nutcracker. A cool alpine tree, the White-bark Pine, is completely dependent on the Nutcracker for dispersing its seeds. I occasionally see Clark's Nutcrackers in my neighborhood, and always enjoy seeing them as I recreate in the mountains.

Jen photoJen Lair

 When Kevin and I moved to Bend in 2000 we were ready for a lot of change, and we found it. I grew up in the Midwest, but quickly migrated west after finishing my undergraduate degree at the University of Michigan. Kevin and I met at grad. school while I was studying cowbirds for my Masters degree in Wildlife Biology. When we found out about the opportunity to own a Wild Birds Unlimited store in Bend, we jumped at it. I love Bend, and am so happy all my various interests merged together to bring me here.

  Although I've been much more scarce around the store during the past few years, I'm still here! I spend most of my days chasing after our two boys, but as they grow I will be able to spend more time at the store and hope to reconnect with all of you. Although I do admire the Brown-headed Cowbird for their unique and prolific reproductive strategy, my favorite bird has to be the Common Raven. Where I grew up these intelligent birds were not common, and it still gives me a thrill to watch them while I am doing errands or mowing the yard. The sounds that Ravens can make are amazing, and I love their quiet knocking and water drop sounds.

Patty ohotoPatty Meehan

     I've been working at Wild Birds Unlimited for over 8 years. My husband and I are avid birdwatchers and bird feeders - which is one reason I enjoy working here, the other reason being the great staff and customers!  When not working at WBU, I play banjo and harmonica in an all woman folk/Americana trio called the Prairie Rockets.  Come see us playing at local venues, I always love to see familiar faces in the crowd. I also enjoy gardening, working with clay, and making raku, some of which is available at the shop.

     My husband and I have travelled extensively, and my favorite bird is the Kookaburra from down under in Australia. They sound like a herd of howling, screaming monkeys at dawn and dusk.

Gretchen photoGretchen Peacock

A native Oregonian, I moved to Bend in 2004 and began working at Wild Birds Unlimited shortly thereafter. I've always been interested in nature, so I enjoy having a job that allows me to share my love of birds and wildlife with others. When not working, I take every opportunity to get out hiking and mountain biking. My favorite bird is the Lesser Goldfinch. I enjoy watching them at my finch feeders as I have my morning cup of coffee.

 

Janice photoJanice Rising

I've worked at Wild Birds Unlimited for over 3 years. The staff and the customers are the best ever. It is extremely satisfying to connect our customers with the appropriate feeders and WBU seed blends.

  I love birds and it is difficult to pick just one favorite, but if I must my current favorite is the Mountain Chickadee. They are bold, handsome, courteous, tidy eaters, and they are often the scouts in a mixed flock of birds. Chickadees lead all the other birds to the feeders, so be sure you have black oil sunflower seeds and some shelled peanuts out for them. Also, I hosted a nesting pair of Mountain Chickadees in one of my nest boxes this year and they successfully fledged two young.

  In addition to birding, some of my other favorite activities are paddling, hiking, and cross country skiing - and what a special place we have here for all these activities.

James photoJames Gaut

A Texan, I moved to Bend in the fall of 2006 to be close to family and to be able to camp, hike, mountain bike, and ski in Central Oregon. I began working at WBU in the winter of 2007. I enjoy wildlife and the outdoors, and like hearing about customers wildlife encounters and sharing my own.  When not at the shop, I love listening to and playing music. I attend many of the local concerts and spend many hours playing my guitar. I am also a sports fanatic - baseball, football, basketball, tennis - I love it all!  My favorite birds are the birds of prey.  If I had to pick a single favorite I would choose the Ferruginous Hawk - they are big, beautiful birds.