The incomparable Ms. G.
Gov. Maura Healey will join the crowd when Ms. G, the official groundhog of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, makes her annual prediction at the Drumlin Farm Wildlife Sanctuary in Lincoln for Groundhog Day on Thursday, Feb. 2. Families and children attend the popular event each year, eager to watch Ms. G emerge from hibernation and explore her special enclosure, which includes groundhog treats like fresh veggies.
Beginning at 9:30 a.m., attendees can learn how animals, including Drumlin Farm’s sheep, keep themselves warm and healthy in cold weather. Ms. G will make her appearance at 10 a.m., with Mass Audubon President David J. O’Neill and State Sen. Michael Barrett, a leading voice for climate change and renewable energy on Beacon Hill, welcoming the governor and attendees. Participants will then be encouraged to enjoy other event-related programs from making groundhog crafts to meeting live animal ambassadors and learning how they adapt to winter as the climate changes.
“The impacts of climate change and loss of biodiversity in New England are already clear,” O’Neill said. “They can only strengthen our resolve to find policy- and nature-based solutions to the major environmental challenges of our times.”
Free with admission. To learn more, visit massaudubon.org/groundhogday.
Join Lincoln Conservation Ranger Will Leona to visit different trails in Lincoln on the first Saturday of each month (March 4, April 1, and May 6) from 9:30–11 a.m. Walks are generally two miles long and are appropriate for all ages. Click here for registration, which is required to keep group size under 15 people and to ensure we can contact you in case of cancellation due to weather.
The final session in the “On Belonging in Outdoor Spaces” will take place via Zoom on Wednesday, March 29 at 7 p.m. José G. González, founder of Latino Outdoors and co-founder of the Outdoorist Oath, will speak on “Wayfinding and Belonging in the Outdoors.” As a Partner in the Avarna Group and through his own consulting, his work focuses on equity and inclusion frameworks and practices in the environmental, outdoor, and conservation fields. The series is organized by the Walden Woods Project, Mass Audubon, Farrington Nature Linc, The Food Project, the deCordova Sculpture Park and Museum, and the Lincoln Land Conservation Trust. Click here to register.
Join Lincoln Conservation Ranger Will Leona to visit different trails in Lincoln on the first Saturday of each month (March 4, April 1, and May 6) from 9:30–11 a.m. Walks are generally two miles long and are appropriate for all ages. Click here for registration, which is required to keep group size under 15 people and to ensure we can contact you in case of cancellation due to weather.
Meet some real owls on Monday, April 17 at 1 p.m. when Farrington Nature Linc hosts naturalist Marcia Wilson from Eyes on Owls. She’ll introduce the audience to owls found in New England and other parts of the world and imitate the owls’ calls herself before bringing out six rehabilitated owls on at a time (each owl has a permanent disability which prevents them from surviving on their own in the wild). There’ll be plenty of time for close-up views, photos, and questions. Click here to register. you can also share a coupon code “SPRING” that will provide a 15% discount.
The Lincoln Public Library invites children in grades 4-6 to a natural treasure hunt with author and educator Clare Walker Leslie on Thursday, April 27 at 4 p.m. Learn how to observe and preserve your thoughts about the natural world by creating a beautiful journal that integrates science, art, math, and writing. Clare’s nature journaling method inspires students to draw conclusions and make observations that instill a respect for the natural world around us and promote conservation into the future. This program will include classroom instruction and a low intensity outdoor walk, weather permitting. Leslie’s books will be available to purchase at the event. Space is limited; please email sfeather@minlib.net to register. The program is funded thanks to a partnership between the Lincoln Land Conservation Trust and the Friends of the Lincoln Library.
Join Lincoln Conservation Ranger Will Leona to visit different trails in Lincoln on the first Saturday of each month (March 4, April 1, and May 6) from 9:30–11 a.m. Walks are generally two miles long and are appropriate for all ages. Click here for registration, which is required to keep group size under 15 people and to ensure we can contact you in case of cancellation due to weather.
On Friday, Sept. 22 from 1–3 p.m., meet at the famous “twisted tree” in front of Lincoln Public Library for a special Quiet Walks and Poetry for Seekers collaboration. We’ll walk for a mile or two in the neighborhood, stopping four or five times beneath particular trees. Beneath the shade of each tree, we will hear a poem that in some way honors or features that tree species. In between each poem, we will walk in silence. At the end, we will gather in a circle and reflect on what we saw and heard. If the weather looks questionable, email Rev. Nate Klug (nate@fplincoln.org) for the latest updates.
LincFam welcomes new and expecting parents to a meetup for families with children under 2 or expecting a child (both parents and children are welcome) on Sunday, Sept. 24 at 3:30 p.m. Meet at the commuter parking lot next to Donelan’s to walk the Codman trails. No RSVP required. If you’d like to join the list for information on future events and meetups, click here.
