THANK YOU!
Your interest and support ensured Monterey County Gives! had a record breaking year. Together, we empower our local nonprofit community
to be its best. Thank you!
-The Monterey County Gives! team.
The mission of the Friends of the Marina Library is to provide advocacy, financial support, and volunteer resources to promote literacy through our partnership supporting the Marina Branch Library, in an effort to meet the needs of our community.
Improving Community Wellness Through Nature is a series of face-to-face programs designed to provide the public with opportunities to immerse themselves in the natural environment. Programs will be guided by natural science experts with the goal of educating individuals on creative expression and environmental stewardship while emphasizing the healing power of the natural world.
Our vision is to see the area of Locke-Paddon Park serve as an outdoor classroom to host a variety of nature-focused events. A successful MC Gives! 2023 campaign, would allow the FoML and Marina Library to develop diverse partnerships with local organizations and create a robust year-round schedule of programs. Our campaign will be deemed successful if we can integrate nature, art, and various science disciplines to improve the overall emotional and physical well-being of the attendees. Nature is healing and learning how to be present will improve our sense of satisfaction and motivation.
The Marina Library hosts a variety of outdoor programs with the intention of reconnecting participants with nature. Exploring and growing outdoors sparks a child’s sense of wonder and fosters a healthy state of well-being. Sadly, as adults, we often lose this sense of wonder and our curiosity fades. It is because of this that we recognize the importance of partnering with local organizations and educators in order to provide free nature-based activities for all ages. The library sits on Locke Paddon Park, an extension of the library space. I have experienced firsthand how our backyard transforms into an outdoor classroom during programs such as nature journaling, scavenger hunts, bug hunts, bird watching, nature painting, and more. It is our big idea to increase the access and capacity of these programs so that more community members can rediscover their appreciation for the natural world as part of the library experience
- Melissa Mejia