Celebrate Earth Day 2020

Earth Dec. 7, 1972, by the crew of Apollo 17 (NASA)

Wednesday, April 22 is the 50th annual celebration of Earth Day! Earth Day is a global day to recognize and support the importance of environmental protection proposed by UNESCO and popularized in the United States by Wisconsin's Gaylord Nelson.

One great way to celebrate, while maintaining appropriate social distancing, is to go for a hike on one of the excellent trails throughout the Dubuque area. Be sure to take the time to check the weather before you hike so you don't get caught in a spring shower! It's also a good idea to check with the appropriate parks agency to see if they have any guidance or restrictions at this time.

• City of Dubuque trails and maps
• City of Dubuque parks
• Dubuque County parks and maps
• State of Iowa parks

If the weather isn't cooperating, or you'd rather celebrate from the comfort of your own couch, you might enjoy using your Dubuque resident Carnegie-Stout Public Library card to watch an Earth Day related documentary on Kanopy. We've gathered together a short list of suggested titles below.

The Island President: Politics in the Maldives

(2011, 102 minutes) Nasheed, who brought democracy to the Maldives after decades of despotic rule, now faces an even greater challenge: as one of the most low-lying countries in the world, a rise of three feet in sea level would submerge the 1200 islands of the Maldives and make them uninhabitable.

Trashed with Jeremy Irons

(2012, 94 minutes) Jeremy Irons sets out to discover the extent and effects of the global waste problem, as he travels around the world to beautiful destinations tainted by pollution.

Plastic China - The Lives of Recycling Plant Workers in China

(2016, 83 minutes) This film documents a plastic recycling facility in a small town dedicated to the business of processing plastic waste and examines global consumption and culture through the eyes and hands of those who handle its refuse.

My Life as a Turkey

(2011, 53 minutes) PBS Nature tells one man's remarkable experience of raising a group of wild turkey hatchlings to adulthood. After a local farmer left a bowl of eggs on Joe Hutto's front porch, his life was forever changed. Hutto, possessing a broad background in the natural sciences and an interest in imprinting young animals, incubated the eggs and waited for them to hatch. 

Ken Burns: The National Parks - America’s Best Idea

(2009, 697 minutes) This 12-hour, six-part documentary series by Ken Burns and Dayton Duncan tells the story of an idea as uniquely American as the Declaration of Independence and just as radical: that the most special places in the nation should be preserved, not for royalty or the rich, but for everyone.

Staff Review: The Hour of Land by Terry Tempest Williams

The Hour of Land: A Personal Topography of America's National Parks by Terry Tempest Williams stands a very good chance of being my 2017 best book of the year. I loved it so much I'm about to read it all over again. The book combines all my favorite genres: history, nature writing, memoir, travel. Published in 2016 to coincide with the National Park Service's centennial celebrations, The Hour of Land is a very personal tour, conducted by Williams herself, through a dozen of the nation's 58 national parks.

And what a tour guide she is. A naturalist, writer, and native of Utah, Williams is probably best known for her 1992 memoir Refuge: An Unnatural History of Family and Place about losing her mother to cancer just as the Great Salt Lake floods, threatening the migratory birds Williams treasures. She's extremely knowledgeable, she loves wild places with a passion, and she possesses what I can only call a beautiful spirit: generous, gentle, peace-loving, compassionate. Plus, she's a terrific and highly poetic writer.

It's a pleasure to tour the country in her company, even when she's surveying wrenching scenes like the damage inflicted on Gulf Islands National Seashore by the Deepwater Horizon oil spill of 2010 or the encroachments of the Bakken oil fields on Theodore Roosevelt National Park in North Dakota. More often what she surveys is sublime, from Alaska's Gates of the Arctic and Wyoming's Grand Teton to Acadia National Park in Maine. She even makes a stop at Effigy Mounds National Monument here in Iowa.

Particularly pleasurable is the variety of approaches Williams takes to her park descriptions, focusing closely at times on ecology or American history, then shifting her lens to her own life and family. She includes letters, emails, and journal entries to fine effect and provides a wonderful personal anecdote about Lady Bird Johnson. Modern readers, who may be unaware of how our great park system got started, learn about the unflagging philanthropic and environmental efforts of such National Park greats as Laurence Rockefeller, Theodore Roosevelt, Stewart Udall, and many others. This book's a lavish banquet of luscious park detail and I, for one, could not get enough of it. How I wish Williams had visited all 58.

