The Lincoln Squirrel – News, features and photos from Lincoln, Mass.

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Fall farm fun for church group

First Parish in Lincoln church members and friends enjoyed socially distanced picnicking, pumpkin-picking, hay ride, and ice cream truck hired by the church at Matlock Farm on September 27. FPL member families, whose children have missed seeing each other on Sunday mornings, were happy to be together again on a beautiful fall day. Several parents commented that without the Flints’ pumpkin patch, they wouldn’t have felt comfortable engaging in the fall tradition of going into a field to get a pumpkin, as the larger farms are often crowded. The farm will be open for family fun every weekend this month (see the Lincoln Squirrel News Acorns on September 21 for details).

Confronting the climate change crisis

“24 Hours of Reality” with former Lincoln residents Ariel Hoover & Bob Moore, an international event organized by the Climate Reality Project, takes place via Zoom on Sunday, Oct. 11 at 2 p.m. via Zoom. For 24 straight hours, activists from around the world will lead digital presentations and discussions highlighting what people can do to confront these challenges. To receive the Zoom link, RSVP to climatereality.leecountychapter@gmail.com and indicate you’re from the Lincoln Public Library. Participation is free and open to all.

Scarecrow Classic 5K on Oct. 18

On Sunday, Oct. 18 from 8 a.m.–noon, the Lincoln Land Conservation Trust is holding the eighth Annual Scarecrow Classic 5K as a limited in-person race. There will be many physical distancing protocols in place, and runners will sign up for a start time, with each time capped at 10 participants. There also won’t be a gathering before or after.

To offer maximum flexibility, the Scarecrow Classic 5K will also include a virtual race option. Participants who sign up will receive their race shirt in the mail and can choose to run anytime, anywhere from October 11–18. They’re are encouraged to share pictures and experiences on social media.

Register by Wednesday, Oct. 7 to get your shirt on race day. There will be no day-of registrations and space is limited, so sign up today. The race directly supports LLCT and helps fund conservation acquisition projects, land stewardship goals, and educational programming. For registration and more details about safety protocols, visit www.scarecrowclassic5k.com.

Domestic Violence Roundtable hosts “What to Do, What to Say”

The Sudbury-Wayland-Lincoln Domestic Violence Roundtable invites area residents to its meeting via Zoom on Tuesday, Oct. 13 at 3 p.m., where staff from REACH Beyond Domestic Violence leading a discussion entitled “What to Do, What to Say.” This hourlong workshop will review warning signs and patterns of abusive relationships, identify available resources, and develop the skills of friends, family, and neighbors to support loved ones in their lives. Registration is required and can be completed by visiting the organization’s website.

Please note that the meeting will be recorded. Those who wish to not be viewed in the recording are encouraged to turn off their video. We will hide those with videos turned off from the recording. Folks are also welcome to change their name for the meeting. We will review how to hide video and change one’s name at the start of the meeting. Anyone with questions may email infodvrt@gmail.com.

Fill out online survey for Connections

Connections, a program to connect high school students and seniors, kicks off during the week of October 17, and the program has launch a website (www.connections01773.org) where all participants can fill out a brief survey about their interests, schedule, and preferred method of communication (phone, Zoom, or paper letter). Click here to go to directly to the survey page. The deadline is Friday, Oct. 16.

Library event celebrates voting rights anniversary

Sheryl Faye as Susan B. Anthony

Celebrate the 100th anniversary of women’s right to vote and learn all about Susan B. Anthony’s life in an immersive multimedia show where Sheryl Faye will portray Anthony followed by a Q&A session on Saturday, Oct. 17 at 2 p.m. via Zoom. Free and open to all ages. For a Zoom invitation, email lrothenberg@minlib.net. Sponsored by the Friends of the Lincoln Library.

LLCT hosts author Richard Primack

Richard Primack

Join the Lincoln Land Conservation Trust for a talk by Richard Primack, author of Walden Warming: Climate Change Comes to Thoreau’s Woods on Thursday, Oct. 29 at 7:30 p.m. The evening will begin with a brief business meeting to elect/re-elect trustees.

Primack is a professor of biology at Boston University with a specialization in plant ecology, conservation biology, and climate change biology. He and his team have been using Thoreau’s records from the 1850s to document changing flowering and leafing out times of plants, earlier flight times of butterflies, and changes to migratory bird patterns. As his work gains momentum, he is extending his research to look at changes to the autumn season as well.

