Recap of Recaps: April 9–April 17

Submitted by Joanie Goforth

Here is a selection of recaps from programs that took place systemwide between April 9–April 17.

The Celebrating Earth Day program welcomed all patrons
to learn and craft together

Patrons learned about and played games at this month's
Hands-On History program

These patrons are jazzed about bats at Bat Appreciation Day

Celebrating Earth Day at Post Road Library

“We had a great turnout for the Earth Day celebration! The Georgia Master Naturalists planned a fantastic all day event that patrons really enjoyed. Patrons filtered in and out of the talks happening in the meeting room and spent time visiting the tables outside. Some topics discussed in the presentations included welcoming wildlife into one's garden, citizen science, and the wonder of bats. Outside, everyone got to learn more about the topics discussed in the talks as well as visit additional tables focusing on related topics such as recycling. There was a rock painting station setup near the Poetry Garden for kids to get creative and have some fun! This event was informative and fun for the whole family.” –hosted by Morgan Shaffer

Hands-On History at Cumming Library

“We learned all about games today, with the entire presentation being in the form of a trivia game. I showed a picture of a game, then attendees guessed the game, where they thought it was from, and how old they thought it might be. Stickers were awarded to any correct guessers. Grown-ups and kids alike joined in on guessing, and there were some pretty astute answers! Afterward, we played some games both inside the building and outside on the lawn. Inside were giant Chutes and Ladders, giant Bananagrams, checkers, Hnefatafl (Viking chess), toddler-friendly puzzles and toys, a Pong computer game, and a selection of board games and card games. Outside families could play giant bowling, giant Jenga, giant Connect Four, and giant Dominos. In the meeting room, we offered supplies to make your own board game to take home.” –hosted by Kaity Bowers

Edible Ornamentals at Sharon Forks Library

"Caleb with Ever Wilder Farm was an engaging, knowledgeable presenter and patrons enjoyed his presentation. Caleb discussed not only nutritional benefits, but also medicinal benefits for a few plants such as: Hawthorn Trees, Passion Flower, Honeysuckle, Daylily, Leatherleaf Mahonia, American Beautyberry, Elder, and Spicebush. Caleb was excellent about noting what part of the plants to stay away from. My favorite part of the program was at the end when he handed out twigs of Spicebush to the patrons. We were able to scratch the twigs and smell the citrus scent. Caleb recommended patrons take the Spicebush home and break up the twigs and use it in a pot of tea. Overall, it was a great program and many patrons took home a book on display!” –hosted by Lacey Wood

Bat Appreciation Day Bat Walk at Hampton Park Library

"We had some very eager bat fans decked out in their bat gear, including bat fedoras! Larry and Laurie presented an overview of bats - the different kinds found in Georgia, what they eat, their habitats, threats to bats, their benefits, and how to help them thrive. There was great audience participation. When asked, one of our young patrons immediately knew the largest bat and smallest bat in the world. After the talk, the whole group went outside to listen and spot bats. Laurie and Larry stuck around late to answer everyone's questions. I made sure there were bat books available, and they all checked out! One patron said that this was a museum quality program, and she was deeply grateful we had it. She said libraries were just about books back in her day, but now she was realizing they were so much more.” –hosted by Brittany Mayo