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

agriculture and flora

Drumlin Farm ribbon-cutting for accessible trails Oct. 5

icepondOn Saturday, October 5 at 10 a.m., Mass Audubon staff and volunteers will celebrate the opening of two universally accessible trails at Drumlin Farm Wildlife Sanctuary at a ribbon-cutting ceremony to mark the completion of the two-year project.

The Ice Pond Trail and Farmyard Loop Trail are designed to allow persons of all abilities to experience nature and learn about sustainable agriculture. The new trails feature an accessible garden bed, tactile exhibits of animal casts, post-and-rope guide system, an interpretive audio tour, and Braille signage.

There will be refreshments and a guided tour of trails and “sensory” features. This project was made possible in part by the Institute for Museum and Library Services. 

Harvest Weekends at Drumlin Farm start tomorrow

scarecrowOn October 5-6 and 12-14, Drumlin Farm Wildlife Sanctuary will be bustling with special activities, games, and pick-your-own opportunities. Join us on a hayride and enjoy cider, apples and cider donuts from Shelburne Farms or pizza from Vesta Wood-fired Pizza, and don’t forget to stay for one of our live animal demonstrations.

The farm will be open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., with special activities from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Admission is $8 for adults, $6 for children 2-12  and seniors, and free for Mass Audubon members. Pick-your-own (see below), which involves an additional cost, will run from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. or while supplies last. For more details, see the Drumlin Farm website.

Pick your own:

October 5  and 6: Pumpkins and gourds – pick out your favorite from our display in the field!

October 12- 14: We’ll check with our farmer to see what is ready to harvest and post it on the Drumlin Farm website before the weekend!

Join in Trail Improvment Day

boardwalkThe Lincoln conservation groups are organizing a trail and land improvement day on Saturday, October 5 from 9:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.

Even if you can only stop by for an hour or two, it would be a huge help. If you can stay longer or even all day, that would be fabulous. We will gather at the Codman North field, past the entrance to the Codman house  along Codman Road before you get to Rte. 126. Light snacks will be provided.

Work will be along field edges and trails in the woods. Dress accordingly. Please bring gloves, loppers, rakes or shovels. For more information, call Angela Kearney at the Conservation Commission office 781-259-8942.

Come help out at Codman Farm Work Day

barn copyResidents are invited to Codman Farm Work Day on Saturday, September 14 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. to help beautify Codman Community Farms for the upcoming Harvest Weekend. Come for the day. Come for an hour. Lend a hand and enjoy the company of other CCF supporters. Pick a task that suits you, such as:

  • Weeding
  • Painting signs
  • Hanging signs in the barn
  • Painting the bathroom floors
  • Organizing the lower barn
  • Washing windows
  • Weeding the children’s garden (great for kids!)
  • Litter hunt (great for kids!)
  • Putting in a fence
  • Rolling silverware for the upcoming Farmside Feast

Please bring work gloves and gardening tools. Pizza and refreshments will be served at noon for volunteers.

Strawberry Day rescheduled for June 22

strawberry-smCelebrate the strawberry harvest by heading out to Drumlin Farm on June 22 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. for Strawberry Day (originally scheduled for June 15). Dig in the dirt with our farm staff, meet some berry-loving animals, and pick your own strawberries to take home. Drumlin’s strawberries, like all of its produce, are grown without the use of chemical fertilizers, pesticides, or herbicides.

All activities except strawberry picking are free with admission ($7 for adults, $5 for seniors and children 2-12, free for Mass Audubon members). Pick-your-own strawberries will be available for purchase from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., while supplies last. Special programs throughout the day:

10 a.m. – A Taste of Drumlin: Sample the first fruits (and veggies!) of the season.

10:30 a.m. – Woodchuck Wonders: Wonder who may be nibbling in your garden? Meet one of our groundhogs and find out!

11:30 a.m. – Seeing Seeds: Explore the magic of how a seed turns into a new plant.

12:30 p.m. – Wild Wetlands: Get an up-close look at what’s going on in our local ponds.

2 p.m. – A Taste of Drumlin: Sample the first fruits (and veggies!) of the season.

2:30 p.m. – Fields for Food: Visit with some of the wild birds and mammals that make fields their habitat.

3:30 p.m. – Turtles Love Strawberries: Meet some of our resident reptiles and watch them enjoy a favorite springtime treat.

