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

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Patriots’ Day observances include Boy Scout hikes

Each year in mid-April, thousands of people flock to historic Lexington and Concord and Minute Man National Historical Park to celebrate Patriots’ Day, which falls on Monday, April 15 this year. Observances began on April 6 and the entire Patriots’ Day week is celebrated with parades, reenactments, and commemorative ceremonies.

Click here for details on all the events sponsored by  Minute Man National historical Park, including the Captain William Smith House and the Hartwell Tavern in Lincoln, as well as sites in Concord and Lexington. Admission to all events is free except where noted. For more information, please call 978-396-6993.

Boy Scout troops from Maine, Cape Cod, and greater Boston will follow the historic trail of April 19, 1775 when the Minute Men pursued the British from Concord to Boston. They’ll trade in their troop numbers for “militia” names representing the towns along the route.

Not only is the hike an opportunity to learn more about this historic day, it fulfills a requirement of the Hiking Merit Badge. There is a 10-mile and a 20-mile option, both of which qualify for the badge. Scouts who wear their uniform and complete a questionnaire while at historic stops along the way can earn the Minute Men’s Pursuit Trail patch and/or medal after completing the trip.

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Celebration of the life of Lucretia Giese

Lucretia Giese

The family of Lucretia Hoover Giese will host a celebration of Lucretia’s life on Thursday, May 23 at 3 p.m. in the Pierce House (see obituary, October 15, 2018). Among her many accomplishments, Lucretia was professor of art history at the Rhode Island School of Design, an expert on the paintings of Winslow Homer, chair of the Lincoln Historical Commission, and co-founder of the Friend of Modern Architecture/Lincoln. Please RSVP by Monday, April 15 to Henry B. Hoover, Jr. (hbhoover@aol.com).

L-S Jazz Night on Thursday

The L-S Music Department presents Jazz Night on Thursday, April 4 at 7 p.m. in the Lincoln-Sudbury Regional High School auditorium. The concert will feature students from L-S and Curtis Middle School; L-S groups include the Symphonic and Concert Jazz Ensembles as well as the Jazz Warriors and Select Jazz Combo. The groups led by Thomas Grandprey, Director of Instrumental Music, will perform jazz literature from the Great American Songbook as well as funk, and Latin genres. The concert is open to the public and admission is free.

Appointee to library board sought

The Lincoln School Committee invites and encourages any town resident with an interest in connecting the schools and the library to submit a short statement of interest as the committee’s appointee to the Lincoln Public Library Board of Directors. The School Committee thanks Martin Dermandy for serving in this capacity for the past six years, during which time he started the Local Heroes program and worked to connect the library and the schools, building on what the librarians had already developed.

The statement of interest for this three-year term should be sent to schoolcomm@lincnet.org by Friday, April 5. There will be interviews of all candidates in an open meeting of the School Committee on Thursday, April 11 at 7:15 p.m. in the Hartwell multipurpose room on the Ballfield Road Campus. Please address questions to schoolcomm@lincnet.org or to Jacquelin Apsler, chair of the Library Board of Trustees, at jgu.lincoln@gmail.com.

Wednesday “Crafternoons” at the library

The Lincoln Public Library is starting a new children’s program called Crafternoons every Wednesday at 2 p.m. Participants will get creative with crafts that emphasize reusing and recycling household items. All materials will be supplied by the Friends of the Lincoln Public Library. Intended for grades 1 and up. No registration required. Call the Children’s Room for more information at 781-259-8465 x4.

Lincoln seniors can work off $1,500 in property taxes

Lincoln residents 60 and over who own and occupy property on which they pay taxes and are listed on the title may apply now to be part of the town of Lincoln’s Senior Tax Work-Off Program. Through the program, seniors work for a town department for up to 125 hours at $12/hour and receive an abatement of up to $1,500 on their May property tax bill.

