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.
The First Parish in Lincoln will host a movie night on Wednesday, March 22 at 5 p.m. in the stone church with pizza and popcorn to watch “Luca.” There will be refreshments and cheese boards for adults plus gluten-free options. Please click here to RSVP so we have an accurate count for all our nibbles. All are welcome and encouraged to attend (we’ll have gluten free options as well). If you would like to make a suggested donation of $10 per family to help cover food costs, click the link at the bottom of the RSVP form, select Youth Programs, and enter “Movie Night 3/22” in the notes field. Donations of flashlights and batteries for Syria are also welcome.
The “On Belonging in Outdoor Spaces” series returns with three upcoming events:
- Lincoln School teacher and social justice activist Claudia Fox Tree — Wednesday, Feb. 22 at 7 p.m.
- Leah Penniman, co-founder of Soul Fire Farm and author of Black Earth Wisdom — Wednesday, March 8 at 7 p.m.
- José G. González, founder of Latino Outdoors and co-founder of the Outdoorist Oath — Wednesday, March 29 at 7 p.m.
The free speaker series, which launched in 2021, seeks to feature individuals whose work is advancing efforts to strengthen belonging and connection between communities of color and the outdoors. Click here for more information and to register. This year’s series is sponsored by the Ogden Codman Trust, Freedom’s Way, and the Lincoln Cultural Council. The host organizations are Farrington Nature Linc, Lincoln Land Conservation Trust, Mass Audubon, Walden Woods Project, deCordova Sculpture Park and Museum, and the Food Project.
Inspired by the true story of newsboys in turn-of-the-century New York City, Disney’s “Newsies Jr.” is the tale of Jack Kelly, a charismatic newsboy and leader of a band of teenage “newsies,” the young people who sold afternoon editions of newspapers directly to readers on city streets. It’s loosely based on the real-life Newsboy Strike of 1899, when newsboy Kid Blink led a band of orphan and runaway newsies on a two-week-long action against Joseph Pulitzer, William Randolph Hearst, and other powerful New York newspaper publishers who had raised distribution prices at the newsies’ expense. More than one-third of all Lincoln School middle school students are involved in either the cast or crew. Tickets will be sold at the door ($10 for adults, $5 for students/seniors/LPS employees; cash or check only). All proceeds go towards the show budget.
There will be a blood drive in memory of Zach Wall at the Lovelane Special Needs Horseback Riding Program (40 Baker Bridge Rd.) aboard the Dana Farber Cancer Institute/Brigham and Women’s Hospital Bloodmobile on Wednesday, April 5 from 9 a.m.– 3 p.m. Click here to make an appointment (must be at least 17). As a special thank-you, all successful donors will receive a Target gift card from the Kraft Family Blood Donor Center. Contact Eliza at eliza@lovelane.org with questions.
When we think about Abraham Lincoln’s origins, we don’t usually think of Massachusetts, but he had a compelling connection to the state. Lincoln addressed a Whig convention in Worcester where he so impressed party leaders that he was invited to dinner the next evening at Gov. Levi Lincoln’s home. Justice Dennis J. Curran (ret.), a Massachusetts trial judge for 15 years, will explore how one seminal event spurred Lincoln’s emotional and political growth, and how Lincoln’s family heritage provided a backdrop for what was to come. Click here to register.
Don’t miss the First Parish in Lincoln’s famous May Market Trash and Treasures sale on Saturday, April 8 at the First Parish Stone Church from 9 a.m.–noon. This is the first time it’s been held since 2018, so we now have five years’ worth of treasures including fine and casual furniture, fabulous jewelry, antiques/collectibles, gardening items, artwork, toys, and housewares of all sorts. We’re holding May Market in April this year because May weekends are just too lovely to be spent at an indoor sale. All items are priced to sell, and you will find treasures from every decade.
