Nardozzi sharing gardening tips as part of Earth Month

The library is one of many town organizations that is putting on events celebrating our planet as Charlotte engages in Earth Month, instead of just Earth Day, during April.

The month will be filled with experiences to celebrate the Earth. Although the celebration will have started on April 1, the official kickoff is at the library 9 a.m.-noon, Saturday, April 5.

At 11 a.m., Charlie Nardozzi will talk about edible landscapes and native planting. Nardozzi is a nationally recognized garden writer, speaker, radio and television personality. He is a is a garden coach and consultant who can be seen on “In The Garden” tips on WCAX-Channel 3 and heard on All Things Gardening on Vermont Public on Vermont Public Radio.

Young Artists are Invited to Create Tree Art
The Charlotte Grange and the Charlotte Library are inviting students to create tree art and companion stories, featuring their favorite tree in our town. The “My Favorite Tree in Charlotte” contest is designed for all Charlotte students (Grades K-8 at Charlotte Central School, private schools, and home-schoolers).

Today – April 1: Create your entry! Complete Guidelines and Entry Blanks can be picked up at the Charlotte Library’s circulation desk, or downloaded at the Grange’s website.

March 15 – April 1: Submit your entry! Drop-off is in the entry box inside the Charlotte Library. All entries
must be received there by April 1 @ 5 PM.

April 12 @ 4 PM: Celebration & Art Show (for all entries) at the Charlotte Grange Hall, located at 2858 Spear St., Charlotte. Questions? Contact Sally.

Programs for kids

Ramadan craft
Ramadan depends on the lunar cycle and starts with the sighting of the young moon and ends with a new moon. It takes place in the ninth month of the Islamic calendar when the first sliver of the crescent moon appears. Ramadan will come to an end with Eid Al-Fitr, called ‘the Festival of Breaking the Fast’. The Islamic calendar is lunar, not solar, so Ramadan begins on a different date each year. In 2025, Ramadan is Feb. 28- March 29. Ramadan is a quiet, reflective time of worship, prayer, helping others and spending time with loved ones, embracing acts of kindness. Stop in to make a Ramadan craft.

My Favorite Tree art contest
Kindergartners-eight graders are encouraged to celebrate Charlotte’s Earth Month. Information and entry forms are available on the library website and at the circulation desk. Presented in partnership with the Charlotte Grange.

Monthly Babytime
Saturday, April 5, 10 a.m.
You’re invited to an unstructured hour for parents, caregivers, and babies to play, explore books, and chat in the young children’s area. Ages birth to 18 months.

Preschool story time
Tuesdays, 10 a.m.
Come to the Charlotte Library for preschool stories, crafts and activities. No registration required. Age 2 and over.

After-school book club
Tuesdays, 3 p.m.
Do you enjoy reading and talking about books? Ride the bus to the Charlotte Library and enjoy an afternoon of book sharing and crafts every Tuesday after school. Grades 1-3, registration required. Email.

Preschool free play
Wednesdays, 10 a.m.
Play in the preschool years enables children to explore and make sense of the world around them, as well as to use and develop their imagination. Explore the sensory table, sorting, playing with blocks, playdoh — these are a few of the open-ended projects planned for Wednesday morning play-based learning at the Charlotte Library.

Babytime
Thursdays, 9:30 a.m.
You’re invited to an unstructured hour for parents, caregivers and babies to play, explore books and chat in the young children’s area. Ages birth to 18 months.

Let’s Lego
Saturdays, 10 a.m.-1:30 p.m.
Drop-in for Lego free play. We’ll have loads of Lego bricks out, along with some books and prompts for inspiration. For all ages. Please note: Children under 10 must be accompanied by an adult.

Programs for adults

Stillwater meditation
Saturdays, 9 a.m.
Poetry and meditation are offered freely and in person to the Charlotte community. Come for quiet reflection, contemplation and gentle meditation instruction. Respect for all beings and faiths is a foundational quality of our time together. Beginning and experienced meditators are welcome.

