The Food Project invites everyone to its annual Farm Lunch on Wednesday, July 12 at the intersection of Baker Bridge Road and Route 126. Learn informally about TFP’s mission and programming, including through conversations with teenage members of Root Crew, professional farmers, and regional directors. Arrive by noon for a walking tour of the farm. A complimentary buffet lunch including vegetarian options featuring items from the farm will be provided at 12:30 p.m. as everyone gathers at picnic tables or under the pavilion. While philanthropic support of The Food Project is always welcomed, there is no expectation of a donation associated with these community building events. Due to limited capacity, RSVP is required; email jsoto@thefoodproject.org.
The Great Meadows Public Health Collaborative (GMPHC) invites parents and caregivers to “Just Talk About It: Anxiety, Leaving High School, and Adolescent Mental Health,” a virtual program about youth mental health focusing on anxiety and young adults, on Wednesday, July 12 at 6:30 p.m. (click here for the Zoom link). Join clinician Sara Eldridge for a dynamic presentation providing a framework to understand and navigate your young adult’s emotional health, the signs and symptoms of the most prevalent mental health concerns, and how to be an effective support as they transition out of high school. A student will also share her experience with anxiety.
The GMPHC was established through two state grants and includes Bedford, Carlisle, Concord, Lincoln, Sudbury, Wayland, and Weston. Its goal is to pool resources, increase staff capacity and expertise, attract additional funding, and deliver better health protections, programs, and outcomes. For more information, contact Regional Public Health Nurse Katie Rines at krines@wayland.ma.us.
State Representative Carmine Gentile (D-Sudbury), whose district includes Lincoln’s Precinct 1, will hold in-person office hours on Friday, July 21 and virtual office hours on Thursday, July 27. In-person meetings will take place at the Sudbury Senior Center (40 Fairbank Road, Sudbury) from 10-11:00 a.m. Virtual meetings will take place via Microsoft Teams video call from 11 am.–12:30 p.m. RSVP is required to attend virtually, and is strongly encouraged to attend in person. Sign up for a 20-minute time slot by emailing Rep. Gentile’s legislative aide, Ravi Simon, at ravi.simon@mahouse.gov.
State Representative Carmine Gentile (D-Sudbury), whose district includes Lincoln’s Precinct 1, will hold in-person office hours on Friday, July 21 and virtual office hours on Thursday, July 27. In-person meetings will take place at the Sudbury Senior Center (40 Fairbank Road, Sudbury) from 10-11:00 a.m. Virtual meetings will take place via Microsoft Teams video call from 11 am.–12:30 p.m. RSVP is required to attend virtually, and is strongly encouraged to attend in person. Sign up for a 20-minute time slot by emailing Rep. Gentile’s legislative aide, Ravi Simon, at ravi.simon@mahouse.gov.
Award-winning author Nate Schweber brings to life the story of two remarkable environmental warriors and former Lincoln residents Avis and Bernard DeVoto in the next Bemis Free Lecture on Thursday, Oct. 5 at 7 p.m. in Bemis Hall. The DeVotos’ decades-long battle to protect public lands and save our national park system is chronicled in Schweber’s latest book, This America of Ours: Bernard and Avis DeVoto and the Forgotten Fight to Save the Wild. Lecture immediately followed by book sales and signing with the author. Hosted by the Bemis Free Lecture Series with Friends of Minute Man National Park, Lincoln Historical Society, Lincoln Land Conservation Trust, and Walden Woods Project.
Limited seating; click here for reservations. The event will also be available via livestream and will remain available on the Bemis Free Lecture Series website.
Join a free public workshop on Monday, Sept. 18 from 7-8:15 p.m. at the Lincoln Public Library on “How & Why to Talk to Young Kids About Race” offered by Story Starters. Designed for caregivers and educators, this workshop will explain the research about how racial bias develops in children from a young age, and provide evidence-based strategies adults can use to disrupt that bias and develop children’s antiracist values. Click here to register.
Veteran environmental writer Douglas Chadwick will present ideas from his most recent book Four Fifths A Grizzly: A New Perspective on Nature that Just Might Save Us All. He will present examples of successful recoveries of species and habitats, with the thought that “we really can save a whole lot in a hurry.” Doug will be introduced by Kim Davitt from the Vital Ground Foundation, a land trust working to protect and connect wildlife habitat in the West. Click here to register. Donations to the Vital Ground Foundation gladly accepted.
This fall, it couldn’t be easier to support pollinators, provide overwinter shelter for amphibians, nurture the soil, improve water retention, and drawdown carbon. Join us on the first day of fall for “Leave the Leaves: A Zoom Introduction & Conversation on Soil & Climate Benefits” by Lincoln soil microbial ecologist Dr. Rachel Neurath to learn about the benefits of leaving the leaves on Thursday, Sept. 21 at 8 p.m. And save the date for the Lincoln Garden Club’s public meeting on November 7. Kathy Connolly will give a presentation entitled “Leave the Leaves, Save the Stems.” Organized by Lincoln Common Ground and the Lincoln Land Conservation Trust in collaboration with the Lincoln Garden Club and Codman Community Farms. Click here to register.
Celebrate the freedom to read with a conversation between young people and their caregivers at two discussion groups during Banned Books Week at the Lincoln Public Library. On Monday, Sept. 25 at 6 p.m., children’s librarian Debbie Leopold will facilitate a talk for kids age 4+ about Answers in the Pages by David Levithan. Email dleopold@minlib.net to register.
