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

nature

Mass Audubon offers virtual summer camps

With many outdoor camp experiences for children shuttered or limited due to the pandemic, Mass Audubon is offering virtual camps for K-2 and 3-5 age groups beginning Monday, July 20 and running through late August.

Campers will get to know one another and make friends through live virtual meetings. The one-week classes will include discussion and instruction from Mass Audubon teacher-naturalists, videos and hands-on activities designed to get children outside and exploring nature in their backyards or neighborhoods, a “Wacky Wednesday” dress-up theme, a Thursday evening all-camp program, and more.

“Nature-based education has been a foundational element of our mission for generations, and we are committed to this important work especially in such challenging times,” Mass Audubon Director of Education Kris Scopinich said. “Studies have shown that spending time outside in nature can bring significant benefits to our health. It can help to relieve stress, help us feel more connected, and build resiliency.”

Mass Audubon Drumlin Farm in Lincoln is now open on weekends by reservation. Restrooms are open but the buildings and shop are closed.

To learn more and register for Virtual Summer Camp, visit massaudubon.org/virtualcamp. 

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Socially distanced Fourth of July activities announced

Lincoln’s usual July 4 Firecracker Road Race and parade can’t go on as usual because of the pandemic, but the Parks and Recreation Department has planned some alternatives.

On Independence Day, get out on the town and exercise, and then post a comment and picture that represents your workout on Facebook using this link. Feel free to be creative. The Lincoln Squirrel hopes to publish some of the entries for readers who don’t do Facebook.

This is a free event, but participants re encouraged to donate to the Lincoln Emergency Assistance Fund, which provides small grants or loans to residents in extreme financial difficulty to enable them to stay safely in our community, or the Lincoln Small Necessities Project, which provides smaller amounts for basic needs like food, medication, and lodging that do not meet the guidelines of the fund program.

To make a donation, please send a check made out to “Lincoln Emergency Assistance Fund/Small Necessities Project, Town of Lincoln” to Lincoln Emergency Assistance Committee, c/o Town Offices, 16 Lincoln Rd., Lincoln, MA 01773. You may designate your donation to go to either the Emergency Assistance Fund or the Small Necessities Project, or to be divided between them.

The traditional parade will take the form of a “reverse parade” on July 4 starting at about 10:30 a.m., with the usual spectators becoming the motorized participants. Register your vehicle online at www.lincolnrec.com. Then decorate your vehicle and arrive at Ballfield Road by 10:15 a.m. ready to roll.

The route will be as follows: Ballfield Road to Lincoln Road to Old Sudbury Road to Route 117 to Tower Road to Lincoln Road to Sandy Pond Road to Cider Lane (The Commons), under Route 2 to Route 2A to Sunnyside Lane to Morningside Lane to Bedford Road to Lincoln Road to Ballfield Road.

  • Participants must stay inside their vehicles; they cannot be on trailers, truck beds, or roofs.
  • Participants cannot throw anything from their vehicle (candy, toys, handouts, etc.)
  • Only registered vehicles may join the parade
  • No golf carts, ATVs, horses, bicycles, etc.
  • Vehicle decorations must be less than 10 feet tall and must be securely affixed to the vehicle so as not to fall off while traveling at 15 m.p.h.

If you just want to watch, find a socially distant space along the parade route, decorate yourself and your space, and cheer back! Some of you live on the route, others can find plenty of space along roadside paths or public land. Enjoy a different and equally memorable way to get together.

As with the morning workout, this is a free event, but consider donating to the Lincoln Food Pantry at stjulia.org/svdp in place of an activity fee. They provide meal and financial assistance to many community members in need and have been a lifesaving service during this pandemic. Donations in any amount are very much appreciated.

Drumlin Farm open on weekends

Drumlin Farm is now open on weekends during the summer and plans to open its farm stand for public sales on Saturdays beginning on July 4. The farm will be closed to the public on weekdays during July and August while summer camp is in session.

As required under state Covid-19 guidelines, the farm is now using an online entry and parking reservation system. This means all visitors (including Audubon members and Lincoln residents) must reserve a visit time prior to arriving; you cannot reserve a spot in person. This will help limit the number of people at the sanctuary at any given time and ensure the safety of our visitors and staff. More details and the link for reservations can be found at massaudubon.org/reservations.

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Water use restrictions in effect; drought possible

Lincoln’s normal summer water use restrictions are now in effect, and restrictions may tighten if the state enters a drought, as now seems possible.

The usual May 1 to September 30 restrictions are required by the state Department of Environmental Protection because Lincoln annually exceeds the withdrawal permit and the daily per-person water use guideline of 65 gallons. Water Department Superintendent MaryBeth Wiser told the Water Commission this week that Massachusetts Drought Task Force is meeting this week to assess possible drought conditions and may vote to impose more stringent restrictions than those required by Lincoln’s official drought plan, which was developed after the 2017 drought. Wiser will report back to the commission on the results of that meeting on July 8.

