The Lincoln Squirrel

News, features and photos from Lincoln, Mass.

conservation

Letter to the editor: help Scout preserve bats

letter

To the editor:

On behalf of the Lincoln Boy Scouts, I am writing to update the community about our declining bat population and how Troop 127 is trying to help.

In Massachusetts, there are nine different species of bats, the most common ones being the little brown bat (Myotis lucifugus) and the big brown bat (Eptesicus fuscus). As we know, these bats are extremely efficient in controlling mosquitoes, up to 600 insects per hour. A main challenge our bats are facing is white-nose syndrome, a disease originating in their wintering caves and leading to the death of a significant portion of the bat population — more than a million in the Northeast and Canada alone. Bats that are host to this disease have a white fungus (Geomyces destructans) growing on their nose or other body parts. The moisture in the caves allow this fungus to spread uncontrollably. Until scientists find a way to eradicate this illness, our troop aims to provide new, dry places for bats to live.

For my Eagle Scout project last spring, the Lincoln Boy Scout Troop and I built seven bat houses designed to house 50–60 little brown bats. The houses were hung high on trees throughout the conservation land in our town. Not only was this project ecologically beneficial — it was a satisfying task for the Scouts to participate in.

The troop would like to continue creating bat houses in the hopes of helping the struggling bat population. If you would like to contribute to this ongoing project, please donate to “Lincoln Boy Scout Troop 127″ and mail contributions to Troop Leader Christopher Bursaw Sr. at 136 Tower Rd, Lincoln, MA. Thank you for your interest.

Sincerely,

Nicholas Soukup, 2017 Eagle Scout
6 Woodcock Lane

Letters to the editor must be signed with the writer’s name and street address and sent via email to lincolnsquirrelnews@gmail.com. Letters will be edited for punctuation, spelling, style, etc., and will be published at the discretion of the editor. Letters containing personal attacks, errors of fact or other inappropriate material will not be published.

Letter to the editor: kudos to Scarecrow 5K for reusable water bottles

letter

To the editor:

As a participant in Sunday’s Scarecrow 5K run and walk, I want to commend all involved in setting up, supporting, and implementing a wonderful morning of fun. I particularly want to thank the Lincoln Land Conservation Trust, Klean Kanteen, and the Rural Land Foundation for providing reusable water bottles to every participant in the race. This was a welcome change from plastic water bottles that are generally used in road races around the country.

Americans use 50 billion single-serve plastic water bottles a year. Only 29 percent get recycled, so most end up littering our land and our waterways, and pose a risk to our wildlife and marine life. Plastic does not biodegrade and remains in our environment for 1,000 years. Plastics leave behind and leach chemicals that are known to cause cancer and threaten our health — and the health of our ecosystems.

The long-term impacts on the planet and our health are not worth the price and convenience of cheap, convenient, single-use plastic water bottles. Thank you again to the sponsors of this race for your vision and commitment to a clean, green, sustainable Lincoln.

Sincerely,

Sheila Dennis
28 Weston Rd.

Letters to the editor must be signed with the writer’s name and street address and sent via email to lincolnsquirrelnews@gmail.com. Letters will be edited for punctuation, spelling, style, etc., and will be published at the discretion of the editor. Letters containing personal attacks, errors of fact or other inappropriate material will not be published.

Roadside pasture getting ready for return of the cows

New fenceposts await installation in the pasture running along Route 117. (Photo by Alice Waugh)

The narrow pasture between Drumlin Farm and the railroad tracks along Route 117 is being cleared and fenced in preparation for the return of a quintessentially Lincoln sight: cattle grazing in roadside fields.

The area was historically known as the “night pasture” because it was where the cows were turned out to graze in the evenings, but then the fence deteriorated to the point where it couldn’t safely contain the cows. With no livestock, invasive plant species took over the field, said Drumlin Farm Wildlife Sanctuary Manager Renata Pomponi.