‘How to Be Animal’
Wednesdays, Feb. 26-March 26, 7 p.m.
Cosponsored by the Charlotte Library, the Conservation Commission and Sustainable Charlotte is hosting a book discussion of “How to be Animal” by Melanie Challenger on Zoom. Blending nature writing, history and moral philosophy, the book is both a fascinating reappraisal of what it means to be human and a robust defense of all that is rich and rewarding about being an animal. Register. Copies available at the library circulation desk.

How to Make the Most of the Grid
Thursday, March 20, 5:30 p.m.
How do insulation and air sealing help save energy and money while keeping our homes warmer? This workshop will help educate participants on examples of heat transfer in the home. This workshop also connects participants with ongoing weatherization initiatives in Vermont. Presented by VEEP in partnership with the Charlotte Energy & Climate Action Committee.

Thursday book group
Thursday, March 20, 7:30 p.m.
The Thursday book group will discuss “Grandma Gatewood’s Walk.” In 1955, Emma “Grandma” Gatewood told her children that she was “going for a hike in the woods.” Little did they know that this hike would be the entire 2,190-mile Appalachian Trail, the longest hiking-only footpath in the world. Though hiking the entire Appalachian Trail is already an impressive feat, Gatewood’s trip was even more remarkable because she was 67 years old, a mother of 11, a grandmother of 23 and a survivor of more than 30 years of domestic abuse. When she summited Katahdin on Sept. 25, 1955, she became the first woman ever to complete the entire trail alone in one season. Copies available at the circulation desk; ebook and audiobook available on Hoopla.

Tea and Jane Austen movie
Friday, March 21, 2 p.m.
You are cordially invited to Afternoon Tea & a Movie with Jane Austen. Join us to watch a favorite Jane Austen film and enjoy afternoon refreshments.

Planting for biodiversity
Thursday, March 27, 7 p.m.
Julie Parker Dickerson will share her community gardening knowledge of trees, shrubs, herbaceous perennials and annuals and how they all play a role in supporting pollinators and wildlife. Learn about your local Charlotte Pollinator Pathway and how you can grow your garden with biodiversity. Participants will discuss ways to start gardens from scratch and work with established gardens to increase pollinators as well as consider plant selection and maintenance. Participants will get a photographic tour of the many public gardens from East Charlotte and Monkton that support biodiversity.

Sunday afternoon music jam
Sunday, March 30, 1-3 p.m.
A “jam” is sharing a tune or song around the circle of music lovers. Participants may join in, but there’s no pressure to perform. Any age or ability is welcomed in a supportive, non-judgmental environment. Guitars, ukuleles, mandolins, banjo, fiddle, bass, keyboard, harmonicas, hand drums — anything goes. For questions or comments, contact Sallie Mack: 802.425.6212 or email.

Pease Mountain update
Wednesday, April 2, 7 p.m.
Representatives from the University of Vermont will talk about the school’s natural area at the top of Pease Mountain. Luben Dimov, from the Rubenstein School of Environment and Natural Resources, will discuss his forest inventory plots, the tree species that occur on the site and forest ecology. Lori Anderson, natural areas coordinator and stewardship specialist, will talk about the history and future of the area and work on capturing animal diversity with wildlife cameras.

Recurring programs

Book chat
Wednesdays, 3 p.m.
Meet each week to discuss new books, old books and books we might have missed. Each week, library director Margaret Woodruff selects a theme and highlights related titles from the library collection. No registration necessary.

Crochet & knit night
Wednesdays, 5-6:30 p.m.
Join in a casual weekly session of crocheting and chatting, knitting and catching up. Bring your project or start a new one with yarn and needles available at the library, along with plenty of books to instruct and inspire. For teens and adults.

Library contact information:
Margaret Woodruff, director
Cheryl Sloan, youth services librarian
Susanna Kahn, tech librarian
Phone: 802-425-3864
Email

For the latest information about programs, books and activity kits, sign up for the newsletter.

The Charlotte Library Board of Trustees meets the first Thursday of each month at 6 p.m., unless rescheduled following the Opening Meeting Law. The next scheduled board meeting is this Thursday, April 2, at 6 p.m. Contact the library or visit the library website for more information.