Looking to “green” your home, watch some frogs or bursting buds? Some recommended Web sites, courtesy of Librarians’ Internet Index:

Sierra Club Green Home
Dedicated to helping you create “a more sustainable home environment.” Main topics include reducing energy consumption (and a home carbon dioxide calculator), solar energy, and home health hazards (such as radon, pesticides, and mold). The “Learn More” section includes content organized by subjects such as bath, cleaning, flooring, landscaping, and plumbing. Also includes a video library. From the Sierra Club.

Frogwatch USA
“Frogwatch USA is a Citizen Science Monitoring Program that gives you the opportunity to help scientists conserve amphibians.” On this site read the eight easy steps for becoming a frog-watching volunteer, discover the instructions for frog-watching, and learn about the frog species in your state (including images and sounds). From the National Wildlife Federation.

Project Budburst
Another way to be a citizen scientist. “Join thousands of others in gathering valuable environmental and climate change information from across the country. Project BudBurst engages the public in making careful observations of the phenophases such as first leafing, first flower, and first fruit ripening of a diversity of … [plants] in their local area.” Learn how to join, review illustrated field guides (on wildflowers, grasses, trees, and more), and see data. From the University Corporation for Atmospheric Research. You can even join them on Facebook!

The DCTC Library has just published a page on Facebook! Check us out for updates, photos, recommended new books, and discussions. You can even search the Library catalog and a few of our most popular databases right from our Facebook page. On our Wall, you can ask a question or make a suggestion. There’s more to come, as we are just building the site.

Come visit the Library’s new Facebook page. Become a Fan!

Thinking Spring… here are some Web sites for the season. (April is National Poetry Month.) Enjoy!

The State of the Birds
Website for “the first ever comprehensive report [released March 2009] on bird populations in the United States, showing that nearly a third of the nation’s 800 bird species are endangered, threatened or in significant decline due to habitat loss, invasive species, and other threats.” Find the report, maps, data, and suggestions for how to get involved in bird population studies. Produced for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology.

Library of Congress Poetry Resources
Guide to poetry resources at the Library of Congress, including webcasts, digital collections, exhibitions, learning materials, and other features. Also provides links to guides to finding a poem, locating poetry criticism, official state poems, poets laureate, and more. Compiled by Peter Armenti, Digital Reference Specialist at the Library of Congress (LOC).

White House Blog: Spring Gardening
This brief blog post from March 2009 announces the White House vegetable garden on the South Lawn, vegetables from which will be “cooked in the White House Kitchen and given to Miriam’s Kitchen, which serves the homeless in Washington, DC.” Features a downloadable diagram of the garden with vegetables and herbs that will be planted for the spring. From the White House.

Links and annotations courtesy of Librarians’ Internet Index.