For over 10,000 years, the Indigenous people knew what is now Concord and Lincoln as Musketaquid (“the land between the grassy rivers.” On Saturday, Nov. 2 at 4 p.m. in the Codman Community Farms education pavilion, Joe Palumbo of Concord will explore the history of the first people and what happened when cultures collided after European fur traders and then English colonists arrived. All ages welcome; free but registration is appreciated for planning.
Instead of throwing them in the trash, have fun and help the environment by bringing your jack-o’-lanterns and decorative gourds to the regional Great Pumpkin Smash at Codman Community Farms (CCF) on Sunday, Nov. 3 from 10 a.m.–2 p.m. When pumpkins end up in landfills, they break down and produce methane, a potent greenhouse gas. Smashing pumpkins and feed to the Codman Farm pigs while enjoying live music, CCF sandwiches, and ice cream from a local vendor. Get tips on how to get started with composting in your home or with a curbside collection program. Prepare your pumpkins for composting by removing any stickers, candles, and other decorations and please leave painted pumpkins at home. Suggested donation of $1 per pumpkin to benefit the farm. Organized by CCF, the Lincoln and Concord chapters of Mothers Out Front, the Weston Community Children’s Association, and LincFam.
The Lincoln Garden Club welcomes Max Rome, the stormwater program manager for the Charles River Watershed Association, on Monday, Nov. 4 at 7 p.m. in Bemis Hall and on Zoom. In his talk, “From Backyard to Watershed: Gardening for Clean Water,” he will point out gardening methods that help preserve and protect the quantity and quality of water in our yards and our watershed. Register here for the Zoom link.
State climate legislation assumes that forest carbon sequestration (sometimes called “negative emissions”) can be counted to offset up to 15% of the emissions reduction goal. Is this a good idea? Is it even possible? How can we influence forests’ ability to sequester and store carbon? Join Dr. Jonathan Thompson, a senior ecologist and research director at the Harvard Forest, on Tuesday, Nov. 12 at 7 p.m. for “Forests for Our Future: The Role of Massachusetts Forests in Combating Climate Change” at the First Parish in Lincoln (4 Bedford Rd.) and on Zoom. Register here. Sponsored by MetroWest Climate Solutions and CFREE, a working group of the Lincoln Green Energy Committee.
Zoom in with CFREE on Wednesday, Dec. 4 at 7 p.m. to hear building engineer Ross Trethewey for “This Old House” and “Ask This Old House” talk about “Electrifying the Home: Where and When It Makes Sense to Do So.” Click here to register for the Zoom session or go to www.lincolngreenenergy.org.
There are 300 solar installations on homes and businesses in Lincoln? If you have questions about installing solar on your home we would be happy to share our expertise. Lincolngreencoach@gmail.org. CFREE (Carbon Free Residential – Everything Electric) is a 13-person subcommittee of the Lincoln Green Energy Committee. Email cfreeworking@gmail.com with questions or suggestions, or if you’d like to join us in our work.
Join the Walden Woods Project for a virtual presentation on “Each Town Should Have a Park: 100 New National Parks for America” with Michael Kellett on Wednesday, Dec. 4 from 7–8 p.m. The New National Parks campaign has proposed 100 new national parks to help relieve pressure on existing parks, help fight climate change, and avoid biodiversity loss. Kellett is executive director of RESTORE: The North Woods and has 40 years of experience in the land conservation movement, including developing the proposal for a 3.2 million-acre Maine Woods National Park, which led to President Obama’s 2016 designation of Katahdin Woods and Waters National Monument. Click here to register for the Zoom event.