Gardening expert and author Melinda Myers is offering all Wisconsin Public Libraries FREE WEBINARS and Gardening Projects from April – June for patrons of your libraries. Below is the necessary webinar registration info and attached are the webinar graphics-- please feel free to use these to promote the webinars to your patrons. If you’d like to host the webinar at your library for your patrons to watch together, simply register your library (using the links below) and then promote your library's viewing party event. Your patrons’ gardening questions can be submitted for Melinda to answer live right after her presentations – simply submit the questions in the Zoom Q&A box during each webinar broadcast. Additionally, the 2024 WI Public Library Program Factsheet has information about the Free Gardening Activities, Videos, and Projects (and webinars) Melinda Myers will be providing for you to use and share with your patrons this spring and summer. The 2024 program info (webinar info & registration links, videos, activities, and downloadable projects will be available at: Beauty Outside Your Door - 2024 Library Program with Melinda Myers. April 10, 2024, 6:30 p.m. CT WEBINAR: Container Gardening Throughout the Year with gardening expert & author Melinda Myers Use container gardens to boost the color and seasonal interest in any size landscape, garden, balcony, or deck. With your budget in mind, we will explore attractive combinations of trees, shrubs, flowers, edible plants, and those that attract pollinators. Plus, you’ll learn strategies for extending your enjoyment year-round by transforming all or a portion of the container planting with the changing seasons. Register for this free webinar at https://us06web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_SwTJwDSaQgWnm7YU-iY0mg.
May 1, 2024, 6:30 p.m. CT WEBINAR: Ornamental Fruits and Vegetables with gardening expert & author Melinda Myers Increase the nutritional value and beauty of your landscape by incorporating attractive fruits and vegetables into your landscape, garden beds, and containers. Growing varieties that are both ornamental and productive increases the opportunities for creating a beautiful space right outside your door. We will look at new and proven fruit and vegetable varieties suited to both gardens and containers. Register for this free webinar at https://us06web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_SFUNmF3LSUmpTXGpRMVbiA.
June 5, 2024, 6:30 p.m. CT WEBINAR: Under-Appreciated Pollinators with gardening expert & author Melinda Myers The plight of honeybees and monarchs fills the news, but many more pollinators are often overlooked yet critical to the production of food, fiber, and other raw materials we depend upon. Native bees, moths, bats, beetles, flies, and birds are also important. We will look at a variety of pollinators, their role in the environment, and their impact on people. Plus, we will discuss ways to co-exist with these often overlooked and sometimes feared or dreaded animals. Register for this free webinar at https://us06web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN__q1UbmcTTMyyumfGd-o6AA.
If you have any questions, please email Diana Paul, coordinator of this program at diana@melindamyers.com or 414.758.7047. Thank you for participating in the 2024 Check Out Wisconsin State Parks At Your Library program! Following are a few helpful documents:
Check Out These Digital Resources:
Calling all Wisconsin readers! The Wisconsin Library Association (WLA) and the Wisconsin Water Library at UW-Madison are pleased to announce plans for Great Lakes, Great Read, a basin-wide community read program scheduled to launch in 2024. Great Lakes, Great Read is designed to inspire passion and connection to the Great Lakes Watershed through reading. The Wisconsin program will serve as a pilot with the goal of being a catalyst for the development of similar programs in other states and provinces in the Upper Midwest and Canada. There is a need for greater education about the Great Lakes as an important natural resource. While approximately 34 million people in the US and Canada live in the Great Lakes Watershed, recent surveys, such as the 2021 International Joint Commission Great Lakes Regional Poll, show a lack of understanding of the threats facing the greatest freshwater resource in the world. Greater education – greater environmental literacy - is critical to cultivating stewardship of the Great Lakes and of water resources more broadly. Enter Great Lakes, Great Read. The program’s “one book, one community” model, already adopted by many libraries, is a natural fit for a basin-wide project, and Wisconsin is the perfect state to pilot the project. Wisconsinites have a deep connection to water through culture, economy, tourism and way of life. Wisconsinites also have access to a well-connected network of academic, public and special libraries that serve as the center of our communities. Funded by a grant from WiLS, the Great Lakes, Great Read program will officially kick off on February 1, 2024. The selected titles will be announced on Earth Day (April 22) 2024. Two books, one for adults and one for children, with themes related to the Great Lakes watershed will be announced. All Wisconsinites will be encouraged to read these titles, and libraries around the state will be encouraged to engage their residents through book discussions and related activities. While program designs are still being finalized, the plan is to host public presentations by the selected authors and a website that includes book discussion questions and other ideas for engagement. Watch the WLA website and join