Environment

NOTE: this is an **in-person event** in Amersfoort! We are a bunch of Clojure enthusiast who meet every month to discuss every thing Clojure. Today we'll have a presentation around SSR web development, with practical examples and experiments. Further, we don't have scheduled any special activity for tonight, so here's some ideas of what we would love to hear from you: * have you started new projects with Clojure(Script)? Tell us all about it! * did you author or started using cool new libraries? Plug your laptop to the projector and show us! * ever wanted to learn more about some topics or are you just anewcomer to the Clojure world? Just ask, we're happy to help you out! See you! p.s.: food is not offered tonight, make sure to come with a full stomach!

**Welcome to our May UX Beers in Mechelen!** This time, we will host our event on Tuesday the 26th of May at [Buffl](https://buffl.be) in Mechelen. [Ariad](https://www.ariadgroup.com/) and [Creative Skills](https://www.creativeskills.be/) sponsor our events. Follow the event online? We stream live via [Youtube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EBqyTDAyQBw) \-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\- \#\#\# UX TALKS **Talk 1: Research Reinvented** [Michiel Willekens](https://www.linkedin.com/in/michiel-willekens/), Productmanager @ BUFFL and [Seppe Stroo](https://www.linkedin.com/in/seppe-stroo-843b82128/), Founding partner @ BUFFL In this presentation, BUFFL will demonstrate how rethinking research can drive real business results through a pragmatic case study. You’ll discover how to translate business objectives into the right customer questions and how to act on those insights immediately to accelerate growth and sales. By bringing the live voice of thousands of (potential) customers into the decision-making process, organizations can ask the right questions at the right time and turn insights into measurable business impact: from increased sales and customer loyalty/experience to stronger brand awareness and more effective activation strategies. **Talk 2: Synthetic Personas – real insights or digital illusions?** [Kate Foszcz](https://www.linkedin.com/in/katarzyna-foszcz/?locale=en), AI Product designer @ Ebay Can synthetic personas help us make better business decisions, or are we just interviewing very convincing imaginary friends? In this talk, Kate will explore where synthetic personas can actually bring value, from testing assumptions to speeding up research, and where they can quietly mislead us with biased, overconfident, or poorly grounded answers. Expect a practical look at how to design these systems responsibly, when to trust them, and when to go back to real humans. \-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\- \#\#\# SCHEDULE 18:00 - Doors open. Drinks & snacks 19.00 - 19.15 - Introduction to UX Belgium Meetup, announcements 19.15 - 19:45 - Talk #1 19:45 -20:15 - BREAK 20:15 - 20:45 - Talk #2 20:45 - 21:30 - Socialize \-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\- \#\#\# SLACK CHANNEL We have our own UX Belgium slack channel. [Come join us and say hi!](https://join.slack.com/t/ux-belgium/shared_invite/zt-1bjpnuiog-T4Di4flXYPWgbT9KrZ53CA) \*\*\* \#\#\# YOUTUBE CHANNEL All our livestreams and talks are recorded and available on our [UX Belgium youtube channel](https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCno7V18T-EglYXprgrUZQ7A). \-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\- \#\#\# ABOUT UX BELGIUM UX Belgium is a growing community of User Experience (UX) professionals in and around Belgium. Look for these types of events: UX Beers Periodically, we gather at a different agency or venue to drink beers, network and listen to speakers on various themes in the world of UX and digital design. UX Antwerp: Each last Tuesday of the month UX Brussels: Each second Tuesday of the month, 4x per year UX Workshops Now and then we organize events to dive deeper into specific skills and techniques in UX. These are smaller, hands-on workshops designed to boost your UX toolbox. \*\*\* The UX Belgium Meetup Team

Hey Everyone! 👋 **Location:** \- On\-site: INDUSTRIEMUSEUM Minnemeers 10 9000 Gent \- Online: TBA **Practicalities for the evening on Tuesday, May 26th:** \- 18:00: Doors Open\, snacks & drinks \- 19:00: Speaker Talks \- 20:30: Networking & Drinks **Transport:** * **Parking:** Paid parking at Dok Noord * **Arriving by Train:** Minnemeers 10 in Gent is an easy **10 minute walk** from Dampoort Gent Station. **Note:** As this is an invite‑only event, you may be asked to show your calendar invite upon arrival. **Welcome to edition 15 of the Generative AI Belgium Meetup! 🚀** This time, we look at how AI is changing the Way We Work. For a long time, work was built around a simple exchange: time for money. You showed up, spent hours on tasks, and value was measured by effort, output, and expertise. Generative AI is starting to question that model. AI agents are no longer just tools for writing better emails. They are entering workflows, taking over tasks, writing code, coordinating information, and becoming part of how teams operate. Tools like Claude Cowork & Microsoft Copilot are already omnipresent in our daily work and expectations to use them are rising quickly. At the same time, robotics is making the story physical again. Machines are not only thinking with us behind a screen. They are starting to move through factories, labs, hospitals, warehouses, and most importantly homes. This raises a new question: what happens when AI becomes both a colleague in your browser and a body in the room? In this edition, we are inviting: * Startups building the tools, agents, and workflows that make this future happen * Researchers exploring human-machine interfaces and robotics * A broader discussion on what a “union of the future” could look like when work is shared between people, software agents, and machines Let's see what meaningful work, when intelligence becomes abundant. Join us on May 26th! **Line-up:** \- TBA \- TBA \- TBA Big thanks to Stad Gent for hosting us and to our sponsors: In The Pocket, BruCON, Red Hat, Collibra, Plainsight & Volta Ventures for supporting the community.