First Parish held the first May Market Trash and Treasures sale in 1981. It takes more than 70 people to collect, sort, clean, mark, stage, sell, and clean up. At the end of day, another huge effort begins to donate every single remaining item to local charitable organizations. In 2018, we donated $8,000 worth of furniture and housewares to Household Goods Recycling in Acton and sent four full pickup trucks to Sudbury to go to Nigeria by container ship. Another three truckloads went to the swap table and two full SUVs to Savers (a thrift store in Natick). This end-of-day effort is all part of First Parish’s commitment to helping others as well as keeping as much out of our landfills as possible.
All proceeds from May Market (one of the church’s very few fundraisers) are used for special projects at First Parish.
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 Water Commission, in collaboration with the Conservation Commission, Agricultural Commission and the Land Conservation Trust, is sponsoring the Lincoln’s Hydrology Speaker Series with the first speaker presentation on Wednesday, April 12 from 7–8:30 p.m., when Dr. Max Rome, Stormwater Program Manager with the Charles River Watershed Association will present via Zoom. Come learn about what happens in Lincoln’s watershed (flooding, nutrient pollution, drought and groundwater), drinking supply sources (including private wells), and how all the sources and uses of water in Lincoln interrelate and impact both the water supply and the ecosystems supported by water systems. Click here for the Zoom link.
Future speakers in the series will include Martin Briggs of the U.S. Geological Survey in September) and Dr. Chi Ho Sham, immediate past president of the American Water Works Association, in December.
How might we encounter Jesus, and/or the divine more broadly, through faiths beyond Christianity? In this multi-week series, three religious scholars from Boston College will lead us in an exploration of how Judaism, Buddhism, and Islam might help us engage spiritual resources, in a responsible way, beyond the traditional boundaries of Christianity. All sessions are free and meet in Flint Hall at St. Anne’s Episcopal Church from 6:30–8 p.m. The schedule is as follows:
- Thursday, April 13 — “Encountering the Divine through Buddhism” with Yonder Gillihan, Associate Professor of Theology
- Thursday, April 27 — “Encountering the Divine through Judaism” with Daniel Joslyn-Siemiatkoski, director of the BC Center for Christian-Jewish Learning
- Thursday, May 4 — “Encountering the Divine through Islam” with Natana DeLong-Bas, Associate Professor of the Practice
Meet some real owls on Monday, April 17 at 1 p.m. when Farrington Nature Linc hosts naturalist Marcia Wilson from Eyes on Owls. She’ll introduce the audience to owls found in New England and other parts of the world and imitate the owls’ calls herself before bringing out six rehabilitated owls on at a time (each owl has a permanent disability which prevents them from surviving on their own in the wild). There’ll be plenty of time for close-up views, photos, and questions. Click here to register. you can also share a coupon code “SPRING” that will provide a 15% discount.
Are you thinking about what to do over school vacation with the grandkids? Bring them to this intergenerational book intro, meet Lincoln resident Ruth Mendelson (author of The Water Tree Way), and enjoy ice cream sundae cups on Friday, April 21 at Bemis Hall. There will also be a short video of Jane Goodall, who volunteered to write the preface for the book. RSVP to reserve a free signed copy of the book by calling 781-259-8811 (limited to the first 20 callers; limit one book per household). Sponsored by the Council on Aging & Human Services and the Friends of the Lincoln Library.
The Sudbury-Wayland-Lincoln Domestic Violence Roundtable invites the public to a free wine and beer tasting to support its annual Shower for Shelters on Friday, April 21 at 7 p.m. at Spirits of Maynard (4 Digital Way, Suite 3, Maynard). There will be light refreshments provided by the Roundtable and a short presentation by a survivor. Please bring a new, unwrapped housewarming gift to the event. These donations will be collected and given to the clients of Reach Beyond Domestic Violence, The Second Step, and Voices Against Violence.
Requested items include bedding (twin-size sheets, pillowcases, blankets, comforters, and pillows), crib sheets, bath towels and face cloths, unscented cleaning products and laundry detergent, laundry baskets, kitchen utensils, flatware, dishes, drinking glasses, and small kitchen appliances. Supermarket and departments store gift cards are also welcome.
