Andy Payne will present some basic lessons and give you a chance to learn and explore Zoom’s settings and features in a low-stakes environment. Zoom is a very popular system for video chats with groups and is supported on Mac, Windows, iPhone/iPad, and Android devices. Click here to download Zoom if you don’t have it on your device. Once you have it installed, just click on a Zoom link to participate in a meeting. Zoom meeting link: https://zoom.us/j/577144331
This session with Bernice Lerner, author of All the Horrors of War, follows Glyn Hughes, a high-ranking British officer, and Rachel Genuth, a teenager from the Hungarian provinces, as they navigate their respective forms of hell during the final brutal year of World War II. Their stories converge in the Bergen-Belsen concentration camp, where Hughes finds himself responsible for an unprecedented situation: 25,000 of 60,000 war-ravaged inmates are in need of immediate hospitalization, and Rachel is among those at death’s door. Their narratives tell a larger story about the suffering of the victims, the struggles of liberators who strove to save lives, and the human capacity for fortitude and redemption. For more information, call 781-259-8811 x102 or email gagnea@lincolntown.org.
Join elder law attorney Sasha Golden and Emily Tamilio of Deaconess Abundant Life to learn about navigating healthcare in a crisis. These local professions will walk us through the continuum of care from skilled nursing to rehab and back home again. For details, email gagnea@lincolntown.org.
Wanda Paik will present a recital of some her favorite classic piano pieces, anchoring it with a masterpiece: J.S. Bach’s “Toccata, Fantasia and Fugue in D major.” Also on the playbill are works by Frederic Chopin (“Impromptu in A-flat major,” “Nocturne in C-sharp minor,” and “Etude in A-flat major,” which was thought to make the piano sound like an Aeolian harp); Brahms’s iconic “Intermezzo in E-flat minor,” which weaves an ancient Gregorian chant throughout the piece; and Debussy’s luminously beautiful “Clair de Lune” from the “Suite Bergamasque,” followed by his sweeping, jazzy Prelude from the “Suite Pour le Piano.”
Join award-winning producer, film composer, and author Ruth Mendelson of Lincoln to discuss her new book, “The Water Tree Way,” on Monday, Feb. 22 at noon. The main character Jai (pronounced “Jay”), filled with spunk, stealth and blazing courage, leaves everything she’s known to embark on a journey that would be hair-raising for anyone. A 240-page children’s book intended for readers of all ages, the story exalts the triumph of the human spirit as experienced by a girl who can be none other than her unabashed self. To learn more and read reviews, including Jane Goodall’s video endorsement, visit www.TheWaterTreeWay.com. Please call the COA 781-259-8811, if you would like to pick up an author’s copy of the book (there are a limited number of copies). Click here for the Zoom link.
The LLCT is sponsoring a Zoom fireside chat and photo-sharing session with Lincoln resident and photographer Barbara Peskin about spring birds on Thursday, Feb. 25 at 7 p.m. Spring is a time of renewal, return and migration, and Peskin will highlight spring visitors to our yards, woods and fields, including rose-breasted grosbeaks and a scarlet tanager, a pair of cardinals, black-capped chickadees, pileated woodpeckers, and more. She’ll also play some of the calls and songs of these backyard friends. Along with the spring songbirds will be a few local and special photos. After her remarks, there will be time for questions and conversation. The program is free and open to all, but registration is required.
Farrington Nature Linc is hosting a virtual three-session nature sketching series starting on Tuesday, March 2. Each week, we’ll meet via Zoom with artist and teacher Alex Boersma, a freelance scientific illustrator and designer from Toronto, to learn how to draw natural objects we’ve collected throughout the week. We’ll improve our observational drawing skills while exploring new media: first graphite, then pen and ink, and finally watercolor. No experience necessary.
Classes will meet Tuesday evenings from 6–8 p.m. (the final workshop will go until 9 p.m.). You may attend a single workshop or all three; however, the skills taught in each workshop will build on one another, so organizers recommend signing up for all three. Register online via Eventbrite. The supply list will be emailed once you’re registered for the class (please be sure you have acquired the necessary materials ahead of the workshop).
Join a virtual reading and Q&A with Lincoln’s Ray Shepard, author of Runaway: The Daring Escape of Ona Judge, on Monday, March 8 at 6 p.m. Email dleopold@minlib.net for Zoom invite. This program is recommended for families with children ages 7+.
“On Belonging in Outdoors Spaces” is a free virtual speaker series running until June featuring prominent speakers whose are advancing efforts to strengthen belonging and connection between communities of color and the benefits of time in nature. The series is organized by the Lincoln Land Conservation Trust, the deCordova Sculpture Park and Museum, Farrington Nature Linc, The Food Project, Mass Audubon, and The Walden Woods Project.
First up in the series is “Meaningful Nature Engagement in Stressed Populations” with Akiima Price on Wednesday, March 10 at 7 p.m. Her innovative programming strategies feature nature as a powerful medium to connect stressed youth, adults, and families in meaningful and positive experiences. She is a former National Park Service Interpretation Ranger and has worked for national work with environmental and social service organizations. Other speakers in the series will be Evelyn Rydz, Dr. Monica White, and Dr. J. Drew Lanham.
To register for any or all of the presentations, visit www.onbelongingoutdoors.org. Additional support is provided by the Ogden Codman Trust, the Lincoln Garden Club, and the Bemis Free Lecture Series.
Would you like to read or listen to library books on a Kindle or iPhone? Elizabeth Creighton and Kate Tranquada can show you how to borrow e-books and audiobooks and are available for troubleshooting as well. Contact Kate at ktranquada@minlib.net to get the Zoom link.
