Starting with some art…

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Wow! News

Illinois lawmakers push back on library book bans

My home state of Illinois is taking a stand against book bans which in 2022 hit an all-time high in the United States. The new law, which is headed to the Governor’s desk for signature, requires libraries across the state to adopt the American Library Association’s Library Bill of Rights or develop an equivalent standard. This effectively means that libraries cannot ban or exclude materials based on origin, background, or views of their creation. Also, materials cannot be removed for partisan or reasons of belief.

Conservation project brings platypus back to Australia’s oldest national park

In a conservation win for Australia, platypuses were just reintroduced into the Royal National Park just south of Sydney. They collected the animals from all over the county and tagged them. This is so that their habits and habitats can be studied by scientists who hope to have a better understanding of the animals. They want to be able to intervene if needed when flood, fire, or drought upsets the platypuses home. It is nice to see so many organizations come together toward a common goal, showing the importance of people working together to achieve our goals.

Inside the world’s first native bee sanctuary (plus, how to really save bees)

We all want to help the pollinators of the world, but the owner of the world’s first native bee sanctuary says we are going about it all wrong. We can do more, and those steps we can take are quite easy to do. If we leave our outdoor spaces as wild as possible, stop using chemicals on our lawns, and eat organic (agricultural pesticides kill pollinators). I try to make sure my garden beds are full of wildflowers every spring and summer, and my littles love when the butterflies start coming around.

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