Celebrated each year on April 22, Earth Day is a time to think more mindfully about caring for our planet. Earth Day brings awareness to the environmental issues that can be hazardous to the planet as well as our livelihood and health. Learning about Earth Day and caring about our environment allows us to take small actions. Recycling, reusing shopping bags, composting, and carpooling are small ways that we can protect our planet and ourselves. By raising awareness we can begin to see the interconnectedness of all living things and work together within our own communities, and globally.

To celebrate Earth Day, we’re highlighting a variety of on-theme programs, a Grab & Go kit for families and adults, and a selection of books–for adults and children–on topics like gardening, environmental activism, and botany. For further reading, click here for a curated list of OverDrive eBooks.

Programs

Earth Day Adult Grab & Go Kit
Available for pickup starting Monday, April 19 at 10:00 a.m.
While supplies last, adults can pick up a kit to make biodegradable starter pots out of recycled materials, and try sprouting some seeds. The kits include newspaper, potting soil to fill four starter pots, and a few each of basil and purple coneflower seeds. You’ll need to provide tape and a cylinder (an empty toilet paper tube will work perfectly.) Both plants are easy to grow; purple coneflower is a native pollinator-friendly flower with a long bloom season, and basil is delicious.

The Pollinator Victory Garden
Tuesday, April 20 at 7:00 p.m.
Many pollinator species have suffered serious declines in recent years. It’s a serious problem for all of us since pollinators are responsible for the pollination of 80% of all flowering plants, and at least 30% of the food that we eat. Unfortunately, most of our landscapes offer little in the way of appropriate habitat and forage. With simple strategies, you can attract and support not just bees, but an array of pollinators that have different requirements. Learn how to create a Pollinator Victory Garden to help win the war on pollinator decline.
Kim Eierman is an environmental horticulturist, specializing in ecological landscapes and native plants. She inspires audiences to make simple changes in their landscapes that make huge environmental improvements. Kim is an active speaker nationwide on many ecological topics – as she tells her audiences, “every landscape matters!”

Birding for Beginners
Wednesday, April 21 at 7:00 p.m.
Do you like birds but don't know how to make the leap from noticing to really seeing them? This is the program for you. We'll walk you through the basics to get you started, share some tips with you to boost your confidence, and let you in on some secrets for a great time watching birds at your window or out in the field. All you need to bring for this evening program is your enthusiasm and curiosity. Lisa Curtis and Chris Mignone, board members from the local chapter of Audubon, Central Westchester Audubon Society, are both birders who are just like you, learning all the time. They will get you started on what is a highly engaging pursuit.

Earth Day: Revenge of the Toxic Robot
Thursday, April 22 at 3:30 p.m.
When the town’s park is suddenly gated and locked, a group of friends decides to investigate. Their adventure leads them deep into the woods, where they are chased away by an eccentric robot powered by toxic sludge! Join the gang on their quest to clean up the act of a despicable polluter and save their park from being destroyed. Along the way, you’ll learn all about reducing waste and recycling, reusing everyday products around you, and how pollution affects the environment. You can make a difference in protecting our planet!

Books for Adults

Garden Renovation: Transform Your Yard into the Garden of Your Dreams by Bobbie Schwartz
OverDrive/Hoopla/Library Catalog

Protecting Pollinators: How to Save the Creatures that Feed our World by Jodi Helmer
OverDrive/Hoopla/Library Catalog

Pollinator Victory Garden: Win the War on Pollinator Decline with Ecological Gardening by Kim Eierman
OverDrive/Hoopla/Library Catalog

The Well-Tended Perennial Garden: The Essential Guide to Planting and Pruning Techniques by Tracy DiSabato-Aust
Hoopla/Library Catalog

A Way to Garden: A Hands-on Primer for Every Season by Margaret Roach
OverDrive/Hoopla/Library Catalog

Pollinator Friendly Gardening: Gardening for Bees, Butterflies, and Other Pollinators by Rhonda Fleming Hayes
OverDrive/Hoopla/Library Catalog

Nature's Best Hope: A New Approach to Conservation That Starts in Your Yard by Douglas W. Tallamy
OverDrive/Hoopla/Library Catalog

Books for Children

I Am a Warrior Goddess by Jennifer Adams
Hoopla/Library Catalog
A warrior goddess is strong and greets the sun and the earth each day. She fills her heart with kindness and is generous and grateful. She belongs to a family of warriors and her family belongs to the earth. At the end of the day she says goodnight to the sun, the earth and the wind. A wonderful book about the inner strength and capabilities of all beings.

We Are Water Protectors by Carol Lindstrom and Michaela Goade
OverDrive/Library Catalog
We Are Water Protectors is an inspiring story about the Indigenous movement against the Dakota Access Pipeline. Water is sacred and nurtures us. Water is first medicine and needs to be protected. We Are Water Protectors is an astounding artistic achievement full of illuminating illustrations. The pictures show a mother whose womb is connected to a flowery moon, tribal culture, pride and hummingbirds hovering above a red flower. Illustrator Michaela Goade has made history by being the first Indigenous person to receive the prestigious Caldecott Medal. An important book for all who care about preserving our planet and the Indigenous people.

Maker Comics: Grow a Garden by Alexis Frederick-Frost
Library Catalog
Do you love graphic novels? Do you want to learn about gardening, composting and exotic plants and butterflies? Then you must pick up Grow a Garden. This book has easy step-by-step instructions on how to make a compost bin, potting mix, and even a container garden. Gardening is a wonderful way to work with your hands, release stress, and grow your own lettuce, carrots, tomatoes and peppers. Here, gardening is framed within the story of Will, Violet and Basil, who study at Garden Gnome Academy with Mr. Butternut, an unusual teacher who often makes a stinky mess in class.

Baby Botanist by Dr. Laura Geihl and Daniel Wiseman
Library Catalog
Baby Botanist is curious about plants. First, she plants a seed and observes like a true scientist: some plants are tiny with no roots while others are big with long roots. Baby Botanist knows that some plants grow on water while others grow underground. She loves chocolate and is aware that chocolate comes from plants. Baby Botanist also knows how to surprise Mama with a beautiful gift after planting and observing. Baby Botanist by Dr. Laura Geil is a wonderful discovery of plant life and connecting to the earth.

My Little Garden by Katrin Wiehle
Library Catalog
This adorable little board book introduces young children to a little garden. A mouse, hedgehog and sparrow live in a garden. They also have friends such as snail, earthworm, mole and ants. There are also creatures in the air: bees, ladybugs, and butterflies. What kind of flowers do we see in this little garden? There is a daisy, a tulip and a sunflower. There are also fruits that grow in a tree and fruits and vegetables in a patch. This endearing book is also made from 100% recycling materials. If you like this book you should also check out My Little Pond and My Little Forest, also made from 100% recycled paper.

Be sure to also check out:

• Raquel's Dive Into Diversity:  Environmental Activism in Children's Picture Books 

• Josh's Peculiar Picks: Earth Day

• and our previous Earth Day related blog posts.