the Great Lakes, Great Read 2024 email list for program updates: Great Lakes, Great Read email list. The information below comes from Joshua Stuck, Outdoor Skills Instructor (Crivitz, WI) Dear Librarians- Would you like a summer program that matches perfectly with this year's theme “Adventure Begins at the Library!?” Hi! My name is Joshua Stuck. I am a local Outdoor Skills Instructor (from Crivitz, WI) who has been teaching outdoor skills to kids for over 20 years. Would you be interested in a summer library youth program that gets kids excited about some of the most popular outdoor themed books like Call of the Wild, Sign of the Beaver, and Hatchet? Introducing… “Woodsy Dude’s Embrace the Outdoors Youth Programs” with Woodsy Dude! I've designed three separate library programs for three different age groups where I teach between 20-25 youth some of the outdoor skills featured in the world's best outdoor themed books. They'll learn how to make a Survival Shelter like in Hatchet, how to set a survival trap like Matt from Sign of the Beaver, how to tie Buck's # 1 Call of the Wild Rescue Knot, and so much more. They even get items during the course to start building their own outdoor survival kit.
Brian Hudelson directs the University of Wisconsin Plant Disease Diagnostics Clinic. In 2024 (as he did in 2023), Brian will be providing free monthly Zoom presentations on a range of plant disease topics, which may interest library patrons. This PDF file describes the talks (with brief descriptions), lists the days and times, and also provides information on how to register for the talks. The online descriptions of the talks is also available at https://pddc.wisc.edu/2024-pddc-plant-disease-talks/. Brian has additional advertising materials (an 8.5 X 11 advertising poster for each talk) if these might be of interest to you. Brian also published a book of plant disease-themed limericks (with additional prose descriptions of the featured diseases, photos, and original artwork). Learn about Limerickettsia: A Plant Pathologist's Book of Verse at https://pddc.wisc.edu/limerickettsia-book/. If you have questions, please contact Brian at: Brian Hudelson Plant Disease Diagnostics Clinic University of Wisconsin-Madison 1630 Linden Drive Madison, WI 53706-1598 Phone: (608) 262-2863 FAX: (608) 263-2626 E-mail: hudelson@wisc.edu Website: https://pddc.wisc.edu Follow on Facebook and Twitter @UWPDDC The USDA Forest Service, in collaboration with the Georgia Public Library Service, is excited to announce the Smokey Bear Reading Challenge in celebration of Smokey Bear's 80th Birthday in 2024! They are collaborating with public library systems across the country for this year-long challenge. This challenge is meant to complement CSLP's "Adventure Begins at Your Library," and is designed to be a fun and easy way to engage children in reading about wildfire prevention, forests, and natural resource careers, while exploring their local environment. Public libraries are invited to run the challenge for those 4 to 10 years of age, from January 1st to November 28th, 2024. The Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction is registered as the participating state library, which means Wisconsin public libraries do not need to register individually to participate in the challenge. Each public library will receive the following incentives that will be sent out through the statewide delivery system sometime in January: one roll of 500 Smokey stickers, 50 Smokey cards, and one Smokey Stamp. The Smokey Bear Reading Challenge Toolkit is available now – download posters, bookmarks, and more! We are pleased to share below some FREE webinars and gardening activities for 2024 from nationally known and Wisconsin-based gardening expert and author Melinda Myers for all public libraries in Wisconsin. Melinda hopes you can incorporate any or all of the following into your 2024 Library programming calendars. If you have any questions, please contact Diana Paul at diana@melindamyers.com. Look for more information in the New Year coming via WisPubLib! Your Library can host a watch party on the dates below or schedule it after the live webinar date and play the recording. If you host a live watch party on the dates below, your patrons will be able to submit questions live and get them answered by Melinda at the end of each webinar. You can also let your patrons know they can individually register for the webinars if they’d prefer to watch them at home. Registration links are below:
Dinosaur Dimensions is a summer program like no other - over 75 libraries utilized this program in summer, 2023, and in many cases they had record setting audiences (not just for the summer but for the history of the library). How would your library’s summer library reading program be with realistic animatronic dinosaurs? Just imagine the look on the children’s faces when roaring, blinking, and moving dinosaurs are brought out of “containment units” and presented to them in a fun, educational, and extremely fun show! Kids get involved in multiple ways during the show - from pounding their laps to generate "energy" to power the machine that produces the dinosaurs, to helping feed a dinosaur, to even getting to name each creature. They LOVE it! Here is a video clip from the Dinosaur Dimensions’ show. Please take a look and see just how much excitement it brings to the kids’ eyes! In addition to the 40-45 minute show, there's a post-show meet & greet session where kids/families can meet one of the dinosaurs in a one-on-one environment to get to pet it, take photos, etc. This is just as exciting for the kiddos - if not the highlight of the entire day!
