Gopher Tortoise Friendly Yards

Tomorrow, May 4th, Dr. Katherine Richardson will be hosting an online class on Gopher Tortoise Friendly Yards. From 9am – 11am CDT, partake in the class by visiting this link. Dr. Richardson is the Gopher Tortoise Program Coordinator with Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. Gopher tortoises are a threatened species in Florida, making the 350 species that depend on their burrows for shelter also in danger. In fact, the presence of Gopher Tortoises can help save wildlife from wildfires! This webinar will teach participants what they can do to help support this fantastic native species.

 

National Groundhog Day

Today is National Groundhog Day, a popular North American tradition derived from a Pensalvanyia-Dutch superstition about groundhog shadows. Over the years, the tradition has grown into a cultural monolith in the United States and Canada. Groundhog Day was concieved in the 1880s with the infamous Punxsutawney Phil, who’s modern successor goes by the same name. Phil’s predicitions are reported with mock seriousness but the cultural signficance and genuine childhood enjoyment of the occasion brings it back year after year. Looking to view Phil’s emergence from his burrow? Tune in online HERE on Wednesday, February 2nd at 7:15am to find out live or rewatch at a more reasonable hour. 

Christmas Eve

Happy Christmas Eve! Looking for something fun to do to celebrate today? Check out the list of activities below for ideas:

  • Look at Christmas lights! Go for a drive or a walk in the neighborhood. Make it extra special and bring along hot chocolate and cookies.
  • Watch your favorite holiday movies or TV episodes! Make some popcorn, gather the family, and pick a feel-good film to enjoy. 
  • Play a game with the family. Include some spiked eggnog for the adults and hot chocolate for the kids. 
  • Build anticipation for tomorrow by allowing everyone to open ONE gift before bed! Some families pre-choose the gift to coordinate matching pjs for Christmas morning.
  • Bake and decorate cookies for Santa. Don’t forget to leave out some carrots for the reindeer. 
  • Track Santa with NORAD – while the North American Aerospace Defense Command spends most of the year scanning the skies for the defense of Northern America, on Christmas Eve they also keep an eye out for Santa and his sleigh. Help get the kiddos in bed on time, and check out the NORAD Santa Tracker website. 

National Free Shipping Day

Today is National Free Shipping Day! This is a national shopping holiday that was conceived in 2008 by internet entrepreneur Luke Knowles. More and more retailers partner with Free Shipping Day to capture sales from shoppers eager to finish their holiday lists in mid to late December. Free Shipping Day is designed to make sure you get your online gifts in time for the holidays without having to pay exorbitant shipping fees. 

Green Monday

Today is Green Monday, an annual event that was coined by eBay in 2007. Green Monday is one of the biggest online sales days in December due to the upcoming holiday deadlines – it is the last Monday with at least 10 days left before Christmas. Considering standard shipping takes 8-10 business days, this is a crucial date for online shopping. Many big stores such as Walmart and Target utilize this event by offering special deals.

Cyber Monday in Tomorrow!

  • The use of the term ‘Cyber Monday’ was first used on November 28, 2005, and has evolved into an annual, international online event.
  • In 2020, Cyber Monday was the biggest online shopping day in U.S. history with a total of $10.7 billion in online spending.
  • In a survey done across the 16 countries that practice Cyber Monday, men accounted for 56% of the Cyber Monday shoppers. 

Earth Day

Today is Earth Day 2021! Beginning in 1970, it was created to bring awareness to serious environmental concerns and to address the need for environmental reform. It grew to an international level in 1990 and is now practiced in 142 nations. Don’t forget that today is the second Earth Day Live digital event, held on the official website here. The global show begins at 12 p.m. Eastern Time and will include workshops, panel discussions, and special performances that focus on this year’s theme of Restore Our Earth™. 

Earth Day 2021: Take Two

Today, Education International leads the “Teach for the Planet: Global Education Summit.” A multilingual virtual summit that includes multiple timezones, the focus is on the crucial role that educators play in combating climate change and why we need transformative climate education now. There will be prominent activists from every continent. 

Visit the website HERE to stream!

National Holiday and Local Library Spotlight

Did you know that February is National Libary Lovers’ Month? It is a month dedicated to recognizing the value of libraries as well as work to assure that libraries in the U.S.A. will continue to serve their patrons. 

In celebration of this month-long celebration of school, public, and private libraries, let’s highlight a local public library that is continuing to provide wonderful experiences despite the restrictions of the time. Calhoun County Public Library turned 181 years old this January and is continuing to host its weekly Storytime every Thursday at 10 a.m. via Facebook. 

Visit the Calhoun library’s official website HERE or go straight to their Facebook page to access future storytime events and more by CLICKING HERE!