Practical Earth Honoring Skills for Everyone

How can we create an ecological civilization without cultivating an ecological psyche first? At its foundation, developing an ecological psyche involves reclaiming and diversifying our sense of relational intimacy. Nutritive and connective, this class is for anyone feeling fatigued or overwhelmed about climate change. Basic earth-honoring skills decentralize humans from the global story and wake us up through joy and relatedness. Kendra Ward, LAc. is a local traditional Chinese medicine practitioner who teaches and writes about the cultivation of an earth-honoring worldview as it relates to our health, well-being, and sense of deep belonging. You can learn more about her work at kendraward.com. A Charlotte Library event. (Chittenden County.)
Register for this program here: https://bit.ly/3jgvku9.

Climate Action with 350.org

This summer we are seeing the climate crisis getting frighteningly and increasingly severe. Scientists are telling us that the window for preventing runaway climate change is closing fast. We must act boldly now to protect communities today and safeguard a viable future for our children and grandchildren.Share your thoughts and learn what Vermont is doing about the climate crisis. Your voice is needed to ensure we take meaningful and effective action!

Vanessa Rule, co-founder of Mothers Out Front and Better Future Project and 350Massachusetts and now Lead Organizer of 350Vermont will talk about the state’s plan for action, why it is critical for Vermonters to raise their voices and be engaged in the process, and how we can do that. A Charlotte Public Library event. (Chittenden County.)

Join the conversation: https://bit.ly/38nNQdU

Media Literacy: A Conversation with Journalists

Sources of media, from CNN to Reddit, have never been more abundant. Just in our town, residents can read the Charlotte Bridge; the Charlotte News; the Citizen….. plus Front Porch Forum, Facebook and local email groups.
Yet more freedom of information also brings more opportunities for disinformation, declining trust in established news organizations, and increasing popularity of conspiracy theorists.
Join us for a conversation on media literacy with Adam Davidson, Christina Asquith and Jesse Wegman, founders of The Charlotte Bridge, and national journalists. Adam co-founded Planet Money and has been a staff reporter for the New York Times and the New Yorker. Christina reported for newspapers and radio for 20 years before founding her own nonprofit news organization, The Fuller Project. Jesse is an editorial board member of the New York Times. A Charlotte Library event (Chittenden County.) Register here: https://bit.ly/38bA127

Tales of Cold-Blooded Tails (Virtual)

Reptiles and amphibians have adapted their tails to many different environments! Paddle like tails to swim, whip-like tails for defense, and tails to grip branches to help them thrive. Do snakes have tails? What animals can drop their tails and grow them back? How do some reptiles use their tails in trees? Featuring live animals, this engaging and educational class features animals like chameleons, axolotls, geckos, and more! Join Jason Clevett, resident “reptile expert” on Animal Planet’s SCALED, to learn some tales about reptilian tails! This program will be provided on Zoom, and in order to keep the program safe and friendly for all ages, we are asking families to register in advance. We will send out the link the week of the program. Recommended for ages 6-12.

Animal Portraits: A Family Friendly Paint & Sip (Virtual)

If you were an animal, what would you be? Explore your inner beastie in this virtual paint and sip with ADL art teacher Tina Logan. Kits will include all the supplies you need to paint portraits of the animals you love, along with something delicious to munch on and sip. Participants should also find a picture of a pet or an animal that inspires them to help guide their work. Recommended for grades 4 and up, including adults! Register here by June 30th, register participants can pick up kits at Brownell Library starting July 7th. Brownell Library, Essex Junction, VT, Chittenden County.

Falconry 101 (Virtual)

Ever wonder what it takes to hunt with a bird of prey? Learn what Falconry is and how people around the world have been hunting with raptors for hundreds of years. Be sure to bring plenty of questions as you will get the chance to talk to falconer, Abbey Krumrie of River Valley Raptors, Inc. This program will be provided on Zoom, and in order to keep the program safe and friendly for all ages, we are asking families to register in advance. We will send out the link the week of the program. Recommended for ages 6-12. Brownell Library, Essex Junction, VT, Chittenden County.

Virtual Animals in Myth and Legend with VINS

How did Snake lose her legs? Why does Owl only fly at night? How did Turtle fly south for the winter? Meet these animals and hear their stories while we learn about the adaptations that have helped them survive. We’ll explore a few different tales that people tell to help them understand the world of wildlife around them. This program will be led by a Vermont Institute of Natural Science Educator and will be provided on Zoom. In order to keep the program safe and friendly for all ages, we are asking families to register in advance. We will send out the Zoom link the week of the program. Recommended for ages 6-12. (Chittenden County.)

Zoom Author Event with Sharon Draper: Telling a Slave’s Story.

The Fletcher Free Library (Burlington, VT, Chittenden County) is excited to offer a Zoom author event with Sharon Draper: Telling a Slave’s Story. Mrs. Draper will talk about her Coretta Scott King Book Award winning Young Adult Novel, “Copper Sun.” You can register for this event at fletcherfree.org/register.

This event is part of the City of Burlington’s first Annual Juneteenth Celebration, an event for all to celebrate Black liberation in the United States (juneteenthbtv.org). There will be music, art, food, educational events and more.

“Copper Sun” by Sharon Draper
Amari’s life was once perfect. Engaged to the handsomest man in her tribe, adored by her family, and fortunate enough to live in a beautiful village, it never occurred to her that it could all be taken away in an instant. But that was what happened when her village was invaded by slave traders. Her family was brutally murdered as she was dragged away to a slave ship and sent to be sold in the Carolinas. There she was bought by a plantation owner and given to his son as a “birthday present.” Now, survival is all Amari can dream about.

Homes for All: Planning for Affordable, Inclusive Housing

A Deborah Rawson Memorial Library event. (Jericho, VT, Chittenden County.)

Where we live matters. It has a huge impact on our opportunities, such as the ease of getting to work, school, healthcare, services, and recreation. When we don’t have access to safe and stable homes, we lose out on these social and economic benefits. Join the Jericho Affordable Housing Committee and the Fair Housing Project of CVOEO for a community conversation about housing equity and the importance of affordable, inclusive housing. The program includes a presentation on the history and provisions of Federal and Vermont fair housing law and the realities of housing discrimination in Vermont followed by a discussion about community housing needs and how to make change at a local level.

Registration required — Please click here to register: https://forms.gle/PmUGGASnnCdGbx7v8

This program uses the application Zoom.

Aging Gardens, Aging Gardeners

Do you look forward to spring for the beauty that your gardens produce? Do you love your gardens but not the seemingly endless hours of maintenance that they demand? Have you ever found yourself resenting your gardens because their care prevents you from pursuing other interests? And finally, have you come to the painful realization that you and your gardens have aged and changed over time?

“Aging Gardens, Aging Gardeners” responds to these questions. It is intended to help all of us come to terms with our aging, but very much beloved gardens. Ann presents strategies for gardening more wisely; taking care of ourselves as we garden; assessing our home landscapes; prioritizing gardening tasks; managing mature plants; and, creating smaller, simpler gardens.

For years, our gardens have given us great joy. This talk offers us ways by which we can continue to enjoy these beautiful spaces with much less work.

Registration required — Please click here to register: https://forms.gle/PmUGGASnnCdGbx7v8

This program uses the application Zoom. A Deborah Rawson Memorial Library event. Jericho, VT (Chittenden County.)