All are welcome to this free program; click here to register. If you would like to attend but need help registering, email llct@lincolnconservation.org. 

Lincoln’s Emanuel wins award from WGBH

Gabrielle Emanuel

WBGH reporter and Lincoln resident Gabrielle Emanuel has been named a 2021 Margret and Hans Rey/Curious George Fellowship awardee by WGBH. She’s among a group of five WGBH content creators who were recognized for their outstanding work with the Boston public media producer. The award noted that Emanuel has produced “thoughtful and in-depth journalism, unveiling nuanced stories on subjects such as the opioid trials in federal court and the untold history of the Reverse Freedom Riders.” Made possible through a bequest from author Margret Rey through the Curious George Foundation, this fellowship recognizes GBH creators who work in areas reflecting Rey’s broad interests, including science, public affairs, arts, health and children’s programming. Emanuel has received numerous other awards for her reporting, including national and regional Edward R. Murrow Awards, a Sigma Delta Chi Award, and a Clarion Award. 

Buy used books at the library

The Lincoln Public Library is now open by appointment, and visitors are welcome to browse carts of used books for sale in the connector lobby. Books are $2 each; please bring dollar bills as staff will no be able to make change. All revenue from book sales supports programs and special equipment at the library.

Face masks required for everyone on school campus

Face masks are now required by everyone on school property (students, staff, parents, visitors, and construction workers) at the Lincoln School and on school vehicles. Masks must be worn securely over nose and mouth at all times indoors, and outdoors any time you’re within six feet of another person. The policy follows recommendations by the CDC, the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, and the Massachusetts Department of Public Health.

Based on guidance from health authorities, neck gaiters, open-chin, triangle bandanas, and face coverings containing valves, mesh material, or holes of any kind will not be considered appropriate. Masks must have at least two layers of breathable material and must be worn by all individuals in school buildings, on school grounds, and on school transportation.

Masks may be removed during “mask breaks” and while eating and drinking. Appropriate accommodations will be made for those who are unable to wear masks due to medical conditions, disability impact, or other identified health or safety concerns. If students are in violation of this policy, the building principal will consult with the parent/guardians to determine whether an exception is appropriate, or the student may be removed from the school building and transferred to remote learning until such time as they can comply with the requirement or the requirement is lifted. This policy will remain in place until rescinded by the School Committee.

News acorns

Fall weekend fun through October at Matlock Farm

Matlock Farm of Lincoln, continually run by the Flint Family since the 17th century, will host fall weekend events with pumpkin-picking and other family-friendly activities starting on Saturday, Sept. 26 from noon–4 p.m. Visitors can enjoy socially distanced hay rides, farm-themed photo ops, crafts for sale, and more in the farm’s field on Lexington Road. Events will take place on September 26 and 27 as well as October 3-4, 10-11, 17-18, and 24-25, weather permitting. For more information call 781-259-8402.

Speakers to address global climate crisis

On Saturday, Oct. 10 at 11 a.m., the Walden Woods Project will participate in the TEDx Countdown, a global initiative to champion and accelerate solutions to the climate crisis, turning ideas into action. The goal is to build a better future by cutting greenhouse gas emissions in the race to a zero-carbon world.

TEDxTheWaldenWoodsProject starts with a live virtual session via Zoom with author and journalist Bill McKibben, co-founder of the climate campaign group 350.org, on “Using One Crisis to Solve the Next: What Does Covid Teach Us About How to Think in Emergencies, And How Might It Set Us Up to Address the Overarching Climate Predicament?” After that, there will be streamed global presentations from several other leading climate activists and experts, including former Vice President Al Gore and HRH Prince William, the Duke of Cambridge. Registering for the program gives access to all sessions, which run until 3:45 p.m. Click here for details about the speakers and schedule, and a link to register.  

Session on cutting your carbon footprint

Join physicist and businessman David Green on a Zoom webinar on Thursday, Oct. 15 at 7 p.m. as he discusses the financial benefits he experienced as he brought his home carbon footprint to zero. He’ll walk us through his analysis of the incentives and carbon reduction of different home systems from heating to windows. Geared to Lincoln residents and open to all. Free, but registration is required. Each attendee will receive an e-book copy of his book, Zero Carbon Home.

