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.
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.
The next Virtual Lincoln Conservation Coffee on Thursday, Sept. 8 from 8–9 a.m. will look at “The Ins and Outs of Lincoln’s Water Supply Protection.” Darin LaFalam, Lincoln’s Water Superintendent, will talk about Lincoln’s drinking water infrastructure, challenges surrounding water quality and distribution, and what emerging contaminants Lincoln is looking out for. He’ll also discuss some regulatory issues such as DEP’s water withdrawal permit and unaccounted water loss. Finally, he’ll offer some tips and tricks for how you can help conserve water. After the presentation you’ll hear updates from our Conservation Department and Lincoln Land Conservation Trust (LLCT). Click here for the Zoom link.
Come celebrate the 50th anniversary of Lincoln Garden Club volunteers maintaining Station Park at an open house on Saturday, Sept. 17 from 10 a.m.–noon at the intersection of Lincoln Road and Ridge Road, just across Lincoln Road from the mall at Lincoln Station. Light refreshments will be served, and the farmers’ market will be open across the street with produce, crafts, and music. Information on the park’s history and how to join the Lincoln Garden Club will be also available.
All are welcome to celebrate another year of conservation with LLCT on Tuesday, Sept. 20. The business meeting will start online at 7 p.m., and LLCT members in attendance will be invited to vote in the new slate of trustees. Immediately following the short business meeting, Avalon Owens will give a keynote address. Owens, a local firefly researcher who is studying why fireflies flash, will also share her recent research into the impacts of light pollution in firefly communication (some of her data was even collected in Lincoln). Registration is required to receive the meeting link. Visit www.lincolnconservation.org to learn more.
See “Solar array at landfill could be built starting next summer” for details.
“Making a Meadow: Easy Tips for Incorporating a Native Meadow” with Lincoln Common Ground and eco-gardener Diana Rice will take place on Sunday, Sept. 25 from 2–4 p.m. Gardening to counter climate change is actually much easier in the long run than maintaining a turf grass lawn or traditional garden as it frees homeowners from from mowing and using chemicals, gas and lots of water to maintain a landscape. Supervised children and families are welcome. Click here for location and registration. Questions? Email Emily Haslett at emhaslett@gmail.com.
All are welcome to LincFam’s Grown-Ups’ Night Out on the Tack Room patio on Wednesday, Sept. 28 from 7:30–9:30 p.m. Please RSVP by emailing info@lincfam.org.
All Lincoln residents are cordially invited to the Lincoln Garden Club’s wine and cheese evening for new and prospective members on Sunday, Oct. 2 at 5 p.m. Come hear about the club’s many horticultural events and meet some members. Please RSVP to Ann Parke at annparke@verizon.net or Lucy Sprayregen at lucypage@aol.com.
Registration is now open for the 10th annual Scarecrow Classic 5K, a road and trail race through Lincoln’s beautiful conservation land that raises funds for the LLCT, on Sunday, Oct. 16 starting at 9:30 a.m. Participants are encouraged to register by October 3 to guarantee their Scarecrow Classic tech shirt and (new this year) a Scarecrow Classic mesh running cap. A virtual participation option is also available through the registration form. Visit scarecrowclassic5k.com to learn more and register.
All are welcome to an outing of the Transcendentalist Running & Cycling Club led by Rev. Nate Klug of the First Parish in Lincoln on Saturday, Oct. 22 from 8–9 a.m. Runners and cyclists of all ages and abilities are invited to join Nate for an hour of exercise, spirituality, and community. We’ll meet outside the church across from the library, stretch and say hello, and then hear a short passage of inspiration from one of the Transcendentalists. Then we’ll take off on a short run or bike ride through Lincoln. One person will lead the run, another person will lead the bike ride. After 40 minutes, we’ll meet back at the church to drink lemonade and reflect on what came up for us during our exercise.
There will be a memorial service for Robert “Bob” Lemire on Sunday, Oct. 22 at 2 p.m. at the First Parish Church in Lincoln. Lemire, who died in June at age 89, was active in local and national conservation groups and was founder of Lexia Learning.