Hey Kids, check out Ranger Rick magazine in the Children's Department. Ranger Rick is a clever raccoon who is the leader of a small group of animals. He and his friends come up with ways to solve some of our environmental problems. This magazine offers you great information and photographs of all kind of animals, as well as cool stuff in the ocean. It also offers "green tips" for kids, Ranger Rick's comic adventures, games, crafts and stories about real kids and their adventures. It's a fun read, with lots to look at!

Young readers can turn to click magazine as a great alternative to clicking on the T.V. "Click," the mouse, is your narrator throughout the picture-filled pages. This fun science magazine offers stories, comics, interviews, and creative activities to encourage young curious minds. It is available in the children's department. So stretch your mind and click on something new today.

Did you miss the Perseid meteor shower due to the overcast evening? Or, perhaps, you decided sleep was more important? Or did you just forget? If you missed it, you may want to read this man's account of the meteor shower from a kayak on Lake Michigan. You might also want to check out theskyscrapers.org and mark your calendar for future meteor events. Be sure to have Falling Stars: A Guide to Meteors and Meteorites by Mike D. Reynolds by your side.

No boys will be allowed at this campout held at Preservation Park on Friday, August 13 at 5:30PM. Ladies can start tent setup at 3:00PM and activities including a scavenger hunt, games, stories, campfire meals, and a gourmet S’mores station start at 5:30PM. All activities are weather permitting.

Come for a stroll at Canton’s 1^st annual Sound Garden event. It will be taking place at the Lower Rouge Recreation Trail on Thursday, August 12 from 6:30-8:30PM. Light refreshments will be available and live music is going to be stationed along the trail for your enjoyment.

Canton has single stream recycling, which means all recycle items are placed together into a single bin at curbside for pick-up. But what happens after the items get to the recycle center? Michigan Radio has a video tour of Ann Arbor's new recycling facility.

Green Consumers

The consumer's guide to effective environmental choices : practical advice from the Union of Concerned Scientists by Michael Brower and Warren Leon

The virtuous consumer : your essential shopping guide for a better, kinder, healthier world by Leslie Garrett ; foreword by Peter Greenberg

Green Cleaning

Clean : the humble art of Zen-cleansing by Michael De Jong

You may have heard about the recent Lunar Pier beach closure on Lake Erie over the July Fourth weekend due to dangerously high levels of E. coli. And you, like me, might have wondered how clean the water is at your favorite beach. Has it had any recent closures or health advisories? One way that you can check is to search the Michigan BeachGuard System. You can select a county from the map to see beach information for that county or use the search box in the navigation bar to find by beach or waterbody name.

Hey Friends! Join us Monday, June 21, 2010 at 7:00PM for the unveiling of our mural created by Project S.N.A.P. from all the artwork created by students and families in PCCS. I'm so excited to see how it all came together and can't wait to have the black cloth of secrecy lifted. See you at 7:00! Oh and immediately following we have a small reception in the Purple Room in the Children's Department, so don't forget to stop in, say "Hi," and make a fun animal-shaped bookmark.

The green home by Bridget Biscotti Bradley and the editors of Sunset Books

How green is your home? What impact on your health and well-being do the materials and items in your house have? It could be a lot, and if you're planning a renovation or even just redecorating, this book has a lot of great information about how to make environmentally responsible choices that are also aesthetically pleasing and useful in everyday real life.

So you've heard about the declining bee populations as well as how important these pollinators are to the environment. One-third of our food supply relies upon them for pollination which is essential for the reproduction of the plants the bees service. If these are not reasons enough to keep bees there is also the delectable honey. If you have been entertaining the idea of keeping bees you probably already know this, but you might not know the next step. First, you should consider the negative aspects of keeping bees.

Is it possible to be green and raise a baby at the same time? According to The Eco-nomical Baby Guide: Down-To-Earth Ways For Parents To Save Money and the Planet, it is! This book will provide you with tips on shopping green, using cloth diapers, making homemade baby food, and determining how much baby gear you really need. Check this book out and discover that babies can be easier on your wallet (and planet) than you think.

The catastrophic oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico caused by the April explosion of a BP offshore oil rig has put local economies, wildlife and the Gulf's ecosystem at risk. It has been described as the "worst environmental disaster in our nation's history." The affected area is home to more than 400 species of wildlife including whales, egrets, herons, otters, dolphins and millions of migratory birds. Check the NWF's website to see how you can help the wildlife recover. For more information on how our dependence on fossil fuels affect the environment check out Crude: The Real Price of Oil or Crude Impact.

If wolves attack livestock or pets, do humans have the right to kill them, even if they're on the Endangered Species list? This long-standing debate has reached the states of Michigan and Wisconsin. Both states have requested permission from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) to obtain permits allowing the killing of wolves, including gray wolves, which are protected under the federal Endangered Species Act. There are roughly 600 wolves in Michigan's Upper Peninsula. The FWS is accepting public comments on this issue through May 19. Email your comments to Regional Director Peter Fasbender at: permitsR3ES@fws.gov. For more information, check out FWS's web page.

Do you like fresh produce? Do you want to support local farmers? Are you, like me, not a fan of going shopping? I recently discovered Door to Door Organics, and now I have fresh produce delivered to my house once a week. It's great! They have several different basic orders to choose from, and you can customize your order and add items however you'd like. The food comes from local farms including Beautiful Earth Family Farm and Two Creeks Organics, both located in nearby Chelsea. I heartily recommend their goods and their service.

The Third Annual Green Street Fair will return to the streets of Downtown Plymouth from April 30 to May 2. To promote global interest and personal well-being, the Green Street Fair "blends companies, artisans, entertainers, workshops and speakers together in a friendly and family-oriented outdoor environment." Admission is free.

Event Hours

Day	Hours
Friday, April 30	Noon-7:00PM
Saturday, May 1	10:00AM-7:00PM
Sunday, May 2	10:00AM-5:00PM

Former Detroit News reporter, Joel Thurtell, and former photographer, Patricia Beck, tell their tale of traveling up the Rouge River by canoe. The trip was an eye-opening experience of beauty, destruction, pollution and hope. Now in book form, their travels are documented for all to see. Won't you join us for this unique look at our environment and the good, bad and ugly that we have created over the years.
Sunday, May 2nd at 1:00PM in the Community Room.

The Southeast Michigan Council of Governments (SEMCOG) is challenging you to take the Commuter Challenge in May. The Commuter Challenge is simply "a fun and exciting way to encourage you to carpool, vanpool, ride public transportation, bike, walk or use telework or flextime benefits". You can actually win prizes while you help the environment! If you are considering the biking option you may also want to check out Google Maps which has added a bicycle directions option to its service.

From now through this Friday, April 30, all the recyclable paper you place in the library's bright green and yellow Paper Retriever bins (located in the southwest corner of the library parking lot), will generate double earnings for Canton Public Library. So gather up all your old newspapers, magazines, junk mail, school and office papers (cardboard and phone books are not accepted). We'll be happy to lighten your paper load while you help the library earn extra cash!

Looking for fun and educational events for the whole family? You don't want to miss the free Ann Arbor area Earth Day Festival that will be held on Sunday, April 25, at Washtenaw Community College. From Noon to 4:00PM, there are exhibits, hands-on activities and entertainment for all.