Celebrate Earth Day - April 22nd!
https://www.earthday.org
Thank you Laurie Pleshar for researching and compiling this list of books and activities
999 frogs wake up/
by Ken Kimura
The sights and sounds of Spring includes you! Here is a medley of book titles to inspire getting outside to celebrate Spring, learn about Earth’s wonders, and join with others to protect our home. Happy Earth Day everyday! Have fun!
Younger
Spring blossoms/ by Carole Gerber
Spring brings bursts of flowering color, and this book charmingly presents many of the trees we first see blooming. Graceful and informative text is included through the pages in this ode to the beauty of the season. 
Where butterflies grow/ by Joanne Ryder
Butterflies are one of the pollinators we have to thank for the flowering beauty of Spring. They fill the pages in this book that invites the reader to imagine life as a growing caterpillar, a pupa, and finally a swallowtail butterfly. Directions for attracting butterflies to your garden are included with other creatively presented information. Children will also enjoy finding the many small creatures hidden among the plant life.
In the small, small pond / by Denise Fleming
This award-winning book is a perfect accompaniment to a visit to the local pond and features the animals and insects living there.
Salamanders / by Nick Winnick
One of the Backyard Animals series, this volume is packed with information and includes fine close-up photos of salamanders. Interesting myths and legends of these woodland creatures are included, as well as a puzzle, Q & A, and more.
Spring in the Forest / by Rusty Finch
Little ones can explore Spring in the forest with this interactive Lift-a-Flap surprise board book. Follow a mama deer and her little fawn as they walk around the woods enjoying the birds singing, wildflowers blooming, raindrop puddles, and the rainbow in a bright sky. 
Hike / by Pete Oswald
The absence of text in this almost wordless book reflects the quiet yet powerful experience of walking through a wilderness area. The father and son in the story enjoy the wonderful discoveries and challenges of the natural world during their hike. Just as wonderful, we see that the events of the day have helped build a special bond between the two through their outdoor experience together.
Older
The Family Butterfly Book / by Rick Mikula
A wonderful guide for the whole family, this book provides a comprehensive overview of the butterfly lifecycle along with superb illustrations and photos of the North American species. Kids and adults alike will find this book an excellent reference and project book for identifying butterflies, creating butterfly habitats, and much, much more. 
The Girl who Drew Butterflies : how Maria Merian's art changed science /
by Joyce Sidman
Drawing, painting, journaling, and other mediums are a wonderful way to record your nature observations, bringing about further learning and enjoyment. Maria Sibylla Merian, who lived in 17th century Germany, loved observing caterpillars and other insects. Her intricate drawings and diary notes led to her becoming the first person to discover and publish the complete life cycle of butterflies, then called “summer birds”. This vibrant biography on a pioneering and talented naturalist also gives readers a glimpse into this period of history and the influence the issues of that time had on Merian's life.
Frog Heaven : Ecology of a Vernal Pool / by Doug Wechsler
This thoroughly researched book documents the ecology of the unique vernal pool habitat, detailing its evolution during the cycle of a year. The brilliant photographs illustrate this changing environment and the pages are filled with pictures of vernal pools, frogs, other creatures, and vegetation. The fascinating information presented furthers kids’ understanding of the ways various species are interrelated and their role in the food web. Just one example of how maintaining this habitat is helpful to humans is that the animals that live in vernal pools tend to eat insects, like mosquitoes. The book highlights the need for all of us to help protect vernal pools in our local forests.
Check out this Norton Land Preservation website for more information on our area vernal pools: https://nortonlandpreservation.org/downloads-2/files/20.Vernal%20Pools.pdf
Can You Hear the Trees Talking? : discovering the hidden life of the forest /
by Peter Wohlleben
This young reader’s book is an outstanding introduction into the world of trees by the author of the adult book, The hidden life of trees. The author explains the complex interactions that allow trees to communicate with and protect one another. In accessible terms, he describes how trees in forests form families and devise methods to ensure the long life and survival of their species, such as showing how root systems can work like the internet. Though the author anthropomorphizes trees' relationships with one another and with the animal kingdom, the book is full of pertinent information. Both student researchers and casual browsers will thoroughly enjoy the many illustrations, sidebars, quizzes, and projects in this exciting volume. Hopefully it encourages new perspectives during a stroll through the woods!
Spring Nature Activities for Children/ by Irmgard Kutsch
A fun selection for families, this title is geared toward engaging kids in springtime outdoor activities around the yard and garden. Some of the projects included are building bird nesting boxes, sprouting seeds, planting a garden and using plant-based dyes and paints.
And finally, check out these websites to kick start ideas on how you can get involved with others in fun youth programs supporting the environment. Also, ask what’s available at your school!
https://environmentmassachusetts.org/blogs/greener-together/ame/51-environmental-activities-kids-can-do-earth-day
https://projectgreenschools.org/youth-council/
https://www.massaudubon.org/learn/families-with-children/programs-for-teens
https://wildlandstrust.org/youth-programs
https://earthtalk.org/getting-kids-into-environmental-activism/