Drumlin Farm is replacing the fence as part of a grant from the National Resource Conservation Service (part of the U.S. Department of Agriculture) to promote rotational grazing and invasives removal. The sanctuary has also invested in the clearing and fencing work as part of its ecological management plan, Pomponi said.

“Our staff have been working on that field for two years in preparation — a combination of physical removal (hard work!) and some limited chemical spraying to get rid of the black swallow wort. Our goal is to return cows to that field as soon as we can,” she said.

“The prospect of cleaning up that edge and having cows be the first thing people see in the early mornings and evenings as they drive into Lincoln over the railroad tracks has always been so appealing to me. We’re excited about restoring it to farmland use,” Pomponi said.

News acorns

Build a scarecrow for good causes

The Lincoln PTO and the METCO Coordinating Committee, sponsored by Stonegate Gardens, are offering a second opportunity to build scarecrows in preparation for the annual Lincoln Land Conservation Trust Scarecrow Classic 5K on October 15. Visit Stonegate Gardens on Saturday, Oct. 14 from 10 a.m.–3 p.m. for a PTO fundraiser to build a scarecrow for $15. Bring a pillowcase for the head, old clothes (smaller sizes work best) and accessories. Stonegate Gardens will supply stakes, hay, twine and decorations. You can keep your scarecrow or display it in the parade on Ballfield Road. (NOTE: caregiver supervision is required; this is not a drop-off event.)

In preparation for this event, please consider donating colorful clothes (shirts and pants, smaller sizes preferred) and accessories (hats, sunglasses, old costumes) to the community-building scarecrow workshop that will take place on Wednesday, Oct. 11 at the Lincoln School. Please make your clothing donations by Tuesday, Oct. 10 at 4 p.m. Look for the Scarecrow-Building Donation Box at Stonegate Gardens. Your donation will provide kids who have registered for this event with a fun selection of clothing as they build their scarecrows.

Water bottles at Scarecrow Classic

Leading the push for reusable water containers, the Lincoln Land Conservation Trust and the Rural Land Foundation are giving out to the first 500 registrants at the Scarecrow Classic 5K an environmentally friendly Klean Kanteen water bottle with the Scarecrow Classic 5K and LLCT logos. Organizers aim to set a precedent for the use of reusable water containers by asking participants to bring their Scarecrow Classic 5K/Klean Kanteen water bottles to future races, and they will provide the hydration stations. Students in the Environmental Club at Lincoln-Sudbury Regional High School will be filling and helping distribute the bottles for the race. At Lincoln’s 2017 Annual Town Meeting, the students presented a plastic water bottle ban initiative. A vote was not taken, but residents recommended that the students continue to research and draft a proposal to be revisited at the fall State of the Town meeting.

“Courageous women” to speak at GRALTA event

The GRALTA Foundation is partnering with the Tree of Life Educational Fund to present “Courageous Women” at the Lincoln Public Library on Tuesday, Oct. 24 at 1:30 p.m. There is no charge, and light refreshments will be served. Speakers are Fayrouz Sharqawi, a Palestinian citizen of Israel, and Madonna Thunder Hawk, a member of the Oohenumpa band of the Cheyenne River Sioux tribe. Sharqawi is the advocacy coordinator at Grassroots Jerusalem, a platform for Palestinian community-based mobilization, leadership, and advocacy in occupied Jerusalem. Thunder Hawk has a long history of grassroots activism prior to her formative work for Lakota People’s Law Project as a tribal liaison. She is co-founder of Women of All Red Nations as well as the Black Hills Alliance, which prevented uranium mining in the Black Hills.

More solar open houses on Oct. 22

Lincoln Green Energy will sponsor a second day of Lincoln open houses to see fellow Lincolnites’ solar PV and hot water heaters on Sunday, Oct. 22 from 1–3 p.m. Visit the Lincoln Green Energy website to see locations of open houses. Solarize Mass. Lincoln-Wayland-Sudbury, is also hosting solar open houses at two locations in Wayland on Sunday, Oct. 15. Click here for details on location and time.

