Stop Private Jet Expansion at Hanscom or Anywhere will hold a webinar on Thursday, Sept. 19 at 7 p.m. on “The SPJE Statewide Campaign: What We’ve Achieved Together & What’s Next.” Speakers include Nobel Prize winner Susan Solomon, MIT professor of atmospheric chemistry and author of Solvable: How We Healed the Earth and How We Can Do It Again, and Neil Rasmussen, president of Save Our Heritage, and Alex Chatfield of the St. Anne’s Climate Justice Ministry. Click here to register.
The public comment period on the proposal has been extended to October 4. On the state Environmental Monitor web page, click on “Projects Under Review” and then “Environmental Impact Reports “in the line under that. The last entry on the list is the Hanscom project. Then click on “Comment” in the right-hand “Actions” column.
The Tour de Codman on Sunday, Sept. 22 will start at Codman Farm and will take cyclists on a nine-mile loop through Lincoln along roads and paths, featuring stops at three remote pastures where farm staff and volunteers will give a short talk on the farm’s sustainable, pasture-based agriculture before returning to the farm. All ages welcome, but cyclists must be comfortable maintaining a 10-12 mph pace along Lincoln’s roads. The route will spend as much time as possible on bike paths and quiet roads. Any bike in good working order should suffice. Bring your own water and snacks for the route, and don’t forget your helmet (required). The total time for the ride (including stops) should be under two hours. Click here to register.
Author Heather Wolf, author of Birding at the Bridge: In Search of Every Bird on the Brooklyn Waterfront, will discuss via Zoom how to find and identify more birds by picking a “patch,” a place close to home where you can watch birds often. Click for event flier or register here.
Click here for details.
State Sen. Mike Barrett will discuss the status of environmental, energy, and climate legislation in Massachusetts with ample time for questions on Saturday, Oct. 5 at 10 a.m. (coffee at 9:45 a.m.) in Bemis Hall. Sponsored by the Lincoln Democratic Town Committee.
“Author Helen Humphreys in Conversation with Jeffrey S. Cramer” happens on Sunday, Oct. 6 from 2:00–3:30 p.m. at Thoreau Farm (341 Virginia Rd., Concord) and online. Inspired by the life, letters, and diaries of Henry David Thoreau, Humphreys’ novel Followed by the Lark shows how strikingly similar the concerns of the early nineteenth century are to our own, and reminds us to listen for news of change. Click here to learn more and register.
Explore migration through the art of storytelling in “A Suitcase Story” on Friday, Oct. 11 at 12:30 p.m. in Bemis Hall. The International Institute of New England will provide information on their immigrant and refugee work and discuss how you can help support and welcome new Americans. Sponsored by the Council in Aging & Human Services.
The 12th annual Scarecrow Classic 5K to benefit the LLCT takes place on Sunday, Oct. 20 starting at 9:30 a.m. Participants enjoy a course through Lincoln’s roads and trails, with colorful scarecrows along the route and cider donuts at the finish line. Register by Monday, Oct. 7 to guarantee a Scarecrow Classic Tech Shirt on race day. Pre-registration closes the Friday before the race and limited same-day registrations are available. Learn more and register at scarecrowclassic5k.com. The LLCT is also looking for sponsors and volunteers. Email llct@lincolnconservation.org if you can help.
TEDx Walden Pond is hosting its second annual TEDx talk in Lincoln on Wednesday, Oct. 23 from 5–9 p.m. In the spirit of Henry David Thoreau’s quote, “It takes two to speak the truth: one to talk, and one to listen,” the 2024 theme focuses on both speaking and listening in our search for compelling truths. There will be 10 speakers, including Alida Zweidler-Mckay of Lincoln and Dr. Eden-Renee Hayes of Wayland. The program will also feature dance (a work by local choreographer Rachel Linsky) and a humorous musical performance of “Anti-Suffragist Reasons” by members of the Concord Women’s Chorus. Click here for tickets, location, and more information and to purchase.
Vicki Croke, author of Elephant Company: The Inspiring Story of an Unlikely Hero and the Animals Who Helped Him Save Lives in World War II, will make a presentation with archival photos and video on Thursday, Oct. 24 at the Walden Woods Project at 44 Baker Farm Rd. in Lincoln. Doors will open at 6:15 p.m. for a wine and cheese reception, and the presentation will begin at 7 p.m. This event is generously sponsored by The Commons in Lincoln. Part of the Concord Festival of Authors. Click here to learn more and register.
Click here for more information and registration.
Fall measures such as composting, “leaving the leaves,” and sheet mulching nurture inset life and soil while avoiding use of fossil fuels for leaf-blowing. Join Lincoln Common Ground (part of Mothers Out Front Lincoln) and the Lincoln Land Conservation Trust on Thursday, Oct. 24 at 7:30 p.m. for a Zoom discussion on “Leaving the Leaves and More: A Community Q&A about Eco-gardening Practices.” Click here to register for the Zoom link.
For grades 6 and up. Click here for more information and registration.
For over 10,000 years, the Indigenous people knew what is now Concord and Lincoln as Musketaquid (“the land between the grassy rivers.” On Saturday, Nov. 2 at 4 p.m. in the Codman Community Farms education pavilion, Joe Palumbo of Concord will explore the history of the first people and what happened when cultures collided after European fur traders and then English colonists arrived. All ages welcome; free but registration is appreciated for planning.
Instead of throwing them in the trash, have fun and help the environment by bringing your jack-o’-lanterns and decorative gourds to the regional Great Pumpkin Smash at Codman Community Farms (CCF) on Sunday, Nov. 3 from 10 a.m.–2 p.m. When pumpkins end up in landfills, they break down and produce methane, a potent greenhouse gas. Smashing pumpkins and feed to the Codman Farm pigs while enjoying live music, CCF sandwiches, and ice cream from a local vendor. Get tips on how to get started with composting in your home or with a curbside collection program. Prepare your pumpkins for composting by removing any stickers, candles, and other decorations and please leave painted pumpkins at home. Suggested donation of $1 per pumpkin to benefit the farm. Organized by CCF, the Lincoln and Concord chapters of Mothers Out Front, the Weston Community Children’s Association, and LincFam.
State climate legislation assumes that forest carbon sequestration (sometimes called “negative emissions”) can be counted to offset up to 15% of the emissions reduction goal. Is this a good idea? Is it even possible? How can we influence forests’ ability to sequester and store carbon? Join Dr. Jonathan Thompson, a senior ecologist and research director at the Harvard Forest, on Tuesday, Nov. 12 at 7 p.m. for “Forests for Our Future: The Role of Massachusetts Forests in Combating Climate Change” at the First Parish in Lincoln (4 Bedford Rd.) and on Zoom. Register here. Sponsored by MetroWest Climate Solutions and CFREE, a working group of the Lincoln Green Energy Committee.
“Community Gathering: Making Sense of the Moment” with Mothers Out Front is an opportunity for everyone to come together on Saturday, Nov. 23 from 3–4 p.m. in the Lincoln Public Library Tarbell Room as we make sense of the moment after the presidential election. We will talk about what we collectively see as important priorities for our democratic nation. We will consider how we can get involved in upholding democratic values that support all peoples. We may not have all the answers, but we will come with curiosity, open-mindedness, and respect as we learn from one another.