Virtual bingo hosted by LLCT

Join the Lincoln Land Conservation Trust on Tuesday, June 30 at 7:30 p.m. for an evening of virtual bingo. We’ll be highlighting some of Lincoln’s bees and butterflies, but no naturalist knowledge is required to win.This is a free event, but registration is required; click here to register. Once you’re registered, you’ll receive the Zoom meeting link and a bingo card. There will also be prizes from local businesses and LLCT swag.

Grief groups for children and teens

Children and teens (rising first-graders to recent high school graduates) who have experienced the death of a significant person in their life are invited to join a virtual group hosted by Care Dimensions to connect with grieving peers and learn some coping tools to navigate this difficult time. Group will be held via Zoom starting on Tuesday, June 30 the following times:

  • 10 a.m. – Elementary school students
  • 11 a.m. – Middle school students
  • 12 p.m. – High school students

Advanced registration is required; rolling enrollment. For more information or to register, contact Kelia Bergin, children’s program coordinator, at KBergin@CareDimensions.org or 781-373-6570.

Letter to the editor: Farrington Nature Linc land closed except by appointment

Dear Lincoln neighbors,

We understand that during these stressful times, access to green spaces is more important than ever. In the past few months, we’ve noticed an increasing number of neighbors using our private property for their walks, hikes, and runs as other town and state properties have closed.

Although we are always happy to provide a connection to nature for our neighbors, several recent incidents have created an unsafe environment for both our staff and tenants. As a result, it is with heavy hearts that we, the Farrington Nature Linc  staff and trustees, have decided we must formally close our property to anyone without explicit permission.

Signs will be posted at the entrance and where our property meets the LLCT trail head by Page Road. Please contact me at the phone number or email address below 24 hours before you would like access to our trails or land. We know that this is a change, and we appreciate your cooperation. We hope that this will only be temporary, but the safety of our staff and tenants is paramount.

Please share this information with anyone you know that uses our property and may not have seen this notice. Thank you for your help in keeping our property safe and sustainable! We hope to welcome you back to a Farrington event soon.

Sincerely,

Wendy S. Matusovich
Executive Director, Farrington Nature Linc
781-888-0868
wendy@naturelinc.org

State face mask order supersedes Lincoln’s

Lincoln will adopt Gov. Charlie Baker’s May 1 order to wear face masks in public, superseding a rule passed by the town’s Board of Health on April 29. Meanwhile, officials are keeping a close eye on trail traffic in town and are mulling steps to take if they get too crowded with walkers as the weather warms.

Starting on May 6, everyone in Massachusetts is required to wear a cloth face mask when in public spaces both indoors and outdoors. The state order applies to everyone over the age of 2, whereas Lincoln’s earlier order specified age 5, and the governor’s version is more specific as to fines for violating the rule (up to $300). In any case, businesses may bar entry to anyone not wearing a mask. The order is in effect until the governor rescinds it or until the state of emergency is lifted. The stay-at-home order is currently set to expire on May 18.

As of May 4, Lincoln has had a total of 29 cases of Covid-9. All five deaths have involved residents of The Commons in Lincoln who had “serious health co-morbidities,” Public Health Nurse Tricia McGean said.

The Commons is working with Mt. Auburn and Emerson Hospitals to test all staff and residents starting with the assisted-living and memory care cohorts and doing the independent-living residents after that. The process is ongoing as they experience “peaks and valleys” in inventories of supplies, she said.

McGean also cautioned that anyone who’s gotten tested for Covid-19 is not exempt from continuing precautions. “It’s nice to get a negative test, but we still have to practice all the measures that have been drilled into us,” she said. “It’s how you are today, not how you are the next day or the next.”

The mask requirement extends to people walking on trails when they pass within six feet of another person. Many residents from Lincoln and elsewhere have flocked to the trail system for recreation since the pandemic began.

If walkers don’t cooperate enough in terms of social distancing, Lincoln may consider closing trails to non-residents (a step recently take by Sudbury), closing the parking lots, and/or limiting on-street parking near trailheads. Drumlin Farm trails have been closed since late March.

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Discussion on surviving domestic violence

The Sudbury-Wayland-Lincoln Domestic Violence Roundtable will host an online discussion of “Covid-19’s Impact on Survivors of Domestic Violence” on Tuesday, May 12 at 3 p.m. on Zoom. To register, go to domesticviolenceroundtable.org.

Social distancing is a necessary strategy for keeping the community safe during this pandemic, but isolation in one’s home is having a profound effect on survivors of domestic violence and their families. This forum will feature representatives of local domestic violence agencies who will address several different situations that survivors might be in right now, including those who may be in controlling or abusive relationships and those who may have left a controlling and abusive partner. Panelists will look at the emotional, psychological, and economic implications of this complex time for survivors of domestic abuse and will answer questions from the online audience..