Jobs may include administrative, outdoor, computer, programming, or other work and can be completed in any town department or the schools. Seniors may work fewer than 125 hours if they choose. Their schedule is up to them and the department they work for. For more information or to apply, call the Lincoln Council on Aging at 781-259-8811 and ask for COA Director Carolyn Bottum.

Two-part series on French history

The Friends of the Lincoln Public Library and the Friends of the Lincoln Council on Aging are offering a two-part presentation on French history on Saturday, April 13 at 2 p.m. and Wednesday, May 15 at 7 p.m. in the library’s Tarbell Room. Retired teacher John Gardella will give an overview of the French Revolution at the first session and the age of Napoleon at the second. The series will serve as a stepping stone to the library’s trip to the Museum of Fine Arts on Saturday, June 8 for a private tour of Toulouse-Lautrec and the stars of Paris (details TBA) Come to one or both sessions; both are free and open to people of all ages and no registration is required.

Lincoln GearTicks team advances to world championship

By Kevin Ji

The Lincoln-based GearTicks robotics team did well at a state championship in Oxford, Penn., earlier this month and advanced to the world championship in Detroit in April.

The GearTicks take part in a competition called the FIRST Tech Challenge (FTC) for middle and high school students, where they design, build, and program robots to compete in a challenge each year while also promoting STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) in their community. Teams all over the globe compete in this competition.

This year’s challenge, Rover Ruckus, features whiffle balls and gold cubes. Each team must design a robot that can deliver as many of these “minerals” into the lander — an elevated box with separate containers for the whiffle balls and the cubes. At the end of the game, robots get extra points for attaching to the lander and lifting off the ground. On top of that, each team can program a set of instructions for a 30-second autonomous period at the start of the match, where robots get points for finding a gold mineral in a randomized place and dropping off a “team marker” in the corner of the field, along with other tasks.

The matches were intense. After winning four out of five qualifying matches, the GearTicks were ranked fourth seed and became the division finalist in the tournament. The GearTicks were also runners-up for the Inspire Award, the highest award at the competition. The team impressed the judges with their community outreach and robot design.

The team was very excited to attend the states, meeting other teams and participating in the matches, and the volunteer event organizers were genuinely happy to be there. There were lots of laughs, dancing, and even ice cream.

GearTicks at the FIRST Tech Challenge in Pennsylvania included (left to right) Jack Hutchinson, Ben Morris, Olivia Crisafi, Ken Hawkey, Amelia Pillar, Audrey Gammack, Evan Lee, and Erin Crisafi (crouching with the team’s robot). All are Lincoln residents except Morris, who is from Sudbury. Other team members are Kevin Ji from Sudbury and Linconites Alex Payne, Andreas Muzila, Howie Tsang, Laura and Emily Appleby, Prerna Karmacharya, and Ken Hawkey.

 
 

 

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Codman Estate closed until late May

The Codman Estate on Codman Road in Lincoln is closed until late May for major construction and preservation projects. Residents may have already noticed the heavy equipment and closed signs at each entrance to Codman Estate. For everyone’s safety, please do not drive or walk onto the property until it re-opens at the conclusion of the preservation project in late May 2019. Dog-walkers are welcome to use surrounding conservation land, but please do not enter the Codman Estate. For more information, call 781-259-8098.

L-S offers additional college prep classes

Two new classes for high school students starting in late April and May are being offered by Lincoln-Sudbury Regional High School’s adult education program: “SAT II: Biology Test Review” taught by L-S science teacher Regina Shopiro, and “Writing An Effective Personal Statement for College Applications and Scholarships” taught by L-S English teacher Annalisa Notaro. For more information and to register, click here.

Discussion on “Difficult Conversations”

All are invited to a community book discussion on “Difficult Conversations: Talking with and Supporting Our Children, Our Students” on Monday, April 1 from 7-9 p.m.in the Lincoln School’s Brooks library. Facilitators Corinne Jairston-Parris, Jenny Nam, and Alyssa Rosenfeld will use the novel Little Fires Everywhere by Celeste Ng as the basis for the event. Interested participants should read the book before April 1; copies are available for loan at the Brooks library. Please register online.

