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When choosing native plants, you have to ask the right questions to get the best results. Kim Eierman will help you sort out the mysteries and complexities of native plant selection including: Am I buying a genetic clone, and does it matter? What are local ecotypes and where can I buy them? Are native cultivars ok? Are dwarf nativars ecologically-useful? What’s the tradeoff with double flowers? Which native plants require pollination partners (i.e. are dioecious) and how do I source them? What are the pros and cons of planting native seeds vs. live plants? Get the answers you need to make your native landscape both beautiful and eco-beneficial. This is event is cosponsored by the Cambridge Public Library. Kim Eierman is the Founder of EcoBeneficial LLC and author of The Pollinator Victory Garden: Win the War on Pollinator Decline with Ecological Gardening. She is an ecological landscape designer and environmental horticulturist specializing in native plants. Based in New York, Kim teaches at the New York Botanical Garden and Brooklyn Botanic Garden and is a Steering Committee member of The Native Plant Center. Visit Grow Native.

On May 1, 2023, the City Manager submitted the proposed Operating and Capital Budgets for Fiscal Year 2024 (FY24), as well as the proposed FY24-FY28 Operating and Capital Plans. The Operating Budget of $881,757,885 represents an increase of $80,306,015 or 10% over the FY23 Adopted Budget. The proposed Capital Budget is $185,206,905. The public is encouraged to review the budget document, which includes Consolidated Spending information across departments on key priority areas; City Council Goals; Key Initiatives for FY24 (Section I); narratives for each Department (Section V); and FY24 Capital projects (Section VI). There will be public hearings on the FY24 Budget at the City Council Finance Committee on Tuesday, May 9 at 9 a.m., Wednesday, May 10 at 6 p.m. (School Department), and Tuesday, May 16 at 10 a.m.

Join us to celebrate Jasmine Warga's A Rover's Story, which tells the story of a rover's journey to Mars and the challenges it faces there. We will celebrate by building some artful mechanisms with Playful Engineers! Use simple machines to create mechanical automata and solve problems similar to those faced by rovers on Mars - using materials you could find around your own home. Registration is required. This event is part of a special series promoting our 2026 Curious George Lecture (CGL) with Jasmine Warga, award-winning author of A Rover's Story, Other Words for Home, and many other popular children's books. Save the Date: the Lecture will take place on Wednesday, April 15, 6 p.m. at the Main Library. Funding is generously provided by the Cambridge Public Library Foundation.

Join us to celebrate Jasmine Warga's A Rover's Story, which tells the story of a rover's journey to Mars and the challenges it faces there. We will celebrate by building some artful mechanisms with Playful Engineers! Use simple machines to create mechanical automata and solve problems similar to those faced by rovers on Mars - using materials you could find around your own home. Registration is required. This event is part of a special series promoting our 2026 Curious George Lecture (CGL) with Jasmine Warga, award-winning author of A Rover's Story, Other Words for Home, and many other popular children's books. Save the Date: the Lecture will take place on Wednesday, April 15, 6 p.m. at the Main Library. Funding is generously provided by the Cambridge Public Library Foundation.

Our Merlin Missions book group is for Magic Tree House fans ages 5-10 who are ready for these longer adventures about Jack and Annie! Check out a copy of the book beforehand, or download it from the Libby app. Our October book is Magic Tree House Merlin Mission #12: Eve of the Emperor Penguin. This book group will meet virtually and in person at the O'Connell Branch. Please register below if you would like to attend virtually. A Zoom link will be sent to all registered participants one hour before the event. Need a laptop or hotspot to participate? Call the O'Connell Branch at 617-349-4019. For questions about the Magic Tree House Book Club, please email cmeisler@cambridgema.gov.

Learn how to upcycle clothing over four sessions! This program will cover embroidery embellishment, patches and applique, alterations such as hemming, and basic clothing design. Registration is required, and registering for the first session includes the following three sessions. Please plan to attend all four! We encourage you to bring your own piece(es) of clothing to practice on, and will provide all materials as well as scrap fabric. Ages 12-18. The City of Cambridge does not discriminate, including on the basis of disability. We may provide auxiliary aids and services, written materials in alternative formats, and reasonable modifications in policies and procedures to people with disabilities. For more information contact us at library@cambridgema.gov, 617-349-4032 (voice), or via relay at 711.

Learn how to upcycle clothing over four sessions! This program will cover embroidery embellishment, patches and applique, alterations such as hemming, and basic clothing design. Registration is required, and registering for the first session includes the following three sessions. Please plan to attend all four! We encourage you to bring your own piece(es) of clothing to practice on, and will provide all materials as well as scrap fabric. Ages 12-18. The City of Cambridge does not discriminate, including on the basis of disability. We may provide auxiliary aids and services, written materials in alternative formats, and reasonable modifications in policies and procedures to people with disabilities. For more information contact us at library@cambridgema.gov, 617-349-4032 (voice), or via relay at 711.

Learn how to upcycle clothing over four sessions! This program will cover embroidery embellishment, patches and applique, alterations such as hemming, and basic clothing design. Registration is required, and registering for the first session includes the following three sessions. Please plan to attend all four! We encourage you to bring your own piece(es) of clothing to practice on, and will provide all materials as well as scrap fabric. Ages 12-18. The City of Cambridge does not discriminate, including on the basis of disability. We may provide auxiliary aids and services, written materials in alternative formats, and reasonable modifications in policies and procedures to people with disabilities. For more information contact us at library@cambridgema.gov, 617-349-4032 (voice), or via relay at 711.

Learn how to upcycle clothing over four sessions! This program will cover embroidery embellishment, patches and applique, alterations such as hemming, and basic clothing design. Registration is required, and registering for the first session includes the following three sessions. Please plan to attend all four! We encourage you to bring your own piece(es) of clothing to practice on, and will provide all materials as well as scrap fabric. Ages 12-18. The City of Cambridge does not discriminate, including on the basis of disability. We may provide auxiliary aids and services, written materials in alternative formats, and reasonable modifications in policies and procedures to people with disabilities. For more information contact us at library@cambridgema.gov, 617-349-4032 (voice), or via relay at 711.

This is a four session learn-to-play series for 12-18-year-olds! The first session we will create characters, and the following three sessions we will learn and play together. No prior DnD experience is required, and experienced players are also welcome to join. Snacks provided. Registration Recommended, participation cap of 8 players. The City of Cambridge does not discriminate, including on the basis of disability. We may provide auxiliary aids and services, written materials in alternative formats, and reasonable modifications in policies and procedures to people with disabilities. For more information contact us at library@cambridgema.gov, 617-349-4032 (voice), or via relay at 711. This event has been moved from the Valente Branch to Central Square Branch.