Article Text
Fairfax County Public Library will spotlight America’s natural landscapes throughout April with scavenger hunts, wildlife encounters, art projects and environmental programs at branches across the county.
The events celebrate the country’s climatic diversity, from beaches and prairies to mountain ranges and ice caps. Dates and times may change, so attendees should confirm event details before visiting.
National park landscape scavenger hunts will run all month at Herndon Fortnightly Library and Kings Park Library. Participants can begin by visiting the information desk at either branch.
The Fairfax County Park Authority’s Wonder Wagon, a mobile nature center focused on environmental exploration, will also stop at multiple branches on several dates.
On Saturday, April 4, Great Falls Library and Reston Regional Library will present “Recycling Pirates,” a musical puppet show featuring characters made from trash. Led by Captain Jack Sparetire, the crew searches for items to recycle, reuse, reduce and repair.
Scientist and butterfly specialist Nadya Muchoney will join Martha Washington Library virtually on Saturday, April 11, for a program about monarch butterflies and their migration through U.S. states and regions on the journey to and from Mexico.
John Marshall Library will host a layered-landscape art activity on Monday, April 13. Participants will use paper to create foreground, middle-ground and background panels inspired by American scenery.
Visitors to Chantilly Regional Library can meet reptiles and amphibians native to Fairfax County during a program about the wildlife of Ellanor C. Lawrence Park on Sunday, April 19.
Two events are scheduled for Saturday, April 25. At Tysons-Pimmit Regional Library, members of the Fairfax Invasive Removal Alliance will share advice about controlling invasive plants and restoring native species. A short walk through Tysons Pimmit Park behind the library will follow.
Lorton Library will hold a national parks poetry program the same day, inviting participants to write about a memorable landscape they have visited or imagine a place they hope to see.
On Monday, April 27, artist Anne Heising will lead a beginner watercolor class at Sherwood Regional Library featuring classic American trees and succulents.
Earth Month activities
Fairfax County Public Library is also partnering with Sustain Fairfax on an Earth Month Reading Bingo Challenge. Library cardholders can use Beanstack to record books, reading minutes and completed activities while earning badges and filling their bingo boards.
Participants who complete five spaces in a row, column or diagonal will be entered into a drawing for one of four $25 Amazon gift cards.
Several branches will also hold Earth Day events on or near April 22. Additional nature-themed reading recommendations are available from the library’s collection team.