The Lincoln Agricultural Commission and the Lincoln Garden Club will host a Zoom presentation on “No-Till Gardening and Cover Crops” on Tuesday, April 5 at 7 p.m. Register here or on the Garden Club website. Using no-till and cover-crop methods on our farms and in our gardens not only helps sequester carbon but leads to healthier soils and more abundant crops and flowers. Douglas Wolcik and Kayleigh Boyle (formerly of Gaining Ground Farm in Concord) will discuss how to incorporate no-till. Learn how to set up permanent beds using only hand tools, take and interpret soil tests, amend soils for optimum soil health, manage pests and disease with best practices, and how to cover-crop in a no-till system.
Are you longing for an herb garden filled with beautiful and aromatic plants well-suited to both your teapot and the wildlife in your neighborhood? Join Jenny Hauf, owner of Muddy River Herbals, for “Herbal Garden Planning” at Farrington Nature Linc on Sunday, April 10 from 1–3 p.m. No matter what space you have, whether it’s a backyard, windowsill, or fire escape, this class will give you the tools you need to have an herb garden gorgeously suited to your space. RSVP to Zach@NatureLinc.org.
Join naturalist Marcia Wilson at Farrington Nature Linc on Monday, April 18 at 4:30 p.m. for “Eyes on Owls,” a live owl program featuring six owls. Wilson will introduce attendees to owls found in New England and other parts of the world (paying special attention to the more common owls in our area) and imitate the owls’ calls. After a hooting lesson and much audience anticipation, Marcia will bring out the live owls one at a time. RSVP to Zach@NatureLinc.org.
- Week of April 18–22 — Individuals and groups are encouraged to self-organize cleanups. Trash bags will be available for pickup in advance, as well as drop-off locations.
- Friday, April 22 — Conservation staff will lead two group cleanups from 10 a.m.–noon. At 1 p.m., we’ll gather at Lincoln Station for a celebration with local groups, including Farrington Nature Linc. Enjoy family-friendly activities, treats, information about Earth Day, climate change, and more. Each participating group/household will receive a free Earth Day Serviceberry Seedling at the celebration while supplies last. Our hope is to have community members sharing their cleanup efforts and Earth Day messages on the OuterSpatial app. Please complete this form if you’d like to participate so we can provide support, supplies, and more details as the event approaches.
“Living Soil: A Closer Look at Fungi, Bacteria, and Fauna in Soil,” the fourth class in the Healthy Soils series, will take place on Saturday, April 23 from 10:30 a.m.–noon. Participants will learn about examining the vibrant ecosystem that soil supports. Click here for more information and registration links. All participants must also complete this waiver form in advance. Healthy Soils is a collaboration among the Lincoln Land Conservation Trust, Codman Community Farms, and Mothers Out Front.
Ever wonder whether and how you personally can make a difference in the quest to reduce waste? Join us for a free Zoom workshop featuring Stephanie Miller, author of Zero Waste Living: The Busy Person’s Guide to a Lighter Footprint. The session will focus on the importance of “recycling right” and help participants identify what’s recyclable and what’s not. We’ll delve into the recycling waste streams by material: metals, glass, paper/cardboard, and plastics. Click here to register.
Extinctions of plants and animals and climate change seem like overwhelming problems but each of us can fight these crises right at home, especially by treating our home gardens as habitat to nurture the living things native to our continent. Claudia Thompson, founder of Grow Native Massachusetts, will discuss her home landscape rich with habitat — supporting wildlife, birds, and pollinators. Register here. Ready to add native plants to your yard? Attendees who live within five miles of Wayland will be offered a community service garden visit by Jean Milburn, Wayland’s Native Plant Ambassador from the MCA Native Pollinator Task Force.
Learn to eat nutritiously, reduce food waste, and stretch your shopping budget when cooking for one. Senior Living residence chefs will show us how to prepare several tasty Mediterranean-style meals from a short list of cost-effective, brain-healthy ingredients. Please RSVP by calling 781-259-8811 by May 11.