**Wil jij impact maken als je voor een groep spreekt en tegelijkertijd stappen zetten in je carrière?** * Dan zijn **spreken in het openbaar, leiderschap en communicatie** dé belangrijkste vaardigheden die je moet beheersen. * Maar waar kun je deze vaardigheden leren en op een veilige manier oefenen? Bij ons! **Goudenraad Toastmasters van het Gooi**! In het prachtige **Huis van Eemnes**! * Verder over ons: * Met het bewezen en succesvolle **100-jarige Toastmasters-programma** van deze **wereldwijde organisatie** zet je stappen om zelfverzekerd voor een groep te staan en echte impact te maken. * Goudenraad is de **tweetalige club (Nederlands en Engels)** in het Gooi voor professionals, ondernemers, trainers, managers, docenten, technici en iedereen die op een leuke manier wil groeien en zijn communicatie- en leiderschapstalent verder wil ontwikkelen! * Wij komen **twee keer per maand** op een **maandag avond** samen in Het Huis van Eemnes, waar we uiteenlopende speeches in zowel het Nederlands als Engels horen en geven. Daarnaast ontvangen we **opbouwende feedback** die je van collega's misschien niet snel zou krijgen – en dat is **goud waard!** * Ook hebben wij regelmatig **mini-workshops en improvisaties** * Als Toastmaster kun je **wereldwijd netwerken** **met een internationale groep professionals,** deelnemen aan het **European Trainer's Network** en meedoen aan **Toastmasters-wedstrijden en conferenties.** En dat alles voor een **zeer betaalbare prijs!** Aarzel niet en meld je aan om **gratis en vrijblijvend als gast** een van onze bijeenkomsten bij te wonen. Email: goudenraadtoastmasters@gmail.com Adres: Huis van Eemnes, Noordersingel 4, 3755 EZ Eemnes

**3D Workshop** * **Ontwerpen met Fusion360** * **Scannen in 3D** * **Het gebruik van 3D printers** **Je bent nu welkom in de nieuwe locatie NewTechPark** Je kunt ook online aan deze fysieke bijeenkomst deelnemen. De bijeenkomst is dan op de locatie te volgen. Als je [hier](w.j.put@hccnet.nl) vooraf een mailtje stuurt kun je dinsdagavond tussen 19.00 en 20.00 uur inloggen met Jitsi voor vragen, of ter kennismaking met hcc!3D. Online neem je deel aan de bijeenkomst met [https://wij.hcc.nl/3D](https://wij.hcc.nl/3D) [(Alleen toegang als je zichtbaar bent met voor- en achternaam. )](https://wij.hcc.nl/3d)