Liz Simmons at next LOMA night

Liz Simmons

Liz Simmons is the featured performer at the next LOMA (Lincoln Open-Mike Acoustic) night on Monday, April 8 in the Lincoln Public Library’s Tarbell Room. The event runs from 7–10 p.m., and Simmons will perform a half-hour set starting around 8:30. Her current trio, Low Lily, won Falcon Ridge’s “Most Wanted Band” award in 2016, and she’s toured internationally and shared the stage with such luminaries as Tom Chapin and Livingston Taylor.

Admission is free and refreshments are provided. Performers can sign up at the event or email Rich Eilbert at loma3re@gmail.com for a slot. There is a sound system with mikes and instrumental pickups suitable for individuals or small groups.

Adams shares Gropius memories

“Memories of Walter and Ise Gropius: An Oral History by Douglas Adams” will be offered on Sunday, April 7 from 4-6 p.m. at the Thoreau Institute (44 Baker Farm Rd., Lincoln). The event is sponsored by Friends of Modern Architecture/Lincoln.

Kids’ activities at the library

Kids ages 4+ are invited to come create a piece of art with Peeps as the Lincoln Public Library will host its fourth annual Peeps Diorama Fun Day on Thursday, April 4 at 4 p.m. The library will also host the following activities during school vacation week. For events requiring registration, call 781-259-8465 x4 or email dleopold@minlib.net.

  • Friday, April 12: Flower Yoga for children (ages 2-5) and families from 10-10:30 a.m. Registration required.
  • Saturday, April 13: Author and illustrator Sarah S. Brannen will read and talk about her two new books, Bear Needs Help and Seashells: More Than a Home (written by Melissa Stewart) at 11 a.m. Drop in; recommended for ages 3+.
  • Tuesday, April 16: “All About Frogs” from 11-11:45. Ages 4+. Registration required.
  • Wednesday, April 17:
    • “Peepshi” at 5:30 p.m. Inspired by Japanese sushi-making, Peepshi combines food and craft as kids learn about different kinds of sushi while making making their own copies with marshmallow Peeps, Rice Krispy treats, and fruit roll-ups. For children in grades 5 and up. Registration required.
    • Duckling Dance Party from 11-11:45 a.m. No registration. Ages 6 and under.
  • Thursday, April 18: “Make & Take” Fairy House Craft Program from 2-3 p.m. for ages 5+ Registration required.
  • Friday, April 19: Movies and Muffins at 10:30 a.m. Gentle springtime-themed films for ages 2+.

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Lincoln middle schoolers perform “Guys and Dolls Jr.”

Considered by many to be the perfect musical comedy, “Guys and Dolls” is set in Depression-era New York City and follows the overlapping adventures of a group of gangsters, gamblers, showgirls, and mission workers. Performances are Wednesday, March 13 at 3 p.m. and Thursday and Friday, March 14–15 at 7 p.m. in the Donaldson Auditorium. Appropriate for all ages; best suited for 8+. Tickets available at the door ($10 for adults, $5 for students and seniors).

Learn about life at the high school

“Life at L-S,” a parent-to-parent conversation about the 8th-to-9th-grade transition with Lincoln School Principal Sharon Hobbs and L-S veteran parents and administrators, will take place on Monday, March 18 (rescheduled from two previous dates due to snow) from 7–8:30 p.m. in the Hartwell multipurpose room. The program will focus on extracurricular elements of a busy high-schooler’s life so families have contextual knowledge prior to the L-S course selection process in March.

