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.
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 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.
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.
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.
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 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).
Learn more about Operation Desert Storm from U.S. Army veteran Robert Lewis on Friday, May 12 at 3 p.m. in Bemis Hall. He’ll examine how deception played a key role and show actual leaflets used during one of the shortest and least costly of America’s military victories. Sponsored by the Lincoln Council on Aging & Human Services.
The Lincoln Public Library will host a “Tea in Time” event on Friday, May 19 at 1 p.m. with Rita Parisi in the role of Mrs. Michael Gordon, a woman from 1908 who will regale you with humorous, eye-opening stories about shopping in Boston and the latest trends in fashion, entertainment, opinions, transportation, and more. Hats, gloves, Victorian garb, and audience participation encouraged. Tea and light refreshments. Call 781-259-8811 to sign up for this free event. Sponsored by the Friends of Lincoln Library and the Friends of Lincoln Council on Aging & Human Services.
Look into the fascinating lives, vision, and grand accomplishments of Julian deCordova and Elizabeth “Lizzie” Dana deCordova, whose dream of a “castle on a hill” became their home and later a museum and sculpture park. On Sunday, May 21 from 10–11:30 a.m., we’ll tour the building outside and inside to discover unusual architectural features, changes over the years, hear some fun and interesting stories, and discuss some of the sculptures that are important to deCordova’s history. The cost is $12 for members and $20 for nonmembers (free for children). Click here to learn more and register.
Hanscom Air Force Base is looking to fill more than 400 civilian positions in a variety of career fields during an Air Force civilian service hiring event on Tuesday, May 23 from 9 a.m. – 2 p.m. at the Boston Marriott Burlington (1 Burlington Mall Rd., Burlington). The event is open to anyone interested in working for the federal government, including college students and recent graduates, active-duty military personnel transitioning out of service, military spouses, and veterans. Officials will be on hand to discuss positions ranging from entry level to executive in engineering, program management, computer sciences, contracting, logistics, financial management, intelligence, security, human resources, skilled trades, childcare, and many others. Register here to send in your resume and receive updates on the event. For more information, contact Patty Welsh (patricia.welsh@us.af.mil, 781-225-1687) or Mark Wyatt (Mark.Wyatt.1@us.af.mil, 781-225-1685).
Bewildered by clean, carbon-free electricity supply options and marketing buzz? Hesitant about opting up to “100% green” in Lincoln’s electricity program because you aren’t certain how it reduces carbon emissions? Join us on Zoom with Paul Gromer, CEO of Peregrine Energy Group and former Commissioner of the Mass. Department of Energy Resources, as he addressed questions about electricity consumer choice legislation, regulation, and administration in Massachusetts.
Visit lincolngreenenergy.org for more videos and helpful information,
On Thursday, May 31, the Lincoln GearTicks will host a STEM Open House from 7-8 p.m. at Hartwell Pod A where you can see some of the robots that students built this year and learn more about joining one of the many teams.
Robotics programs are organized through FIRST and the Lincoln Recreation Department. FLL Explore introduces kids in grades 1-3 to STEM through Lego building and programming activities and runs for six weeks starting in January. In FLL Challenge, students in grades 4-8 build and program Lego robots for specific tasks on a playing field for lasting 12 weeks starting in early September. FTC caters to those in grades 7-12 with a commitment of 9+ hours/week designing robots using 3D-printed and laser-cut materials and programming in Java. Questions? Email hello@gearticks.com.