The price for the show runs $450, and the fee includes ALL aspects of travel (motels, mileage and meals). It is a flat fee that gets paid, and it can be paid in full the day of the event (no deposit needed). Curt Strutz is based in Fond du Lac County, so any locations in WI that are outside of his general area might require a few other libraries in the area to complete a small mini tour to help offset the travel aspects. If this sounds like something of interest, please let Curt know so he can try and get you on the ticket for next year! Also, be sure to ask about their other two shows in the Strutz Family line-up. The Wacky World of Wesley Waffles and Dragon Training Academy are also two great shows that could be added to your summer lineup, as well, both performed by Curt's two adult sons! Please let Curt know if you think dinosaurs might be a fit for your next summer program, and get ready for an adventure like no other! Contact: Curt Strutz Strutz Entertainment Dinosaur Dimensions 262-271-7327 strutzentertainment@outlook.com The biggest educational program to swim through the midwest.
Updated July 28, 2023:Gardening expert Melinda Myers has shared her August gardening activities to her website for you to use with your library patrons. Click the following link, and scroll all the way down to the August video and activity. It can all be accessed at https://www.melindamyers.com/articles/grow-budget-wise-beautiful-gardens-anywhere-2023-library-garden-program. August 2023 - Video & DIY Project: Worm Composting – Convert kitchen scraps into a nutrient-rich soil amendment. Posted June 1, 2023:Gardening expert Melinda Myers has uploaded her June and July gardening activities below to her webpage for you to use with your library patrons:
Here are just a few ways to use the content from Melinda:
Also, your library can access all promotional materials, signage, press release templates, social media posts and images for this content at https://www.melindamyers.com/articles/electronic-press-kit. If you have any questions, email Diana Paul at diana@melindamyers.com. The information below comes from Joshua Stuck, Outdoor Skills Instructor (Crivitz, WI) Dear Youth Program Coordinator- "I wish there was a summer library program that engaged our youth in books but also got them away from the screens and outside having fun..." Hi! My name is Joshua Stuck. I am a local Outdoor Skills Instructor (from Crivitz, WI) who has been teaching outdoor skills to kids for over 20 years. Would you be interested in a summer library youth program that gets kids excited about some of the most popular outdoor themed books like Call of the Wild, The Hunger Games, and Hatchet? Introducing... the "Call of the Wild Outdoor Skills Youth Program" I've designed a 2-hour youth program where I teach up to 30 youth some of the outdoor skills featured in the world's best outdoor themed books. They'll learn how to make a Survival Shelter like in Hatchet, how to set a survival trap like Katniss from The Hunger Games, how to tie Buck's # 1 Call of the Wild Rescue Knot, and so much more. They even get items during the course to start building their own outdoor survival kit. Outdoor books + outdoor skills = FUN & LEARNING!
