The Tour de Codman will start at Codman Farm on Sunday, Sept. 10 and will take cyclists on a nearly 12-mile loop through Lincoln along roads and paths, featuring stops at three remote pastures where farm staff and volunteers will give a short talk on the farm’s sustainable, pasture-based agriculture before returning to the farm for coffee, cider and donuts. We welcome all ages but cyclists must be comfortable maintaining a 10-12 mph pace along Lincoln’s roads. The route will spend as much time as possible on bike paths and quiet roads. Any bike in good working order should suffice. Bring your own water and snacks for the route, and don’t forget your helmet (required). The ride leader will have basic tools but riders should plan to be self-sufficient. The total time for the ride, with stops, should be under two hours. Click here for more information and registration.
The Lincoln Garden Club invites anyone interested in joining the club to come to a wine and cheese party on Sunday, Sept. 10 at 4 p.m. to meet members and socialize. Committee chairs will be there to answer questions about what the club does. Please email belinda.gingrich@gmail.com to RSVP and get the location. To learn more about the club’s activities, visit www.lincolngardenclub.org.
Author Nate Schweber at the DeVoto Memorial Cedar Grove in Idaho’s Clearwater National Forest.
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.
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.
On Friday, Sept. 22 from 1–3 p.m., meet at the famous “twisted tree” in front of Lincoln Public Library for a special Quiet Walks and Poetry for Seekers collaboration. We’ll walk for a mile or two in the neighborhood, stopping four or five times beneath particular trees. Beneath the shade of each tree, we will hear a poem that in some way honors or features that tree species. In between each poem, we will walk in silence. At the end, we will gather in a circle and reflect on what we saw and heard. If the weather looks questionable, email Rev. Nate Klug (nate@fplincoln.org) for the latest updates.
The 11th annual Scarecrow Classic 5K kicks off on Sunday, Oct. 15 at 9:30 a.m. at Lincoln Station. This community road and trail run, which supports LLCT’s conservation mission, wind through scenic fields and forests, ending the morning with a cider donut. This year, LLCT is hosting magician Cedric Purcell to entertain guests before the awards ceremony. LLCT strongly encourages pre-registration by October 1 to guarantee participants get their desired shirt size. Click here for more information and registration. Same-day registration opens at 8:00 a.m. on race day.
LincFam welcomes new and expecting parents to a meetup for families with children under 2 or expecting a child (both parents and children are welcome) on Sunday, Sept. 24 at 3:30 p.m. Meet at the commuter parking lot next to Donelan’s to walk the Codman trails. No RSVP required. If you’d like to join the list for information on future events and meetups, click here.
Codman Community Farms’ annual Harvest Feast returns with a classic pig roast, bluegrass music from The New Grownups, and fun on the farm on Saturday, Sept. 30 from 5–9 p.m. There will be pulled pork family meals and apple crisp hot out of the Codman kitchen, plates and cutlery, plus a tent over the front pasture, table seating and Solo stoves to keep warm. Bring a picnic blanket, other side dishes your family might like to eat (not potluck), and drinks. Family meals include Codman pasture-raised pork, cornbread and coleslaw, plus apple crisp and vanilla ice cream. Family meals start at $60; click here to order.
Join in the fun with old-fashioned family and children’s games at Codman’s Harvest Fair on Sunday, Oct. 1 from noon–4 p.m. Activities include bingo in the sugar shack, a pie-eating contest, rooster run, lots of games, (mostly) Codman-grown food, music, and more. Children’s admission bracelets are $20, which includes ice cream. Kids under 3 are free. Click here to skip the line and order in advance.
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.
The fifth annual Brain Games cornhole tournament and family fun day on Sunday, Oct. 15 from noon–5 p.m. in Pierce Park. Live music, local beer, magician Ed Popielarczyk, raffle prizes, and the Clover food truck! There is no cost to attend the event. Food and beverages are available for purchase — everything else is simply whatever you would like to donate. Please spread the word, and invite your friends and family.
Brain Games is the Doo family’s annual fundraiser benefiting moyamoya research at Boston Children’s Hospital in honor of the care received by their daughter, who was diagnosed with the rare brain disease moyamoya in June 2019 and has had three surgeries since. Their goal this year is to raise $100,000 to continue funding her surgeon’s research, where 100% of the event’s proceeds go.
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.
Learn about commonly encountered wildlife such as deer, coyote, and raccoons, and their intersection with wild and developed spaces. Find out best practices for maintaining bird feeders and attracting visitors and learn about amazing pollinators and problematic mosquitoes and ticks. Led by Tia Pinney, lead naturalist and educator at Mass Audubon’s Drumlin Farm Wildlife Sanctuary.
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.