Northern Tier Library hosts kids’ program on ecosystems

Northern Tier Public Library will host a Remake Learning event for young gardeners, “Backyard Ecosystems,” from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. May 15 at 4015 Dickey Road, Richland.

Master Gardener Lee Bognar will share how ecosystems contain many types of life, such as plants, insects and animals, and what to include when making your own backyard ecosystem.

Remake Learning projects at this program will include a mosaic decorated birdbath, building a bug hotel and decorating a pot to start seeds.

The event is for ages 5 and older. Registration is required.

Remake Learning is a network of educators and innovators sparking engaging, relevant, and equitable opportunities to enrich Pittsburgh’s learning ecosystem.

Other library programs include:

• Natureology: Oceans, 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. May 14. When life began, it started in the oceans. But where did the water come from, and what kind of animals live there now?

Explore the answers at Natureology with Tony Palermo. The program is for children of all ages, and registration is required.

• Technology help, 2 to 4 p.m. May 15, 22 and 29. Register for a 30-minute session to focus on a basic topic like computers, smartphones, eReaders and more.

• American Mahjong, noon May 13 and 20 at the Pine Community Center.

Mahjong is a game of mixing and matching tiles, with three to four players per game. Beginners to expert levels are welcome. Bring your own game board if you have one.

• Maker Monday at Pine-Richland High School, 2:45 to 5:30 p.m. May 13.

Featured is origami, the making of small creations by folding paper.

• Knit Lit, 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. May 15. Knitters, crocheters, and yarn art enthusiasts are welcome to attend at the library.

If you’re working on a project, bring it along with you. Talk about life, books and those craft projects you’re always working on but may never finish. Registration is required.

• Take-home crafts, Tuesdays through May 21. Kids of all ages are invited to enjoy a simple weekly take-home craft. Please call or register online to reserve a supply kit that can be picked up on Tuesdays and enjoyed at home.

• The Weekly Project, Tuesdays through May 21, featuring a variety of activities such as cooking, crafting, art and STEM. Each week will showcase a different project for on which children can work. Call or register online to reserve a supply kit that can be picked up on Tuesdays and enjoyed at home.

• Baby play time, 11 a.m. May 14 and 21. Share songs, finger plays, stories and rhymes. Meet other parents and their babies, and enjoy some special time together.

This program is intended for babies through 18 months and will be held Tuesdays in the program room on the library’s main level. Siblings are welcome, and only one registration is required for the series of six play times.

• A Great Deal card and game group, 1 to 3 p.m. every Tuesday and Wednesday on the library’s lower level. Currently offered are pinochle on Tuesdays and American Mahjong on Wednesdays, but additional games may follow. Registration is requested.

• Discord Game Night, 7 o’clock on May 17, featuring Gartic Phone.

Teens ages 13 to 18 are welcome to join the library’s Discord server for game night. Please fill out the form at tinyurl.com/discgaming to participate, and a librarian will email an invitation link to join.

• Math for Girls, 9:30 a.m. May 18, a free competition for late elementary and middle school-aged girls to empower young women’s engagement in STEM: science, technology, engineering and mathematics.

Competitive math experience is neither necessary nor expected. Registration is required.

• NTRL Chess Club, 5 to 6 p.m. May 20. Practice chess skills and play against other kids in the community.

The library’s program room will be set up with chess sets and tables for families to meet and play a few rounds in an informal setting. This is a self-directed program for all ages, but registration is requested.

• Family story and play time, 10:30 a.m. Wednesdays through May 22 and Thursdays through May 23. Featured are songs and rhymes, books and lots of movement.

The program is for toddlers, preschoolers and their families. Registration is required, and only one registration is necessary for the series of six story times.

• Family story time at the Pine Community Center, 11 a.m. May 17 and 31. Sing, move, read books, and practice rhymes.

The program is for children of all ages, and registration is required.

The library will be closed May 27 in observance of Memorial Day. The last day for service at the Pine-Richland High School Center for the school year will be May 23.

For more information and registration details, call the library at 724-449-2665 or visit northerntierlibrary.org.