Woolapalooza coming to Drumlin Farm

Celebrate the coming of spring with Woolapalooza — Mass Audubon Drumlin Farm Wildlife Sanctuary‘s annual festival featuring fiber, food, and fun — on Saturday, March 30 from 10 a.m.–4 p.m. Visitors can meet new baby animals, shop local artisans, explore the sanctuary, and learn the history of wool and sheep. Festival highlights include

  • Sheep-shearing demonstrations
  • Sheep-herding with border collies (weather permitting)
  • A “sheep-to-sweater” interpretive trail — learn how wool becomes yarn and make a craft to take home
  • Homemade lamb and vegetarian chili for additional purchase
  • Local artisans demonstrating and selling handmade products

The event takes place rain or shine (or in light snow). No advance ticket purchase; walk-ins only. Tickets are $15 for Mass Audubon members, $17 for nonmembers, free for children under age 2. Parking is limited—please arrive close to 10 a.m. or after 12:30 p.m. for a better chance to get a spot.

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Actress to portray Abigail Adams

Abigail Adams, wife of a president, mother of a president, and sister of the captain of Lincoln Minutemen, will be portrayed by Sheryl Faye in a one-hour show on Sunday, Feb. 24 at 2 p.m. at Bemis Hall. The show is sponsored by Friends of the Council on Aging and the Lincoln Historical Society as a tribute to Harriet Todd. (Note: the “Ford Flappers, and Fitzgeralds” session scheduled for the same day has been postponed until Thursday, March 7 in Bemis Hall.)

Evensong, Climate Justice Ministry film at St. Anne’s

The St. Anne’s choir.

On Sunday, Feb. 24 at 5 p.m., St. Anne’s will present a service of choral evensong, a beautiful Anglican liturgy in which the word of God is illuminated by music. The choir will chant the psalm and prayers, and offer the mystical “Collegium Regale” settings of the “Magnificat” and “Nunc Dimittis” by Herbert Howells.

There will be a showing of the film “The Devil We Know” at St. Anne’s Episcopal Church on Tuesday, Feb. 26 as part of the church’s ongoing series of films on climate justice. “The Devil We Know” is the story of how a synthetic chemical used to make Teflon products contaminated a West Virginia community. But new research hints at a much broader problem: nearly all Americans are affected by exposure to non-stick chemicals in food, drinking water, and consumer products. A representative of the Toxics Action Center will discuss the organization’s work. A simple vegetarian soup supper will be served at 6:30 p.m. and the film will begin at 7 p.m. Donations will be accepted to help with the cost of screening rights.

South Sudanese program seeks volunteers

The South Sudanese Enrichment for Families program is looking for volunteers for its Saturday Bridges program, which brings together Sudanese children, parents, local students, volunteers, and professionals for enrichment programming during the academic year. Offerings include:

  • Preschool with pre-literacy and early literacy support for 3-4 year olds
  • Outdoor experiential education at Drumlin Farm for elementary and middle school students
  • Infant care
  • Adult workshops covering topics including parent-teacher conferences, Individual Educational Plans (IEPs), how to find resources in the community to support families, and how to look for signs and symptoms of trauma.
  • Personalized tutoring for adults

The program runs on Saturdays from 1:30–5:30 p.m. on March 16, April 6, April 27, and May 11 in the Hartwell pods. Orientation training for all volunteers will be held on Wednesday, March 6 at 7 p.m. at 10 Meadowdam Rd. in Lincoln. For more information, see www.SSEFBoston.org and email Keith Johnson at kjohnson@lincnet.org.

Cross-cultural film workshop for kids

A free cross-cultural filmmaking workshop for students aged 12–14 interested in collaborative movie-making with a twist will take place on Saturday, March 16 from 12:30–4:30 p.m. at the Flint Farmstead at 39 Lexington Rd. in Lincoln. Facilitated by Tom Flint and Japan’s only youth filmmaking organization, Children Meet Cinema, students team up for a filmmaking experience that allows them to explore the magic of cinema and create their own version of a famous film. The experience will consist of collaborative discussions, shooting, editing, screenings, and more. Space is limited to eight participants. For questions or registration, contact Flint at tflint@alumni.risd.edu or 617-930-1560.

