Lexington Green Network – June 2018

LEXINGTON GREEN NETWORK • June 2018

Lexington Global Warming Action Coalition (GWAC) Lexgwac.org

SPEAKER
Bill Moomaw: Forests and Soils will Determine Our Climate Future.
Tuesday June 4th at 7:00 pm,

Cary Memorial Library, Community Meeting Room, 1874 Massachusetts Avenue  Lexington, MA

Doors open at 6:30 pm. Light refreshments available.Professor Moomaw has been studying the way forests and soils remove and store carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. The potential capacity to increase this storage is substantial, and, in combination with reducing emissions from our energy use, could greatly slow down global warming. Moomaw will present surprising information on how Massachusetts can play a significant role in this process, and what the public can do to help.

Professor Moomaw is the Professor Emeritus of International Environmental Policy at the Fletcher School, Tufts University.

PANEL
Energy and Environment Forum with Candidates for 15th Middlesex District
Wednesday, June 27 at 7:00 p.m. at Cary Library Large Meeting Room.

Doors open at 6:30 pm. Light refreshments available.

Please join us in welcoming the candidates that are running for Jay Kaufman’s seat, the 15th Middlesex District, and hear their thoughts and goals for clean energy and environmental protection. This forum will allow the candidates to make a statement and answer questions on how they would use their position in the State House to further plans for a clean energy future and a present that is ready for climate change. This forum is focused solely on many of the same goals of the Lexington Green Network and we hope you will pack the house! Let’s hear the candidate’s platforms on these issues and their goals for future legislation. If you have specific questions that you would like addressed, please send them to [email protected]. We will try and integrate as many of your concerns as we can within our time limit.

Citizens for Lexington Conservation: clclex.org

Saturday June 9, 10 am – 12 noon, Family “Longest Day” Walk

On June 9 Lexington Goes Purple to end Alzheimer’s disease. One of the organized activities is a guided walk through Lincoln Park, one of Lexington’s most accessible open spaces. Centrally located across Worthen Road from the LHS playing fields, Lincoln Park includes a graded trail system landscaped with native plant species, as well as a boardwalk loop through wetlands with interpretive signage. The walk will leave from the Lexington Depot following side streets to reach the Park.

Walk Leaders: Kate Fricker (781-862-8868, [email protected]), Eileen Entin (781-862-6418,[email protected])

 

Lexington Farmers Market:

Sustainability Day at the Lexington Farmers’ Market

Tuesday, June 19th  2:00 – 6:30 PM

Join the Lexington Farmers’ Market on Tuesday, June 19th in celebrating healthy and sustainable living and how it applies to what we eat, the environment, and personal well-being. Stop by the market on the corner of Mass Ave, Fletcher Ave, & Woburn St. from 2:00 – 6:30 PM to talk with local organizations, learn what’s being done in the Lexington community, and take away some practical changes that can be applied in everyday life. In addition, find sustainability-themed activities for kids and of course, lots of local, delicious food from the LFM’s farmers and vendors! Check the Lexington Farmers’ Market website (www.lexingtonfarmersmarket.org) for more details to come in the following weeks!

[email protected]

Lexington DPW, Environmental Services

Public Meeting to introduce new vendor; E.L. Harvey& Sons

Residents are invited to attend a public meeting on June 22, 2018 from 9:00am – 10:00am at the Lexington Community Center, 39 Marrett Road, to introduce our new vendor E.L. Harvey & Sons, Inc. who will be providing recycling and trash services starting July 1, 2018.  The program will discuss what types of materials can go in your recycling container and how single stream recycling will become available for residents interested in placing their mixed recyclables together at the curb. If you have specific questions regarding Lexington’s trash and recycling services, contact Robert Beaudoin in the Department of Public Works at (781) 274-8300, and press 1.

LexFarm   LexFarm.org

Pie in the Rye
June 3 (Sunday), 5:30pm–8:00pm

Spend a lovely evening with friends at Lexington Community Farm. Enjoy a unique experience on the farm featuring live music. Enjoy refreshments, and hors d’oeuvres made with hyperlocal produce. Hear about the work of Lexington Community Farm, mingle, and spend your evening in a unique, relaxing atmosphere. Bring friends, bring a date. Come enjoy the night!
Admission price/person: Members $45, Non-members $50

Education programs in June:
For registration and pricing go to lexfarm.org/education/

Story Hour on the Farm
June 11 (Monday) 10am–11am

What better place to learn about the very hungry caterpillar or wiggling worms than in the learning garden at LexFarm? Kids (ages 2-8) can pull up a seat for stories, crafts, and a visit to the goat yard.

