Earth Day at The Gardens
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April 21, 2018
11-3 p.m.
Admission is free!
Free popcorn courtesy of The Library at Birmingham Botanical Gardens
As one of the top 5 states for Biodiversity, Alabama’s Green Spaces are as inspiring as they are beautiful thanks to our warm, moist climate and the geological diversity of our state. Birmingham alone is the home to 110 city operated parks, and one public garden: Birmingham Botanical Gardens. It's also home to another dozen private and publicly held parks and nature preserves that make the Magic City a majestic site for nature lovers. Join us at The Gardens as we celebrate our local Green Spaces, learn how to protect them and the different activities we can enjoy with our family and friends.
Featured exhibit: Bib & Tucker Sew Op’s 2018 March Quilt
The mission of Bib & Tucker Sew Op is to cultivate skills and community for those who sew or want to sew (ages 9-99) where everyone can be both a teacher and a student. One dream of the Sew-Op is to facilitate a sewing-based cottage industry that provides income and flexible working conditions for women who head their households. Bib & Tucker is a 501c3 non-profit organization.
March Quilt project History: In 2015, Bib & Tucker Sew-Op partnered with UAB’s Department of Art & Art History and the Birmingham Museum of Art to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Selma to Montgomery marches through open sewing sessions that yielded 461 quilt blocks. Sew-Op members stitched the blocks together and made three quilts which hung at the Selma Public Library and the Alabama Department of Archives in Montgomery during the anniversary. Due to an overwhelmingly positive response, collaborators agreed that it should become an annual project. Each year, Bib & Tucker members choose a civil or human rights theme and facilitate open sewing sessions and discussion. During these sessions, community members create quilt blocks that express personal feelings about the theme. Bib & Tucker members then stitch the blocks into quilts that are exhibited in tandem with a relevant anniversary or day of recognition. For more information or to see photos from years past, like and follow The March Quilts on Facebook.
YEAR 4 (2018): Environmental Justice and Awareness (Think, NATURE, in all her glory) This year, we decided to expand the focus. We believe that everyone should have access to our natural spaces and we are excited by the projects happening in our city and around the country and world that expand this access. From urban greenways to gardens that cultivate native species; from recycling centers and sustainable energy, we encourage participants to address topics that fall under the umbrella of Environmental Justice for Mother Earth. We're calling all native species enthusiasts - recycling wonks - National Park advocates and Urban greenway trailblazers to join us in making this year of The March Quilts the best year ever.
The event is free to the public!
Is your organization interested in being a part of Earth Day at The Gardens? Learn more about how to become an exhibitor or vendor and complete the application form today. Request exhibitor information from Education Activities Specialist Dawn Coleman Lee at dcoleman@bbgardens.org.
Volunteer at Earth Day at The Gardens!
Interested in being a part of Earth Day at The Gardens? While it's free and open to the public, Earth Day is made possible due to hours of behind the scenes work from staff and volunteers. We have many positions ranging from set-up to hospitality to assisting exhibitors. To learn more about the opportunities, contact Alice Moore, volunteer coordinator, at 205.414.3962 or amoore@bbgardens.org.
