Education | April 01, 2026
Earth Month at QPL

Join QPL to Celebrate Earth Month in April!

QPL is working to advance sustainability and climate resiliency right here in Queens. Did you know that promoting climate resiliency was one of eight key priorities in our 2025 strategic plan? Climate change is a major issue facing our communities, with neighborhoods increasingly impacted by flooding, drought, extreme heat, and other severe weather events. Queens residents are especially vulnerable, given the borough’s 113 miles of coastline, inadequate sewer infrastructure, and dense development that creates urban heat islands.

We’re investing in environmentally sustainable policies to divert more solid waste from landfills, reduce energy consumption at our locations, and educate staff and customers about the impact of the changing climate. From clean energy advocacy and pollution reduction to community-led conservation, the focus is clear: real change starts with people, communities, and everyday action.

Download QPL's Earth Month Brochure for highlighted programs and browse our calendar for all programs.

Browse below to discover:

 

Program Highlights

All programs will be held in-person unless otherwise noted. 

FOR CHILDREN (Ages 0-5)

TOY SWAP STORYTIME & MUSIC 

Monday, April 6, 11am
Ridgewood
20-12 Madison Street

Saturday, April 11, 2pm
Forest Hills
108-19 71 Avenue

Saturday, April 18, 10:15am
Hunters Point
47-40 Center Boulevard, Long Island City

Saturday, April 25, 10:30am
Glen Oaks
256-04 Union Turnpike 

Thursday, April 30, 3pm
Rosedale
144-20 243 Street

LITTLE SPROUTS: EARTH MONTH ART & STORYTIME

Thursday, April 9, 2pm
Flushing
41-17 Main Street 

Wednesday, April 22, 10:30am
Broadway
40-20 Broadway

Thursday, April 23, 12pm
Corona
38-23 104 Street

Thursday, April 23, 4pm
Lefferts
103-34 Lefferts Boulevard

Wednesday, April 29, 11am
Laurelton
134-26 225 Street

QPL PLAYDATE – GROWING READERS

Friday, April 24, 11am
Glendale
78-60 73 Place

FOR CHILDREN (Ages 6-11)

UPCYCLING WORKSHOP

Friday, April 3, 3:30pm
South Hollis
204-01 Hollis Avenue

Wednesday, April 22, 4pm
Ridgewood
20-12 Madison Street

RAINFOREST TERRARIUMS WITH QUEENS COUNTY FARM 

Monday, April 6, 3:30pm
Glen Oaks
256-04 Union Turnpike

Thursday, April 9, 3:30pm
South Ozone Park
128-16 Rockaway Boulevard

Tuesday, April 21, 4pm
Queens Village
94-11 217 Street

PLANET VIBES ONLY: DESERT BIOMES WITH IDLEWILD ENVIRONMENTAL CENTER 

Thursday, April 9, 4pm
St. Albans
191-05 Linden Boulevard

PLANET VIBES ONLY: ANIMAL LIFE CYCLES WITH IDLEWILD ENVIRONMENTAL CENTER 

Monday, April 13, 4pm
Poppenhusen
121-23 14 Avenue, College Point

SUPER ZOOM WITH MS. BUTTERFLY

Monday, April 13, 4pm
Steinway
21-45 31 Street, Astoria

Wednesday, April 15, 4pm|
Fresh Meadows
193-20 Horace Harding Expressway

Thursday, April 16, 4pm
Long Island City
37-44 21 Street

Friday, April 17, 4pm
Langston Hughes
100-01 Northern Boulevard, Corona

Saturday, April 18, 3pm
Glen Oaks
256-04 Union Turnpike

Monday, April 20, 4pm
Howard Beach
92-06 156 Avenue

Thursday, April 23, 3:30pm
Arverne
312 Beach 54 Street

Friday, April 24, 3:30pm
Auburndale
25-55 Francis

Monday, April 27, 3:30pm
Far Rockaway
1637 Central Avenue

Tuesday, April 28, 4pm
Woodhaven
85-41 Forest Parkway

FOR TEENS (Ages 13-18)

INNOVATION STATIONS: ECOPRINT & NATURAL DYE LAB 

Friday, April 3, 3pm
Woodside
54-22 Skillman Avenue

Monday, April 13, 20, 4pm
Bayside
214-20 Northern Boulevard

Friday, April 17, 3:30pm
Peninsula
92-25 Rockaway Beach Boulevard

INNOVATION STATIONS: SPECTACULAR SCIENCE - FARMSTEAD ON ROBLOX 

Monday, April 6, 3:30pm
Bayside
214-20 Northern Boulevard

Monday, April 6, 3:30pm
Ozone Park
92-24 Rockaway Boulevard

Tuesday, April 7, 3:30pm
Bayside
214-20 Northern Boulevard

Tuesdays, April 7, 14, 21, 28, 3:30pm
Peninsula
92-25 Rockaway Beach Boulevard

Monday, April 13, 3:30pm
Ozone Park
92-24 Rockaway Boulevard

Friday, April 17, 3:30pm
Corona
38-23 104 Street

Monday, April 27, 3:30pm
Thursday, April 30, 3:30pm
Woodhaven
85-41 Forest Parkway

