Kathleen Byrd holds an MFA from Western Washington University in creative writing, poetry and an MEd from the University of Washington, Tacoma, with an emphasis on adult learning theory. Her full length collection of poems "Hold the Babies" is concerned with eldership, ways of knowing, ancestors, climate change, reckoning with white-settler colonialism, and attachment to place (s). Her article "Defining College Readiness From the Inside Out" is frequently cited for its understanding of attitudes and aptitudes that inform college-readiness. Kathleen works collaboratively with other artists to engage community in the arts and poetry writing, especially related to the environment and climate change. She has been a campus leader for climate justice across the curriculum. She leads workshops and facilitates community gatherings on poetry related to place and climate change, most recently with the Nisqually River Education Project and with The Thurston County Climate Action Group. The Pacific Northwest is home to Kathleen who has lived in Seattle, Olympia, and Bellingham and maintains connections to these places. She enjoys walks in the woods, treks up mountains, and cycling around town. Kathleen Byrd is a former poet laureate of Olympia, Washington (2023-2025).