Would you be interested in bringing the "Call of the Wild Outdoor Skills Youth Program" to your library this summer? LESS SCREEN, MORE GREEN! I hope to talk soon, Joshua Email: PrimitiveGuy@gmail.com PH: 715-587-1331
5/4/2022 update from Kelly Bolter, Adult Programming Coordinator @ Milwaukee Public Library: We're counting down the days until Melinda Myers will be celebrating Pollinator Month with your libraries and patrons! She’ll be hosting 3 live webinars and 3 youth videos with corresponding DIY projects that can be done as part of library programming with kids, tweens and teens. These projects can also be accessed online for any families or households who would like to do this at home with take home kits. Attached (below), you will find a DIY Project Supplies List created by Melinda. This could helpful for any libraries who plan on including them in a Summer Reading Program, and any take-and-make kits. Please note that step-by-step instructions for each of these DIY projects and the corresponding videos are being produced and will be available online by 5/16 on the program’s webpage, www.atc-GrowSmart.com/library. This page is currently under development. I’ve also attach(ed) a refresher of the Pollinator Month program and content that will be provided to our libraries free of charge (see the attached June 2022 Pollinator Month Factsheet) and information so you can promote the 3 pollinator gardening webinars presented by Melinda to your patrons (see Pollinator Month 2022 Webinar Registration Info). If you have any questions, please contact Diana Paul at diana@melindamyers.com. Thank you for getting the word out about the importance of pollinators and ways we can help them! Please note the dates of the Pollinator Month Webinars are June 1, June 15, and June 22.
Original post: 3/21/2022
June is National Pollinators Month. In an effort to raise awareness of the importance of pollinators and how everyone can help them, American Transmission Co. is teaming up with gardening expert and author Melinda Myers. Together, they will produce and provide libraries throughout Wisconsin and the Upper Peninsula of Michigan with educational programming and content for National Pollinators Month. The content and programming will be made available to the libraries at no cost and the libraries may offer the programs and content to their patrons throughout the month of June... The following information is taken directly from the WI Libraries for Everyone blog post, PBS Wisconsin Education Resources Available (April 19, 2022). Guest post from Marci Glaus at PBS Wisconsin Education Whether you are preparing for Oceans of Possibilities this summer or looking to bolster early learning and youth services programming, PBS Wisconsin Education provides both Wisconsin-specific and nationally-curated content you can use as a springboard or central component to educational programming. PBS LearningMedia is a free digital learning website created to support the distribution of compelling Pre-K-12 educational media resources. PBS LearningMedia’s robust and contextualized digital resources are designed to supplement educational experiences with video segments from award-winning PBS documentaries and series, PBS KIDS properties, station-produced programs, and original video and interactive resources! Collaborative Summer Library Program Examples below highlight some ideas from PBS LearningMedia that pair well with preparation for Oceans of Possibilities summer programming:
PBS Wisconsin Education Beyond summer library programming, pbswisconsineducation.org offers seven different Wisconsin-focused collections for grades 3-12 with cross-curricular connections in American Indian Studies, English Language Arts, Environmental Education, Music, Social Studies, and Science. Collections include videos, student interactives, games, educator guides, and more. All of these resources are made with Wisconsin educators, and are completely free to use in any learning space! If you have any questions or would like to talk further, please contact Marci Glaus: marci.glaus@pbswisconsin.org. Check out this super fun program from the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources!
