Before April is over, there are still Earth Month events

There are still more April experiences to celebrate the Earth. Coming up this week:

• Friday, April 18, 8:30 a.m., Charlotte Walks, Williams Woods
• Saturday, April 19, 1 p.m., Beaver Talk & Walk, Charlotte Library
• Monday-Friday, April 21-25, Pollinator Pathway Garden Work
• Monday, April 21, 5:30 p.m., Dark Sky Vermont, Charlotte Library
• Tuesday, April 22, 7 p.m., “Wrenched” film, Charlotte Library

Programs for kids

Monthly baby & toddler time
Saturday, May 3, 10 a.m.
Baby Time: Join other young families in an unstructured hour of play and exploration in the young children’s area. Ages birth to 12 months.

Toddlers: Join other young families in an unstructured hour of play and exploration in the program room. Ages 12 months to 24 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.

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. (no meeting April 26)
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.

’Kamogawa Food Detectives’
Thursday, April 17, 7:30 p.m.
The Thursday Book Club is reading “Kamogawa Food Detectives,” which raises the question: What’s the one dish you’d do anything to taste just one more time? Down a quiet backstreet in Kyoto exists a special restaurant. Run by Koishi Kamogawa and her father Nagare, the Kamogawa Diner serves up deliciously extravagant meals. But that’s not the main reason customers stop by. The father-daughter duo are food detectives. Through ingenious investigations, they are able to recreate dishes from a person’s treasured memories, dishes that may well hold the keys to their forgotten past and future happiness. Copies available at the circulation desk. Join the discussion on Zoom.

Beaver talk & walk
Saturday, April 19, 1 p.m.
Meet at the library for another of the Earth Month events, a beaver talk and walk to learn from Bob Hyams how beavers are key to conservation of Lake Champlain. After the talk the group will head out to see beavers in action at Thorp Brook.

Mystery Book Group:
Monday, April 21, 10 a.m.
In “We Solve Mysteries,” Steve Wheeler is enjoying retired life. He still does the odd bit of investigation work, but he prefers his familiar routines: the pub quiz, his favorite bench, his cat waiting for him at home. His days of adventure are over, but his daughter-in-law Amy Wheeler thinks adrenaline is good for the soul. Working in private security and solving murders every day is dangerous. It’s a family business. Copies available at the circulation desk.

DarkSky Vermont
Monday, April 21, 5:30 p.m.
Join Gregory Caicco from DarkSky Vermont presents Nurturing the Night: How the Dark Skies of Vermont Shelter Healing and the Imagination to celebrate International Dark Sky Week, April 21-28, and enter the history, medicine and poetics of the night as essential for environmental and human wellbeing. Honor Vermont’s significant efforts looking after the star-soaked nights of its ancestors and discuss ways to keep our nights dark and our hearts open.

‘Wrenched’
Tuesday, April 22, 7 p.m.
The film “Wrenched” captures the passing of the monkey wrench from the pioneers of eco-activism to the new generation which will carry Edward Abbey’s legacy into the 21st century. The fight continues to sustain the last bastion of the American wilderness — the spirit of the West.

Sunday afternoon music jam
Sunday, April 27, 1-3 p.m.
A “jam” is sharing a tune or song of your choice as we go around the circle. Participants may join in but no pressure to perform. Sit in or sit out. Share or pass.

Any age or ability in a supportive, non-judgmental environment. Guitar, ukulele, mandolin, banjo, fiddle, bass, keyboard, harmonicas, hand drums — anything goes. For questions or comments, please contact Sallie Mack: 802.425.6212 or email.

The Grace of Imperfection
Tuesday, April 29, 7-8:30 p.m.
Join Jonathan Silverman for The Grace of Imperfection: A Ceramicist’s Lens on Japanese History and His Own Japanese-inspired Art Work as part of the library’s series honoring local artists. Silverman will first take his audience on a visual journey through Japanese history linking the rich tradition in Japan ceramic, culture, and art. He then will share the influence of Japanese aesthetics on his creative process with examples in the library of his recent work. He will also give an update on the activities connected to the Japan Foundation grant supporting the global partnership between Nishiawakura, a small village in Japan, and the Shelburne Craft School and Shelburne Farms.

Recurring programs

Book chat
Wednesdays, 3 p.m.
Meet each week (except April 16) 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

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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, May 1, at 6 p.m. Contact the library or visit the library website for more information.