Learn about commonly encountered wildlife such as deer, coyote, and raccoons, and their intersection with wild and developed spaces. Find out best practices for maintaining bird feeders and attracting visitors and learn about amazing pollinators and problematic mosquitoes and ticks. Led by Tia Pinney, lead naturalist and educator at Mass Audubon’s Drumlin Farm Wildlife Sanctuary.
Go into the woods with Farrington Nature Linc Educator and Program Manager Meg Ito to look for “Signs of Animals” on Saturday, Nov. 11 from 2–3:30 p.m. Expect to see some real animal bones, skins, and other signs as part of this workshop (including an introduction to local wildlife and a 45-minute walk around the site) featuring animal track cards and a small piece of snake skin home. Click here to purchase tickets ($25–$45).
Join us on a guided hike around the trails of Mt. Misery as we look for tracks and other signs of life to understand how our local wildlife survives New England winters. We look for the presence of a variety of animals, including beaver activity, to learn how they spend stretches of winter under the ice. This family-friendly hike will be guided by the Lincoln Conservation Department. Click here to register. Part of Winter Carnival 2024.
Help our farmer take care of the animals! In this hands-on activity, you’ll get to meet and feed the animals their dinner, help keep the barns clean, and make sure everyone is tucked in for the night. Adult & child members: $14. Adult & child nonmembers: $17. Click here to register. Part of Winter Carnival 2024.
1:15–1:45 p.m. OR 2–2:45 p.m.
Winter is cold in New England, but not everywhere. Learn how animals survive freezing temperatures, floods, and other winter challenges in different parts of the world. Who is active and outside? Who is sleeping or hiding? Joys of Nature will share information on how local animals and others around the world survive their winter seasons. Attendees will also meet live reptiles! We are offering two half-hour sessions for families with children ages 4+. For more information, email dleopold@minlib.net. Part of Winter Carnival 2024.
Explore the world of natural color with an introduction to dyeing fabric with plants. You’ll create your own set of four dyed cotton napkins using plants, including some foraged at Nature Linc over the summer. Different surface techniques will be explored, including creating resists on fabric with natural materials. Adults only. Pre-registration required.
The “On Belonging in Outdoor Spaces” free speaker series continues via Zoom on Wednesday, March 13 at 7 p.m. with Erika Rumbley, co-founder and director of the New Garden Society and Director of Horticulture at the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum in Boston. She will speak about her work training incarcerated students in the art and science of plants. On Wednesday, March 27at 7 p.m., Doug Sutherland, a summer camp professional, will share his experiences as a Black person in rural New Hampshire, where “belonging” is an assumption for some and unattainable for others.
Click here to register for either talk. The series is hosted by Farrington Nature Linc, Lincoln Land Conservation Trust, the Walden Woods Project, Mass Audubon, deCordova Sculpture Park and Museum, and Codman Community Farms. Spring 2024 Sponsorship is generously provided by the Ogden Codman Trust and Freedom’s Way National Heritage Area.
The “On Belonging in Outdoor Spaces” free speaker series continues on Wednesday, March 27 at 7 p.m. via Zoom when Doug Sutherland, a summer camp professional, will share his experiences as a Black person in rural New Hampshire, where “belonging” is an assumption for some and unattainable for others. Click here to register.
The series is hosted by Farrington Nature Linc, Lincoln Land Conservation Trust, the Walden Woods Project, Mass Audubon, deCordova Sculpture Park and Museum, and Codman Community Farms. Spring 2024 Sponsorship is generously provided by the Ogden Codman Trust and Freedom’s Way National Heritage Area.
The Battle Road BioBlitz at Minute Man National Historical Park from Saturday, May 11 to Friday, May 17 will engage scientists, naturalists, and the interested public to survey and document as many species as possible within a designated time period. The 10 free events at various times and locations — including Amphibians and Aquatic Organisms, Battle Road Botanizing, Biodiversity at Dusk, Pollinators and Plants, and Quest for Uncommon Species — take place at various locations and times at the park; sign up for one or several (space is limited). Click here to register or view the entire collection on Eventbrite.
Co-sponsored by MMNHP and Friends of MMNHP; the towns of Concord, Lexington, and Lincoln; the Concord and Lincoln Land Conservation Trusts; the Brookline Bird Club, and Zoo New England. Questions? Contact Margie Brown at margie_coffin_brown@nps.gov.
“Hikes Through History” with author and adventurer Alison O’Leary provides a sampling of fun and interesting hikes in eastern Massachusetts from her Appalachian Mountain Club guidebook Best Day Hikes Near Boston. The program on Thursday, June 6 from 7–8 p.m. talks about the history of the land we hike on, including the people and historic events that shaped our parks and open spaces. Sponsored by the Friends of the Lincoln Library. Registration required; click here.
These gently paced walks are all about the journey, not the destination. They take place on first Tuesdays and mid-month Wednesdays from September 18 through December 11. Click here or more details, dates and locations, and registration.