Rolling Hills Water Park

Memorial Day weekend signifies more than just the remembrance of departed veterans, but also as a non-meterological beginning to Summer. Most students are making their way through their final weeks of school, daydreaming about the possibilites this Summer offers. This is also the time when County Parks and Preserves open to the public. Soon, AADL will be offering a program called "Park and Read," which is simlar to the Museum Adventure Passes, that will be good for a free one-day admission to any Michigan State Park. Fortunately, Washtenaw County proudly boasts 12 parks and 16 preserves, including the ever popular Rolling Hills Water Park, which supplies the County with a great place to cool off, get together with friends and even play a round of disc golf.

Come and visit one of Washtenaw County's Parks or Preserves today!

With Memorial Day quickly approaching, now is a great time to don your sunscreen, fill your cooler, and head out on one of our many Michigan waterways. If you are a fan of canoeing/kayaking, pick up a copy of Doc Fletcher's new book Michigan Rivers Less Paddled : The Rivers, The Towns, The Taverns here at the AADL. This handy guide will provide you with plenty of ideas for canoeing excursions around the area, including local pubs to hit at the end of your journey. Jerry Dennis' Canoeing Michigan Rivers : A Comprehensive Guide to 45 Rivers is another guide to consider if you are looking for new routes to explore. If you are not the proud owner of a canoe or kayak, there are plenty of rental places in the area. Visit Huron River Net for a list of businesses that will gladly provide you with that canoe you need.

Are you a walker and love beautiful scenery? Then this video is for you! Check out our Scenic Walks of the World:Romance With Nature DVD. This DVD will take you around the world and show you first hand the beautiful scenery that can be taken in when walking some of the most amazing walks in the world. Although not as gorgeous as being there in person, it comes a close second when you cannot be there!

Tori Murden McClure has an AB from Smith College, a master’s in divinity from Harvard, a JD from the University of Louisville, and an MFA from Spalding University. Very impressive -- as is her new book, A Pearl in the Storm: How I Found My Heart in the Middle of the Ocean. Currently vice president at Spalding, McClure is the first woman to row alone across an ocean. This beautifully written memoir offers readers a spectacular blend of adventure, romance, and self discovery.

earth day

Wednesday, April 22, is Earth Day in Tree Town. Catch the Recycled Materials Art Show at the ReUse Center or drink a toast to Project Grow at Arbor Brewing Company.

The Leslie Science and Nature Center will celebrate Earth Day on Sunday, April 26, with educational displays, hands-on activities, live animal presentations, storytelling and sing-alongs. Join the All Species Parade dressed as your favorite endangered plant or animal. Call 997-1553 or visit the Leslie Science Center's website for more information.

While we enjoy a spring afternoon, Mt. Everest expedition teams are sleeping somewhere near or on the mountain. Depending on the approach they staked their tents in Tibet or Nepal.

Keep on top of the latest Everest expedition news: MountEverest.net

Elevations
Ann Arbor: 256 m (840 ft) What's the highest point in Ann Arbor?
Nepal-side base camp: 5,380 m (17,700 ft)
Tibet-side base camp: 5,180 m (16,990 ft)
Mt. Everest peak: 8,844.43 m ± 0.21 m (29,017.16 ± 0.69 ft)

Everest books:
1996 climb
2006 climb

Everest DVDs:
1996 climb
Everest: beyond the limit

On our new book shelf here at the AADL you can pick up a copy of The 100 Best Worldwide Vacations to Enrich Your Life, written by Pam Grout & published by National Geographic. The author's intent, as she states in the introduction, is to alter your idea of what vacation is meant to be and offer you the potential to change your life. The experiences are divided into four categories: arts and crafts getaways, learning retreats, volunteer vacations, and wellness escapes. Even if you can't afford some of the fabulous ideas set forth in this book, it's still enjoyable to read about them. Consider a three-day mahout (elephant wrangler) training course in Thailand. Spend a month working for African Impact, a lion rehabilitation center in Zimbabwe. Master the art of blending scotch at the Glengoyne Distillery in the Scottish highlands. Ride horses to Machu Picchu's sacred sister city, Choquequirao, Peru.
The trip that caught my attention is run by COBATI (Community-Based Tourism Initiatives) in Kampala, Uganda. Instead of a typical African safari package that does little to benefit the locals, COBATI homestays offer the amazing opportunity to stay in small, rural villages and learn about the real Uganda. Visit banana plantations, stay with midwives, learn beekeeping & mushroom growing, attend community weddings, visit flower farms and see homesteads with Ankole longhorn cattle (indigenous to Uganda for at least seven centuries). Interested? Visit www.cobati.or.ug or head to the library for a copy of this unique travel guide.

bird house

My son, Bill, led the construction and installation of a dozen “nesting boxes” for birds and bats on the east side of the Pittsfield branch last summer as one of the requirements to become an Eagle Scout. Library director Josie Parker supported the project as a reflection of the AADL’s commitment to capitalize on environmental principles...to operate more in harmony with the ecosystem. I'm keeping an eye on the project now that Bill’s off at college, and with spring coming, I hope other library patrons would post a comment if they see birds (or bats) actually occupying the boxes.

You can't beat the taste of real maple syrup on hot, crispy Belgian waffles, especially on a cold winter morning. If you've ever wanted to give your mouth that Vermont-fresh taste without the store-bought price then the Saturday, February 28 program, Sap to Syrup -- Doing it Yourself, at the Field Operations Building of Ann Arbor's County Farm Park is just what you've been waiting for. From 1-2:30 pm, Faye Stoner will be discussing methods of identifying maple trees, tapping the trees, and boiling the sap into syrup. The program requires registration beforehand, so be sure to let them know if you're planning to go. Can't make the event but still want to tap that delicious drizzle? Check out some AADL items on all things syrup: The Maple Syrup Book, Sugaring Season: Making Maple Syrup, or the Newbery Honor book, Sugaring Time.

On February 26, 1919, Congress enacted legislation to establish two national parks. One was Lafayette National Park on the coast of Maine which was later renamed Acadia National Park. The other was Grand Canyon National Park in northwestern Arizona which covers over a million acres. The Library has a wonderful collection of books and dvds on all the national parks. So if you're planning a trip to any this summer, come check them out.