The American Chestnut Foundation’s lead volunteer in Lincoln, Mark Meehl, will discuss the history of this tree and efforts to preserve its genetic diversity in town at a Conservation Department event on Thursday, Jan. 6 at 8 a.m. In this slide talk, he’ll share photos and videos of TACF’s current efforts and goals at the Flint Fields and Umbrello land. After the presentation you’ll hear updates from our Conservation Department and Lincoln Land Conservation Trust. Click here for the Zoom link (meeting ID: 913 6669 9916; passcode: 065122). Email conservation@lincolntown.org with any questions.
The First Parish Lincoln (FPL) Racial Justice Journey continues on Thursday, Jan. 6 from 7–9 p.m. with a Zoom screening of the PBS documentary “The Long Shadow,” which offers a summary of racism in America from its beginnings to recent times. Emmy Award- winning director Frances Causey traces her family’s legacy of plantation-owning in the South and continues into the 20th century. Click here to join the screening via Zoom (meeting ID: 987 9477 5010, passcode: 541766).
Some of our most beloved painters, sculptors and authors were inspired by the gardens they created. Visit the private havens of Edith Wharton, Julian Alden Weir, Childe Hassam, Daniel Chester French, Emily Dickinson, Augustus Saint-Gaudens, Celia Thaxter, and others. Jana Milbocker, principal of Enchanted Gardens, combines horticulture, design, and travel tips to educate, inspire and delight both new and seasoned gardeners. To receive Zoom link, please register at Lincoln Public Library events calendar.
There’s so much to do to settle our farm animals in for the cold winter nights. You’ll feed chickens and then bring hay to the sheep, goats, and cows. Lend a hand to the farmers and join the fun! Pre-registration required ($14 for members, $17 for non-members. Click here to register.
This richly illustrated online lecture by Jana Milbocker will provides inspiration and tips on designing your garden for winter interest, choosing the best trees, shrubs, and perennials, and grouping them to create arresting vignettes. Free. Click here to register. Sponsored by the Friends of the Lincoln Public Library.
In 1781, Elizabeth Freeman, known as “Mum Bett,” successfully sued for her freedom from the bonds of slavery in a pivotal case argued before the Massachusetts courts. That same year, Quock Walker also sued for his freedom and won. The winning argument in both cases was that slavery was unconstitutional under the Massachusetts Constitution. Lincoln resident Ron Chester, a professor at the New England School of Law, will discuss these cases and their importance on Friday, March 4 at 1 p.m. Email gagnea@lincolntown.org to sign up for this Zoom session.
Join us for “Uncovering Soil: An Intro to the World Beneath Our Feet,” the first class of the Healthy Soils workshop series, on Tuesday, March 8 from 7–8 p.m. This Zoom session will give an academic overview of what soil is and how it functions as a carbon sink that can help reverse climate change. Soil ecologist and Lincoln resident Rachel Neurath will share her expertise and enthusiasm for this underappreciated ecosystem. The series continues with in-person classes at Codman Farm every few weeks this spring. Click here to register and get the Zoom link. Healthy Soils is a collaboration among the Lincoln Land Conservation Trust, Codman Community Farms, and Mothers Out Front.
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.
March with the Lincoln Minute Men along Battle Road at 2:45 p.m. or meet at the capture site at 3 p.m. where Paul Revere’s ride ended in Lincoln. See Revere, Samuel Prescott, William Dawes, Mary Hartwell, Catharine Louisa Smith, and Major Mitchell tell the true story, despite poetic efforts by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow to tell a different tale. Music and musket fire. For all ages.
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.
- Evacuation scenario at the home of William and Catharine Louisa Smith, 9:30 a.m. – noon.
- Battle reenactment at Parker’s Revenge, MMNHP, noon–1 p.m.
- Battle of Tower Park, 1200 Massachusetts Ave., Lexington, 4 p.m.
Families prepare to evacuate their homes on April 19, 1775. Later, hundreds of British and Provincial soldiers recreate the running battle along the deadly stretch of road through Lincoln, from Elm Brook Hill to the Lexington border. Then both sides regroup to battle again at Tower Park in Lexington.
A Lincoln resident during the Revolutionary War reminisces about the fateful early hours of April 19, 1775. Capt. William Smith arrives on horseback to alarm the citizens of Lincoln. Bells ring, drums roll, and families say anxious goodbyes, as the Lincoln Minute Men assemble for musket drill and firing, and receive their orders to march.
The Lincoln Minute Men salute the Patriots buried in the Old Meeting House Burying Ground as they emerge from the mists for roll call. Fifers play a lament and the muskets fire a volley. Then join the Minute Men on their walk to Concord along Sandy Pond Road (three miles) amid colonial music and musket fire for the parade in Concord starting at 9 a.m. All ages welcome.
“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.
The Lincoln Minute Men host fife and drum groups from far and wide in a musical performance for your enjoyment. Bring your picnic basket and lawn chairs for rousing entertainment. In case of rain, see the Parks and Rec website.
March with the Lincoln Minute Men and British Regulars from Pierce House to the Old Burying Ground on Lexington Road to honor the Patriot dead and the five British soldiers killed in Lincoln along the Battle Road. Mary Hartwell and Catharine Louisa Smith tell their stories of burying British soldiers, an enslaved soldier tells how he gained his freedom, and a British mother laments the loss of her son. Ceremonies include music and musket salutes.
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.
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.