BELFAST — One of the many ways the Belfast Garden Club contributes to the community is through their annual donation of horticultural and environmental books to the Belfast Free Library. Sometimes the books cover scientific topics, such as fungi and climate change, while others are how-to in nature. Children’s books on these topics are hard to find, but 41 books have been donated so far.
While 126 adult books have been placed, the actual number is much higher according to Allison Beards, club historian. She says additional books over the years have been donated as member memorials.
Beards also pointed out that the library isn’t the only beneficiary of books from the club. When the Re-Entry Center’s 62-acre farm was starting up, members donated books from their own collections to help the effort.
Often the club donates books that are hot off the press, so the Belfast library is first in the state to receive them. This benefits library patrons across Maine.
The 2020 donations will be available and on display by the middle of January. Here are the titles:
Nature’s Best Hope: A New Approach to Conservation that Starts in Your Yard, by Douglas Tallamy, 2019
The Reindeer Chronicles, by Judith D. Schwartz, 2020
Water in Plain Sight, by Judith D. Schwartz, 2019
Uprooted: A Gardener Reflects on Beginning Again, by Page Dickey, 2020
Modern Cottage Garden, by Greg Loades, 2020
Scraps, Wilt and Weeds: Turning Waste Food into Plenty, by Mads Refslund and Tama Matsuoka Wong, 2017
Weeds of the Northeast, by Richard Uva, Joseph Neal, and Joseph DiTomaso, 1997
Niki Jabbour’s Veggie Garden Remix, by Niki Jabbour, 2018
The Incredible Journey of Plants, by Stefano Mancuso, 2020
The Metamorphosis of Plants, by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, 1790 (facsimile re-print)
Farming with the Wild: Enhancing Biodiversity on Farms and Ranches, by Daniel Imhoff, 2013
Children’s books:
A Big Garden, by Gilles Clement and Vincent Grave, 2018
Heal the Earth, by Julian Lennon, 2017
Mary Davis and Astrid Bowlby of the book committee will give an overview of the 2020 donations via Zoom, which will be recorded and available on the Belfast Garden Club website by Jan. 25. Visit BelfastGardenClub.org and click on Book Donations.
They will present a more in-depth review of their favorite selections via Zoom on Feb. 24 and March 24. This discussion will cover why the book was selected and touch on book highlights and the topic in general. Time will be allowed for group participation. The public is invited to these special editions of the club’s Readers and Weeders group that usually gathers in person during the winter months. Mark these dates on your calendar and check the club website one week prior to each Zoom for registration information.