The Nature Explorium - In a Library!

How cool is this! I just found this news story (originally posted at the Green Libraries Blog). The Middle County Library Foundation is Planning and fundraising for a "Nature Explorium," an interactive outdoor learning environment for children the Middle County Library - Centereach. This will make it the first library to have an outdoor education space as well. The space will have centers with different themes, from a "messy area" to a planting area. As a self-titled environmentalist I love this concept because it highlights another area of education that a public library can offer, makes the space available for new and unique library programs, and highlights the library as an essential part of the community.

My closest public library, the Steele Creek branch of the Charlotte Mecklenburg Library, has a Children's Garden outside. Although, I don't think that the children's garden can even come close to the Nature Explorium, I am still glad this public library has it, because it adds a great outdoor space and character to the library.