De 39ᵉ monthly meetup van [Nimma.codes](https://www.nimma.codes/). Elke laatste dinsdag van de maand. Een cross-language user group voor software developers in de regio Arnhem-Nijmegen. **Locatie** Arsenaalgas 8C, 6511 PE Nijmegen **Om 19:00 is de fietsenstalling van de parkeergarage gesloten** Let op: het eten is er om 17:30. We starten om 18:00 met de opening. *We houden er niet van om eten te verspillen. Ben je verhinderd? Geen probleem, maar meld je uiterlijk een dag voor de meetup af.* **Programma** * 17:30 - 18:00 Inloop + food/drinks * 18:00 - 18:45 **Agentic Coding bij Rakoo: wat werkt, wat niet, en wat nu? - Matthijs Hendriks & Koen Poelhekke** * 18:45 - 19:00 Pauze * 19:00 - 19:45 **Vector search is niet genoeg: waarom je RAG een graph nodig heeft - Ian FitzPatrick** * 20:00 - 21:00 Netwerken en gezelligheid **Agentic Coding bij Rakoo: wat werkt, wat niet, en wat nu? - Matthijs Hendriks & Koen Poelhekke** AI is alive and AI is here to stay. Ook binnen Rakoo speelt AI een steeds grotere rol. Waar het begon met tekstgeneratie en analyses, gebruiken we AI in steeds meer systemen, en worden LLMs nu ook steeds meer ingezet voor code-generatie. De yolo yolo vibe coding heeft nog een negatieve bijsmaak, maar dit is grotendeels opgelost met het professioneel inzetbare Agentic Coding. Hiermee kunnen agents zelfstandig taken uitvoeren: analyses, planning, én implementatie. Developers hoeven dan alleen nog de hoofdlijnen te bedenken en het resultaat te reviewen. Maar hoe past agentic coding in je proces? De eerder overzichtelijke situatie van issue -> code -> review -> mergen kan nogal op de schop gegooid te worden. Daarnaast zijn er de bekende security- en privacy risico's, en wil je ook rekening houden met zaken als code quality, code style, en maintainability, en is het veel lastiger om het overzicht te behouden. Hier zijn natuurlijk tools voor, maar welke van de 10001 kies je - en hoe kies je de juiste? En hoe meet je eigenlijk de waarde? Rakoo zit middenin dit proces en we vertellen je graag wat we hebben gebouwd, ingericht, teruggedraaid, en waar we uiteindelijk (lees: voorlopig) op uit zijn gekomen. We staan ook stil bij hoe je dit secure (sandboxed) houdt, en hoe we dit in het team en in onze sprints hebben geïntegreerd. Als laatste: waar gaan we naar toe? Wat zien wij als verdere mogelijkheden en hoe denken we daar te kunnen komen - of besluiten we dat we een bepaalde richting niet in slaan? **Vector search is niet genoeg: waarom je RAG een graph nodig heeft - Ian FitzPatrick** De belangrijkste uitdaging voor Retrieval Augmented Generation (RAG) AI systemen is om de LLM van de juiste context te voorzien om vragen te beantwoorden. Vector databases zijn een veel gebruikt middel om kennis (documenten) op te slaan en te doorzoeken op 'betekenis' en niet alleen letterlijke keyword match. Een groot nadeel hiervan is dat document structuur bij deze opslagmethode vaak verloren gaat. In deze talk laat ik zien dat cl-rdf, een open-core (IAM en HA zijn Enterprise features) database dat vectoropslag kombineert met een triple graph (RDF) een groter palet aan mogelijkheden biedt om kennis op te slaan en te doorzoeken. Trigger warning: in deze presentatie gaan veel haakjes voorkomen...

Every Tuesday, the group 024 Waalrunners go for a run at a distance of between 7km - 10km depending on the group. Everyone is welcome to join, you just need to turn up at 20:00 on Tuesday in front of Brouwerij De Hemel. There are different routes every time, and the group welcome all new people to join them. [https://www.facebook.com/024waalrunners-710731759317504](https://www.facebook.com/024waalrunners-710731759317504)

**Welcome to the 23rd edition of Locals Meet Expats!** Come alone, bring a dish and leave with real connections. On Saturday, May 30th, I am hosting a special **potluck dinner**, but this is much more than an ordinary dinner party. We are creating an evening where meaningful conversations come first. **What to expect?** **Share your culture** Bring a delicious dish from your home country and discover flavors and stories from around the world. **Genuine connections** Every 30 minutes, we switch tables, making it easy to meet new people throughout the evening. **Skip the small talk** Thoughtful question cards cards will spark conversations about life, inspiration, dreams, philosophy and personal experiences. **Come as you are** Everyone joins alone, so there is no need to worry you will not be the only one coming by yourself. **A warm and safe atmosphere** I will make sure the evening feels open, respectful and welcoming. Join us at the table, share stories, enjoy good food, and leave with new friendships and unforgettable conversations. **Curious about previous events? Explore the photo albums below (available on desktop view only).** **Practical details** * Doors open at 18:00 * Venue: Boekencafé Libertas, Klarendalseweg 477-1, Arnhem * 20 min walk from Arnhem Central * 7 min walk from Arnhem Velperpoort * Ask the staff where to find us. Bring a smile and join us for an evening where friendships grow, business ideas spark and real-life connections happen. Warm regards, Julia

