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.
In 1991, Spooky World opened in Berlin, Mass., as the first Halloween scream park. The attraction became so popular that it expanded well beyond its original haunted hayride and shaped a generation of New England Halloween lovers. Join David Bertolino, the man who started it all, and Jeff DePaoli, host of “That Halloween Podcast,” to hear how an idea became a Halloween institution in Massachusetts on Saturday, Oct. 7 from 1-2 p.m. via Zoom (click here to register).
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.
The town will hold a flu vaccine clinic for residents and school families (age 9 and up) on Saturday, Oct. 21 from 11 a.m.–1 p.m. in the Lincoln School’s Reed Gym. Click here to register. All participants must download an Acton Pharmacy Vaccine Administration Record and bring the completed form with them.
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).
Haunted Experiences
Sunday, Oct. 29 from noon–1 p.m. (online)
Thirteenth Floor Entertainment Group produces haunted attractions all over the U.S., including the Old Joliet Haunted Prison in Chicago. Join CEO Chris Stafford and Jeff DePaoli, host of “That Halloween Podcast,” on Zoom as they talk all about the history and creation of this mega-haunt. Click here to register. Sponsored by the Lincoln Public Library.
Celebrate the festival of lights and learn henna body art with Manisha Trivedi. This fun, informal class is open to people of all artistic abilities (best for ages 12+). Thanks to the Friends of the Lincoln Library for their generous funding of this event. Space is limited; email sfeather@minlib.net to register.
The Council on Aging and Human Service’s newly formed doo-wop group led by Peter Stewart will perform a short concert in Bemis Hall from 11-11:30 a.m. (senior dining to follow). Check them out and think about joining the group, which meets every Monday from 10-11 a.m. in Bemis Hall. Email rettiga@lincolntown.org for more information.
Fight back against scammers who have reportedly stolen over $500,000 from Lincoln residents in 2023 alone “Protect Yourself from Fraud & Identity Theft”on Friday, Nov. 3 at 12:30 p.m. in Bemis Hall. Knowledge is power. This talk looks into how scammers think and how to safeguard against identity theft, and offers first hand accounts from those victimized. Presented by former Lincoln resident Alice Diamond, volunteer with AARP Fraud Watch Helpline and the AARP Mass Speakers Bureau.
Don’t put your costume away just yet! deCordova is celebrating Halloween with a wild, quirky, outrageous Gay Christmas Dance Party inside the museum for both the LGBTQ+ community and enthusiastic allies. Featuring music by DJ Dayglow, a costume contest with prizes, a cash bar, and spotlight performances by a circus and drag artists. Open to all 21+. Creative and fabulous costumes encouraged, but not required. Click here for details and registration.
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.
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.
Go into the woods with Farrington Nature Linc Educator and Program Manager Meg Ito to look for “Signs of Animals” on Saturday, Nov. 11 from 2–3:30 p.m. Expect to see some real animal bones, skins, and other signs as part of this workshop (including an introduction to local wildlife and a 45-minute walk around the site) featuring animal track cards and a small piece of snake skin home. Click here to purchase tickets ($25–$45).
The Lincoln-based GRALTA Foundation will host two showings of “The Law and the Prophets,” a documentary with commentary by an A-list of diverse and respected authorities on Holy Land history and conditions as they existed until just a few weeks ago. Boston College sociology professor Eve Spangler will lead a post-film discussion. Screenings will take place on Sunday, Nov. 12 at 1:30 p.m. and Thursday, Nov. 16 at 7:30 p.m. in Bemis Hall. Depending on audience size, it will either be in the first-floor map room or in the second-floor meeting hall. Please let us know if you plan to attend and on which day. Click here for more information.
Dr. Martin Briggs will speak about Lincoln’s watersheds, 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 as part of Lincoln’s Hydrology Speaker Series on Tuesday, Nov. 14 from 7–8:30 p.m. on Zoom. Briggs works for the U.S. Geological Survey on a wide range of hydrological issues resulting from climate and hydrogeological terrain. Sponsored by the Water Commission, the Conservation Commission, the Agricultural Commission, and the Lincoln Land Conservation Trust. Click here for the Zoom link (meeting ID: 847 6287 6266; passcode: 269586).
The Lincoln-based GRALTA Foundation will host two showings of “The Law and the Prophets,” a documentary with commentary by an A-list of diverse and respected authorities on Holy Land history and conditions as they existed until just a few weeks ago. Boston College sociology professor Eve Spangler will lead a post-film discussion. Screenings will take place on Sunday, Nov. 12 at 1:30 p.m. and Thursday, Nov. 16 at 7:30 p.m. in Bemis Hall. Depending on audience size, it will either be in the first-floor map room or in the second-floor meeting hall. Please let us know if you plan to attend and on which day. Click here for more information.
State Rep. Carmine Gentile (D-Sudbury), whose district includes part of Lincoln, will hold virtual office hours for constituents on Monday, Nov. 20 in virtual meetings via from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Any constituent who wishes to speak with him can sign up for a 20-minute time slot by emailing his legislative aide Ravi Simon at ravi.simon@mahouse.gov. Constituents signing up for a meeting must provide their full name, address, phone number, email, and their discussion topic so Rep. Gentile can prepare.
Mothers Out Front – Lincoln invites residents to a virtual meeting about HCA rezoning on Monday, Nov. 27 at noon. Select Board member Jennifer Glass will review how the process has unfolded, talk through the five options, and review the voting process to be used at the December 2 Town Meeting. This will be followed by a discussion by Mothers Out Front members regarding the climate and environmental justice considerations of the various options. Click here for the Zoom link (passcode: 593789).
Join the team at deCordova Sculpture Park and Museum on Saturday, Dec. 2 from 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. to engage with thought leaders in climate advocacy, architecture, design, and the arts. Miranda Massie, founder and executive director of the Climate Museum in New York, will be the keynote speaker. Advance registration is encouraged; donation suggested but not required (free for students).
On Thursday, Dec. 14 at 7 p.m., join an online talk with critical care neurologist Jonathan Rosand, M.D. about brain care and brain health prevention with an emphasis on lifestyle behaviors and modifications that can help delay or prevent the incidence of dementia and late-in-life depression. Click here to register for the Zoom link.