At the Supple Collection, protecting the environment is always at the heart of what we do. We strive to encourage eco-friendly mentality within the community by supplying libraries with furniture made from environmentally sustainable materials.
Libraries play an important role in educating the community on a wide range of important topics, including matters involving environmental conservation. By equipping libraries with eco-friendly furniture, we hope to prompt conversations about environmental awareness and reduce natural resource consumption in urban environments.
This month, we’ve decided to take a moment to acknowledge some of the great things that libraries are doing to encourage environmental awareness by highlighting some awesome nature-themed books. These inspiring books have been the recipients of esteemed literary awards and have prompted young people across the nation to take action to protect the environment and get outside.
Why Books About the Environment Are Important
Because our society has become so focused on technology, we’ve started spending more time inside and less time outdoors. This has led to the development of an epidemic called nature-deficit disorder, a term used to describe a health affliction that arises from a lack of time spent in nature which causes behavioral problems.
Books provide a way to combat nature deficit disorder by getting young people excited about the environment. Through books, young people in urban areas can be educated about topics related to environmental conservation and become inspired to take action.
Award Winning Books About Nature
This month, we’d like to highlight the winners of two esteemed literary awards given to remarkable books about nature. These authors are doing an excellent job of promoting environmental-friendliness and encouraging youth to get outside!
Sigurd F. Olson Nature Writing Award
Moth and Wasp, Soil and Ocean: Remembering Chinese Scientist Pu Zhlong’s Work for Sustainable Farming is the most recent winner of the Sigurd F. Olson Nature Writing Award. This inspiring picture-book tells the story of how Chinese scientist Pu Zhlong taught farmers how to protect crops from pests using eco-friendly methods instead of chemicals.
Honorable and notable mentions of the Sigurd F. Olson Nature Writing Award in 2018 also included Back from the Brink: Saving Animals from Extinction by Nancy F. Castaldo;
The Girl Who Drew Butterflies: How Maria Merian’s Art Changed Science by Joyce Sidman; Ellie’s Strand: Exploring the Edge of the Pacific by M. L. Herring and Judith L. Li; and
How to be a Good Creature: A Memoir in Thirteen Animals by Sy Montgomery.
Green Earth Book Award
In April, the Green Earth Book Award announced its five winning titles. Awards were given to books in five different categories, including best picture book, children’s fiction, young adult fiction, children’s nonfiction, and young adult nonfiction.
Best picture book was awarded to The Brilliant Deep: Rebuilding the World’s Coral Reefs: The Story of Ken Nedimyer and the Coral Restoration Foundation by Kate Messner. The recipient of the children’s fiction award was The Flooded Earth by Mardi McConnochie. Children’s nonfiction went to Trash Revolution: Breaking the Waste Cycle by Erica Fyvie. And the winner of the young adult fiction category is a title called Dry by Neal Shusterman and Jarrod Shusterman.
To hear more about the amazing ways that books are inspiring environmental advocacy, be sure to check back soon! We will be taking a closer look at each of the books listed above and discussing them in future blog posts.