Caleb Yee

Lincoln’s Yee is a National Merit Scholarship semifinalist

Lincoln-Sudbury Regional High School has five semifinalists including Caleb W. Yee of Lincoln in the 2021 National Merit Scholarship Competition. The students will continue in competition for approximately 7,500 scholarships that will be offered in the spring of 2021. The others from L-S are Achla H. Gandhi, Josephine A. Halporn, Alexander W. Kornblum, and Riya Misra of Sudbury.

Drumlin Farm and other sanctuaries offer free admission to military

Mass Audubon is expanding to year-round an offer of free admission to its wildlife sanctuaries including Drumlin Farm for active-duty members of the military and their families. Since 2014, Mass Audubon has been a participant in the Blue Star Museums program, which offers free admission to active-duty military personnel, including National Guard and Reserve and their families each summer. The program typically begins in mid-May and runs through Labor Day in early September. Although it was officially suspended for 2020 because of the pandemic, Mass Audubon maintained the program, and will now honor it 12 months a year. Service members and/or families may simply present a valid military ID card to sanctuary staff. The offer applies to a maximum of five people per ID card.

Outdoor watering now limited to once a week

Residents on town water must now limit non-essential outdoor watering to one day a week because of this summer’s drought conditions, though agricultural watering is exempt from these restrictions.

After above-normal temperatures in July and early August and more than three months of below-normal rainfall, state Energy and Environmental Affairs Secretary Kathleen Theoharides declared a Level 2 – Significant Drought in all seven regions of the Commonwealth. Lincoln’s Water Commission subsequently voted to move to Stage 3 drought restrictions as specified in the town’s Drought Management Plan.

Lincoln water customers may water established lawns and landscaping on their assigned day using in-ground irrigation systems or hose-mounted sprinklers between 7 p.m. and 7 a.m. Those with even-numbered street addresses may water on Saturdays and odd-numbered addresses on Sundays. Hand-watering using a hose is allowed any day of the week between 6 p.m. and 9 a.m.

Exceptions for new lawns are allowed only during June and September and will be limited to watering during the first 20 days after installation. In addition, swimming pools may be filled no more than three inches per month, and car washing is prohibited.

People with home gardens must follow the residential restrictions for non-essential watering, since hand-watering should be sufficient. Those who officially qualify as farmers, however, are allowed to water as needed. This includes customers who have been approved for agricultural water rates and those whose property meets the definition of “farm” as outlined in the town’s agricultural zoning bylaws.

The Water Department will issue warnings and potentially fines to customers who violate the watering restrictions.

News acorns

L-S Environmental Club offers webinars

The L-S Environmental Club has organized a summer environmental webinar series on Thursdays, July 16 to August 13 at 7:30 p.m. Click here for a bios of speakers (including Lincoln resident Alex Chatfield, the climate justice ministry coordinator at St. Anne’s in the Fields Church) and click here to register for any or all sessions.

Lincoln awarded five-year contract to continue operating Hanscom schools

The U.S. Department of Defense has awarded the Lincoln Public Schools a contract to continue operating the schools at Hanscom Air Force Base (HAFB) for the next five years — one year with four option years. The contract provides critical financial support for the cost of the district’s central administration and student services shared with the town of Lincoln.

Lincoln Superintendent of Schools Becky McFall and Buckner Creel, administrator for business and finance, led Lincoln’s role in the extensive proposal and award process that required fixed-price budgets for the next five years. The School Committee approved the new Hanscom budget on June 23. The video of the full presentation can be viewed here.

The Lincoln Public Schools have operated the Hanscom schools for more than 50 years.

“Negotiating the Hanscom contract is a complex and arduous process, and the stakes are very high for the school district, the town, and students,” said School Committee member Susan Taylor. “It is never a forgone conclusion that the military will want to continue to contract with local schools, so the five-year commitment is a great honor and affirmation for our district.”

News acorns

Budget Q&A on Thursday, June 4

There will be an “Virtual Q&A” about the proposed FY 2021 budget on Thursday, June 4 at 7:30 p.m. in advance of the Annual Town Meeting on June 13. To keep the in-person Town Meeting as short and focused as possible, the Finance Committee hopes to address concerns and feedback in the virtual meeting, which will not include the full budget presentation (see below).