Sandwich boards go solar in GearTicks project

The Lincoln GearTicks with the solar sandwich board and coaches Jim Hutchinson, Belinda Gingrich and Jennifer Haugh (kneeling).

Lincoln loves sandwich boards. In a small town with a handful of visible outdoor junctions, the signs are a means of sharing what’s going on in an old-fashioned, low-tech way—until now.

The Lincoln GearTicks robotics team, in a project to help the 2017 Solarize Mass effort in Lincoln, Wayland, and Sudbury, has designed and constructed a high-tech sign that absorbs and measures energy from the sun and flashes a message indicating whether that spot is suitable for solar.

The GearTicks crafted an A-frame sign that sports small solar panels and uses an Arduino processor and other circuitry. The setup measures sunlight in a location for 24 hours to determine how much solar energy could be absorbed at a site. After 24 hours, the sign uses LED displays to light up either a green check mark (yea) or a red X (nay), depending on how many kWh hours could be generated that day per watt of solar panel installed there.

“Is This a Good Site for Solar?” is a traveling exhibit that will appear in various locations around Lincoln for a few weeks before it makes its way to Wayland and Sudbury for more measurements.

The towns of Lincoln, Sudbury, and Wayland, in conjunction with the Massachusetts Clean Energy Center and the Massachusetts Department of Energy, are running a Solarize Mass program called Solarize LSW to help local residents learn about solar energy (photovoltaics for electricity and solar thermal for hot water) and to set them up with a carefully vetted installer who can help them evaluate and potentially install one or both of those systems at their home or business.

Info session on October 5

Residents can learn more in person at a “Get Solarized” event on Thursday, Oct. 5 from 7–9 p.m. at Lincoln-Sudbury Regional High School. The sessions includes a quick presentation on the program from Solarize LSW and an opportunity for comments and questions about solar photovoltaics, solar hot water, the Solarize Mass discounts, and the incentives that typically result in paybacks in five to six years.

Prices for such systems have dropped significantly in recent years. For solar PV in particular, the 2012 Solarize LSW installation price was $3.75 per watt; this year, that price is down to $2.91 per watt. What this means is that consumers no longer need a “perfect site” for such a system to be a good deal financially. In other words, sites with only east- or west-facing roofs or partial shading can may now be good candidates for solar.

After figuring in applicable tax credits and likely solar renewable energy credit income, over the lifetime of the system, it is often possible to for consumers to generate electricity for themselves at a net cost of $0.05–$0.10 per kWh, compared to current Eversource rates of $0.19 per kWh.

Construction begins on new learning center at Drumlin Farm

An architect’s rendering of the planned Environmental Learning Center at Drumlin Farm.

Construction on Drumlin Farm’s new Environmental Learning Center has begun. Replacing the 50-year-old Education Building, the ELC and the accompanying outdoor educational pavilion will serve as the hub for environmental education programming, including Drumlin’s summer camp. At 3,700 square feet, the project (funded as part of Drumlin’s capital campaign) will be almost three times the size of the existing structure.

Work is underway to establish the perimeter fence and do initial tree clearing. The trees and plants being removed along Route 117 are mostly non-native, invasive species that were either dead or dying, and Drumlin Farm is ensuring that large, healthy, native trees are preserved where possible. Site work on the new parking lot and foundation will then take place, followed by construction of the building itself. An extensive replanting plan in place with native trees and shrubs for the final landscaping phase of the project next spring.

The installation of a major rooftop solar array to fully power the building will make the ELC a net-zero energy use facility and also offset power consumption of other Drumlin Farm buildings. Completion of the building is expected by June 2018.

