On Tuesday, Dec. 1 from 7–8:15 p.m., Nathaniel Popkin and Gail Straub will discuss Popkin’s newest book, To Reach The Spring: From Complicity to Consciousness in the Age of Eco-Crisis in a Zoom event sponsored by the Walden Woods Project. In the shadow of an escalating eco-crisis — a looming catastrophe that will dwarf the fallout from COVID-19 — how can we explain our society’s failure to act? Popkin explores the moral, social, and psychological dimensions of the crisis, outlining a path to a future spring. Click here for more information and registration.
Farrington Nature Linc is offering a new Fridays at Farrington program for children from January 15 to February 12 from 2:15–4:15 p.m. Activities (all outdoors and socially distanced with masks) include hiking, art with natural materials, scavenger hunts, exploring around the pond, and more. Registration is open until Friday, Dec. 18. There will be also later series starting in March, April, and May. Click here for more information and registration materials.
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.
Musician, storyteller, and educator Anna Adler will lead the First Parish in Lincoln Passover Seder again this year using an adaptation of the 10-minute Haggadah starting at 5:30 p.m. on Tuesday, March 30. Participate in the seder traditions for Passover, then “stay for dinner” — all via Zoom. See this FPL web page for the Zoom link, as well as tips on how to create a Passover Seder plate and some menu ideas and things you might like to have for your table).
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.
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.
J. Drew Lanham, Alumni Distinguished Professor of Wildlife Ecology and Master Teacher at Clemson University, on “Coloring the Conservation Conversation” on Wednesday, June 2 at 7 p.m. Dr. Lanham will highlight what it means to embrace the full breadth of his African-American heritage and his deep kinship to nature and adoration of birds. He will discuss how conservation must be a rigorous science and evocative art, inviting diversity and race to play active roles in celebrating our natural world. Register here and get more information about the presentations and speakers in the “On Belonging in Outdoors Spaces” series.
Codman Community Farm is offering a delicious summer dinner featuring Codman-grown proteins and veggies, s’mores, and songs around the bonfire with family and friends on Friday, June 18 from 5:30–7 p.m. Tickets $16 (advance purchase required). Please park at the corner lot or along Codman Road. BYOB. Headlamps and bug repellent recommended; masks optional. Rain date: June 19. This event is being held in lieu of the annual BBQ & campout, which is planned for 2022. Questions? Email lisherbert@gmail.com.
Fresh farm produce, pastries, fabrics, arts and crafts, and more. Vendor earnings can be kept or given to a local charity, as many opt to do. For more information, email Bill Huss at billhuss53@gmail.com or Tom Flint at the_flint@hotmail.com.
Fresh farm produce, pastries, fabrics, arts and crafts, and more. Vendor earnings can be kept or given to a local charity, as many opt to do. For more information, email Bill Huss at billhuss53@gmail.com or Tom Flint at the_flint@hotmail.com.