MetroWest Climate Solutions, of which First Parish in Lincoln is a founding member, is offering a webinar on “Backup Power: Battery Storage for Homes & Businesses” on Tuesday, Feb. 28 at 7 p.m. Onsite battery storage systems are seeing a spike in interest to power homes during blackouts and/or to make the most of an existing solar system. These battery systems often provide backup for 10 to 20 hours and can be charged either by solar panels onsite or electricity from your utility. In this session, Matt Honkonen of East Coast Solar will provide an overview of issues to consider when installing battery storage systems in your home and/or business, including cost. The session will also discuss the often-overlooked human rights abuses associated with cobalt/lithium mines in Africa. Two local residents will also share their experiences in evaluating vendors and installing battery storage systems in their homes. Click here to register.
Climate Action Lincoln is gathering input for a Climate Action Plan that will guide efforts to reduce carbon emissions and increase our community’s resilience to climate change impacts. Developing the plan involves community outreach and engagement, the identification of needs and goals, and the development of actionable strategies to increase resilience and sustainability. There will be two community workshops for the public on Wednesday, March 1 at 7 p.m. and Friday, March 3 at 8:30 a.m., with the same information shared and input welcomed at both.
- Register for the March 1 event
- Register for the March 3 event
- Subscribe to our listserv for email updates
- Email questions or comments to Jennifer Curtin at curtinj@lincolntown.org
Climate Action Lincoln is gathering input for a Climate Action Plan that will guide efforts to reduce carbon emissions and increase our community’s resilience to climate change impacts. Developing the plan involves community outreach and engagement, the identification of needs and goals, and the development of actionable strategies to increase resilience and sustainability. There will be two community workshops for the public on Wednesday, March 1 at 7 p.m. and Friday, March 3 at 8:30 a.m., with the same information shared and input welcomed at both.
- Register for the March 1 event
- Register for the March 3 event
- Subscribe to our listserv for email updates
- Email questions or comments to Jennifer Curtin at curtinj@lincolntown.org
Do you want to reduce the cost of your electric bill? Would you like to capture a 30% federal tax credit? Think solar! “Adding Solar,” the third presentation in the Getting to Zero series, will be given by Roy Van Cleef, manager of sales for New England Clean Energy. Roy will discuss recent technology in solar panels, how solar companies assess your solar panel needs, rebates and incentive programs, net metering and more. Click here to register and get the Zoom link.
To come:
- #4 Getting to Zero: The Historical Home presented by FoMA
- #5 Install Heat Pumps
The Getting to Zero series is presented by CFREE, a working group of Lincoln’s Green Energy Committee, helping resident’s affordably achieve energy-efficient, electrified, comfortable and healthy homes.
Are you a kid — or do you know a kid — who is learning about climate change? The Town of Lincoln is gathering input for a Climate Action Plan that will guide efforts to reduce carbon emissions and increase our community’s resilience to climate change impacts. We want to hear from you! Please join us for a Climate Action Plan discussion at the Lincoln Public Library on Wednesday, March 22 from 12:30-1:30 p.m. Questions or comments? Email Jennifer Curtin at curtinj@lincolntown.org.
“Case Studies in Retrofitting Your Older House” is the next event in the Lincoln Green Energy Committee’s “Getting to Zero” series on Thursday, March 30 from 7–9 p.m. on Zoom. Join CFREE and FoMA, and our panel of homeowners, builders, and architects, who will share their experiences with retrofitting their older houses and offer ideas on where to start and how to sequence renovation work. CFREE (Carbon Free Residential, Everything Electric) is a working group of the Lincoln Green Energy Committee dedicated to assisting homeowners work toward net-zero, all electric houses. Co-sponsored by FoMA (Friends of Modern Architecture/Lincoln). Click here to register.
The Lincoln Garden Club invites the public to a lecture on vegetable gardening in containers with Sara Rostampour, director of horticulture at Green City Growers, on Tuesday, April 4 at 7 p.m. The lecture will be in person at Bemis Hall as well as on Zoom. She will cover the basics of container growing such as location, design, and soil while considering garden goals. She will also talk about crop planning and show how to make a crop map for a successful experience. Click here for more information and to register. Click here to register.