"Make tracks to the nearest state park, forest, trail or recreation area and ask for a free Wisconsin Explorer booklet. Inside you'll find nature activities, scavenger hunts, games, hikes and crafts to help you explore Wisconsin's great outdoors together. Kids who complete the requirements will earn collectible state symbol patches. Don't just sit there - get out and start discovering secrets together!" Looking to add a spark to your “Tails & Tales” line-up? Sharon Page and the Circus Dogs are national-award-winning performers based right here in Wisconsin! They’ve retired from live shows, but spent the past four months filming and editing a 48-minute video called “ABC CIRCUS”—the culmination of 25-years performing with animals. This was a labor of love for the 2021 Summer Reading Program theme “Tails & Tales” that will never be repeated! From inspiring to laugh-out-loud funny, the fourteen mini-chapters feature topics ranging from “a puppy’s life in Istanbul” to “dealing with sibling rivalry.” Along the way, their performing dogs and cat showcase over 80 Awwwww-inspiring tricks. Already have live performers booked? Stream “ABC CIRCUS” ahead of the Summer Reading Program as an incentive for families to sign up! There’s even an option to add a “live” Zoom meet & greet with Sharon and all three pets. The following is from Dave Daniels, executive director of the non-profit, Colossal Fossils: "We are going to be “cautiously optimistic” and plan for in-person library programs while still offering online alternatives, similar to what we did this past summer. With that said, I’m including the brochure for our 2021 Summer Reading program, “A Whale of a Tale.” We are going to feature some very large bones from the world’s largest animals, while telling their stories and discussing their fascinating evolutionary paths. We would be happy to put your library in our calendar and are maintaining the same pricing for the in-person programs that we have had for the last two years. I suspect that our calendar will fill up quickly, so if you would like us to pencil you in, please let us know as soon as you can. Also, take advantage of the 10% price reduction by scheduling a program with us before January 1st, 2021. All the best to you. Stay healthy, and I hope we can see each other in person this coming summer. Dave" David Daniels Executive Director, Colossal Fossils Inc. dave@colossalfossils.com ~ 715-303-9407 www.colossalfossils.com Nestled in Oconomowoc, Wisconsin, the Wildlife In Need Center (WINC) is a non-profit organization that provides free medical care for our sick, injured, or orphaned wild neighbors with the intention of returning them to their natural habitat. WINC offers virtual educational programming, as its program may be a fun fit for members of the library community! WINC's virtual programs allow participants to meet its live Animal Ambassadors very up close and personal as you learn about their unique stories, species ecology and ways to promote Wisconsin native wildlife from its educators. The program provides an interactive experience through the use of polls, visual display, and an open platform for questions. What better way is there to learn about wildlife than from the animals themselves?! WINC's programs can be hosted on its Zoom platform or staff can work with you if you have another platform you prefer. In addition, its team can assist you in advertising your program and organizing the list of participants to ensure a safe online experience. The cost of WINC's virtual program is $100, and can last anywhere between 30 and 60 minutes, depending on your needs. For more information, please visit its website at http://www.helpingwildlife.org/educate/wildlife-education/ Please do not hesitate to contact the WINC Education Team with any inquiries. They hope to work with you and share their knowledge of native Wisconsin wildlife! Education Team
Wildlife In Need Center W349 S1480 S. Waterville Rd. Oconomowoc, WI 53066 Phone: (262) 965-3090 www.helpingwildlife.org Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/wildlifeinneedcenter/ For educators, families, students and any who loves the Great Lakes, Wisconsin Sea Grant staff have created coloring sheets to celebrate our great watershed. When your work of art is finished, they would love to see it! You can:
Be sure to tag your image #ColorTheGreatLakes Download the full booklet and let the colors flow! See also: Explore Lake Sturgeon
David Stokes is a Wildlife Educator in Hales Corners, Wisconsin who has been doing presentations in the Milwaukee Area since 1985. He is an award winning Naturalist/Educator/Entertainer in Wisconsin. David does programming throughout the Midwest and offers library programs for families and children. A Universe of Animals…Bio-Diversity David uses songs, live animals and things to touch. He also includes puppets, artifacts, riddles, sign-language and humor. David is a Wisconsin Association for Environmental Education Teacher of the Year and an “Aldo Leopold” award winner. The Northshore United Educators (WEAC) honored David for educational excellence. Find out more about his knowledge of Nature, the programs he offers to schools and other institutions, his press kit, and his schedule.
The time when wild animals are having babies is upon us, and with that the DNR’s Keep Wildlife Wild team is hard at work. The Keep Wildlife Wild team is tasked with providing information about wildlife species natural behaviors, tips on how to determine if a baby wild animal is truly orphaned, and what to do if someone finds a wild animal who is sick or injured. It provides handouts and a lesson plan, which includes an interactive activity and a list of Keep Wildlife Wild-themed books! These resources and many more can be found at our Keep Wildlife Wild web page, under the Educational Materials tab. |
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