3:45 p.m. – Foxes Love Strawberries, Too: Learn more about our fascinating foxes, who love strawberries as much as we do.

Boogie down at Club Codman dance

abba

ABBA (photo courtesy Wikimedia Commons)

Sport the great fashions of the past and boogie to music from the ’70s, ’80s, and ’90s at this adults-only annual event to benefit Codman Community Farms on Saturday, May 18 starting at 7:30 p.m.

See and be seen in your craziest dance attire! No costumes required, but there will be much respect for the biggest hair and the most polyester. Come dance, watch your friends lip-sync on the patented Codman air guitar stage, or just hang out with other Codman Community Farms supporters.

This is a great fund-raising event that helps support the farm. Tickets are $25 and are available at the farm or by emailing info@codmanfarm.org.

Order a rain barrel for your garden by May 16

barrel-colorThe Lincoln Water Department has teamed up with Upcycle Products Inc. to offer 55-gallon plastic and oak rain barrels for sale to residents. Using rain barrels to water your garden reduces the water drawn from the town’s drinking water supply, allowing Lincoln to meet the state’s water conservation goals while simultaneously saving you money—and the soft, chemical-free water is very good for grass and other plants.

The plastic rain barrels were originally used for transporting food products to the U.S. from overseas while the oak barrels were used for whiskey—so this program not only promotes water conservation but also diverts large quantities of material from the waste stream.

To see colors, styles and prices for the barrels, go to the Upcycle Products webpage for Lincoln. Order barrels by May 16 and pick them up at Stonegate Gardens on May 22 from 4-6 p.m. Tell your out-of-town friends they can order too!

 

Spring events in Lincoln

Here’s a selection of interesting events coming up in town. Mark your calendars!

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Fairy garden workshop at Codman Community Farms

Saturday, April 20
1-3 p.m., Codman Community Farms

Kids of all ages will  make a fairy gardens to take home. If you have a dinner-plate-size basket or bowl  you’d like to use, please bring it with you. We’ll have some on hand if you don’t. Led by Susan Cummings.

Please RSVP to sustev@comcast.net. The cost is $5.

 

 

Dr. Michael Rich

Dr. Michael Rich

How does media affect our kids?

Thursday, April 25
7-8:30 p.m., Brooks Auditorium

Ask the “media-trician” about kids and media! Lincoln PTO Parent Education presents Dr. Michael Rich, MD, MPH, of Children’s Hospital Boston (CHB), who will talk about the positive and negative effects of media exposure on our children. Hear the latest research about children’s use of media and implications for their health from Dr. Rich, director of the Center on Media and Child Health at CHB. This program is supported in part by a grant from the Lincoln Cultural Council, a local agency that is supported by the Massachusetts Cultural Council, a state agency. The Lincoln School PTO also provided funding.

 

 

 
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Musical benefit for Farrar Pond

Sunday, May 5
5 p.m., 53 South Great Rd., Lincoln

Enjoy a chamber concert at the home of Laura Bossert and Terry King (53 South Great Road) on Sunday, May 5 at 5 p.m. overlooking Farrar Pond and Pincushion Island to benefit Farrar Pond. Wine and hors d’oeuvres followed by a chamber music concert featuring Arensky’s Two Cello Quartet and Dvořák’s Piano Quintet in A Major. See the Lincoln Squirrel calendar listing for details on the musicians.

Seating is limited and tickets are $75.  To purchase, send a check payable to “Massachusetts Audubon Society” (the fiscal agent for the pond) with “Farrar Pond Music Benefit” in the memo line. Mail to Ron McAdow, 59 South Great Road, Lincoln MA  01773.  We will hold your tickets at the door. Please include an e-mail address for ticket confirmation. The full amount of your tickets/donation is tax deductible. The money held by Mass Audubon is used to fight invasive vegetation and to maintain the dam and the beaver deceivers.

“Farrar Pond is a unique place in Lincoln where creative zoning has resulted in conservation land and trails around a beautiful pond,” said Farrar Pond Associates president Will Winchell. “The Farrar Pond Associates, associated trusts and the Lincoln Land Conservation Trust work to maintain it in its natural state. There are a number of invasive plant species that need to be controlled to preserve the pond and we are dependent on donations to accomplish this often costly process. What better way to support Farrar Pond than a glorious evening of music, refreshments, and getting to know each other?”