Talk with other parents about “Practicing Self-Compassion as a Parent,” part of the First Parish in Lincoln’s “Conversations on Tap” series, on Monday, Sept. 25 from 7:30–9 p.m. in the Tack Room. Led by Rev. Kit Novotny, FLP co-minister, will explore the practice of self-compassion (based on the work of Dr. Kristin Neff and others) as a strategy for parenting with empathy over perfectionism, gently shifting from shame and stress spirals toward cultivating a kind, supportive inner voice. We’ll also explore how self-compassion can be a tool we pass onto our children. Open to the wider community – all spiritual backgrounds (and none) very welcome.
Lincoln author Ray Shepard (A Long Time Coming) will host a session with middle schoolers and caregivers on Wednesday, Sept. 27 at 6 p.m. to talk about Stamped by Jason Reynolds and Ibram X. Kendi. Email sfeather@minlib.net to register.
The Lincoln Land Conservation Trust will hold its annual meeting on Tuesday, Oct. 3 at 6:30 p.m. at St. Anne’s-in-the-Fields Church. After LLCT’s business meeting, science and conservation educator Gwyn Loud will give a presentation on her observations of 50 years of changing landscapes, flora, and fauna in Lincoln. Weaving together anecdotes gathered from her own experiences and those of her network of wildlife observers, she will impress us with Lincoln’s biodiversity and remind us why conservation matters.
Reading Circle participants will read “The Wellfleet Oysterman” from Thoreau’s Cape Cod and come together for discussion with Walden Woods Project Curator of Collections and resident Thoreau Scholar Jeffrey S. Cramer. “The Wellfleet Oysterman” as well as discussion questions will be provided upon registration. “The Wellfleet Oysterman” (as well as the full Cape Cod text) is available to read on this Walden Woods web page.
The Reading Circle is an event in association with the Thoreau’s Cape Cod Readathon, a first-of-its-kind event sponsored by the Barnstable Land Trust, the Walden Woods Project, the town of Concord, and other partners in Concord and on Cape Cod. The Readathon will be held October 7 and 8 at Fuller Farm in Marstons Mills as well as live-streamed. Find out more here.
Induction stoves, long popular in Europe and Asia, are more efficient than gas or standard electric stoves. Some chefs and home cooks are making the transition to induction cooking, whether motivated by a desire for cleaner air or a lower carbon footprint. Join MetroWest Climate Solutions (of which the First Parish in Lincoln is a part) for a webinar on Thursday, Oct. 19 at 7 p.m. to learn more. Speakers are Jonathan I. Levy, chair of the Department of Environmental Health at Boston University, and Steve Sheinkopf, CEO of Yale Appliance. To register, visit metrowestclimatesolutions.org.
Join us for a reading, presentation, and Q&A with Lincoln’s Lawrence Buell about his forthcoming book Henry David Thoreau: Thinking Disobediently, the first concise account of Thoreau’s life, thought, and impact in more than half a century. Buell is the Powell M. Cabot Professor of American Literature Emeritus at Harvard University and has written and lectured worldwide on Transcendentalism, American studies, and the environmental humanities. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. for a wine and cheese reception. The book will be available for purchase at the event (address provided upon registration).
Lincoln resident Alex Chatfield of Stop Private Jet Expansion at Hanscom or Anywhere will speak at an open meeting of the Lincoln Democratic Town Committee on Saturday, Nov. 4 at 10 a.m. in Bemis Hall (coffee and sign-in start at 9:45 a.m.). HE will share the latest information on the proposal to build more private jet hangars at Hanscom Field, the implications for Climate Change, progress to date and next steps. There will be ample time for questions and answers and a short video of the October 2 State House rally.
Join us for a smashing good time at the third annual Great Pumpkin Smash at Codman Community Farms on Sunday, Nov. 5 from 10 a.m.–2 p.m. This family-friendly event is all about having fun while also making a positive impact on our planet. Bring your jack-o’-lanterns and decorative gourds to smash and feed to the Codman Farm pigs. Enjoy a Codman Farm breakfast sandwich or scoop of ice cream from Reasons to Be Cheerful and live music with Risa Lavelle and the Honeysteelers. Get tips on how to get started with composting in your home.
Prepare your pumpkins for composting by removing any stickers, candles, and other decorations, and please leave your painted pumpkins at home. Suggested donation of $1 per pumpkin. Want to make this event even greener? Arrive with your pumpkins by bike to receive prizes.
The Lincoln Garden Club presents “Leave the Leaves, Save the Stems” with landscape designer, writer, and educator Kathy Connolly on Tuesday, Nov. 7 at 7 p.m. at Bemis Hall. Why are fallen leaves and dead stems important? What are the practical concerns? How can we keep properties attractive? Organized by the Lincoln Garden Club in collaboration with Lincoln Common Ground and the Lincoln Land Conservation Trust. Also available via Zoom; click here to register.
The First Parish in Lincoln’s Racial Justice Advocates invite residents to “Food for Thought” on Wednesday, Nov. 8. They will serve a simple supper at 5:30 p.m. in the parish house followed by a presentation and discussion on “Challenges and Hopes for Racial Equity in Maternal Health Care: What’s Happening in Boston.” The speaker will be Mariane McPherson, co-chair of the Neighborhood Birth Center board and is a Senior Director at the Institute for Healthcare Improvement in Roxbury. Reservations appreciated for dinner and required for childcare. Suggested donation: $10. Click here to RSVP.
Come to a special community supper for all ages offering a chance to enjoy a simple meal together, and learn and talk with each other at “Food for Thought: Maternal Health Equity” on Wednesday, Nov. 8 hosted by Racial Justice Advocates at the First Parish in Lincoln. Supper prepared by FPL chefs at 5:30 p.m., discussion from 6:30–8 p.m. Speakers include Marianna McPherson from the Neighborhood Birth Center in Roxbury. Reservations appreciated for dinner and required for childcare; form will be posted soon here.