𝗗𝗮𝘁𝗮 𝗧𝗵𝘂𝗿𝘀𝗱𝗮𝘆 𝗶𝘀 𝗯𝗮𝗰𝗸 — 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝗶𝘀 𝗱𝗶𝗳𝗳𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗻𝘁 🌱 On **Thursday, May 28**, we are proud to host a special **Data Thursday** edition at **B. Amsterdam**: **Cloud & Climate Pub Quiz** ☁️🌍 This will not be a classic sit-back-and-listen meetup. This is a **taste-of-tech game night** where #climate, #cloud, #AI, #CO₂, #costoptimisation and a bit of controlled chaos come together in one big interactive quiz. At **Data Tribes & EcoVerum,** we believe that climate impact, sustainability reporting and regenerative transformation all start with better data. This evening brings that belief to life in the most Data Thursday way possible: with sharp questions, practical insights, team play, pizza and drinks. Your personal quiz masters for the evening: 👷‍♂️ **Henk van der Valk** Platform & Intelligence Architect 👷‍♂️ **Marcel van der Kuil** Data & AI Impact Engineer Together, Henk and Marcel will join forces as **Buurman & Buurman for Cloud & Climate**, fixing things one quiz round at a time. Think climate science, cloud optimisation, AI-assisted answers, sharp questions, practical insights and probably a few moments of **“A je to!”** along the way. The evening includes three rounds: 🌍 **National Climate Quiz** 🌡️ **Climate Interactive EN-ROADS simulator** ☁️ **Cloud optimisation: cost, CO₂ and Scope 3** Bring your laptop. Teams will compete for points, prizes and eternal Data Thursday glory. AI is allowed, but beware: some answers need to be explained in your own words. 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗴𝗿𝗮𝗺 **// 18:00** — Doors open + pizza **// 18:30 – 19:15** — First round **// 19:15 – 20:00** — Second round **// 20:00 – 20:45** — Third round **// 20:45 – 21:00** — Wrap-up / evaluation **// 21:00 – 21:30** — Drinks & networking **// 21:30** — End 📍 **The Henry, B. Amsterdam — B.1** Johan Huizingalaan 763a, Amsterdam A big thank you to **B. Amsterdam** for once again supporting the Data Thursday community. Because without reliable data, there is no reliable climate action. And this time, we are testing what grows when cloud, climate, AI and community come together. Greetings, Data Tribes Inc & EcoVerum

Every AI pipeline starts with one question: where does the data come from? In this hands-on workshop, we'll answer that question using Scrapy, one of Python's most powerful web scraping frameworks. You'll go from a blank project to a working spider that harvests structured data from the web, ready to feed into your next AI or data science project. We'll cover: • Scrapy vs. lighter tools (Requests & Beautiful Soup), and when each makes sense • Extracting data from HTML using CSS selectors • Following links and handling pagination at scale • Writing clean, structured output to a file • The ethical and legal side of web scraping Bonus (Gold Star): a chapter on scraping JavaScript-rendered pages for those who want to go further. 🐍 Python basics assumed — no prior scraping experience needed **Agenda** \- 18:00 Doors Open \- 18:30 Start of the Workshop \- 20:15 Workshop Closing & Announcements \- 20:30 Networking \- 21:00 Event Closing **GitHub Repo** [Scalable Data Harvesting for AI](https://github.com/pyladiesams/scalable-data-harvesting-for-ai-may2026) **Stream** [YouTube Stream](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0wqXbShaAvU) ​**📧 Contact** Are you interested in speaking at one of our events? Have a good idea for a Meetup? Get in touch with us at [amsterdam@pyladies.com](mailto:amsterdam@pyladies.com) ​💬 Find us on the PyLadies Global workspace: 1. ​[https://slackin.pyladies.com](https://slackin.pyladies.com/) enter your email address. Accept the email invitation 2. ​Go to workspace [https://pyladies.slack.com](https://pyladies.slack.com/) 3. ​Join channel #city-amsterdam 4. **Scalable**