~Ann, Adult Services

Nine Books that will Inspire You to Explore Nature

Did you know that June is Great Outdoors Month? It's hard to resist the call of the outdoors in the early days of summer, whether you're strolling the River Walk, hiking through the Mines of Spain, or just relaxing in your own backyard.

This year marks the 100th anniversary of the National Park Service, though our first National Park (Yellowstone) is even older. Whether you're planning a visit to a National Park this summer, or just interested in reading up on their history, we've put together a list of helpful books to get you started.

If you're looking for some inspiration for outdoor fun (or if the weather's just too muggy for your taste), we've gathered together a list of Nine Books that Will Inspire You to Explore Nature!

Following the Wild Bees: the craft and science of bee hunting by Thomas D. Seeley
(595.799 SEE) Following the Wild Bees is a delightful foray into the pastime of bee hunting, an exhilarating outdoor activity that used to be practiced widely but which few people know about today. Thomas Seeley, a world authority on honey bees, vividly describes the history and science behind this lost pastime and how anyone can do it.

Happy Home Outside: everyday magic for outdoor life by Charlotte Hedeman Guéniau
(747.49 HED) Taking in garden rooms, outdoor spaces such as cabins, canopies, and dining areas as well as moveable spaces such as vintage vans and tents, Charlotte brings her everyday magic and glorious sense of relaxed living with bright color to every corner of the garden.

Vitamin N: The Essential Guide to a Nature-Rich Life by Richard Louv
(155.91 LOU) Vitamin N is a one-of-a-kind, comprehensive, and practical guidebook for the whole family and the wider community, including tips not only for parents eager to share nature with their kids but also for those seeking nature-smart schools, medical professionals, and even careers. It is a dose of pure inspiration, reminding us that looking up at the stars or taking a walk in the woods is as exhilarating as it is essential, at any age.

The Rarest Bird in the World: the search for the Nechisar nightjar by Vernon R.L. Head
(598.99 HEA) In 1990, a group of research scientists performed a survey of birds in the Plains of Nechisar in Ethiopia, returning with hundreds of specimens, including a single wing from a bird unlike any ever seen before. Vernon Head joins an expedition two decades later that will attempt to locate the rarest bird in the world.

The Wander Society by Keri Smith
(153.35 SMI)  Several years ago when Keri Smith discovered cryptic handwritten notations in a worn copy of Walt Whitman's Leaves of Grass, her interest was piqued. Little did she know at the time that those simple markings would become the basis of a years-long, life-changing exploration into a mysterious group known only as The Wander Society.

Patterns in Nature: why the natural world looks the way it does by Philip Ball
(500.2 BAL) Though at first glance the natural world may appear overwhelming in its diversity and complexity, there are regularities running through it, from the hexagons of a honeycomb to the spirals of a seashell and the branching veins of a leaf. Revealing the order at the foundation of the seemingly chaotic natural world, Patterns in Nature explores not only the math and science but also the beauty and artistry behind nature’s awe-inspiring designs.

The Book of Camping and Woodcraft: A Guidebook for Those Who Travel, in the Wilderness by Horace Kephart
(796.54 KEP) In the early 20th century, travel writer Horace Kephart published a series of articles in Field and Stream, which served as the foundation for this classic book on wilderness camping. His work as an outdoorsman led to the establishment of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

The Parkour & Freerunning Handbook by Dan Edwardes

(796.046 EDW) An illustrated introduction to parkour--freerunning--that provides step-by-step instructions on basic moves, which include landing, rolling, jumping, mounting, balance, and more, along with tips to avoid injuries. The book also discusses clothing, culture, and other related topics.

GoatMan: how I took a holiday from being human by Thomas Thwaites
(BIOG Thwaites) A research grant offers Thomas Thwaites the chance to take a holiday from the complications of being human--by transforming himself into a goat. What ensues is a hilarious and surreal journey through engineering, design, and psychology, as Thwaites interviews neuroscientists, animal behaviorists, prosthetists, goat sanctuary workers, and goatherds.