INNOVATION STATIONS: SPECTACULAR SCIENCE - SUSTAINABILITY IN MINECRAFT

Tuesdays, April 7, 14, 21, 3:30pm
Ridgewood
20-12 Madison Street

Wednesday, April 8, 2pm
Queensbridge
10-43 41 Avenue, Long Island City

Wednesdays, April 15, 22, 3:30pm
Woodhaven
85-41 Forest Parkway

Wednesday, April 15, 3:30pm
Corona
38-23 104 Street

INNOVATION STATIONS: GHOST NETS

Friday, April 10, 3pm
Saturday, April 11, 3pm
Bayside
214-20 Northern Boulevard

Monday, April 27, 3:30pm
Ozone Park
191-05 Linden Boulevard

Tuesday, April 28, 3:30pm
Peninsula
92-25 Rockaway Beach Boulevard

Wednesday, April 29, 3:30pm
Hunters Point
47-40 Center Boulevard, Long Island City

SPIRAL HERBAL GARDEN WITH MAZORCA COLECTIVA 

Monday, April 13, 4pm
Queens Village
94-11 217 Street

Tuesday, April 14, 4pm
Flushing
41-17 Main Street

Wednesday, April 15, 4pm
Peninsula
92-25 Rockaway Beach Boulevard

Thursday, April 16, 4pm
Rosedale
144-20 243 Street

Monday, April 20, 4pm
South Jamaica
108-41 Guy R. Brewer Boulevard

Tuesday, April 21, 4pm
East Flushing
196-36 Northern Boulevard

Friday, April 24, 3pm
North Hills
57-04 Marathon Parkway, Little Neck

Wednesday, April 29, 3:30pm
South Hollis
204-01 Hollis Avenue

FOR ADULTS

CITIZEN PREPAREDNESS CORPS: EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS 

Monday, April 13, 2pm
Bay Terrace
18-36 Bell Boulevard, Bayside

Tuesday, April 21, 4pm
Long Island City
37-44 21 Street

Thursday, April 23, 5pm
Lefferts
103-34 Lefferts Boulevard, Richmond Hill

WALL ART WITH MOSS 

Thursday, April 16, 6pm
Peninsula
92-25 Rockaway Beach Boulevard

CLIMATE READY WORKSHOPS 

Wednesdays, April 15, 22, 29 at 1pm 
Thursdays, April 16, 23, 30 at 6pm 
Long Island City
37-44 21 Street

Fridays, April 17; May 29; June 12 
3pm 
Poppenhusen
121-23 14 Avenue, College Point

NATURE AS MEDICINE: STRESS, BURNOUT & RESILIENCE FOR COMMUNITY WELL-BEING (VIRTUAL) 

Join here: queenslib.org/4r1gGX
Meeting ID: 814 3959 4619
Passcode: nature
Monday, April 20, 6pm 

FOOD FOR LIFE: HEALTHY BASICS: THE POWER OF YOUR PLATE (IN-PERSON & VIRTUAL) 

In-person
Tuesday, April 21, 11am
Central Library
89-11 Merrick Boulevard, Jamaica

Virtual
Thursday, April 23, 6pm
Join here: queenslib.org/3Kqx
Meeting ID: 828 4202 8833
Passcode: 148490

 

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Books for Adults

Abundance
by Ezra Klein
Print | eBook | audiobook 

All the Water in the World
by Eiren Caffall
Print | eBook | audiobook 

Carbon: The Book of Life
by Paul Hawken
Print | eBook

The Deluge
by Stephen Markley 
Print | eBook

No Straight Road Takes You There: Essays for Uneven Terrain
by Rebecca Solnit
Print 

The Overstory
by Richard Powers
Print | eBook | audiobook  

The Water Remembers: My Indigenous Family's Fight to Save a River and a Way of Life
by Amy Bowers Cordalis
Print

We Are Eating the Earth
by Michael Grunwald
Print | eBook  

When Trees Testify: Science, Wisdom, History, and America's Black Botanical Legacy
by Beronda Montgomery
Print

Wildfire Days
by Kelly Ramsey
Print | eBook

 

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Books for Teens

Dry
by Neal Shusterman
Print 

Earth Day and the Environmental Movement
by Christy Peterson
Print | eBook 

Green Nation Revolution: Use Your Future to Change the World
by Valentina Giannella
Print 

Love in the Time of Global Warming
by Francesca Lia Block
Print 

No Planet B
by Lucy Diavolo
Print 

Orleans
by Sherri L. Smith
Print 

Trash
by Andy Mulligan
Print 

Unnatural Disasters
by Jeff Hirsch
Print 

War Girls
by Tochi Onyebuchi 
Print | audiobook

 