The Council on Aging invites seniors to a drive-up ice cream sundae cup event on Tuesday, March 16 in the parking lot of the First Parish Church. Please help stagger arrivals by coming at the time that corresponds to your last name (A–G, arrive from 12-12:45 p.m.; H–R, arrive from 12:45-1:30 p.m.; S–Z, arrive from 1:30-2 p.m.). Ice cream sundae cups generously sponsored by the Friends of the COA.
The Lincoln Land Conservation Trust will host a Lincoln Pollinator Action Plan workshop on Thursday, April 1 from 7–8 p.m. On fronts lawns, in back gardens, at woodland edges, in open fields, and along wet meadows, functionally diverse native pollinator habitats serve as building blocks for linking intact natural areas across a fragmented landscape. But what to plant? When to mow? Where to focus? Evan Abramson of Landscape Interactions will break down the science behind native plantings and explore the crucial role of native pollinators with regards to ecosystem health, climate resiliency, and food security. He’ll also explore the recently released Lincoln Pollinator Action Plan, created in collaboration with LLCT — a town-wide blueprint on supporting at-risk bees and butterflies in Lincoln and beyond. There will be time for questions from the audience. Click here to register and get the Zoom link.
Join the LLCT and Matt Burne, senior ecologist with BSC Group, Inc., and vice president of the Vernal Pool Association, for “Vernal Pool Virtual Exploration” on Thursday, April 8 from 7–8 p.m. In lieu of an in-person walk this year, Matt will be sharing his photos and stories via Zoom and will answer audience questions after his talk. Click here to register and get the Zoom link.
Join Farrington Nature Linc and the Lincoln Land Conservation Trust on Thursday, April 22 from 2–3 p.m. via Zoom for “Owls Up Close,” a virtual version of “Eyes on Owls.” Naturalists Marcia and Mark Wilson will introduce everyone to six live owls up close and personal, followed by some owl call practice with a hooting lesson. They’ll highlight the owls’ unique adaptations, habitats, and behaviors in the wild, while sharing tips on how you can look for owls yourself. All are welcome at this family friendly program. Register here to receive the Zoom link. This is a free program, but donations are encouraged and help us bring this program to the community. Viewers may purchase copies of Mark’s book, Owling (signed and personalized by the author) by emailing eyesonowls@earthlink.net.
Artist Evelyn Rydz will speak on “Close Attention: Exploring a Creative Practice Inside and Outside the Studio” on Wednesday, April 14 at 7 p.m. Exploring the vulnerability and the resiliency of natural and cultural ecosystems, Rydz invites viewers and participants of her projects to imagine a different future — one shaped by our connections and care for local and global communities. Her talk is part of “On Belonging in Outdoors Spaces,” a free virtual speaker series featuring prominent speakers whose are advancing efforts to strengthen belonging and connection between communities of color and the benefits of time in nature. Register here and get more information about the presentations and speakers.
In honor of Earth Day, the First Parish will host a talk and Q&A with Concord native John Bunker, who has devoted much of his life to seeking out, identifying, and saving as many old apple varieties in Maine as possible. “Changed Forever by an Apple Tree” takes place on Sunday, April 25 at 10 a.m. Click here to join the Zoom meeting (passcode: 749004). Bunker has been farming and homesteading in Maine at the Maine Heritage Orchard for almost half a century and is author of Apples and the Art of Detection: Tracking Down, Identifying, and Preserving Rare Apples.
Outdoor exercise for senior is back. Join Derry Tanner, retired nurse and certified personal trainer, for Stay Active and Independent for Life (SAIL), a 45-minute fitness class for adults 65+. Strength, balance, and flexibility exercises will make you stronger, feel better and improve your balance minimizing the risk of falls. The eight-week series runs from Friday, May 7 through June 25 from 12–12:45 p.m. in the Pierce House tent. To register, call Amy at the Council on Aging at 781-259-8811 or email gagnea@lincolntown.org.
Monica White, author of Freedom Farmers: Agricultural Resistance and the Black Freedom Movement, will speak on Wednesday, May 12 at 7 p.m. Her talk is part of “On Belonging in Outdoors Spaces,” a free virtual speaker series featuring prominent speakers whose are advancing efforts to strengthen belonging and connection between communities of color and the benefits of time in nature. Register here.
Bird-a-thon, Mass Audubon’s biggest annual fundraiser, takes place Friday and Saturday, May 14-15 (6 p.m. to 6 p.m.) during peak spring migration period when participants of all ages and abilities will compete to identify the most bird species and complete nature activities in 24 hours.
Thirteen teams representing different wildlife sanctuaries will compete in the field, seeking birds and participating in nature activities (with masking and social distancing protocols). Also, in honor of the organization’s 125th anniversary, participants can choose to take on the challenge of completing a 125-item nature scavenger hunt.
Everyone is welcome to join a team virtually or in person, even if they’re a nature newcomer. To participate, donate, and learn more about Bird-a-thon, please visit www.massaudubon.org/birdathon.
Entomologist Doug Tallamy will present a MetroWest Climate Solutions (MCS) webinar on restoring biodiversity one yard at a time on Wednesday, May 19 at 7 p.m. Register here.
Native plants are a powerful tool to in the fight against climate change. For example, native grasses have deep roots that make them drought resistant, reduce soil erosion and flooding, filter pollutants from ground water and increase rainwater infiltration. These plants remove tons of carbon from the atmosphere and pump it into the soil.
Tallamy is a professor in the Department of Entomology and Wildlife Ecology at the University of Delaware. He is the author of several books, including Bringing Nature Home: How Native Plants Sustain Wildlife in Our Gardens.
MetroWest Climate Solutions is a partnership among churches and individuals including the First Parish in Lincoln.