Big Read is ‘My Ántonia’

A dramatic reading of passages from Willa Cather’s “My Ántonia,” a book discussion, and the screening of a documentary film featuring acclaimed filmmaker Ken Burns will be hosted by the Port Townsend Public Library, in partnership with the National Willa Cather Center, as part of the National Endowment for Arts’ Big Read program on Thursday, April 10, at 5:30 p.m.

The library has 100 copies of the book to hand out starting on April 10. The book discussion will be held Thursday, May 1, at 2 p.m.

Share your seeds

The Washington State University Seed Library returns for another season, focused on building community food resilience. It is available through Sept. 15 at the Jefferson County Library, or on the Bookmobile, during regular business hours.

This year’s Seed Library features sugar snap peas, and vegetables, flower and herb seeds from WSU’s 2024 Community Seed Project. Instructions on planting and seed saving are provided on each seed package.

Here’s how the program works: borrow a variety of seeds from the WSU Seed Library and grow beautiful, healthy plants to eat and for seed saving. At the end of the season, return a portion of your seeds to the WSU Seed Library for the following year’s borrowers.

Free pet vaccination

On April 5 a free vaccination clinic is planned for pets of anyone living in Jefferson County who cannot afford to take their pet to a veterinary office.

The clinic will be from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Caswell-Brown Village, at 142 Mill Road in Port Townsend.

The clinic is for dogs and cats that have not previously been vaccinated or that need updated vaccinations.

Flea treatments and nail clipping will also be offered. 

Pets will be given their vaccinations on a first-come, first-served basis.

All dogs must be on a leash or in a carrier, and all cats must be in carriers. 

The event is sponsored by Pet Helpers Port Townsend, a nonprofit organization providing access to veterinary care for the pets of homeless and/or underfunded people living in Jefferson County.

Their mission is to keep pets and their people together by keeping pets healthy.

Pet Helpers is funded solely through donations and grants.

Learn natural landscaping

Registration is open for the Jefferson County Conservation District’s spring natural landscaping course.

The interactive three-classroom, two-field trip course emphasizes native plants and sustainable landscape design and maintenance practices.

Course participants will learn how to analyze the unique ecological conditions of their properties, and develop site-specific landscape plans that are in harmony with the environment, while also meeting homeowner needs.

Classroom sessions will be held at the WSU classroom in Port Hadlock on Tuesdays from 4-5:30 p.m. starting April 15. Field trips will be on the Thursdays of April 17 and 24 from 4-5:30 p.m. An optional fourth classroom session, about wildfire preparedness, will be held in partnership with East Jefferson

Fire and Rescue at their Chimacum fire station at 4 p.m. on May 1. The registration fee is $15 and the deadline to register is April 11.