Film: “Anton Chekhov’s The Duel”

The Lincoln Film Society presents “Anton Chekhov’s The Duel” (2010, in English) on Thursday, March 7 at 6 p.m. Escalating animosity between two men with opposing philosophies of life is played out against the backdrop of a decaying seaside resort along the Black Sea coast, leading to a duel as comically inadvertent as it is inevitable. Directed by Dover Kosashvili.

Events for parents of 8th-graders

“Life at L-S,” a parent-to-parent conversation about the 8th-to-9th-grade transition with Lincoln School Principal Sharon Hobbs and L-S veteran parents and administrators, will take place on Monday, March 4 (rescheduled from February due to snow) from 7–8:30 p.m. in the Hartwell multipurpose room. The program will focus on extracurricular elements of a busy high-schooler’s life so families have contextual knowledge prior to the L-S course selection process in March. There will also be an information session and building tour for middle-school parents on Thursday, March 7 from 7:30–8:30 p.m. For more information, contact Carole Kasper at carolemkasper@gmail.com or Hobbs at SHobbs@lincnet.org.

Discussion on Modernism in Lincoln

Please join us on Sunday, March 24 from 4–6 p.m. at the Lincoln Public Library to listen to a recent interview with Doug Adams about his relationship with Walter Gropius — part of an ongoing effort to record oral histories of Lincoln residents with interesting connections to modernism. Adams will be on hand for informal discussion afterwards.

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Lincoln Through the Lens updated

The Lincoln Through the Lens page on the Lincoln Squirrel website has been updated to include all photos submitted by readers in 2018. Browse through pictures of people, places and wildlife in Lincoln all year round, or submit a photo of your own.

Events for 8th-graders headed to L-S

All eighth-grade parents in Lincoln and Sudbury are invited to “An Introduction to Music at L-S” on Wednesday, Feb. 27 at 7:30 p.m. to learn more about the L-S Music Department. Join us in the auditorium lobby to meet the L-S music faculty and students without the crowds of L-S parents’ night and tour the music spaces. Learn more about music auditions, music offerings and music electives at the high school. If your student is in chorus, band or orchestra, sings or studies outside of school, or just loves music, we welcome you to attend. For more information or questions, email lsfriendsofmusic@gmail.com, or visit www.lsfom.org.

L-S Eighth-Grade Parents/Guardians Night will be Thursday, March 7 from 7–8:30 p.m. (snow date March 12). The program will begin in the L-S auditorium with an overview of the ninth-grade curriculum and an outline of the scheduling process, followed by an opportunity to visit faculty members of the various departments to ask questions about course selection and curriculum. 

School vacation events for kids at library, deCordova

There is still space in the “Make Some Art” book bag painting event at the Lincoln Public Library on  Thursday, Feb. 21 at 2 p.m. Join Susan from Craft.ed Creative Studio in Concord for a fun afternoon of stenciling and painting a canvas bag to take home! Ages 5+. Registration required; email dleopold@minlib.net or call 781-259-8465 x4.

Click here for other vacation-week kids’ events at the library, and click here for activities at the deCordova Sculpture Park and Museum.

Five Lincolnites exhibiting in gallery show

Lincoln residents Bernadette Quirk, Sarah Chester, Ellen Milan, Ruth Ann Hendrickson, and Dilla Tingley are among the artists showing work in the gallery exhibition “In Love With Color” at @theW art gallery, a pop-up gallery currently located at 60 Andrew Ave. in Wayland. The exhibit will be up until March 22.

Don’t forget to update your directory info and tell new neighbors

Did you drop your land line in 2018? Did your children move out of town? Did you move across town and forget to let us know? Please update your listing in the the Lincoln Telephone Directory as soon as possible. If you have a new neighbor, please share this with them (new residents sometimes are worried we are a scam). To update your information via email or to learn about volunteering or advertising, email LincolnPhoneBook@gmail.com. The Lincoln directory is mailed free to every household in Lincoln. The deadline for updates is March 1.