News acorns

Horse show this weekend

Lincoln’s annual horse show takes place on Saturday, Sept. 23 starting at 8 a.m. in the riding ring in Browning Field at the intersection of Weston and Conant Roads. At this small, family-friendly event, visitors will meet lots of ponies and horses and their riders, along with others who are involved with horses in Lincoln. The show highlights Lincoln’s rural and pastoral roots, and features show classes from lead line and costume through short stirrup and hunter. Proceeds from the horse show are used to keep up the riding ring. The event is free and there is lots of parking.

Climate Justice Film Series showing on Sept. 26

The film Chasing Coral will be shown on Tuesday, Sept. 26 at 6:30 p.m. at St. Anne’s Episcopal Church in Lincoln, kicking off the church’s new season in its ongoing Climate Justice Film Series. The film by the creators of Chasing Ice explores the impact of rising ocean temperatures and acidification on the health of coral reefs around the world. It explores the science behind what’s causing these changes and the implications for the ocean environment and the people who depend on it for food.

A light vegetarian supper will be served at 6:30, followed by the film at 7:00. All are welcome at this free event.

Four workshops on exploring the woods

Farrington NatureLinc is offering a series of workshops called “Into Our Woods: An Adult Forest School Series of Workshops” starting with “What Wild Edibles are Out There?” on Saturday, Oct. 7 from 9 a.m.–noon. Others in the series:

  • October 28—”Mushrooms in Our Woods,” 1–4 p.m.
  • November 4—”Primitive Fire Making and Cordage,” 9 a.m.–noon
  • December 3—”Introduction to Animal Tracking and Bird Signs,” 1–4 p.m.

The program is open to those 16 and up; the cost is $35 per workshop or $125 for the full series. Click here for more information on each workshop and to register.

Girls’ field hockey clinics

Field hockey clinics for girls in grades K-8 will be offered by members of the Lincoln-Sudbury  varsity field hockey team starting on Tuesday, Sept. 19 from 5-6 p.m. and running through October (times will depend on the team’s game schedule). Each session is $10. Sticks are available to borrow, but girls should bring a mouth guard, shin guards, and goggles. Email Email vicky_caburian@lsrhs.net to sign up.

Blessing of the Animals at St. Anne’s

On Sunday, Oct. 1, St. Anne’s Episcopal Church will honor St. Francis, patron saint of animals, with a Blessing of the Animals at both morning services at 8 a.m. and 10 a.m. Animals on leashes or in carriers are welcome; photos and stuffed animals are welcome, too. That day’s Still Your Soul service at 5 p.m. in the Side Chapel will be a service of Holy Eucharist for Healing and Wholeness, with laying on of hands and music from the Concordia Consort.

News acorns

Selectmen’s Sept. 25 meeting at deCordova

The Board of Selectmen will hold its regular meeting on Monday, Sept. 25 in the new café at the deCordova Sculpture Park and Museum.  The meeting begins at 7 p.m., and as always, it’s open to the public and will be taped for later broadcast. Items on the agenda will include:

  • An update from the deCordova
  • Roadways & Traffic Committee (RTC) recommendation on Old Winter Street
  • South Lincoln Planning & Implementation Committee (SLPIC) recommendations
  • A status update from the newly formed Housing Options Working Group (HOW)

At future meetings this fall, selectmen expect to:

  • Receive regular updates from the Community Center Planning & Preliminary Design Committee (PPDC) and the School Building Committee (SBC)
  • Form a group to understand the implication of the recreational marijuana law and study the town’s choices for implementation
  • Plan for the November 4 State of the Town Meeting, which will include reports form the PPDC and  SBC as well as previews of Town Meeting by-law proposals and citizens’ petitions

The board will also be scheduling twice-monthly listening sessions at different locations around Lincoln. These will be opportunities for residents to meet with a selectman to ask questions and share ideas. Dates and locations TBA.

Submit nature photos for LLCT calendar

The Lincoln Land Conservation Trust is looking for high-resolution nature photos from the trails and fields of Lincoln for consideration for use in its annual Open Spaces of Lincoln Calendar and note card series. Funds raised from the sale of the calendar help fund educational and conservation efforts of LLCT and the Rural Land Foundation. Photos may be submitted through Monday, Sept. 18. Email submissions to llct@lincolnconservation.org, or mail a CD or flash drive to Lincoln Land Conservation Trust (Attn: Calendar Photos), P.O. Box 10, Lincoln MA 01773 (mailed submissions will not be returned unless by special request.)