Please come with any questions or comments you have about the town budget. To join the Zoom meeting, click here (the password is “fincom”). The meeting will also be recorded and posted on the Town Meeting web page.

Background materials:

  • Video of the FinCom’s March 4 budget hearing, with a short preface outlining changes and updates due to the pandemic. It’s posted on YouTube for those who may want to use accelerated playback features to review material quickly.
  • Budget summary in the Board of Selectmen newsletter (see last page)
  • Town Meeting financial section and warrant plus cover memo concerning Covid-19
  • Town of Lincoln web page with presentations and documents for the 2020 Town Meeting
  • List of more public forum dates/times and links

Candlelight gathering on Friday evening

There will be a candlelight/cell phone light gathering on Friday, June 5 from 8–9 p.m. in Pierce Park. The event is being organized by a Lincoln high school student to show support for protestors demanding justice for George Floyd and all who are subject to racial profiling and discrimination. Participants are asked to bring their own cell phones/candles for light, as well as ear masks and practice social distancing.

Scout hopes to build picnic tables for Codman

Lucas Anthony

As part of his Eagle Scout project, Lucas Anthony, a junior at L-S and a Life Scout in Concord’s Boy Scout Troop 132, plans to build 10 picnic tables to replace and supplement those at Codman Community Farms, which are in poor condition. The picnic tables will allow Codman to better accommodate guests with seating when they hold their annual events.

He’s raising money via GoFundMe to buy the tools and materials (he’s raised $700 of the needed $1,500 so far) and will assemble them in his driveway by the fall. “Any donation you can make, big or small, helps greatly and improves Codman Farm’s ability to better serve our community,” he said. Click here to donate.

Kids’ workshop workshop offered by deCordova

The deCordova Sculpture Park and Museum is offering “Trees Mend Us” for kids in grades 6-8 with Hive instructor Tracie Dunn (and Maura Clarke) on Mondays and Wednesdays, June 1 and 3 and June 8 and 10 from 2:30-4 p.m. For more information and registration, click on the link or email Donna at dberube@thetrustees.org.

Covid-safe energy assessments available

HomeWorks Energy is now conducting home energy assessments in a way that will keep employees and homeowners safe. Once a homeowner signs up for an assessment, they are asked to take specific photos of their home and schedule a time to talk to an energy specialist about insulation and other energy saving measures. Afterward, the homeowner receives the no-cost LED light bulbs they requested, shipped free of charge.

Residents who sign up for a virtual home energy assessment by July 31 will receive 100% off the cost of insulating their homes. The insulation will be installed after the state stay-at-home orders are lifted. To sign up, go to LincolnEnergyChallenge.org.

HomeWorks Energy has partnered with the Lincoln Green Energy Committee since 2016 on the MassSave energy efficiency program, which helps homeowners reduce their use of fossil fuels and save money. Since 2016, more than 300 Lincoln homes have had assessments. On average, a home energy assessment saves residents about 28% on utility bills. 

Town Meeting decision expected next week

Town officials will make a decision next week about whether to go ahead with a streamlined Annual Town Meeting on May 30 as currently planned.

At their April 20 meeting, the Board of Selectmen indicated they were waiting on word from Gov. Charlie Baker about whether Massachusetts schools would reopen May 4 when his closure order was originally set to expire. But the following day (April 21), he decreed that schools will stay shut for the rest of the academic year due to Covid-19 epidemic.

If an abbreviated Town Meeting is to take place on May 30, officials must commit by May 11 to meet public notice and printing requirements. The board’s next weekly meeting is April 27.

Along with other financial items that can’t be delayed, the Town Meeting will include a vote on whether to spend additional money for items that had to be cut by the School Building Committee (SBC) in February. Before the Covid-19 pandemic upended plans, the SBC identified three lists of items grouped by priority totaling $2.08 million that they hoped to see restored.

One possibility that’s been discussed is postponing a proposed $1.5 million public radio system and use the money for the school instead. Potential budget sources include free cash or the town’s stabilization fund, which currently stands at $2.2 million (this requires a two-thirds majority vote at Town Meeting). More borrowing would require a two-thirds majority at Town Meeting plus a simple majority at the ballot box.

