Join us for Animal Tales !
Our Park Naturalists and volunteers come to your local library each month to share a story about a native animal and lead a craft or activity . These programs are FREE to attend and are most appropriate for preschool to upper elementary age children . Advance registration is required by contacting your library .
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JANUARY The Mitten by Jan Brett
When Nicki drops his white mitten in the snow , he goes on without realizing that it is missing . One by one , woodland animals find it and crawl in ; first , a curious mole , then a rabbit , a badger and others , each one larger than the last . Finally , a big brown bear is followed in by a tiny brown mouse and what happens next makes for a wonderfully funny climax .
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FEBRUARY City Hawk by Meghan McCarthy
New York City is known for its skyscrapers , subways , and hustle and bustle -- not for its wildlife . So everyone is surprised when a red-tailed hawk is spotted flying over Fifth Avenue , and even more surprised when he decides to settle down on the ledge of one of the Big Apple ’ s swankiest apartment buildings . The hawk soon draws many admirers . They name him Pale Male and watch as he builds his nest , finds a mate , and teaches his little hawk babies to fly . Based on a true story .
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MARCH The Windy Day by Anna Milbourne and Elena Temporin
Join children as they play outdoors and discover the delights of a windy day , from flying a kite high in the sky to watching seagulls gliding in the wind . With simple text and gorgeous illustrations from Elena Temporin throughout .
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APRIL A Salamander ’ s Life by John Himmelman
John Himmelman ’ s color illustrations and simple text relate the life cycle of a salamander as it grows from being an egg to a larva to an adult female salamander which hunts for food and lays her own eggs . Strikingly original watercolors depict the salamander ’ s world from her unique perspective
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CLAYTON-LIBERTY TWP Tuesdays at 10:30 a . m . Call library at ( 317 ) 539-2991 to register in advance Jan . 4 , Feb . 1 , March 1 , April 5
MONROVIA Tuesdays at 1 p . m . Call library at ( 317 ) 996-4307 to register in advance Jan . 4 , Feb . 1 , March 1 , April 5
PLAINFIELD-GUILFORD TWP Wednesdays at 10 a . m . Call library at ( 317 ) 839-6602 to register in advance Jan . 5 , Feb . 2 , March 2 , April 6
BROWNSBURG Wednesdays at 4 p . m . Call library at ( 317 ) 852-3167 to register in advance Jan . 5 , Feb . 2 , March 2 , April 6
JAMESTOWN Thursdays at 3 p . m . Call library at ( 765 ) 676-6190 to register in advance Jan . 6 , Feb . 3 , March 3 , April 7
ROACHDALE Thursdays at 4:30 p . m . Call library at ( 765 ) 522-1491 to register in advance April 7
AVON-WASHINGTON TWP Fridays at 2 p . m .
Call library at ( 317 ) 272-4818 to register in advance Jan . 7 , Feb . 4 , March 4 , April 8
DANVILLE Fridays at 4 p . m . Call library at ( 317 ) 745-2604 to register in advance Jan . 7 , Feb . 4 , March 4 , April 8
RECOMMENDED READING FOR ADULTS PARADISE LOT : TWO PLANT GEEKS , ONE-TENTH OF AN ACRE , AND THE MAKING OF AN EDIBLE GARDEN OASIS IN THE CITY BY ERIC TOENSMEIER
When Eric Toensmeier and Jonathan Bates moved into a duplex in a run-down part of Holyoke , Massachusetts , the tenth-ofan-acre lot was barren ground and bad soil , peppered with broken pieces of concrete , asphalt , and brick . The two friends got to work designing what would become not just another urban farm , but a “ permaculture paradise ” replete with perennial broccoli , paw paws , bananas , and moringa — all told , more than two hundred low-maintenance edible plants in an innovative food forest on a small city lot . The garden — intended to function like a natural ecosystem with the plants themselves providing most of the garden ’ s needs for fertility , pest control , and weed suppression — also features an edible water garden , a year-round unheated greenhouse , tropical crops , urban poultry , and even silkworms .
In telling the story of Paradise Lot , Toensmeier explains the principles and practices of permaculture , the choice of exotic and unusual food plants , the techniques of design and cultivation , and , of course , the adventures , mistakes , and do-overs in the process . Packed full of detailed , useful information about designing a highly productive permaculture garden , Paradise Lot is also a funny and charming story of two single guys , both plant nerds , with a wild plan : to realize the garden of their dreams and meet women to share it with . Amazingly , on both counts , they succeed .
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