For a complete list of directions on style, format, usage and notification procedures, see the LLCT project guidelines. Photographers of all ages and abilities are encouraged to participate!.

Tret Fure at First Parish

Tret Fure

Acclaimed folk singer-songwriter Tret Fure will perform on Sunday, Sept. 24 at the First Parish in Lincoln during the 10 a.m. worship in the Parish House (14 Bedford Road). The service is open to the public and refreshments will be provided. Fure has 15 albums to her credit and has won the South Florida Folk Festival Singer/Songwriter competition in two out of three categories, as well as the prestigious Jane Schliessman award for outstanding contributions to women’s music.

Codman Harvest Weekend coming up

Codman Community Farms’ annual Harvest Weekend kicks off on Saturday, Sept. 23 at 5 p.m. in the Codman barn with a farm feast catered by Blue Ribbon Barbecue with beer, wine and lemonade followed by a barn dance for all ages. Tickets ($40 for adults, $15 for children (12 and under) must be purchased in advance at the farm or online at www.codmanfarm.org. The CCF Harvest Fair takes place on Sunday, Sept. 24 from 1–4 p.m. with games for children and families, hay rides, a petting zoo and a rooster run. Admission is $10 for adults and $5 for children (free for CCF members). For more information, call 781-259-0456 or email info@codmanfarm.org.

Apply to show your art in the library

Applications for 2018 shows in the Lincoln Public Library’s main art gallery are now available and will be accepted until September 30. Copies of the application and art exhibitor agreement form can be found here. Copies are also available at the Reference Desk.

Adult ed classes at L-S

Lincoln-Sudbury Adult Education’s fall program is underway, with new classes including Social Media Marketing, Make an iPhone App, Learn to Draw, Container Gardening, Men’s Pick-up Basketball, Zumba and Yoga. Click here to see the brochure and registration information.

News acorns

Explore Lincoln’s pollinator meadow on Sunday

Meet the creatures that populate Lincoln’s People for People for Pollinators and learn how to observe them scientifically at a two-part event on Sunday, Sept. 10 from 1–2 p.m. at the meadow next to the Smith School parking lot off Ballfield Road. Begin by walking the meadow with Tom Gumbart, conservation director for the Lincoln Conservation Department, to observe the bees, butterflies, dragonflies, and other pollinating wildlife that visit the meadow in September.

In the second half, learn how to record your observations at iNaturalist on your mobile device for scientific study. Before the walk, download the app onto your smartphone or tablet by going to inaturalist.org and scroll down until you see the section about installation on mobile devices. The project name is “People for Pollinators.”

Wear sturdy shoes, dress for weather conditions, and protect yourself from sun, ticks, and mosquitoes. If you are allergic to bees or other insects, please be aware that while most of the pollinating insects and wildlife are gentle, we cannot guarantee stings or bites won’t occur. Free; all are welcome. The event will be cancelled if it’s raining.

The Lincoln Land Conservation Trust and the Conservation Commission are collaborating partners of the People for Pollinators project.

Youth soccer begins next weekend

The Lincoln Youth Soccer In-Town Soccer Program starts on Saturday, Sept. 16 at Smith Field, with pre-K and kindergarteners beginning at 8 a.m. and kids in grades 1–2 at 9 a.m. Practices are approximately 55 minutes. Parent volunteers are responsible for coaching the teams with the help of two instructors from the Revolution Academy soccer program, who will assist with practice plans and coaching guidance. Any parents, even those without soccer experience, who are interested in volunteering should contact coordinator Deepak Dibya at 515-203-5986 or dibyadeepak@gmail.com.

