Dimboola librarian Deb Margetts and environmental educator Jeanie Clark display some of the books on offer for the upcoming Read4Nature workshop.

Can your read picture books with children to encourage their love and knowledge of Science and Nature?

Environmental educator Jeanie Clark thinks you can, especially with books like 'Purinina'.

Jeanie is looking forward to leading the Read4Nature program for grandparents, parents, child-carers and others to inspire them to do so to.

In Dimboola, it will be held at the Wimmera Regional Library Corporation branch on Thursday 26 July from 1.45 to 3.15pm.

The Read4Nature workshop will explore picture books on the library shelves, for how to identify the science within them along with ideas for sharing this with youngsters. These will then be used by the participants to help plan a National Science Week events a couple of weeks later in the library with youngsters.

"I hope participants will enjoy taking a deeper look at such books, especially their pictures. They should develop an appreciation of themselves as communicators of Science when using them, and of these books potential to engender a love of Nature in children from the youngest ages," Jeanie said.

The books used in the workshop will be documented for their nature-science values and ideas for using them. This will be available at the libraries for future users and put onto the web for access throughout the WRLC branches.

The Read4Nature program is available free, courtesy of an Australian Government Inspiring Australia - Unlocking Australia's Potential grant to Jeanie and a partnership with the Wimmera Regional Library Corporation, which fits the Love2Read theme of the 2012 National Year of Reading.

Bookings for Dimboola can be made at the library or by phoning Mary on 5389 1734.

The program is also being held at other WRLC branches and bookings can be made for them through the local librarians.

For the full program see the WRLC website.