WEST PARIS — The West Paris Library will host a free presentation by UMF professor emeritus Dean Bennett at 2 p.m. Sunday, May 18, as part of their Celebrate the Maine Woods partnership.

Bennett will read passages from his book, “Nature and Renewal: Wild River Valley and Beyond,” which focuses on the Wild River and its ghost town near the border of Maine and New Hampshire.

Librarian Patricia Makley said that the Celebrate the Maine Woods partnership consists of the West Paris Library, the Agnes Gray School in West Paris, the West Paris Historical Society and the Maurice G. Benson Forest group.

“For the entire year, all of our organizations are attempting to get speakers to talk about topics related to Maine forests,” Makley said. “So far, it’s gone really well. People love that we’re able to host a variety of events in our new library building.”

Makley said that Bennett’s brother is a member of the Friends of the West Paris Library, and that he asked Bennett if there was anything he could present in regard to Maine forests.

“Dean replied that he could give an illustrated presentation on the Wild River and read passages from his book,” Makley said.

Makley said that the West Paris library has plans to host a photography exhibit on Maine logging during their annual Old Home Days festival in June.

“The Bethel Historical Society has already stepped up and offered to send us pictures from their collection that we can use for our exhibit,” Makley said.

For more information, call the West Paris Library at 674-2004.

mdaigle@sunjournal.com