Because of increased expenses and shortfalls in expected revenues, the town is facing a two-year estimated deficit of $600,000–$830,000 for the 2020 and 2021 fiscal years, even after some Covid-related expenses are reimbursed through state and federal grants, Finance Committee Chair Andy Payne told the SBC on April 15.

Guaranteed maximum price approved

The SBC voted last week to approve a guaranteed maximum price (GMP) of $78,324,908. That figure covers hard construction costs plus the construction manager’s contingency as well as insurance and bonds. It also incorporates cuts of $783,162 from items that were on the lists to bring to Town Meeting.

The SBC is awaiting word on the scheduling of Town Meeting before deciding whether to amend its lists of requests. They are scheduled to meet next on May 13. However, the project will proceed regardless of the outcome of the Town Meeting votes.

There was a delay in finalizing the GMP because the town and construction manager Consigli Construction had to negotiate how they would handle any extra expenses incurred as a result of the epidemic. They agreed that Consigli can tap its $1.7 million construction contingency, and if that is exhausted, they can ask for reimbursement of additional expenses totaling no more than $425,000 from the town. Any expenses Consigli identifies as being due to Covid-19 will be submitted for approval to Daedalus (the owner’s project manager) and/or the SBC. 

In March, the SBC signed a power purchase agreement for a 1.4 MW solar photovoltaic system along with a 500 Kw battery backup and gas-fired backup generator that will make the campus net-zero in terms of energy use. SunPower Corp. will provide the solar PV system through a nonprofit solar program organized by PowerOptions, Inc.

One possible bright spot about schools closing for the rest of the year is that the project might be able to start earlier than planned. Work can’t begin until teachers and students leave after the last day of school, which normally isn’t until mid-June.

“The subcontractors are champing at the bit. If school were to be canceled [for the rest of the year], they’re ready and raring to go,” Consigli’s Christian Riordan told the SBC on April 15.

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Kids’ programs this week from Farrington NatureLinc

Farrington NatureLinc is going virtual with partners sites to offer with live streaming outdoor adventures and nature crafts for kids twice every day this week. Topics will be:

  • Tuesday, April 21 — Cairns and Rocks (11 a.m.), Flowing Water (2 p.m.)
  • Wednesday, April 22 — Earth Day (11 a.m.), Nature Journals (2 p.m.)
  • Thursday, April 23 — Nature Weaving (11 a.m.), Bird Feeders (2 p.m.)
  • Friday, April 24 — The Story of the Land ( 11 a.m.), Backyard Wildflowers (2 p.m.)

Those who like FNL’s Facebook page in advance will get notified when each event is about to go live, or the programs can be viewed on its YouTube page a day or so after each Facebook Live event.

FNL will also host Goat Yoga online on Saturday, May 9 from 11 a.m.–2 p.m.; click here to register. Get a sneak peak at the baby goats in this Chip In Farm video.

Walden Woods Project offers virtual events

The Walden Woods Project has three more “Thursdays with Thoreau” scheduled. Each event takes place from 10–11 a.m. and from 4–5 p.m. Registration for each session opens the Thursday before at 5 p.m. Click here to register for the April 23 session.

  • April 23: Society — What do these times suggest about us as a society and how can Thoreau’s words help us reflect on where we currently stand as a society?
  • April 30: Spring — “Shall a man not have his spring as well as the plants?” (Journal, June 1850). How have you been able to experience and observe the transformations of spring this year? Has social distancing allowed you more or less opportunity to notice these seasonal changes? What metaphorical lessons, many noted by Thoreau, does spring have to offer us?
  • May 7: Living Without Regrets — May 6 marks the anniversary of Thoreau’s passing. On his deathbed, Thoreau stated that he had no regrets about his life. What would it take to come to the end of one’s life and have no regrets? In what ways did Thoreau’s life and outlook put him in that position? Are you inspired in this way by Thoreau’s life?

Do you have a question about Thoreau, his work, life, family, or friends? Ask Thoreau scholar and author Jeffrey S. Cramer, WWP Curator of Collections, on Thursday, April 27 from 1–2 p.m. Participants may submit questions prior to the virtual event, or during the chat. Click here to register (participants will receive Zoom access information after registering).

