Point Road Elementary School and Sickles Market, both Little Silver, are teaming up to deliver Earth Day messages using brown paper grocery bags as the canvas. Market owner Bob Sickles donated more than 400 bags for students to decorate with environmental messages. The students created beautiful works of art bearing messages illustrating their concern for the environment. On Earth Day, Thursday, April 22, the decorated bags will be used for bagging groceries and passed out to 400 lucky customers at Sickles Market as part of the 16th international annual Earth Day Groceries Project. Deep Cut Orchid Society will hold its next meeting 7:30 p.m. April 12. Speaker Bob Sprague will present "Orchids in the Wild." Attendees with "sick" orchids may bring the plant or plants at 7 p.m. for free expert evaluation and advice. The society's May meeting will be held 7:30 p.m. May 12. Speaker Glen Deckerwill will discuss phrag.kovachii, a popular orchid species. Admission is free, and refreshments will be served. All are welcome to attend. Meetings are held at Monmouth Reform Temple, 332 Hance Ave., Tinton Falls. For more information, call Carol at 732-536-6215.

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Carol L. Greene, Long Branch, will read selections from her book of lyrical and prose poems "Primal Desire," 2-4 p.m. April 11 at the Eastern Branch of the Monmouth County Library, Route 35, Shrewsbury.

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The Art Society of Monmouth County will meet 10:30 a.m. April 15 at Monmouth Beach Cultural Center, 128 Ocean Ave. Everyone interested in art is welcome. A social half-hour with refreshments will follow, and a presentation at 11 a.m. by watercolor artist Lisa Budd, Long Beach Island. For more information, call the center at 732-229- 4527 or visit www.surfmen.com.

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Oceanport Education Foundation (OEF) held its second annual Casino Night at the Eatontown Sheraton in early February. OEF raises funds to support music programs, extracurricular activities and technology in Oceanport's Maple Place and Wolf Hill schools. Donations are still being accepted as OEF committee members meet with administration to allocate funds toward wish lists with the thousands earned from proceeds from the second annual event. For more information, call Jacqueline at 732-768-5910 or email jb1design@aol.com.

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Oceanport Garden Club members are welcoming spring by preparing the flowerbeds at Trinity Park, home to the Trinity Park butterfly garden. The Monmouth Boulevard triangle garden will be planted by members in late May with annuals, and members will tend to the garden in front of Olde Wharf House, home to the Oceanport Senior Citizens Club. The club will sponsor the educational program, "All About Orchids," April 23, and a program on container gardening and patio pots April 23. A Victorian tea party closes the season May 28, and a luncheon and officer installation in June. For more information about the tea party, call Cathy at 732-222-1495 or Sue at 732-229- 1581. For general information, call Debbie at 732-547-7233.

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The Seniors of Little Silver will meet 1 p.m. April 28 at the clubhouse on Church Street. Students from the Visual and PerformingArtsAcademy at Red Bank Regional High School will present excerpts from the musical "Thoroughly Modern Millie." Attendees are encouraged to bring in favorite books for the book sale.

The May 26 has been canceled. In its place will be the second annual gift auction. The group's annual picnic lunch will be June 23. Monmouth County residents age 55 or older are invited to join the seniors; membership dues are $10 per year. For more information, call Dorothy at 732-741-6687.

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Poet Laury Egan of Highlands will read from her new collection, "Snow, Shadows, a Stranger," and sign books, and poet Karla Linn Merrifield will read from "Dawn of Migration," at 3 p.m. April 18 at the Middletown Township Public Library, 55 New Monmouth Road. For more information, call 732-671- 3700.

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The Friends of Monmouth Museum, Lincroft section of Middletown, will present a botanical luncheon, "The King's Gardener at Bingham Hall," with Kirk R. Brown portraying John Bartram at 11 a.m. June 8. The event will be held at BinghamHall, 40 Bingham Ave., Rumson. The cost is $50 for nonmembers and $45 for members. For reservations, call the museum at 732-747-2266.

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