The Lincoln Public Library invites children in grades 4-6 to a natural treasure hunt with author and educator Clare Walker Leslie on Thursday, April 27 at 4 p.m. Learn how to observe and preserve your thoughts about the natural world by creating a beautiful journal that integrates science, art, math, and writing. Clare’s nature journaling method inspires students to draw conclusions and make observations that instill a respect for the natural world around us and promote conservation into the future. This program will include classroom instruction and a low intensity outdoor walk, weather permitting. Leslie’s books will be available to purchase at the event. Space is limited; please email sfeather@minlib.net to register. The program is funded thanks to a partnership between the Lincoln Land Conservation Trust and the Friends of the Lincoln Library.
How might we encounter Jesus, and/or the divine more broadly, through faiths beyond Christianity? In this multi-week series, three religious scholars from Boston College will lead us in an exploration of how Judaism, Buddhism, and Islam might help us engage spiritual resources, in a responsible way, beyond the traditional boundaries of Christianity. All sessions are free and meet in Flint Hall at St. Anne’s Episcopal Church from 6:30–8 p.m. The schedule is as follows:
- Thursday, April 13 — “Encountering the Divine through Buddhism” with Yonder Gillihan, Associate Professor of Theology
- Thursday, April 27 — “Encountering the Divine through Judaism” with Daniel Joslyn-Siemiatkoski, director of the BC Center for Christian-Jewish Learning
- Thursday, May 4 — “Encountering the Divine through Islam” with Natana DeLong-Bas, Associate Professor of the Practice
How might we encounter Jesus, and/or the divine more broadly, through faiths beyond Christianity? In this multi-week series, three religious scholars from Boston College will lead us in an exploration of how Judaism, Buddhism, and Islam might help us engage spiritual resources, in a responsible way, beyond the traditional boundaries of Christianity. All sessions are free and meet in Flint Hall at St. Anne’s Episcopal Church from 6:30–8 p.m. The schedule is as follows:
- Thursday, April 13 — “Encountering the Divine through Buddhism” with Yonder Gillihan, Associate Professor of Theology
- Thursday, April 27 — “Encountering the Divine through Judaism” with Daniel Joslyn-Siemiatkoski, director of the BC Center for Christian-Jewish Learning
- Thursday, May 4 — “Encountering the Divine through Islam” with Natana DeLong-Bas, Associate Professor of the Practice
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 First Parish in Lincoln offers an adventuresome and enlightening supper and discussion of Sidetrack, an innovative 1971 experiment in educational integration for Lincoln and Roxbury seventh- and eighth-graders with participants Peter Thomson (Lincoln) and Tracy Steele (Roxbury) on Wednesday, May 10 from 6-8 p.m. in the stone church. Questions they will consider: What was their experience as Roxbury and Lincoln middle schoolers in the program? How did it affect their lives and help shape the adults they have become? What can we learn today from this experiment in educational integration? To learn more about Sidetrack, see “The radical, forgotten experiment in educational integration that changed my life” (Boston Sunday Globe, January 22, 2023 — click here for a PDF if you aren’t a Globe subscriber). Childcare provided. Requested donation for the meal prepared by FPL cooks is $10 for adults $5 per child ($25 per family maximum).
All are invited to celebrate Asian and Pacific Islander cultures on Friday, May 19 from 4:30–6:30 p.m. in the Lincoln School Learning Commons. Enjoy food, performances, art, karaoke, and fashion. Food ($14) must be ordered in advance; click here to order and pay using Venmo. Sponsored by the Lincoln PTO, the METCO Coordinating Committee, and the Lincoln METCO Parent Board.
Dust off your wigs, platform shoes, and polyester because Club Codman is coming on Saturday, May 20 at 8 p.m. Club Codman? The annual tradition and fundraiser for Codman Community Farms is like Halloween for grown-ups (minus the kids), plus great music and great drinks. Peacock about, maybe embarrass yourself a little bit, put on that thing you swore you’d never be seen in public wearing, and dance like you own the dance floor. See photos from 2019 and buy tickets here.