E-M:/ "Where do the Children Play? Reclaiming the Creative Power of Outdoor Play" on February 17 in Ann Arbor

Friends,

Please join us at a free public program on Tuesday, February 17 for a program titled "Where do the Children Play? Reclaiming the Creative Power of Outdoor Play."

Treehouses, tadpole ponds, and other childhood "secret spaces" are among the many fascinating worlds explored by University of Michigan scholar and author Elizabeth Goodenough. Goodenough explores the importance of outdoor, unstructured play for children, their development and the future of our environment.

A lecturer with the University of Michigan's Residential College, College of Literature, Science, and the Arts, Goodenough's work is the subject of the award-winning documentary "Where Do the Children Play?" She is also the author of the books Secret Places of Childhood and A Place for Play.

No membership is required to attend. Newcomers are welcome to this family-friendly, public event, which begins at 7:30pm at the lovely Matthaei Botanical Gardens (map here - directions below) just east of Ann Arbor.

After the presentation, we invite you to stay for refreshments and to mingle with friendly people who share your interest in nature. You can learn about local Sierra Club activities like hiking, skiing, and our conservation projects.

We'll be selling organic, fair-trade, shade-grown coffee and tea, and EarthCash shopping vouchers. With EarthCash you can help stop sprawl when you shop at many of your favorite stores -- at no additional cost to you. You can also purchase Sierra Club cards. Everything is available for purchase by cash or check.

Please feel free to forward this message to others who might be interested.

Doug Cowherd
Chair, Sierra Club-Huron Valley Group
~~~

The Sierra Club-Huron Valley Group's public programs are normally held on the third Tuesday of each month at the Matthaei Botanical Gardens, located at 1800 N. Dixboro Road (between Geddes and Plymouth roads, just east of Ann Arbor and US-23), beginning at 7:30 pm. Meetings are free and open to the public. Next month's meeting:

March 17: Local Treasures: Special Plants, Animals, and Habitats in Washtenaw County Parks and Preserves
Faye Stoner -- Parks Naturalist, Washtenaw County Parks

For more information about all local Sierra Club activities: http://www.michigan.sierraclub.org/huron/