In the Garden members visited Wawasee Area Conservancy Foundation’s Between-the-Lakes Preserve during the group’s July field trip. The next field trip will be to Pisgah Marsh and Boardwalk Thursday, Aug. 25. Photo by Sarah Wright.

News Release

SYRACUSE — Learning never stops, and Syracuse Public Library’s In the Garden group seeks to connect adults with the natural world while furthering their understanding of it.

Join the discussion of Chapter Eight of “Nature’s Best Hope” by Douglas W. Tallamy. This chapter centers on restoring insects, the vital creatures that run the world. Copies of Tallamy’s book are available for checkout at the library. Digital copies can also be found on the Hoopla and Libby apps.

During the discussion, Becky Brower will share information about the upcoming In the Garden field trip to Pisgah Marsh and Boardwalk at 11 a.m. Thursday, Aug. 25. The group will be joined by Scott Fetters, private lands biologist for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

For more information, contact Becky Brower at [email protected].

Volunteer Fixers Sought

Syracuse Public Library hopes to offer fix-it clinics this fall, which would pair people with broken household items with volunteer fixers. These volunteers would guide participants through the repair process so they can repair the next one on their own, diverting fixable items from the landfill.

If you are knowledgeable in basic household item repair — lamps, fans, vacuums, clothing, etc. — and would like to share your skills, contact Brower. The first fix-it clinic in September would focus on fan repair.

Monthly Meetings

Mahjong continues at 10:15 a.m. each Monday during the month of August. An additional mahjong time is being offered through August at 1 p.m. Wednesdays, starting Aug. 10 though Aug. 31.

Adults interested in simplifying their lives can also join the Decluttering Support Group at noon Thursday, Aug. 11, in the library’s downstairs meeting room. This group provides a nonjudgmental support system for getting rid of clutter.

Passive Children’s Programming

While the children’s department is taking a programming break during the month of August, there is still plenty to do while visiting the library. Children can solve our weekly scavenger hunts, play with the library’s games or toys and pick up a take-and-make craft.

For preschool-aged children, they can sign up for 1,000 books before kindergarten. Pick up a sticker sheet at the library to track your reading and then read one book a night to read 365 per year. Children will receive a small prize or a book for every 100 books read.