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Talk on education in the age of AI

Charles Fadel

“Educating Our Children in the Age of Artificial Intelligence” will be the subject of a talk on Sunday, Feb. 10 at 7 p.m. at the First Parish Church in Lincoln. The guest speaker is futurist, education expert, author and inventor Charles Fadel, who is convinced that “AI and biotech are about to redefine what it means to be human, and that the overarching goals of a modern education should be to nurture wise, versatile ‘Renaissance’ humans who have learned how to learn.” The Adult Education Committee at the First Parish is hosting this program, which is free and open to the public. Registration is encouraged to ensure seating. For more information, contact Mary Helen Lorenz at mhelen@rcn.com.

See movies on Amazon, dragonflies

Movie night at the Lincoln Land Conservation Trust will feature “Wild Amazon” on Monday, Feb. 11 and “Skyhunter: World of the Dragonfly” on Thursday, March 14 at 7:30. Both movies start at 7:30 p.m. in the LLCT office at the Lincoln mall and are free.

“Wild Amazon” (45 minutes) filmed by Nat Geo Wild reveals dense forest concealing a hidden world of unusual wildlife and extraordinary stories of adaptation and survival—but human impact on this natural world has already dramatically altered it. Dragonflies existed 90 million years before the first dinosaurs hatched and are still found all over the world. “Skyhunter” (50 minutes) follows these predatory monster-larvae as they hover over ponds and pools. Their dazzling metallic colors and unique ways of flying are captured in slow-motion photography, and their journey in time is documented using remarkably realistic CGI animation.

Artists talk and kids’ vacation activities at deCordova

The deCordova Museum and Sculpture Park offers “Art for February Vacation” on Wednesday–Friday, Feb. 20–22 from 1–3 p.m. (drop-in). Stack, balance, knot, knit, and string sculptures together, inspired by the range of work included in “Sheila Pepe: Hot Mess Formalism.” Designed for families with children ages 5–12, but all are welcome. Free with admission or membership.

Exhibiting artist Sheila Pepe will give an artist’s talk on Thursday, Feb. 28 from 6:30–7:30 p.m. From ancient Rome to feminism to her personal biography, Pepe weaves together many far reaching subjects through her expansive fiber art installations and multimedia works. Free admission; registration requested.

DCR seeks comments on Walden Pond renovations

The Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation invites area residents to comment on alternatives for renovation of the Walden Pond State Reservation bathhouse and universally accessible connections between the Route 126 crosswalk, the bathhouse, and main beach. Click here to view a January 30 presentation. Comments may be submitted online through Friday, Feb. 15 or in writing to the Department of Conservation and Recreation, Office of Public Outreach, 251 Causeway St., 6th floor, Boston, MA 02114.

Domestic violence group offers volunteer training

The Domestic Violence Services Network, Inc. (DVSN) is holding its next Volunteer Advocate Training program at the Concord Police Department from March 12–30. This 40-hour training session is provided at no cost to attendees and is being held on evenings and Saturdays. Classes will be Tuesday and Thursday evenings from 6:30–9:30 p.m. and Saturdays from 9 a.m–3 p.m. on March 12, 14, 16, 19, 21, 23, 26, 28, and 30.

Once trained, DVSN’s volunteer advocates provide direct service over the phone, at the Concord District Court, and at Emerson Hospital to people affected by domestic violence. The training is designed to familiarize the volunteers with the many aspects of domestic violence and give them the skills necessary to provide confidential and appropriate services to DVSN’s clients. Those interested should call 978-318-3421 or e-mail to dvvap@concordma.gov. Applications are due by March 4.