In honor of its 30th anniversary and the 50th anniversary of Earth Day, please click here to donate to the Walden Woods Project and help fund its free virtual events.

L-S seniors will get plants instead of balloons

Because of the Covid-19 epidemic, the L-S Class of 2022 Steering Committee will modify its traditional fundraiser.  Instead of selling and attaching balloons to the mailboxes of graduating seniors, they’ll distribute potted red blooms donated by Cavicchio Greenhouses located close to the high school in Sudbury.

Social distancing requirements mean that gathering dozens of volunteers to inflate and tie up the balloons won’t be possible. In addition, helium is in short supply because it’s used for a type of respiratory therapy as well as for cooling the superconducting magnets used in MRI scanners.

Any balloon orders already received can be converted to these red potted blooms. Pennant orders will be honored unless we hear otherwise in the coming weeks from the manufacturer. Pickup and delivery will be coordinated with the school in keeping with health guidelines with details to come. Recipients can get creative with their displays by adding, bows, flags, signs, and items to the planters in a display that honors graduates and the contributions they’ve made as an LS students.

Orders for plants can be made until May 20 by clicking here. Anyone with questions may email celebrateourgraduates@gmail.com.

News acorns

Alert town to fallen limbs on trails

The recent storm and high winds brought down a number of trees onto trails in Lincoln. If it’s just a small branch, walkers can help by moving it off to the side, but for larger branches or trees, contact the Conservation Commission with the precise location and the shortest access point to the site. Emails Thomas Gumbart at gumbartt@lincolntown.org Peter von Mertens at petervonmertens@gmail.com or Geoff McGean at mcgean.rlf@lincolnconservation.org.

Library book group to meet; online course offered

The Lincoln Public Library’s Friday Morning Book Group will meet via Zoom on Friday, April 24 at 9:30 a.m. to discuss The 100-Year-Old Man Who Climbed Out the Window and Disappeared by Jonas Jonasson. The book centers around a reluctant centenarian much like Forrest Gump (if Gump were an explosives expert with a fondness for vodka) decides it’s not too late to start over.

The group always welcomes new members and drop-in participants. Anyone who’d like to attend the session should email lincoln@minlib.net to be invited you to the meeting. Copies of the book will be available for download in e-book or audiobook formats.

Via the online service Kanopy, the library is also offering free and unlimited access to the Infectious Diseases collection from The Great Courses until May 31. Throughout these 24 free video lectures, Dr. Barry Fox delivers clear and up-to-date information on dozens of infectious diseases—from where they originate, to how they spread, to how we can overcome their devastating effects. Kanopy has also extended the credit-free movie viewing window through May 31 and continuing to offer free films from the Kanopy Kids collection. Anyone with questions may email lincoln@minlib.net.

Garlic mustard pulling time is here

It’s garlic mustard pulling time season now through May 31. Because of the Covid-19 situation, paper leaf bags will not be distributed to residents at the transfer station or at the Town Conservation Office, and the Conservation Department won’t be able to handle pickups or dropoffs of full garlic mustard bags this season. They invite residents who are pulling weeds on their own property to make a “tarp sandwich” — spread the garlic mustard across a tarp and cover it with a second tarp or piece of plastic (use rocks around the edges to hold the pieces together). This will allow the weeds to “cook” in the sun for the season. Once the invasives have decomposed, move them to an inconspicuous place or burn them.

A second option is spreading our piles over pavement until the plants dry out or to have a designated “invasive plant only” pile (with garlic mustard or otherwise) where you can dispose of all invasives. The overall goal is to ensure the plants don’t go to seed and continue to spread after they’ve been pulled. Composting garlic mustard with garden or home waste is not recommended. Click here for a garlic mustard fact sheet. Anyone with questions may contact Land Steward Emma Coates at coatese@lincolntown.org or 78e1-259-2612.

Composting pickup now offered

Black Earth Compost has introduced curbside compost pickup in Lincoln every Wednesday morning at a cost of $3.80 per week. Go to blackearthcompost.com and click on “Residential.” Residents and others will soon be able to buy Black Earth Compost in bulk (plastic free) at Codman Community Farms.

The town-wide composting effort, which began when a dropoff site opened at the transfer station last fall, has resulted in a measurable reduction in tonnage sent to the incinerator. Questions? Contact Emily Haslett of Mothers Out Front Lincoln at emhaslett@gmail.com or 781-308-3888.