The food we eat, where we buy it, and how that food is grown affects our health and that of the planet. Join MetroWest Climate Solutions on Tuesday, April 11 at 7 p.m. for a discussion of food, farming and climate change. To register for this webinar, visit metrowestclimatesolutions.org.
While the food sector contributes to climate change, it’s also vulnerable to climate disruption. Water shortages, extreme weather events, pest and disease variations, and rising temperatures will change the crops that can be grown as well as the viability of farming in some regions. Progressive farmers are adapting with more sustainable techniques. Learn about the changes that lie ahead for our food system and how we can improve our diets while supporting sustainable farming. Speakers will be Lincoln’s Jennifer Hashley, director of the New Entry Sustainable Farming Project at Tufts University; Erin Coughlan de Perez, associate professor at Tufts and a technical advisor to the Red Cross Red Crescent Climate Centre; and Winton Pitcoff, executive director of the Mass. Food System Collaborative.
The town of Lincoln is gathering input for a Climate Action Plan that will guide efforts to reduce carbon emissions and increase the community’s resilience to climate change impacts. The second community workshop will take place twice — on Wednesday, April 12 at 7 p.m. and Friday, April 14 at 8:30 a.m. (both via Zoom). The information shared will be the same, so you only need to attend one. Click here to register for the April 12 event, or click here to register for the April 14 event. Questions or comments? Email Jennifer Curtin at curtinj@lincolntown.org.
Learn how to manage eco-anxiety and lessen your impact on the planet with easy-to-implement sustainable living tips for busy families. All ages are welcome. Speaker Sarah Robertson-Barnes, founder of the Sustainable in the Suburbs blog, is a freelance writer, educator, and consultant. Click here to register.
The town of Lincoln is gathering input for a Climate Action Plan that will guide efforts to reduce carbon emissions and increase the community’s resilience to climate change impacts. The second community workshop will take place twice — on Wednesday, April 12 at 7 p.m. and Friday, April 14 at 8:30 a.m. (both via Zoom). The information shared will be the same, so you only need to attend one. Click here to register for the April 12 event, or click here to register for the April 14 event. Questions or comments? Email Jennifer Curtin at curtinj@lincolntown.org.
there will be two sessions on “Spring Floral Sculptures: Workshop with Derby Farms” from 11 a.m.–2:30 p.m. and 1–2:30 pm. Learn how to arrange flowers in three-dimensional, sculptural ways using early spring garden flowers. Click here to register.
Historic New England is hosting two consecutive events at the Codman Estate and Codman Community Farms on Sunday, April 23 starting at 1:30 p.m. During “Sort Apples, Make Butter – Country Life!” Family Food Fun, adults on a special outdoor/indoor tour will learn what was grown and preserved on the estate and visit with Codman lead guide Camille Arbogast, who will discuss how the Codmans’ approach to food connects to present culinary attitudes. Meanwhile, kids age 6 and up will have fun in the kitchen with Codman site manager Wendy Hubbard, shaking, making, and stamping butter while eating apples. They can take home their work along with some tasty shortbread cookies from the Codman family’s recipes. Admission is $5 for kids and $10 for adults. Advance registration required; click here to register.
At about 2:30 p.m., the “Sow Seeds. Make Broth – It’s Spring on the Farm!” tour will highlight Codman Community Farms’ innovative and sustainable farming approach, highlighting its no-till market garden and historic barnyard, livestock, egg-washing process, and commercial kitchen. Participants will take home a seasonal farm treat. Tickets are $10 for adults and $5 for children.
The Climate Action Planning team will host a community coffee hour on Tuesday, April 25 from 9:30–10:30 a.m. at the Rural Land Foundation office above the Lincoln Post Office at the mall. The focus of this discussion will be to hear from residents who are renters and condo owners about their concerns and priorities related to climate impacts and strategies for the Climate Action Plan. However, all members of the community are welcome. Please RSVP to curtinj@lincolntown.org if you plan on attending so we know to bring enough refreshments, but feel free to walk in as well.