Compost Workshop
June 12 (Tuesday), 6:30pm–7:30pm for adults, or
June 14 (Thursday), 2:00pm–3:00pm for kids

Learn how to manage compost. Create quality compost to boost fertility in your home garden, divert food scraps, and close the loop with backyard food production! We will discuss: How we manage compost on the farm, systems that work well for backyard compost operations, the basic science behind composting and steps to successfully build quality compost.

Open Mic Night at the Farm
June 14 (Thursday), 6:30pm–8:30pm

Our farm can be a busy, productive place during the day, but our community is bustling with creatives and artists.

Insect Walks on the Farm for Families
Tuesdays, 10:30am–11:30am
June 19, July 17, or August 14

Come explore the world of bees, moths, dragonflies, and pollinators. Learn about the role of both pest and beneficial insects on the farm. Get hands-on, learning how to use collection nets to conduct insect sweeps and specimen jars to get an up-close look at insects around the farm.

Birding on the Farm for Families
Mondays, 10:00–11:30am

June 4, June 25, or July 23

Join an experienced bird guide on a walk through Lexington Community Farm’s fields, trees, and field edges. Explore how the unique habitat of our organic farm hosts active bird populations that have behaviors unique to our farm. Come learn about nature’s great opportunists. Activities for children and access to bird guides.

Organic Gardening Series
Tuesdays, 5:30pm–7:30pm
June 26: Intro to Organic Gardening 101 – Gardening Basics: Plant Care
July 3: Intro to Organic Gardening 102 – Fertilizer, Planting, and Crop Selection
August 7: Advanced Organic Gardening 201 – Pest and Disease Identification and Controls
September 4: Advanced Organic Gardening 202 – Season Extension, Intensive Planting, and Succession Plans

Landscape Painting on the Farm
June 28 (Thursday), 5:30pm–7:30pm, or
August 23 (Thursday) 5:30pm–7:30pm

Learn the basics of setting up your canvas, and spend an evening doing a study of your favorite season on the farm. Instructors will provide easel, paints and canvas – leave with your painting at the end of the night.

Lexington Field and Garden Club

Hartwell Composting Facility Tour
Wednesday, June 13 (rain date June 14)

Please carpool, wear sturdy shoes, and meet at the DPW facility at 201 Bedford St. by 9:30 AM.
Questions? Contact Ashley at [email protected]
lexgardenclub.org

 

Residential Curbside Compost Pick-Up

Black Earth Compost blackearthcompost.com

You may know that Black Earth Compost is picking up food waste in most of Lexington’s schools; leftovers from kitchen food prep, the cafeteria, or both.  Arlington’s schools have followed suit and now both towns are eligible for Black Earth’s residential curbside pick up.

With little effort households can collect all food waste, including bones, meat, soiled napkins paper towels and oil, to be collected once a week and composted by Black Earth.  This keeps food waste out of the trash and creates rich soil that can then be used by farmers, a “win-win” in every sense.  Fields enriched by compost retain more water in dry times and resist erosion during storms. The microbial activity in the soil helps feed plants and sequester carbon dioxide (CO2) in the soil.

Want to learn more? Go to blackearthcompost.com/lexington

LexDrives Electric!

The Sustainable Lexington Committee has teamed up with the Local Nonprofit, MassEnergy, to promote an electric car buying pool for Lexington Drivers. What does that mean for you?

First you should know that plug-in electric vehicles are currently eligible for both a State rebate of up to $2,500 and a Federal tax credit of up to $7,500. This can take up to $10,000 or the sticker price of an EV!

The Mass Energy Drive Green program goes beyond these discounts to negotiate with local dealerships for monthly deals off of the sticker price of their electric vehicles. These deals can be found on the Mass Energy website. Right now you can get an additional $7,500 off of the price of a Chevy Bolt! http://massenergywebservices.com/drivegreen/table-all.php#bolt

**Note, you must go through the MassEnergy Web site in order to secure the “drive green” discount.

Or call our partner, HomeWorks, at (781) 305-3319

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