Lincoln’s Splash, Mash, Dash Kids’ Triathlon is back on Saturday, June 29 for its 20th year. The race starts at 8:30 a.m. at the Codman Pool. Kids ages 5-14 are invited to participate. Race distances are as follows:
- Ages 5-6: 25m swim (1 length), quarter-mile run (no bike portion)
- Ages 7-8: 25m swim (1 length), one-mile bike ride, half-mile run
- Ages 9-10: 50m swim (2 lengths), two-mile bike; half-mile run
- Ages 11-12: 75m swim (3 lengths), two-bike, 3/4-mile run
- Ages 13-14: 150m swim (6 lengths), four-mile bike, 1 mile run
Racers ages 8 and younger are individually accompanied by a guard in the water. Click here to register ($35 includes a t-shirt and a finisher’s medal). Pick up packets on Friday, June 28 from 12:30–6: p.m. in Hartwell Pod B. Volunteers are also needed during the race; email ginger.reiner@gmail.com if you can help.
See the July 2 News Acorns for details.
Come play Dungeons and Dragons in the library with DM Nikolas Metcalf. Registration required; for ages 11+. Register here.
Join other parents for a cozy evening of warmth and laughter around a crackling bonfire on Friday, Aug. 23 from 8–10 p.m. at 8 Bedford Rd. next to First Parish and across from the library (not in Flint Field or at the farm) — park at the Parish House or library. We’ll have marshmallows ready for roasting as well as beer, wine, and nonalcoholic beverages, good company, and a chance to unwind under the stars. $10 per person payable upon RSVP via Venmo @LincFam or cash at the event. Open to everyone. Click here to RSVP.
Meet Michael Ansara, political organizer, activist, and poet at an election kickoff meeting of the Lincoln Democratic Town Committee on Saturday, Sept. 14 at Bemis Hall (coffee at 9:45 a.m., talk at 10 a.m.). Come and be inspired, hear ways to help elect the Dems, and get your questions answered.
Do you have questions about long-distance travel in an EV (electric vehicle)? Are you worried about indoor air quality but unsure about induction stoves? Is your aging hot water tank inefficient? Do you want to learn more about saving energy with a heat pump dryer? Lincoln Green Energy Coaches are here to help you make a plan! The Lincoln Green Energy Coach program will debut with an event on Saturday, Sept. 14 in Bemis Hall from 1–3 p.m. There will a short introduction about the program with some examples of homes that have reduced their carbon footprint in different ways. Coaches will then be available to discuss different topics from heat pumps to solar PV. Click here to register.
The event is being held in conjunction with the Friends of Modern Architecture tour of three energy-efficient modern homes on the following day. Click here for more information and tickets. The Green Energy Coaching program is sponsored by CFREE, a working group of the Lincoln Green Energy Committee and the Lincoln Climate Action Planning committee.
Friends of Modern Architecture will present a tour of three Modern houses in Lincoln. Homeowners will lead half-hour tours about the sustainable choices they made in building or renovating their houses. A reception with refreshments will follow where you can talk further with the homeowners and experts. Tour space is limited to 75 participants. Tickets are $30 per person. Click here to buy tickets and reserve your place on the tour.
The tour is part 2 of “Future Ready Living: Modern Homes (and Yours) in the Climate Age” that begins with a forum hosted by the new Lincoln Green Energy Coach program on Saturday, Sept. 14 in Bemis Hall from 1–3 p.m.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.