Do you need a new air conditioner? Do you no longer want fossil fuels in the house? Come to “Heat Pumps 201,” the fifth in Lincoln Green Energy’s Getting to Zero series, on Thursday, April 27 at noon. Rob Basnett from Basnett Plumbing will discuss on myths, design issues, and operating recommendations. Register here for the Zoom meeting, which will be recorded. In “Heat Pumps 101” from February 2022, Michael gave an introduction to heat pumps and Brian Pelton from Net Zero HVAC answersed questions. Bob Zogg from the Heat Smart Alliance also gave this presentation last May.
On Tuesday, May 2 at 7 p.m. at the First Parish Church in Weston (349 Boston Post Rd., Weston) join MetroWest Climate Solutions and special guest Rev. Mariama White-Hammond for “City and Suburbs: Addressing Climate Change and Equity Together,” a discussion on the intersection of climate change and questions of equity. A lifelong resident, pastor, and activist in Boston, Rev. Mariama will explore the question of how residents of the suburbs can most effectively take action to promote greater climate equity. If you prefer to join us online, click here to register.
Rev. White-Hammond was appointed as the City of Boston’s Chief of Environment, Energy, and Open Space in April 2021. She has supported the amendment of the Building Emissions Reduction and Disclosure Ordinance (BERDO) to set carbon targets for existing large buildings and convened a city-led green jobs program. This event is supported by the First Parish in Lincoln, the First Parish in Wayland’s Lydia Maria Child Fund, and the First Parish Church in Weston.
Come try out an e-bike and learn about a less expensive, greener, and more fun alternative for your transportation needs on Wednesday, May 3 from 6–7:30 p.m. at the Brooks gym parking lot (or inside the gym in event of rain). Jason Paige, co-owner of Wheelworks, will come with an array of e-bikes of different styles and sizes for you to test-ride. The Bicycle & Pedestrian Advisory Committee will also feature a panel of e-bike users whose motivations include a greener way to get around, staying fit while aging, riding with a faster spouse, or climbing hills on the way to work that would otherwise make one sweaty. Helmets available as needed. Demo open to adults aged 18+.
Learn how to promote biodiversity in your yard by using materials you have on hand. When you remove an invasive shrub, replace it with a native shrub that will thrive. Cardboard and mulch one small patch of invasives and encourage rowdy, less loved native plant “party crashers” into your designed native plant gardens to knit together a layered team of plants that keep invasives at bay. Click here for information and registration.
The Lincoln Garden Club will hold its biennial plant sale on Saturday, May 13 from 11 a.m.–2 p.m. at Station Park (corner of Lincoln Road and Ridge Road). Share plant knowledge, see friends, enjoy snacks, and tour the club’s flagship garden. The plants to be sold come from club members’ gardens, parks they maintain, and generous donors around town. If you have plants to donate, please contact Belinda Gingrich at belinda.gingrich@gmail.com. There will also be garden paraphernalia for sale and even a few handmade bluebird nesting boxes which you could set up right away and maybe catch a second laying.
Also on offer will be native plugs ordered through commercial nurseries: Eryngium yuccifolium (rattlesnake master), Polemonium reptans (Jacob’s ladder), Packera aurea (golden ragwort, available after June 19), and Aquilegia canadensis (eastern red columbine, available on or after May 19). These are very small and will need babying in a pot or well tended garden plot.
Join Hannan Healthy Foods in celebrating Lincoln’s farming heritage with its community-wide kickoff event to the 2023 growing season on Sunday, May 21 from 1–3 p.m. (rain date: Saturday, May 27 at the same time) at Umbrello Field (270 South Great Rd.). This free event is open to all ages and will feature live music, farmland tours, food and drink (including South Asian specialties), raffles, CSA opportunities, farm photo ops, and more.