Outdoor events at Farrington Nature Linc

Farrington Nature Linc (295 Cambridge Turnpike, Lincoln) is hosting the following family-friendly events:

Owl Prowl
Saturday, Feb. 9 — 4–6 p.m.
Have you ever seen or heard an owl in the woods? Join Farrington Nature Linc and Eyes on Owls for a live owl program in conjunction with an outdoor Owl Prowl.

Naturalist Marcia Wilson of Eyes on Owls will introduce the audience to owls found in New England and as well other parts of the world. Then we will head outside for a guided walk around Farrington’s property where will we do some “owling” (learning about owl calls and keeping our eyes out for owls). $10 per person, $20 for a family of four — click here for tickets.

Galileo Star Party
Saturday, April 13 — 7–9:30 p.m.
Do you want to learn more about the stars? Have you ever used a telescope to stargaze? Ever wanted to know more about the famous astronomer Galileo Galilei? See an evening performance by talented and professional actor Mike Francis as Galileo — perfect for all ages to learn about astronomy. Afterward, outside to our fire circle, we’ll have s’mores, and we’ll also set up and use telescopes, courtesy of the Amateur Telescope Makers of Boston, to stargaze. Free; click here to register.

Fairy Festival
Saturday, May 4 — 10 a.m.–1 p.m.
Calling all fairies, elves, gnomes, and other magical creatures! Farrington is hosting its annual Fairy Festival on May 4. We will feature our Fairy Post Office where you can write to the fairies and they will write back. Join one of our guided hikes through our enchanted woods to meet the Fairy Queen, make a fairy house in our pine forest, and create and take home three small fairy crafts. $20 for each adult/child pair — click here for tickets.

Groundhog Day to feature new focus on climate

Ms. G of Drumlin Farm. (Photo by Eric Roth)

Drumlin Farm is set to host its annual Groundhog Day event on Saturday, Feb. 2, with a new focus on climate science and weather. “Climate Action Day” will feature activities centered on what children and adults can do to learn about and respond to the effects of climate change.

The event will again feature Ms. G, the official state groundhog of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, as she emerges from her winter hibernation and determines whether or not spring will come early this year.

“The impact of climate change on people and wildlife in New England is already evident, but that doesn’t mean that there is nothing that we can do about it,” said Drumlin Farm Sanctuary Director Renata Pomponi. “Climate Action Day is intended to be a way for families to engage with a serious issue in a positive way, focusing on the small but meaningful actions that they can take in their own lives to help meet this challenge. As the Commonwealth’s most prominent wildlife ambassador, Ms. G serves as a symbol of the animals and their habitat that we all can help to protect by working together in our communities.”

The traditional Groundhog Day ceremony and forecast start at 10 a.m. (encore at 11:15 a.m.), followed by winter activities such as meeting resident wildlife, exploring wilderness trails, and learning how to identify animal tracks in the snow. A live music performance will take place at noon, and hot cocoa will be provided throughout the day.

Drumlin Farm will be open on February 2 from 9 a.m.–4 p.m. This special event takes place from 10 a.m.–3 p.m. and is free with paid admission ($9 for adults and teens, $6 for children 2–12 and seniors, and free for Mass Audubon members). 

Featured programs
  • Learn the forecast for spring’s arrival from Drumlin’s woodchuck weather expert (six more weeks of winter if she sees her shadow; an early spring if she doesn’t).
  • Visit with more of our resident wildlife and farm animals, learn about winter tracking, and explore the wildlife sanctuary’s trails.
  • Listen to live music performed by the local band Sweet Wednesday from noon–3 p.m.
  • Make winter crafts to take home,
  • Investigate our local climate with Don McCasland of Blue Hill Observatory Science Center,
  • Purchase produce grown at Drumlin Farm,
  • Learn how climate change impacts hibernating species in New England,

Ms. G was declared the Official State Groundhog by then-Governor Deval Patrick on July 31, 2014, when he signed the proposed bill submitted by Wellesley’s Hunnewell Elementary School students, enacting it into law.