Groundwork Somerville

Groundwork Somerville invites Young Somerville residents (recommended for ages 5 and above) to explore the natural world right in front of the East Branch Library. Each week’s activities will include fun games, reading, projects, and a snack! Come ready to play, learn and be outside.

July 7th, 3-4pm ~ Incredible Insects

July 21st, 3-4pm ~ Spooky Spiders

August 4th, 3-4pm ~ Wiggly Worms

Related books will be available to check out in the children’s room!

The program is recommended for children five years of age and older. Thank you to the Friends of the Somerville Public Library for their support of this series. To learn more about Groundwork Somerville’s “healthy Education” programming, click here.

Groundwork Somerville Gardens Coordinator Tai Dinnan and Gardens Educator Jennie Dubitsky will be leading a kids workshop entitled “Wonderful Wiggle Worms!”  Hope to see you at the conference:

NOFA Summer Conference attendees register for an entire weekend of keynote speeches, over 225 workshops, a country fair, farmers’ market, over 100 exhibitors and vendors, a children’s conference, a teen conference, live entertainment and silent auction. Over the years, NOFA has presented a wide array of thoughtful, engaging and important keynote speakers, including Wendell Berry, Joel Salatin, and others. The 2011 Friday evening keynote will be given by perennial-edibles expert and award-winning author, Eric Toensmeier, from Holyoke, MA. The 2011 Saturday evening keynote will be given by Biology professor and anti-GMO activist Dr. Ignacio Chapela, from UC Berkeley.

This year, the 2011 NOFA Summer Conference is proud to feature the Northeast Animal Power Field Days (NEAPFD); a special collection of workshops and hands-on activities for those interested in using draft animals to facilitate farming and logging activities. Local farm tours and most Animal-Power workshops will be held at offsite locations in the Pioneer Valley, for those interested in daytime excursions.

Workshop topics for 2011 include: Alternative Energy and the Environment; Animal Power; Animals, Crops, Farm Economics and Management, Farming and the Community, Food and Family, Food and Farm Education, Food Preservation and Cooking, Fruits, Nuts, and Trees; Garden and Greenhouse, Herbs, Land Care, Nutrition and Health, Of the Spirit, Politics and Policy, Practical Skills, Soil and Fertility, and Urban Agriculture. Most workshops are held in and around the UMass Amherst campus. Participants generally select on-campus housing, and reside in the UMass dormitories for the duration of their stay. Camping on the UMass property is also available.

Online registration available now. Go to: www.nofasummerconference.org . For information on registration, contact registration@nofasummerconference.org, or call Kathleen or Siedeh at the registration hotline: (413) 230-7835.

Can’t go to the entire conference? No problem. Go for one day, or one night. It’s well worth a nice drive out to Western Mass. About an hour and 45 minutes from Boston. Lots of folks heading out there…carpools are available. You can preregister or walk in on the days of the conference! Discounts for early registration. Check the NOFA conference website for details.

Join Groundwork Somerville’s Gardens Coordinator each month at the West Branch library for nature and garden-themed children’s workshops this summer!  Check out our “healthy EDUCATION” or “Schoolyard Gardens” pages for more information about our nature and garden programming!

Eco-Action: What we do in Somerville can help keep the world healthy! Attendees will participate in Eco Activities, learn about composting and worms, and create music makers out of recycled materials. Best for children ages 5 and above.

Thank you to the Friends of the Somerville Public Library for their support of this series.

Join Groundwork Somerville’s Gardens Coordinator each month at the West Branch library for nature and garden-themed children’s workshops this summer!  Check out our “healthy EDUCATION” or “Schoolyard Gardens” pages for more information about our nature and garden programming!

Harvest Around the World: Young participants will learn how growing and harvesting food is important around the world through games, books, and activities.  We will get to harvest Somerville-grown veggies planted in June and sample fruits and vegetables from around the world. This workshop is great for students age 5 and above.

Thank you to the Friends of the Somerville Public Library for their support of this series.

Join us for “Eco-Explorers: Nature in the City with Groundwork Somerville!”

Each week, for six weeks, members of Groundwork Somerville will introduce a nature topic and project that will enable young residents to explore nature and wildlife in their neighborhood, including: birds, seeds and other parts of a plant, flowers, trees, and insects, culminating with a walk to the Somerville Growing Center for the last session. Snack provided.

Limited to 12 youth, ages 6-9, and their caregivers. Tickets will be handed out at the children’s desk one hour prior to beginning of session.

Join us for one or all Tuesday sessions from 4pm-5pm: July:5th, 12th, 19th, 26th; August: 2nd, 9th

Thank you to the Friends of the Somerville Public Library for their support of this series. To learn more about Groundwork Somerville’s “healthy Education” programming, click here.

Groundwork Somerville invites Young Somerville residents (recommended for ages 5 and above) to explore the natural world right in front of the East Branch Library. Each week’s activities will include fun games, reading, projects, and a snack! Come ready to play, learn and be outside.

July 7th, 3-4pm ~ Incredible Insects

July 21st, 3-4pm ~ Spooky Spiders

August 4th, 3-4pm ~ Wiggly Worms

Related books will be available to check out in the children’s room!

The program is recommended for children five years of age and older. Thank you to the Friends of the Somerville Public Library for their support of this series. To learn more about Groundwork Somerville’s “healthy Education” programming, click here.

Join Groundwork Somerville’s Gardens Coordinator each month at the West Branch library for nature and garden-themed children’s workshops this summer!  Check out our “healthy EDUCATION” or “Schoolyard Gardens” pages for more information about our nature and garden programming!

Seeds Of Hope: Participants will learn how splendid seeds are by dissecting, planting, eating, reading about and playing with them!  This workshop is great for students age 5 and above.

Thank you to the Friends of the Somerville Public Library for supporting this programming.

Planting Seeds with Healey Students

You’re invited to
Bicycle-Powered
a sprout spaghetti dinner

This month’s sprout spaghetti dinner will be next Wednesday June 15 with dinner–a chilled pasta salad this month–starting around 730PM and performances a little after 8PM.  There is a $10 suggested donation, but all are welcome to attend.  We’ll be at sprout’s studios at 339R Summer St. in Somerville.

This month’s theme is Bicycle-Powered and we’ll be thinking about bikes in all different ways.  They’re personal and political.  They’re vehicles as well as fashion accessories.  They’re something that are very much at the heart of issues around sustainability, transportation, and urban life.  At this month’s dinner we’ll see performances and presentations by ::

+ Sam Christy on The Practical Bicycle (or A Bicycle: Tool or Toy?)
+ David Quinn from the Cambridge Bicycle Committee with a discussion of the politics of biking
+ Adam and Vic Hasler sharing a family history of professional biking and DIY mechanics
+ The Actual Air Bicycle Project by Mike Styczynski & Romain Teil
+ bicycle-themed songs performed by Veronica Barron & Adam Schutzman!
+ a bicycle fashion show!

Join us as we look at issues of Health disparities with a Racial lens.  Call or Email Ronald for more info – ronald@groundworksomerville.org  617.628-9988

The Brown School PTA is holding a Family Fitness Day!  Groundwork Somerville will be in the garden preparing a yummy and healthy veggie snack.  We will also be re-planting the perimeter flower bed that rings our raised vegetable beds on Willow Avenue.   Donations of perennial flowers will be gladly accepted.

Other activities include a guided walk around the city block of the school [Willow - Morrison- Josefine-Kidder] and six stations in the schoolyard with various activities.  The school bikes will be out on a closed Josephine street, or you can bring your own!