We're excited to announce our next meetup May 28th, 2026! As usual, we'll take care of food, drinks and awesome sessions, you just need to bring you ;-) This meetup will feature three talks aimed at (Java) developers, and they all revolve around the question: what does software engineering look like in the age of AI? * Bert Jan Schrijver kicks off with a talk on who's really in control when AI agents start writing and changing your code * Tom Wigleven closes the evening by sharing how to accelerate your entire software delivery pipeline with AI agents, without sacrificing quality * Mitchell Tieleman & Dean Falix from ODIN Labs then show how to orchestrate long AI workflows without hallucinations, with a live demo All sessions will be presented in English; RSVP now for an evening of learning and fun! The meetup will be at the OpenValue office in Utrecht (directions: https://route.openvalue.eu), enough free parking spaces available. **Agenda** * 17:30 Walk in * 18:00 Food * 18:30 Talk 1 (see below) * 19:00 Break * 19:15 Talk 2 (see below) * 19:45 Break * 20:00 Talk 3 (see below) * 21:00 Drinks **First talk: Software engineering in the age of AI agents: who's in control?** An AI deletes a production database… and insists it didn't. Welcome to modern software engineering. Generative AI is becoming a powerful collaborator: writing code, making changes, taking action. But it doesn't always do what we think it does. In this keynote, we'll explore what's really changing: from writing code to verifying it, from building to guiding, and from trusting systems to critically reviewing them. I'll share personal stories, industry insights, successes and failures, and how to responsibly use rapidly evolving AI tools. Because even if you let AI do the work, you're still accountable for the outcome. *About Bert Jan:* Bert Jan is CTO at OpenValue and focuses on Java, AI, software architecture, Continuous Delivery and DevOps. Bert Jan is a Java Champion, JavaOne Rock Star speaker, Duke's Choice Award winner and leads NLJUG, the Dutch Java User Group. He loves to share his experience by speaking at conferences, writing for the Dutch Java magazine and helping out Devoxx4Kids with teaching kids how to code. **Second talk: How to Accelerate Software Delivery Without Sacrificing Quality** "AI writes code now." Sometimes it's good. Sometimes it confidently writes something broken. The gap between those two outcomes isn't the model. It's how you use it. We can automate and orchestrate almost everything in the software development workflow with the right agents and skills. How can we confidently increase the quality of the output? Structured specs, agent teams that design, implement and review each other's work, guardrails, extensive e2e testing, and a self-improvement loop that makes every run better than the last. The result is close to a full development team at your disposal, but remember you're accountable for what ships! You set the direction and control the quality. *About Tom:* Tom Wigleven has spent twenty years writing software. These days he writes specs and lets agents do the typing. At OpenValue he's involved with AI accelerated development. He talks about the workflows, the guardrails, the quality, the responsibilities and what it means for how teams ship software. **Third talk: Own Your AI, Not Theirs: Orchestrate (Long) Workflows Without Hallucinations** OpenValue asked: "What happens when AI deletes a production database and insists it didn't?" Odin Labs answers: Build AI that actually knows what it's doing. In this session, we demonstrate what makes Odin Labs unique: orchestration of long, complex workflows powered by BrainDB - organizational memory that eliminates hallucination at the source. You'll see a live demo of an AI agent executing multi-step work orders with full context retention across the entire workflow. No context drift. No guessing. No black boxes. Core message: When AI has the right context, it doesn't need to guess. *About Mitchell & Dean:* Mitchell Tieleman (Co-Founder & CTO) and Dean Falix (Co-Founder & CEO) run ODIN Labs, a Netherlands-based AI company building on-premise AI agent infrastructure for regulated industries like healthcare, legal, finance and government. Their core philosophy: Own Your AI. Not Theirs. Everything they build is GDPR-native, free of vendor lock-in, and governance-first by design.

Beste luisteraars, **Voor de eerste keer organiseren we op veler verzoek een meetup in het Oosten. We gaan dit keer naar Arnhem.** Aan de saté en ribs van Jan is bijna niet te tippen, maar alle ondernemers in Foodhall kunnen er ook wat van. Meer dan 10 restaurants bieden een complete wereldkeuken naar keuze. Dit wordt een speciale editie van Satoshi Radio Meetup. We vieren 28 mei namelijk 🥳 **[12 jaar Arnhem Bitcoinstad](https://arnhembitcoinstad.nl)**! De bitcoinstad van Nederland met meer dan 65 winkels en horecagelegenheden waar je met je bitcoin terecht kan. Overal betaal je eenvoudig via ⚡Lightning. Deze meetup wordt wederom mede-mogelijk gemaakt door **[Blockrise](https://www.blockrise.com)**. Het eerste drankje krijg je van Jos 🍻. **Neem een vriend of vriendin mee**. Wel even aanmelden ajb. **Wil je mee eten?** Dat kan! Bestel je eten bij een van de 10+ foodstands naar keuze. Nadat je hebt besteld ontvang je een buzzer die afgaat op het moment dat het gerecht klaar is. Als de buzzer afgaat, kun je de bestelling ophalen bij de foodstand. Zo kun je samen genieten van de heerlijke culinaire gerechten die Foodhall Arnhem te bieden heeft. De bar biedt een ruime selectie aan drankjes en cocktails die passen bij de gerechten van de food stands. Gemiddeld genomen heb je voor €30 heerlijk gegeten. Datum/tijd: 28 mei 2026, 17:00 uur Locatie: **[Foodhall](https://foodhallarnhem.nl)**, Rijnkade 49, 6811 HB Arnhem Eten: Keuze uit meer dan 10 verschillende wereldkeukens. Kosten: Deelname is gratis. Je betaalt enkel voor je eigen eten en drinken. Betalen: Pin, contant of bitcoin (lightning). **Meld je aan** via deze meetup pagina zodat we weten hoe veel mensen er komen. Er is een beperkte capaciteit beschikbaar. Zo weten we zeker dat we niemand teleur hoeven te stellen. Tot dan, Bert, Bart, Peter en Mike