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Books for Kids

Black Beach
by Shaunna Sith 
Print 

Curious George Plants a Tree
by Monica Perez
Print | eBook 

The Earth Book
by Todd Parr
Print | eBook 

It's Earth Day, Cookie Monster!
by Mary Lindeen
Print | eBook

Kids Fight Climate Change
by Martin Dorey
Print | eBook 

Nate the Great and the Earth Day Robot
by Andrew Sharmat
Print | eBook | audiobook

The Night Before Earth Day
by Natasha Wing
Print | eBook

We Are Water Protectors
by Carole Lindstrom 
Print | audiobook | Chinese 中文

You Can Change the World
by Lucy Bell
Print | eBook | Español

Your Planet Needs You
by Philip Bunting
Print | eBook | Español

 

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Digital Platforms Available for Free with Your QPL Card

Queens Public Library offers free access to a range of digital platforms which provide informative and helpful guidance to learn more about our planet and what we can do to protect our future. Log-in to the platforms listed below with your library card account to access for free! 

Great Courses Library Collection
This leading global media brand for life-long learning is available for free with your library card account! Search for these recommendations after log-in. 
Recommended: 

  • How the Earth Works
  • Big History: The Big Bang, Life on Earth, and the Rise of Humanity
  • Oceanography: Exploring Earth's Final Wilderness

Hoopla Digital 
A digital streaming service for library users to access movies, TV shows, audiobooks, comics, and music.
Recommended: 

OverDrive 
Offers full color eMagazines, audiobooks, and eBooks for all devices. You may access offline reading on OverDrive's Libby app.
Recommended: 

 

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Recommended Resources

Residential waste makes up 35 percent of the total waste stream in NYC. Take this Earth Month to make greener choices about your waste and energy consumption. Find recommended resources below to learn simple ways you can produce less waste, consume less energy and help support sustainability in New York City. 

  • The Sanitation Foundation’s NYC Trash Academy is accepting applications for the 2026 Independent Study. Participants gain access to 10 on-demand modules covering waste management, environmental justice, and the circular economy. Rolling enrollment is now open from April 1 through November 1, 2026!
     
  • Don’t have time for a full Trash Academy course? Take a DSNY Clean Buildings Training for NYC residents. This one-hour online course covers the basics of recycling, composting, and special waste in NYC, and gives participants the tools to help improve waste management where they live. Find NYC resident courses online at the DSNY Eventbrite page. 
     
  • Adopt a Spot for the Sanitation Foundation! The Adopt a Spot program asks New Yorkers to select a spot—from the park down the street to the storm drain outside their front door—and keep it clean and free of litter as part of their daily or weekly routine.
     
  • Compost your organic waste. Curbside composting is now mandatory citywide, including yard waste, greasy paper, and all food scraps. Over one third of NYC refuse sent to landfills by New Yorkers could be diverted through curbside composting. Visit the DSNY website for more information on compliance, and to learn about free compost giveback programs to get compost for your garden.
     
  • Study to be a Master Composter through the NYC Community Compost Network. Nonprofits in this network promote composting through local food scrap collection and workshops on soil health and maintenance. Check back later in 2026 for Master Composter classes at Queens Public Library!
     
  • Textiles form a small but challenging portion of NYC’s waste stream. Keep textiles out of landfills by buying clothes second-hand, participating in a local clothing swap, and donating or recycling unwanted textiles. Find a textile recycling site near you using the DSNY website.
     
  • Participate in a toy or clothing swap. Local Buy Nothing group (The Buy Nothing Project) or join a toy swap at your local QPL branch. 
     
  • Study up! Join a Climate Ready workshop at QPL to learn how climate change impacts our community and what you can do to create a more climate-resilient Queens.
     
  • Shop local at a Grow NYC greenmarket. Farmers Markets are a great way to reduce carbon emissions through shorter transport distances and minimal packaging. Find a market near you on the Grow NYC website.
     
  • Find out how much you contribute to climate change! Use the EPA's easy carbon footprint calculator to simulate how much carbon emissions you and your household are contributing and what you can do to reduce both emissions and cost. Then, join the climate pledge to see what else you can do to reduce the effects of climate change.
     
  • Request a flood kit and get Rainfall Ready with NYC DEP.
     
  • Chronic tidal flooding is projected to impact thousands of households in communities across NYC, half of which surround Jamaica Bay. Explore the city’s new Flood Vulnerability Index through the NYC Flood Hazard map.
     
  • The EJNYC Mapping tool, developed by the Mayor’s Office of Climate and Environmental Justice, equips New Yorkers with the information necessary to advocate for and make informed decisions about environmental justice issues in NYC.
     
  • Get prepared for extreme weather. Attend a Citizen Preparedness Corps workshop at QPL this Spring to learn how to pack a go bag, develop a family emergency plan, and check on vulnerable neighbors during storms or excessively hot or cold periods. Find more resources online at Ready NY.
     
  • Bike to school or work this month! Request a free copy of the NYC Bike Map and plot a route today using a personal bike or a Citi Bike. Learn about bike safety classes through Bike New York or free helmet giveaways from the Department of Transportation.

 

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