The fifth and last class in the Healthy Soils series, “Carbon Cycling and Storage Potential in Soils,” takes place on Saturday, May 14 from 10:30 a.m.–noon. and will look at the garden as a model for carbon storage as we learn about deeply rooted perennial shrubs, conservation tillage, and composting. Click here for more information and registration links. All participants must also complete this waiver form in advance. Healthy Soils is a collaboration among the Lincoln Land Conservation Trust, Codman Community Farms, and Mothers Out Front.
Tired of dragging out your window air conditioners every year? Looking for the most comfortable, cost-effective way to cool your home? Join the Green Energy Committee on Sunday, May 15 at 2 p.m. for a webinar all about air-source and ground-source heat pumps, the most climate-friendly home heating and cooling options available today. We’ll cover the ins and outs of replacing an old, inefficient system or adding a brand-new a supplemental unit or a whole-house system to your home. Dandelion Energy, a ground source heat pump installer, will answer questions, and you can hear from your neighbors about their experiences with heat pumps. Click here to register for this Zoom meeting.
There will be a Lincoln trail-use public forum held on Zoom on Wednesday, May 18 from 7–8:30 p.m. sponsored by the Lincoln Conservation Commission and the Lincoln Land Conservation Trust. The two organizations have completed a comprehensive review of the multiple uses of Lincoln’s trails and how best to manage them for the protection of open space and overall public benefit. Over the last year, they’ve sought public comments and feedback regarding ways people use and enjoy our open spaces and trails.
At the forum, the Conservation Commission will review the process we used to evaluate changes in allowed trail uses, present draft trail use regulations, and discuss proposed changes to our trail biking map and dog walking rules. Additional comments will be sought during and after this meeting. Afterwards, the commission will post the draft trail-use regulations on the Conservation Department website. Submit any comments to the Conservation Department (conservation@lincolntown.org or 781-259-2612) by Tuesday, May 25. Click here for the May 18 Zoom link.
This presentation will review what we know about driver safety for seniors, how to keep driving safely, and the warning signs that may signal it is time to retire from driving. Beth Dugan, an Associate Professor of Gerontology at UMASS Boston, is actively investigating healthy aging She serves on the Governor’s Council to Address Aging Issues in Mass., has been a guest on WGBH, and is author of The Driving Dilemma: The Complete Resources Guide for Older Drivers and Their Loved Ones.
Elder law attorney Sasha Golden will share important news regarding probate avoidance and beneficiary designations. There have been many changes in the laws recently concerning naming beneficiaries of retirement plans. Sasha is a Lincoln resident and donates her expertise for monthly legal clinics & programs.
The first Lincoln Arts and Farmers Market for the 2022 season will be Saturday, June 4 from 9 a.m.–1 p.m. on the lawn in front of the Tack Room at 145 Lincoln Rd. The market will run weekly June-October. This year there will be more vendors, more produce, and more coffee along with music, food, arts and crafts. Stay updated on planning and vendor availability each week via this Facebook page.
Join Lincoln Land Conservation Trust and Lincoln Parks & Rec for a family-friendly live snake program on June 15 at 2 p.m. in the Brooks Gym. Learn about New England’s snakes and get up close and personal with this fascinating reptiles. This is a free program, but donations are encouraged for those who are able to give. Donations support LLCT’s ability to offer free programming to the community.
Have you thought of putting solar panels on your roof? Do you want to save on electricity? Ready to capture the 26% federal tax credit for solar? Come to Lincoln Green Energy’s solar presentation on Tuesday, June 21 at noon via Zoom. Presenters will discuss topics including solar system net metering, state and federal incentives, battery storage backup, and MassSave’s ConnectedSolutions program. Great Sky Solar will also be on hand to answer questions. Click here to preregister and get the Zoom link.