If you or someone that you care about is a survivor of domestic abuse and would like help or support, all of the local domestic abuse programs in the area are responding to phone calls and emails:

Two online programs from the COA

The Council on Aging invites you to two virtual programs. In “Making Decisions When It Matters Most: Conversations About Health Care Proxy, Five Wishes, and More!” on Wednesday, May 13 at 10 a.m. Mary Crowe and Joan Sullivan of Care Dimensions will discuss the importance of advance care planning and making one’s health care wishes known through the use of Five Wishes and other planning tools. Click here to register and attend.

Residents of all ages are invited to a “Conversation with a Select(man)” on Friday, May 15 at 2 p.m. via Zoom. Join Board of Selectmen Chair Jennifer Glass to get the latest updates, ask your questions, and offer ideas. For information on how to join in, please email her at selectmen@lincolntown.org prior to the meeting.

A stay-at-home Bird-a-thon

Mass Audubon’s Bird-a-thon, which typically sends teams of birders rambling throughout the Commonwealth in a friendly competition to identify the most species in a 24-hour period, is staying at home this year to respect social distancing and will take place Friday to Saturday, May 15–16.

Mass Audubon’s biggest single fundraising event is again expected to attract hundreds of competitors of all abilities, but will be carbon-free, safety-focused, and family-oriented. Participants will select bird observation  spots—a window, backyard, or a green space within short walking or biking distance from their homes. From 6 p.m. on Friday the 15th through 6 p.m. on the 16th, they’ll spend time observing and identifying species from their birding positions, solo or with other household members.

Competitors join teams representing different Mass Audubon wildlife sanctuaries and programs. Their pledges can be directed to specific wildlife sanctuaries and programs or to the overall organization, the state’s largest nature conservation nonprofit. Participants can also earn points for their team by completing other fun, nature-based activities or as “Bird-a-thon Boosters,” who raise money while birding for fun (or not birding at all).

Last year’s event raised $240,000 and recorded 273 species, with Drumlin Farm garnering $30,850 for its work through the event. Sponsors this year include presenting sponsors Ream Design of Ayer and Camosse Masonry Supply of Worcester, and media sponsor WBUR.

To participate, donate, and to learn more about Bird-a-thon, visit www.massaudubon.org/birdathon.

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Virtual Carnival: resource for Lincoln online activities

Lincoln now has its own Virtual Carnival with links to online programs designed to stimulate, educate, support and motivate residents of all ages. The programs by town organizations include:

  • Home-based exercise classes and children’s activities offered by the Parks and Recreation Department
  • Active Aging, Stretch and Flex, and Line Dancing classes for seniors from the Council on Aging
  • Online read-alouds, personalized reading recommendations, and other activities for children and teens from the Lincoln Public Library. Kids who fill out the library’s Book Match form will receive customized lists of books (e-book, audio, and print format) suggestions from the children’s librarians.

Library activities and offerings

  • In lieu of the previously planned six-part seminar about Walt Whitman at the Lincoln Public Library, actor Stephen Collins has made available his one-man show, “Unlaunche’d Voices, an Evening with Walt Whitman,” via online video — click here to watch. Funding provided by the Friends of the Lincoln Council on Aging and The Friends of the Lincoln Public Library.
  • Residents can borrow virtual magazines from the library’s large online collection with hundreds of titles. Browse or search magazines on Overdrive by title, topic, or date added.
  • The library will hold its Friday Morning Book Group via Zoom on Friday, May 8 at 9:30 a.m. Participants will discuss Dutch Girl: Audrey Hepburn and World War II by Robert Matzen. Hepburn participated in the Dutch Resistance, working as a doctor’s assistant during the “Bridge Too Far” Battle of Arnhem, the brutal execution of her uncle, and the ordeal of the Hunger Winter of 1944. Copies of the books are available for download in eBook or audiobook formats. Email lincoln@minlib.netfor assistance and an invitation to the Zoom meeting.

Nature Naturalist Online classes from Drumlin Farm

Drumlin Farm is offering a series of Nature Naturalist Online classes as well as a session on “Learning Bird Song Online” on Thursday, April 30 from 7–9 p.m. Each of the six Nature Naturalist Online program features a Wednesday evening online presentation along with questions and discussion; a week to complete guided outside exploration, observations, gather data, and develop questions; and a second online session for feedback, questions, and discussion. Fees are $25 per program for Mass Audubon members ($30 for nonmembers) or $125 for members for all six programs ($150 for nonmembers).

Program titles and dates are below. To learn more and register, click on one of the session titles, email dfeducation@massaudubon.org, or call 781-259-2220.

Council on Aging newsletter now online

Click here for the May COA newsletter, which includes:

  • Information on Town Meeting and the town elections
  • Greetings and reminders from Tricia McGean, Lincoln’s Public Health Nurse
  • Greetings from the food pantry
  • A Lincoln history trivia quiz by Jack MacLean
  • Practicing self-care
  • Benefits for veterans who are unemployed due to the pandemic
  • Information from the Fire Department on Knox Boxes and for those with special medical needs
  • Hosting virtual family get-togethers
  • News from the Conservation Department

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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.

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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.