## 🎨**Activity for EXPATS & English Speakers** ☕ Are you an art enthusiast living in or around **Amersfoort, Hilversum, Utrecht, Nieuwegein, IJsseltein, De Bilt and the rest of cities of the Utrecht's province** who love painting or drawing? Maybe you've felt the joy of creating but struggled to find others who share your passion and speak **ENGLISH**? **You're not alone! 😉** ✨✨✨✨✨✨✨ ## 🖌️**About this event** You will meet other Art Lovers like you to Draw, Paint and have some drinks Together ! Our events are not just about sketching or creating art—they’re about building connections. Every two weeks, we meet at a café to have a relaxing time drawing a painting. Please keep on mind that **ENGLISH i**s the official language we will use to integrate everyone in our conversations. ⭕⭕⭕➡️ **IMPORTANT ⬅️** ⭕⭕⭕⭕ ### 👩🏻‍🎨**Book formally your Seat 🪑via [WHATSAPP](https://bit.ly/3BXXE0f)** **If you want to confirm officially your attendance and separate your seat🪑. Book your seat in meet-up, and contact us via [WHATSAPP HERE](https://bit.ly/3BXXE0f) to receive more information on the address of our activities.** **Thanks a lot for your understanding!** 💐🥰 ✨✨✨✨✨✨✨ ### 👩🏻‍🎨**How Does It Work?** This event is simple, this initiative takes 2 Hours. Most of the participants use pencils, water pencils or watercolours. Main aim is to socialize while we draw. There will be plenty of time to talk and get to know each other. We have to mention that this event is suitable for all levels. Many have started to draw in our event actually. Also it is very important that you **[JOIN US AT OUR WHATSAPP COMMUNITY](https://bit.ly/3BXXE0f),** to stay up to date on our upcoming events and participate in our Drawing and Painting Contests! **👉: [https://bit.ly/3BXXE0f](https://bit.ly/3BXXE0f)** 🍀 ✨✨✨✨✨✨✨ ### ☕**Where?** We will meet in different cafes mainly in the *center of Amersfoort ( and some occasions in other cities around)*. I will inform you of the exact place some days in advance this event. The place will depend on the number of attendees. ✨✨✨✨✨✨✨ ### **🎟️ What is included?** 🟢 **2 HOURS TO HAVE FUN!** 🟢 **15 mins warming-up creative activity and paper material**🖌️🎨 🟢 New friendships and **conversations in ENGLISH** in a relaxed atmosphere 🟢 **Souvenir picture** with you and the rest of Art Lovers 📷 🟢 Exclusive **access to our Art Lovers Community** on which you will receive: ***\~\~\~ Drawing challenges,*** ***\~\~\~ Training content,*** ***\~\~\~ FREE Entries only to members*** ***\~\~\~ Drawing Competitions*** 🟢 Time to **create alongside fellow artists and amateurs** 🟢 The freedom to **work at your own pace** 💃🕺🎈 ✨✨✨✨✨✨✨ ### 🖼️**Art Materials?** Bring your own practical art materials to be adaptable to sketch on a coffee table. Like your sketchbook, pencils, watercolor, markets, pencils, your Tablet..etc ✨✨✨✨✨✨✨ ## **See you to Paint, Draw, and drink together!🌟☕🍷🍪🍰**

Hosted by Licking County Soil and Water Conservation District **Stream Team Sampling Events** Are you interested in the health of local rivers and streams? You can join the Licking County Soil and Water in a Stream Team assessment. These events are a night filled will fun in the water. We look at habitat, biology, and chemical parameters in waterways that indicate how healthy our water is! We would love to see you at one of these events! Family friendly. Free to attend. June Wildwood Park, Granville Where: 785 W Broadway, Granville, OH 43023 Date: 6/11/2026 Time: 5:30 - 7:30 P.M. July Velvet Ice Cream, Ye Olde Mill Where:11324 Mount Vernon Rd, Utica, OH 43080 Date: 7/9/2026 Time: 5:30 - 7:30 P.M.

The number of ticks and tick diseases in Ohio have quickly multiplied over the last 10 years. Dean Kreager discusses tick species, tick pathogens, tick-borne diseases, tick bite prevention, and proper tick removal. Kreager is an Agriculture and Natural Resources Educator with OSU Extension in Licking County * Lakewood Public Library (in Hebron)- May 26 at 7pm [https://events.lickingcountylibrary.org/event/tick-talk-29621](https://events.lickingcountylibrary.org/event/tick-talk-29621) * Johnstown public library at 7:00 pm June 8 [https://events.lickingcountylibrary.org/event/ctick-talk-29622](https://events.lickingcountylibrary.org/event/ctick-talk-29622) Free to attend, no RSVP needed

