The great thaw is here!!!
The naturalized Galanthus or Snowdrop in spring.
Okay, fine that picture is from last year. And we realize that it’s actually still winter and we’re only in the midst of a false spring, but doesn’t it feel so nice? And there’s no reason to let the fact that it’s still winter dampen your excitement about spring. In fact, please come share your excitement with us by getting your hands dirty!
Tomorrow, Thursday (February 19, 2026), we will hold our second community paper maché extravaganza from 5:30pm - 8pm 1100 North University Ave (North University Building), Floor 5 (LSA lab swap shop) rm. 5004! This fun event is a partnership between the United Asian American Organizations (UAAO) and the U-M Seed Library. It's a chance to deepen your artistic skills or maybe just let out your inner elementary school kid. Perhaps it’s even your rehearsal for the great Fool Moon project that you’ll debut in April. Whatever your reason for wanting to engage in community creativity, we’d be delighted to see your flare shape the look of our Seed Library for years to come. For a little visual context, maybe you noticed this guy hanging out around the Shapiro Library entrance a couple weeks ago?
Should we have a naming contest for this frog?
Well this lil froggy is just one example of a shape/creature/friend you could help create during our upcoming workshops. This buddy, at the moment, is our only seed library capsule receptacle. This dude, plus the pink envelope dispenser and the candy machine-like seed dispenser, are the trifecta that will make up our first new seed library location. But we want more! And we want to craft them together. So please help us bring more of these paper maché beings to life by visiting the LSA lab swap shop from 5:30-8pm to help craft more sweet spring creatures on:
THERE WILL BE FOOD! ;)
Do you want to know more about the new seed library locations? Well this little froggy & his seed dispensing machine companions came to the Shapiro Lobby as part of a pilot program run whose results will be out within the next two months. Stay tuned to hear more about that!
Also in March there is a great opportunity to get your hands in the dirt! From noon-2pm we’ll be making a mess (actually it’s surprisingly tidy) on the third floor of the Shapiro Library by planting native seeds to support native pollinators! In partnership with local organization, Seeds to Community, we invite you to a free winter seed sowing extravaganza! At least 10 types of native seeds will be available, courtesy of Seeds to Community and its volunteers, for planting in milk jugs donated by Bert’s Cafe and soil donated by the Matthaei Botanical Gardens. All you need to do with the now-filled milk jug to grow a native plant is set it and forget it. Outside that is, for the remainder of winter. Seriously. It just takes some patience to wait until spring when they’ll bloom into wonderful pollinator plants! If you don’t have a place to set them outside we’ve got you covered. East Quad garden has kindly donated a space for your labeled plants to thrive. Everyone, all members of the campus and local community are invited to attend and learn more about their local ecosystems.
Finally, we hear people are chomping at the bit for seeds! That’s wonderful and we want to provide, but we might need a little help. If you’re interested in getting seeds in the vending machine and out to the community (you!) sooner than the beginning of April, then consider joining Ariel Ojibway for a seed library hangout on Friday, February 27th at noon in the Shapiro Gallery. Email you know who - umseedlibrary@umich.edu - to be added to a calendar invite. And if we get enough seeds packaged, we’ll add them to the machine!
Happy (Almost) Spring!