First Parish church school beginning

The First Parish in Lincoln has opened registration for its church school, which begins Sunday, Sept. 17. The school is free, but parents must complete this online registration form. School takes place each Sunday at 10 a.m. in the Parish House at 14 Bedford Road, except during school vacations. Children in grades K–3 enjoy “Spirit Play,” grades 4–5 follow the “SHINE: Living in God’s Light” curriculum, and grades 6–7 study “Neighboring Faiths.”

Our Whole Lives (OWL) for eighth-graders is a comprehensive sexuality education program taught by trained facilitators. It’s open to all eighth-graders, including those whose families do not attend First Parish. Parents of OWL students are required to attend an Orientation on Wednesday, Oct. 4 from 7–9 p.m. OWL will meet approximately twice a month on Sundays from 7–8:30 p.m. beginning October 15.

Date change for quilters’ auction closing

The closing reception for the quilters’ exhibit and auction has been changed from September 30 to Thursday, Sept. 28 from 5–8 p.m. in the Lincoln Public Library.

News acorns

Conservation Commission seeks assistant

The town of Lincoln seeks qualified candidates for an administrative assistant to work 30 hours a week under the direction of the conservation director and the Conservation Commission. Duties include processing wetlands permit applications, preparing and posting meeting agendas, taking and finalizing meeting minutes, working with office volunteers and student interns, and updating the Conservation Department webpage.

The administrative assistant is the primary point person for fielding inquiries regarding wetlands permitting and other conservation-related issues from residents, builders, realtors, consultants, etc., and therefore must have strong customer service skills. Attendance is required at Conservation Commission public meetings on Wednesday nights every three weeks. Municipal experience and an interest in and knowledge of wetlands, open space, and natural history preferred. Starting pay is $21.48–$23.48/hour, based on experience. Submit cover letter and resume to Mary Day, Assistant Town Administrator, Town Offices, 16 Lincoln Rd., Lincoln MA 01773 or jobs@lincolntown.org by September 26.

Bemis lecture on Ogden Codman Trust

Bemis Free Lectures presents “Philanthropy Shaping Lincoln: The Ogden Codman Trust,” a special conversation with Bill Tyler, trustee emeritus and founding trustee of the Ogden Codman Trust and Susan Monahan, current trustee, on Wednesday, Sept. 27 at 7 p.m. in Bemis Hall.

House concert on Sept. 22

Lincoln pianist and music therapist Trevor Berens is organizing a house concert in Lincoln on Friday, Sept. 22 at 8 p.m. The music will include solo piano music by Lincoln resident Richard Cornell (Lutine Bell), Toru Takemitsu’s crystalline Rain Tree Sketch II, and the “Thoreau” movement from Charles Ives’s iconic Concord Sonata. The second half features soprano Jessica Berens performing her husband Berens’s song cycle Pomes Penyeach (based on the poetry of James Joyce) and Lazarus by French composer Jacques Burtin, and written for the couple.

Tickets are $12 at the door, and light refreshments will be served. Proceeds will help defray concert expenses and benfit future recordings by the Sonic Liberation Players, a nine-member musical group that includes Berens and Tunick that “investigates the area between ‘academic/intellectual’ and ‘pop-influenced’ classical,” according to its website.

Email Berens at trevorberens1@gmail.com to reserve seats (seating is limited) and receive the address for the house concert.

L-S Boosters ski and sports sale

The ninth annual L-S All Sports Boosters Ski and Sports Sale will take place on Saturday, Sept. 23 from 9 a.m.–noon at the Fieldhouse at 31 Union Ave. in Sudbury. Come grab your sticks, rackets, bats, clubs, balls, helmets, pads, cleats, skates, snowboards, skis, boots, bags, bikes, and backyard games—all sizes and age ranges represented. If you’re cleaning out before then, please drop off donations on September 21 and 22 between 9 a.m. and 6 p.m. at the Fieldhouse. All proceeds go to L-S Boosters, which supports L-S athletics at all levels.