A Day with Animals from the Creature Conservancy for Teens & Adults

The Creature Conservancy returns with their wonderful collection of wild animals for an information-filled presentation for teens and adults!

The Conservancy will bring several exciting animals, including a kangaroo, a crested porcupine, an Argentine black and white tegu, and surprise guests!

Located in Ann Arbor, the Creature Conservancy brings people and wildlife together in educational settings. The Conservancy is part of Copper Leaf Crossing, a 23-acre village that is home to several animal-related businesses. Please check the conservancy's website for details of how you can visit the animals!

Please note that due to the needs of the animals, this event is for teens and adults only. However, the Creature Conservancy will be at the Pittsfield Branch on April 16th for an event for children!

Drugs, Addiction, and the Brain

When drugs are taken repeatedly their effects often change. Most people are aware that some effects get smaller and smaller – a phenomenon known as tolerance. However, the repeated use of drugs of abuse can also lead to a very different kind of change; some drug effects get bigger and bigger – a phenomenon known as sensitization. Brain regions that are normally involved in regulating motivated behavior are among those that can undergo sensitization, and as these brain systems become hypersensitive this can lead to a pathological increase in the desire (motivation) to take drugs. In this talk, Dr. Terry E. Robinson will focus on the ways drug abuse can change the brain, how this influences behavioral and psychological function, and how such changes may contribute to the transition from mere drug use to addiction.

Dr. Terry E. Robinson is the Elliot S. Valenstein Distinguished University Professor of Psychology and Neuroscience at the U-M Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, and is known internationally for his research concerning the persistent behavioral and neurobiological consequences of repeated psychostimulant drug use, and the implications of these for addiction and relapse.

This program is co-sponsored by the University of Michigan Department of Psychology.

Latino Americans: 500 Years Of History Series Part 2: "Empire of Dreams (1880-1942)" - Spanish Version

This session is in Spanish and will be presented in English on Monday, January 25 from 6:30 – 8:30 pm.

Explore the rich and varied history and experiences of Latinos, who have helped shape the United States over the last five centuries when the Ann Arbor District Library presents Latino Americans: 500 Years of History. Created by the National Endowment for the Humanities and the American Library Association, this six-episode series features documentary film screenings and discussions at the Downtown Library.

Dr. Jesse Hoffnung-Garskof, U-M Associate Professor of History and American Culture leads tonight’s screening and discussion. After the film, Dr. Hoffnung-Garskof will introduce the legal and political status of Puerto Rico, its inhabitants, and migrants to the mainland in the wake of the Cuban-Spanish-American War, making comparisons and drawing contrasts with the simultaneous experience of immigration from Mexico.

Tonight’s film is "Empire of Dreams (1880-1942)." Widespread immigration to the U.S. from Latin countries begins – first with a small group from Cuba, then a larger one from Mexico. Both flee chaos and violence in their home country and are attracted by opportunities in the United States. In 1898, the U.S. helps liberate Cuba and Puerto Rico from Spain but then seizes Puerto Rico as its colony. The first Puerto Rican arrivals (now U.S. citizens) establish a network in New York.

During the 1920s, immigration is encouraged with the expanding U.S. economy. Mexicans and Mexican Americans build a thriving community in Los Angeles and look forward to a bright future. But when the economic boom of that 1920s ends with the catastrophic Depression of the thirties, the pendulum swings. Immigrants encouraged to immigrate in the 20s are deported en masse in the 30s.

Puerto Ricans, also caught in the depths of the Depression, rebel against U.S. rule on the Island, and eventually gain Commonwealth status from the U.S. Government.

The Ann Arbor District Library is one of 203 sites nationwide to host this series, which has been made possible through a grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities and the American Library Association. The AADL series is also co-sponsored by Michigan Radio and the U-M Latina/o Studies Program and is part of an NEH initiative, The Common Good: The Humanities In the Public Square. For more information about this AADL series, visit aadl.org/latinoamericans.

Co-sponsored by:
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Establishing A Rain Garden: Clean up the Huron River, One Garden at a Time

Planting a rain garden is a fun way for people to make a difference in the quality of the water in our rivers, lakes, and streams, starting in our own backyards. You don’t need any special equipment – just some space, a spade, compost, and a few plants.

We’ll talk about the benefits of Rain Gardens and how to build and plant one. Bring your questions and photos of your yard, if you like, for individual advice. Take the information home and start your own!

Susan Bryan is the Rain Garden Coordinator for the Washtenaw County Water Resources Commissioner’s Office, working with plants and people to protect the water quality in the Huron River. She has designed many residential gardens, rain gardens, and bio-infiltration areas. She is a past president of Wild Ones, has a master’s degree in landscape architecture from the University of Michigan, and is an Advanced Master Gardener in Washtenaw County.

Roger Moon is a Master Rain Gardener, trained in the Washtenaw County program, and a Traverwood neighborhood resident with four rain gardens on his property. He has given numerous talks on rain gardens, media appearances, and designed six rain gardens himself. Roger has adopted rain gardens in Huron Hills and Gallup parks, and takes care of them throughout the year. Roger received the Washtenaw County Rain Garden Leadership Award in Education in 2015.

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