Community Backyards Workshop .Community Backyards Workshop - Westerville Join us for the Westerville Community Backyards workshop! This is a FREE class on how you can protect our waterways and environment with small changes in your gardening habits. We will discuss rain barrels, rain gardens, composting, and native plants. This workshop is presented by Friends of Alum Creek. By attending, any participating community resident can receive a voucher for a rain barrel, compost bin, or native plants for attending. Vouchers are limited to one per household per year. Registration in advance is encouraged but not required. * Location: Westerville Community Center, 350 N Cleveland Ave, Westerville, OH 43082 * Date and time: Sat, May 30, 2026 10:00 AM - 11:30 AM * Organizer: Community Backyards Program, (614) 486-9613, communitybackyards@franklinswcd.org (Free Workshop Registration: Registration is free. Registering in advance provides your information to Franklin Soil and Water ahead of time, so when you come to the workshop, we will have your voucher ready for you when you arrive) https://lp.constantcontactpages.com/ev/reg/h2w5ms8 **FAQs** **Our Community Backyards workshops are FREE and a great way to participate in the rebate program. Our workshops are typically 1 to 1 and a half hours long and held in-person. Our workshops cover the same content as the online course, but they are more detailed and allow the chance to ask questions and have discussions with the presenters and other residents. We occassionally have "advanced topics" classes where you dive deeper into one topic of Community Backyards such as invasive vs. native plants or rain gardens.** **Registration is encouraged but not required.** You can register in advance to receive your voucher at the workshop. If you don't register in advance, that's okay - you can still show up (unless otherwise noted - which is very rare) and sign up for a voucher at the class, and we will send you one via email or mail within a few business days after the workshop. **"Do I have to be a resident of that community to attend that workshop?"** Nope! Our workshops are open to everyone (unless otherwise noted - which is extremely rare). You can attend a workshop that best suits your schedule even if it is in a different community than your own. **"Why is registration closed?** Can I just show up?" Yes, you can show up without registering! We close registration typically 1-2 days before the workshop to give the vouchers and materials to the presenters. However, you are always welcome to just show up and fill out a short form to request a voucher at the workshop. If eligible, we will send one to you within 1-2 business days after the workshop. **Voucher note**: Classes are free for everyone but vouchers are for residents of Franklin county or participating community (list here: https://www.communitybackyards.org/participate) 2026 Participating Vendors: City Folk's Farm Shop, Fisher's Gardens, Leaves for Wildlife, Scioto Gardens, Hoover Gardens & Gift Center, and the FSWCD/SWACO Compost Bin Sale. *when redeeming your voucher at a vendor, Please bring a physical copy of your voucher to receive an immediate discount on your purchase. Additionally, to keep up with number of vouchers that are given out, we have changed the expiration date on the vouchers to 30 days

Some trained COUNT volunteers work together once a month at RMH (http://www.rmhc-centralohio.org/volunteer.php) as Housewarmers (usually on the 1st Sunday from 1 – 5 PM). Some schedule other shifts at their convenience. You may try this out with less fuss by following a "Fast track" or go through the normal process. Fast track • Arrange a time to shadow a COUNT volunteer. Call Dave Nohle at 614-268-9558 (cell). • Show up and try it out. • Complete application, etc. later. Normal process • Complete an online application (http://rmhc-centralohio.org/volunteer/). • Attend orientation in advance. • At orientation you will complete forms agreeing to keep family/patient info private and allowing a background check and tour the facility. • Complete one training shift. Daily shifts are: morning 9 AM - 1 PM, afternoon 1 - 5 PM and evening 5 - 9 PM. • Schedule shifts online using the on the RMH scheduling system (http://www.volgistics.com/ex/portal.dll/?FROM=32895). The Ronald McDonald House (RMH) provides housing and meals for families with sick children. The Columbus RMH is the largest in the world with 137 rooms. COUNT has been volunteering there since May 2014. Housewarmers work with RMH guests to provide a home-like environment - greet, assist with family needs, answer phones, give tours, assist with checkin/checkout, prepare guest rooms after checkout, clean facility, laundry, restock supplies and staff the front desk. RMH Housewarmers volunteer at least one four-hour shift a month. All Housewarmers must complete an application and agree to a background check before they can be full fledged volunteers.

