Shreve Memorial Library is inviting the public to join the library in celebrating Earth Week April 17 through April 22 as the library prepares to recognize Earth Day. Celebrated annually on April 22, Earthy Day is a day to celebrate the earth, bring attention to environmentalism, and raise awareness around the problem of pollution and ways to better maintain a clean, healthy habitat. Library branches throughout Caddo Parish will host a variety of programs throughout the week to educate patrons on the benefits of plants, gardening, sustainability, composting, and recycling. Earth Week programs will be held for all ages, and all programs are free and open to the public.
Children and their caregivers are invited to visit Shreve Memorial Library branches for Earth-themed storytime programs. Storytime programs combine storytelling with interactive activities, rhymes, songs and crafts to encourage early literacy and vocabulary development. Earth Week storytime programs are scheduled as follows:
· Monday, April 17, 6:30 p.m. – 7:30 p.m.
Pajama Storytime: Earth Day at Cedar Grove-Line Avenue Branch, 8303 Line Avenue
· Tuesday, April 18, 10:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m.
Peapods: Earth Day at North Caddo Branch, 615 N. Pine Street, Vivian
· Wednesday, April 19, 10:00 a.m. – 10:30 a.m.
Spring Garden Storytime at Hollywood/Union Avenue Branch, 2105 Hollywood Avenue
· Wednesday, April 19, 10:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m.
Preschool Story Time: Earth Day at Broadmoor Branch, 1212 Captain Shreve Drive
· Saturday, April 22, 10:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m.
Saturday Story Time: Earth Day at Broadmoor Branch
Teens are encouraged to visit the library to learn about sustainability, how to maintain ecological balance and conserve natural resources, and why composting can be key in sustainability efforts. Teens will be able to learn composting techniques through fun, hands-on applications. On Tuesday, April 18 at 3:00 p.m., the David Raines Branch, located at 2855 Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Drive, will have a “Teen Earth Day DIY Sustainable Tote and Compost Cupcakes” workshop for teens. During the programs, teens will have the ability to decorate a sustainable tote bag that can be used in place of plastic bags, engage in a discussion about ecology and conservation, and make compost cupcakes using a mixture of edible ingredients. Teens at the Cedar Grove-Line Avenue Branch will also be able to learn about composting by making compostable flower balls and the importance of sustainability through watching the movie Wall-E on April 18 at 4:30 p.m. In Belcher, teens will also be able to make compost cupcakes on Thursday, April 20 at 4:00 p.m. at the Belcher-Wyche Branch, located at 409 Charles Street in Belcher.
In addition, several Shreve Memorial Library branches will host programs and workshops to encourage recycling and upcycling. Library patrons will learn how to repurpose items into decorative and useful crafts, such as birdfeeders, keepsakes, vision boards, bubble art, wreaths, and more. Supplies for all craft programs will be provided. Seating may be limited and registration may be required for some programs. Scheduled Earth Week craft programs include:
Monday, April 17
· 4:30 p.m. Earth Day is Every Day: Coffee Filter Craft for Kids at Hollywood/Union Avenue Branch
Tuesday, April 18
· 4:30 p.m. Teens Turn It Green! Paper Keepsakes at Hollywood/Union Avenue Branch
· 4:30 p.m. Teens in 3D: Earth Day Recycling Mousepads at North Caddo Branch
Wednesday, April 19
· 4:30 p.m. Teen Space: Clay Imprints at North Shreveport Branch, 4844 North Market Street
Thursday, April 20
· 1:00 p.m. DIY: Trash to Treasure at Hollywood/Union Avenue Branch
· 2:00 p.m. National Earth Day: Blossom Branch at North Shreveport Branch
· 3:30 p.m. SMArtY: Recycled Bottle Bubble Art at Cedar Grove-Line Avenue Branch
Friday, April 21
· 10:30 a.m. Cedar Grove Crafters’ Circle: Upcycled Crafts at Cedar Grove-Line Avenue Branch
· 3:00 p.m. DIY Birdfeeder for Earth Day at Hamilton/South Caddo Branch, 2111 Bert Kouns Industrial Loop
Saturday, April 22
· 3:00 p.m. Paper Pottery & Plant Based Nachos for Teens at West Shreveport Branch, 4380 Pines Road
Other Earth Week programs will highlight the important benefits of flowers, gardens, plants and pollinators. Several library branches will host seed and plant swaps, encourage patrons to plant seeds at the library, decorate planter pots, create wildflower seed bombs, and discover the benefits of home gardening. Library patrons will be able to participate in a plant swap at the Broadmoor Branch on Tuesday, April 18 beginning at 10 a.m., and create wildflower seed bombs on Wednesday, April 19 at 4:30 p.m. at the Broadmoor Branch and on Thursday, April 20 at 3:00 p.m. at the Rodessa Branch, located at 10093 Main Street in Rodessa. In addition, library patrons can plant sunflower seeds at the library or plant a seed to take home at the Higginbotham-Bryson Branch, located at 9359 Greenwood Road in Greenwood, during regular business hours Monday, April 17 through Friday, April 21, at the Hamilton/South Caddo Branch on Wednesday, April 19 from 3:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m., and at the Atkins Branch, 3704 Greenwood Road, on Friday, April 21 from 4:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m.
Several library branches will host planting and gardening workshops espousing the many benefits of home gardens and how gardening and plants contribute to the overall health of the earth. Children and teens can learn the basics of gardening and how to grow their own plants at workshops at the Mooretown Branch, 4360 Hollywood Avenue, on Monday, April 17, 4:30 p.m. and on Wednesday, April 19 at 4:30 p.m., as well as at the West Shreveport Branch on Friday, April 21 at 4:00 p.m. Adults are invited to learn about managing a garden and the benefits of various plants, herbs and microgreens. Adult planting workshops will take place on Tuesday, April 18 throughout the day at the North Caddo Branch, on Tuesday, April 18 at 4:30 p.m. at the Mooretown Branch, and on Wednesday, April 19 at 11:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. at the West Shreveport Branch. The North Shreveport Branch will host a special program on pollinators, specifically mason bees, for homeschool students on Friday, April 21 at 10:00 a.m. Registration is required for the North Shreveport program.
All Earth Week programs are free and open to the public. For more details and a complete listing of events at Shreve Memorial Library, please visit www.shreve-lib.org.
