The Youth Programs Committee at the First Parish in Lincoln is hosting an interfaith candlelight vigil on Wednesday, March 20 from 6–7 p.m. at the white church for all children lost in both the Palestinian and Israeli communities. Children can bring a bird they’ve made for a specific child (see Birds of Gaza for ideas) or for children more broadly. Craft kits with various art supplies to create birds are still available outside the side door of the Stone Church. Birds can be fashioned out of any medium you choose (clay, paper, your own materials, etc.). A short prayer will be offered at the vigil that is appropriate for all ages.
The Lincoln Land Conservation Trust will host a movie night to welcome spring and continue our focus on both pollination systems and the importance of dark skies for wildlife by screening “Bat Man of Mexico,” a 50-minute PBS episode about the lesser long-nosed bat, a crucial pollinator of agave plants, on Thursday, March 21 at 7 p.m. in the LLCT office (145 Lincoln Rd, Suite 102A).
According to NASA, turf grass lawn covers more of the U.S. than any other irrigated crop. Lawns are resource-heavy, requiring mowing, irrigation, fertilizer, and pesticides to thrive in New England. Learn why you should “kill your lawn” and how to replace it with beautiful and environmentally friendly gardens. Transitioning your yard to incorporate native plants in the lawn or gardens helps to mitigate floods, heat waves, sea level rise, and the mass extinction of species.
This free session will be presented by Mark Richardson, Director of Horticulture for New England Botanic Garden at Tower Hill. and is sponsored by MetroWest Climate Solutions (a growing partnership between First Parish in Wayland, First Parish Church in Weston, First Parish in Lincoln, the Congregational Church in Weston, Energize Wayland, Sustainable Weston Action Group, and other communities and individuals). To register, visit metrowestclimatesolutions.org.
How much is your old water heater costing you? It accounts for about 18% of your home’s energy usage. Replacing an electric resistance water heater with a heat pump water heater can save you money. Join us on Tuesday, March 26 at 7 p.m. to learn from Larry Chretien, CEO of Green Energy Consumer’s Alliance, about super-efficient heat pump water heaters — how new models are much quieter and how 120V models can replace gas water heaters without expensive electric upgrades. Best of all – find out how really strong rebates reduce the cost enormously. Click here to register for the Zoom link.
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.
Author Lorenz Finison will discuss his newest book, Bicycling Inclusion and Equity: Histories of New England and Beyond. His work provides a sweep of cycling’s social history, from the 1870s to the present day, from Boston through New England and across the nation. In-person event; no registration necessary.
The Lincoln Garden Club presents “Native Lawn Alternatives” on Tuesday, April 2 at 7 p.m. in Bemis Hall and on Zoom with Alexis Doshas, nursery manager at the Native Plant Trust’s Nasami Farm. Rethinking your lawn? Replace some or all with native ground covers to create a healthier ecosystem. Alexis will cover techniques for land transformations and refer to specific ground covers for various conditions. Co-hosted by the Lincoln Land Conservation Trust and Lincoln Common Ground.
In-person social time starts at 7 p.m. and the Zoom meeting begins at 7:15 p.m. To register for the Zoom link, click here.
A memorial for the late Susan Sugar will take place on Sunday, April 6 at 2 p.m. in the First Parish Church across from the library, with a reception to follow. Sugar died on Nov. 7, 2023 at the age of 90 (click here for her obituary).
The Lincoln Builder’s Club, the Grand Lodge of Massachusetts Freemasons, and the Mass. Tree Wardens & Foresters Association are giving away small fir seedlings statewide. Visit their tent on Saturday, April 13 from 9 a.m.–3 p.m. at the Simon W. Robinson Masonic Lodge at 3 Bedford St. in Lexington while supplies last. Sponsored by the 14th Masonic District representing Ayer, Bedford, Concord, Lexington, Lincoln, and Littleton.
Residents are invited to meet Massachusetts Auditor Diana DiZoglio on Sunday, April 21 at 3 p.m. in the Lincoln Public Library’s Tarbell Room. DiZoglio, a former member of the Mass. House and Senate, is sponsoring a ballot question allowing the auditor to audit the state legislature and will explain the need for transparency on Beacon Hill. Come join us for an informative short presentation and time for questions. Hosted by the Democratic Town Committee.
Have you considered battery backup solutions for your home? On Monday, April 22 at 7 p.m., learn about Eversource’s Demand Response for Home Battery Storage program to hook your house battery up to the grid and their future plans to use EV batteries to help manage the grid during peak energy needs. Register for this Zoom event here. The event will be recorded and sent to all registrants. This program is hosted by CFREE, a working group of the Lincoln Green Energy Committee.
The Walden Woods Project is hosting “Thoreau and the Miracle of Poetry: An Earth Day, Birthday, and National Poetry Month Celebration” on Tuesday, April 23 at 6:15 p.m. Join us and three contemporary poets who will read from their work in the spirit of Thoreau. A wine and cheese reception with the poets will precede the reading. Click here to register. Sponsored by The Commons in Lincoln.
Real estate team Jeannine Taylor and Jessica Packineau invite residents to an opening event for their own office on Friday, April 26 from 4–7 p.m. at 152 Lincoln Rd. Explore the renovated space and get your burning real estate questions answered while enjoying music by Casey Murray (banjo, guitar, cello) and Molly Tucker (fiddle) and artwork by Lincoln’s Pauline Curtiss.
Do you need fresh air in winter without opening the window? Would you like air conditioning in the same unit that heats your home? Ants Hartman will share three heating and ventilation systems he has installed along with his emphasis on maintenance for longevity in “Three Unique Case Studies of Home Heating and Ventilation System Upgrades” on Monday, April 29 at 7 p.m. Click here to register for the Zoom link.
The Getting to Zero Series is hosted by CFREE, a working group of Lincoln’s Green Energy Committee.
The Lincoln-Sudbury School Committee will hold a listening session for students, families, and community members on Monday, April 29 from 7–8 p.m. on Google Meet. These sessions are not public meetings with an agenda, but rather a casual opportunity to meet with committee members (in this case, Lucy Maulsby and Mary Warzynski). Click here to join the meeting.
The 18th annual L-S Boosters Golf Classic fundraiser kicks off on Friday, May 10 at 7:45 a.m. (breakfast and registration starting at 6:45 a.m.) at the Wayland Country Club (121 Old Sudbury Rd., Wayland. Money raised from this event goes directly to benefit L-S athletic teams at all levels. Over the years, the Boosters have approved grants averaging $50,000 per year totaling over $1.5 million. Click here to register to play, be a sponsor, or come to a post-golf lunch. Raffle tickets are also available online through Wednesday, May 8 at 8 p.m. Click here to purchase raffle tickets.
Sheryl Faye portrays Eleanor Roosevelt, who was the longest serving First Lady of the U.S. She was the first presidential spouse to hold press conferences, write a syndicated column, and speak at a national convention as well as advocating for women in the workplace, civil rights, Asian Americans, and World World II refugees. Cosponsored by Friends of Lincoln COA & Friends of Lincoln Library.
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.