Mass Audubon names new president

David O’Neill

The Lincoln-based Mass Audubon has named David O’Neill as the 11th president of the state’s largest nature conservation organization. He succeeds Gary Clayton, who will retire in May after more than 30 years with Mass Audubon (the last five as president).

O’Neill has dedicated his professional career to conservation. For the last five years, he has served as the chief conservation officer and senior advisor to the CEO of National Audubon Society (NAS). During his tenure, he led the development of its conservation strategies; helped unify the state offices around a single vision; oversaw the organization’s policy, advocacy, and science agendas; and launched programs to help fight the impacts of climate change. He previously served as vice president at the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, executive director of the Chesapeake Bay Trust, and director of Land Use Policy and Outreach for the Urban Land Institute.

O’Neill explored his family’s small farm and learned about coastal ecology while growing up on Chesapeake Bay. “That early environmental education program turned out to shape my future,” he recalled. “To lead a storied institution that provides so many with those life-altering, nature-based experiences is an exceptional honor.”

O’Neill is particularly inspired by Mass Audubon’s commitment to thread climate change strategies through all its work; to embrace equity, diversity, and inclusion opportunities, including its reach to new audiences; and to widen its lens to improve the health and resilience of Massachusetts, New England, and beyond.

Mass Audubon was founded as the Massachusetts Audubon Society in 1896 by two Boston women determined to stop the slaughter of birds for their feathers. New Audubon chapters rose up across the country to enlist in the campaign, and in 1905 NAS was founded. The Massachusetts organization (now Mass Audubon) chose to remain independent, but shares a mission of promoting birds, other wildlife, and natural ecosystems. Lincoln’s Drumlin Farm is one of its 60 wildlife sanctuaries.

Mass Audubon gets 85 acres of land in Lincoln and Wayland

The 85 acres donated by the Carroll School to Mass Audubon is shown with a dotted outline (click to enlarge).

The Carroll School has donated 85 acres of recently acquired land to Mass Audubon that will become part of the Drumlin Farm Wildlife Sanctuary.

An anonymous donor gave the school a total of 103 acres in Wayland and Lincoln that lie south of Old Sudbury Road. (Land records show that the Lincoln portion of the donated land is owned by the Roy S. MacDowell Jr. Trust.) The school is keeping 18 acres in Wayland abutting its upper school, which opened in that location in 2017. Carroll also has a middle school campus on Baker Bridge Road in Lincoln and a lower school on Trapelo Road in Waltham just east of the Cambridge reservoir.

“We will continue to be good neighbors in the towns of Lincoln, Wayland, and Waltham. We look forward to the outdoor education opportunities that access to this property provides,” said Head of School Steve Wilkins.

This version of the map shows the Carroll School’s full 103-acre acquisition outlined in yellow. The school is keeping the darker brown portion in Wayland and has donated the rest to Mass Audubon, which also owns the parcels with red dots. The black dot indicates the Carroll Upper School property. (Map by Lincoln Squirrel using Lincoln and Wayland property maps; click to enlarge.)

The 85 Mass Audubon acres feature a meandering boardwalk passing through wetlands. The Bay Circuit Trail runs through the land, which was already protected by a permanent conservation restriction and is open to the public.

“We’re going to keep it a passive recreation area,” said Michael O’Connor, public relations manager at Mass Audubon. “Perhaps down the road we might think about some nature-related educational programs, but right now it’s just a beautiful place to take a walk.”

“This new addition to the sanctuary will extend the Drumlin Farm conservation corridor through south Lincoln and into Wayland, providing continued protected habitat for wildlife as well as a wonderful mixed forest/wetland environment for visitors to explore on the boardwalk and lesser-known trails beyond,” Drumlin Farm Sanctuary Director Renata Pomponi said. “We’re excited to extend Drumlin Farm’s stewardship to include this important parcel and the opportunities it brings for environmental education and conservation.”

“Carroll School’s Board of Trustees believes that Mass Audubon is the best steward for the 85 acres,” said Amy Dempster, the Carroll School’s director of communications and marketing. As for the other 18 acres, “there are no near-term plans to build on the property, but that potential exists in the future. Our donor saw this as a long term opportunity.”