**History** The [Franklin Park Conservatory](https://www.fpconservatory.org/)’s roots trace back to 1852 when the Franklin County Agricultural Society purchased 88 acres of land to host the Ohio State Fair. After the fair moved to its permanent home, the city of Columbus transformed the grounds into Franklin Park in 1884. This transition shifted the space from a temporary event site to a dedicated public green space for the growing community. The park became a central hub for outdoor recreation and early civic gatherings in the neighborhood. In 1895, the landmark Victorian-style Palm House opened its doors, drawing heavy inspiration from the Glass Palace of the 1893 World’s Columbian Exposition in Chicago. This iron and glass structure became an immediate icon, housing exotic plants that residents would otherwise never see in the Midwest. It remains the oldest part of the facility and serves as a primary link to the conservatory’s 19th-century origins. For decades, it stood as a singular testament to grand horticultural architecture in Central Ohio. A major turning point arrived in 1992 when Columbus hosted AmeriFlora '92, an international horticultural exhibition. This massive event prompted a $16 million renovation and expansion, adding significantly more greenhouse space and the Dorothy M. Davis Showhouse. The festival put the conservatory on the international map and fundamentally changed its scale and ambition. Following the event, the facility transitioned from a city-run park to a private, non-profit organization. In 2003, the conservatory’s identity was further defined through a long-term partnership with world-renowned glass artist Dale Chihuly. After a successful exhibition, the Friends of the Conservatory purchased most of the glass installations, creating the largest permanent collection of Chihuly’s work in a botanical setting. These vibrant glass sculptures are now woven throughout the biomes, blending art with nature. This addition helped cement the conservatory as a premier cultural destination rather than just a botanical garden. Recent years have seen the site expand beyond the glass walls to emphasize community engagement and outdoor education. The 2018 opening of the Scotts Miracle-Gro Foundation Children’s Garden added two acres of interactive landscape designed for hands-on learning. The Scotts Miracle-Gro Company Community Garden Campus also provides local residents with space to grow their own food and learn sustainable practices. Today, the conservatory balances its historic Victorian charm with modern commitments to local ecology and the Columbus community. **Maps of the Conservatory** Here is the [main map](https://www.fpconservatory.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/franklin-park-zones-scaled.jpg) of the Conservatory grounds. Here's a [map of the areas](https://www.fpconservatory.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/ConstructionMap-2026.jpg) in which the Conservatory has ongoing construction (see below). **Summary** For this event, we'll explore Columbus's highly-rated and very popular Conservatory. As mentioned above, the Conservatory is doing renovations on parts of the facility. These renovations are scheduled to be ongoing until the Fall of next year. Basically, no matter when you go to the Conservatory over the next 18 months, you're going to see some metaphorical orange barrels. So let's just go now. **Tickets and pricing** On the first Sunday of every month, the Conservatory is free for residents of Franklin County and the city of Columbus. You must bring an ID to receive this discount. (Yes, they do check.) Otherwise, tickets are $25.20. Members of the Columbus Zoo (of which I am one) do get a discount on tickets, though I have never actually bought a ticket to the Conservatory (I've always gone on free days). I believe the discount is $4. Parking is always free. If you have additional questions about pricing or whether and for what you qualify, you can reach the Conservatory at 614-715-8000. **Where we'll meet** We will meet just outside the main entrance. I guarantee there's going to be a line. The Conservatory is always popular on free days, and especially in nice weather. **Your GPS is stupid!** Be careful simply typing "Franklin Park Conservatory" in your GPS and going where it tells you. The only way to access the parking lot to the Conservatory is off of Broad Street. Unfortunately, since Google Maps is unable to find its way out of a wet paper bag, it has a tendency to want to take people to a mythical, non-existent Conservatory entrance on Nelson Road. If your GPS does this, just drive to the north side of the Conservatory along Broad Street. Your GPS should then redirect you to the main Conservatory entrance. If your GPS doesn't, then throw your phone away\* and look for the big Conservatory sign on the south side of Broad Street between Nelson Road and Franklin Park West. You also should be able to use the map pin I've provided, below, and it should properly direct you to where you need to drive. \* Don't really do this. **After the event** After stopping to smell the roses, for those that are interested, we'll head to the nearby [Columbus Brewing Company Beer Hall](https://columbusbrewing.com/location/beer-hall/) for [drinks](https://columbusbrewing.com/location/beer-hall/#draft-list) and [lunch](https://columbusbrewing.com/location/beer-hall/#food-menu). The Beer Hall's actual address is [200 Kelton Ave, Columbus, OH 43205](https://www.google.com/maps/place/200+Kelton+Ave,+Columbus,+OH+43205/data=!4m2!3m1!1s0x883889a94ac4acad:0xadb2e60240dbc38b?sa=X&ved=1t:242&ictx=111) (it's literally just on the south side of the Conservatory). Be sure this is where your GPS is taking you when you use it, as the Brewing Company has a taproom on Harrison Avenue that is *not* what you want for this event. We should be at the Beer Hall by 1 if you can't make the Conservatory and just want to join us for drinks.

The number of ticks and tick diseases in Ohio have quickly multiplied over the last 10 years. Dean Kreager discusses tick species, tick pathogens, tick-borne diseases, tick bite prevention, and proper tick removal. Kreager is an Agriculture and Natural Resources Educator with OSU Extension in Licking County * Lakewood Public Library (in Hebron)- May 26 at 7pm [https://events.lickingcountylibrary.org/event/tick-talk-29621](https://events.lickingcountylibrary.org/event/tick-talk-29621) * Johnstown public library at 7:00 pm June 8 [https://events.lickingcountylibrary.org/event/ctick-talk-29622](https://events.lickingcountylibrary.org/event/ctick-talk-29622) Free to attend, no RSVP needed