“It is dry, hazy June weather. We are more of the earth, farther from heaven these days.”

— Henry David Thoreau

As summer approaches, we change our focus to Sharing our Shores with Birds. Zoom with us at 7 p.m. Tuesday, June 7 as we welcome back Ken Elkins, community conservation manager, Bent of the River Audubon Center in Southbury, as he discusses the ways we can have a positive impact on birds that use our beaches and waterways at home, including our use of plastic materials and recycling.

We have a few off-site events for you this summer beginning with a walk and writing exercise at Stenger Farm Park on Clark Lane with nature writer Katherine Hauswirth, author of “A Book of Noticing: collections and connections on the trail.” We’ll meet Saturday, June 11 at 10 a.m. (rain date June 25). Bring a writing pad or journal with pen, bottle of water, and comfortable shoes. Registration is required as space is limited.

Taylor Oliveira, author of “Autumn Years: a journey from darkness to light,” will join us in-person Wednesday, June 15 at 6:30 p.m.

Save the Date: Join us for a Juneteenth performance on Saturday, June 18 at 3 p.m. for “La Amistad: A Fantastic, True to Life Journey of Sorrow, Unity & Triumph.” Storyteller Adwoa Bandele Asante starts the audience out in 1839, West Africa. From here came the captive Africans whose tenacity and willpower would ultimately strike a death blow to the trans-Atlantic trafficking in humans of that era. La Amistad, the now famous coastal schooner whose name means “friendship,” spent two years in New London harbor. Come learn about how it came to be here and its historical impact. Our presenter is Adwoa Bandele Asante. From 2018 through 2020, she worked throughout the state of Connecticut, and in parts of Long Island, N.Y. as a Discovering Amistad educator.

The third talk in our Herstory Unsanitized Series is “Suffragettes in Corselettes, the evolution of underwear and our 19th amendment” presented by The Grounded Goodwife. Zoom with us Monday, June 20 at 6:30 p.m. Did the demise of tightlacing help women gain the right to vote in 1920?

America’s Best Idea: The National Parks is presented by Dr. Richard Benfield, in person, on Tuesday, June 21 at 6:30 p.m. Benfield will draw upon his 10 years of teaching about National Parks and World Heritage Sites, his four years working in Banff National Park for Parks Canada, and his latest research projects on conservation and protection of large feline predators in the World’s National Parks to create an immersive experience for all participants.

Kristopher Sortwell, Eastern CT Regional Director, Alzheimer’s Association, will present in-person Healthy Living for your Brain and Body, Tuesday, June 28 at 6 p.m. Join us to learn about research in the areas of diet and nutrition, exercise, cognitive activity and social engagement, and use hands-on tools to help you incorporate these recommendations into a plan for healthy aging.

Remember we have our monthly Write Night writing group that meets the fourth Wednesday of each month, our Speculative Fiction discussion group meets the second Monday of each month, and our Friday afternoon Daytime Book Discussion group meets the fourth Friday.

Don’t forget our Monday Night Oscars Film Series continues through June. Also continuing through June is the Great Decisions: Global Topics for Local Discussion series on Thursday evenings.

Miss Kim is back for a special summer series of family storytimes on Monday and Thursday mornings at 10 a.m. beginning on June 2. Bring a blanket or chair and join us outdoors, weather permitting.

To celebrate Make Music Day, join us on Tuesday, June 21 at 9:45 for an outdoor all-ages Ukulele Storytime with Julie Stepanek. It will include fingerplays, integrative movement songs and stories.

At 10:30 a.m. we’ll have a Ukulele Lesson for Families with Julie Stepanek who will show the fundamentals of ukulele playing. You’ll learn how to tune, strum and read chords. After a short lesson, you’ll be able to play songs. No experience necessary. Bring your own ukulele or borrow one of hers.

These are outdoor events, weather permitting, so please bring a blanket or lawn chair.

Wednesday, June 22 at 10:30 a.m. we have an in-person event with 4H STEM called Ocean Discovery: Bioluminescence. Using a battery, LED lightbulb, and color diffusing paper, you will create a bioluminescent jelly fish. All materials will be provided during this in-person program, with registration required for ages 5 and up.

Campfire Craft & Storytime with Denison Pequotsepos Nature Center will be held Thursday, June 30 at 10 a.m. Gather round to craft, hear folktales of local wildlife and meet a live animal. Children use natural items as stamps and create seed mosaics.

We’ll round out class with an opportunity to roast marshmallows over a mini campfire! Recommended for ages 3 and up with an adult.

Further details about all of our programs and registration are found on our website www.waterfordpubliclibrary.org and then clicking on our Calendar of Events tab. While at our website, be sure to sign up for our monthly e-newsletter for the latest information on all library events and services.

Jill Adams is Head of Adult Services at Waterford Public Library.