Events - and Sites - the Bring the Outdoors to Life

CONCORD FREE PUBLIC LIBRARY concordlibrary.org

Seed Starting Workshop at Codman Community Farms May 7 | 1:00-2:00 pm

Spring means planting! Join the Library and Codman Community Farms in Lincoln for a seed starting workshop! This workshop will be led by Jess Myles, Codman’s Outreach, Education, and Volunteer Manager. She will lead you through planting an assortment of seeds using a variety of potting materials. Best of all, you will leave the workshop with a tray of your own seedlings, ready to grow in your home!

Nature Connection May 11, June 8, and July 13 | 2:00 - 2:45 pm

On the second Wednesday of each month, the Concord Free Public Library teams up with The Nature Connection to invite children to explore plants and animals, geek out over nature, and connect with self and others through nature-based stories and poems! The Nature Connection offers accessible and inclusive programs, incorporates mindfulness, and facilitates social connection for kids of all backgrounds and abilities. This program is geared for children aged kindergarten and up. Masks are required for all participants over two years of age.

Insect Safari with Professor Bugman August 1 | 2:00 - 4:00 pm

Professor Bugman (a real entomologist!) leads children in an outdoor insect safari that will help them build important scientific skills through hands-on experience, all while providing scientific supervision, mentorship, and subject matter expertise. Children get to use entomology tools such as sweep nets, jars, and magnifiers and explore a green space searching for insects and other small wildlife. This fun and interactive program is generously sponsored by The Friends of the Concord Free Public Library.

Courtesy of Concord Free Public Library

CONCORD VISITOR CENTER visitconcord.org

There is so much to see and do in Concord that planning the perfect day, or weekend, can be overwhelming. Whether you’re passionate about Louisa May Alcott, intrigued by the Indigenous peoples that called this area home before Europeans arrived, or fascinated by Concord’s historic cemeteries, Concord’s Visitor Center has the perfect tour for you. Or let them create a one-of-a-kind custom tour based on your interests. Learn more in our article, “Encounter History That Changed the World,” on p. 28 for more information on these exciting tours.

MINUTE MAN NATIONAL HISTORICAL PARK nps.gov/mima

Spring Bird Migration Walk May 12 | 8:00 am – 10:00 am May 19 | 7:00 am – 9:00 am

The birds are back, and Minute Man National Historical Park’s forest, meadow, brush, and wetlands host many nesting and migrating species. Blue-winged Warbler, American Redstart, Veery, and Indigo Bunting are regular nesters. Late May also brings a variety of migrating songbirds like flycatchers and warblers. Each year brings a few surprises. This is a one-mile walk on both paved paths and wooded trails which may be muddy. This event is co-sponsored by the Brookline Bird Club.

Scarlet Tanager

© Jay Dia

ORCHARD HOUSE louisamayalcott.org

Louisa May Alcott’s Orchard House and grounds are more than an historic site. For many people worldwide, they are a source of inspiration, hope, and even pilgrimage. A. Bronson Alcott spent years curating and nurturing the landscape, while the Alcott sisters each tended their own garden plots, as did their fictional counterparts in Little Women. The grounds of Orchard House continue to be lovingly maintained, offering unique insights into the world of the Alcotts and Little Women. Learn more in “The Legacy and Allure of Orchard House’s Landscape” on p. 18, and make plans to visit this extraordinary space.

© Ellen Hartshorne Whitney

VERRILL FARM verrillfarm.com

Verrill Farm is a Concord institution, and generations of Concordians have celebrated summer with their families at the farm. Each event follows the rhythms of the season, focusing on the freshest fruits and vegetables. Build your own family memories this summer with these special events:

Strawberry Day June 25

Blueberry Pancake Breakfast July 16

Corn and Tomato Festival August 20

THE TRUSTEES OF RESERVATIONS thetrustees.org

The Trustees Quest

Prepare for adventure! The Trustees Quest is an outdoor, self-guided exploration for families with school-aged kids and the young at heart. Navigate through five Trustees properties with fun clues, discovering cool places and activities along the way. Find the special location at each of the five sites and scan a QR code to earn a digital badge. Scanning the QR code will also give you more to explore at that site. Visit thetrustees.org/program/trusteesquest to sign up for the Quest and receive your guide with trail maps and clues.

CONCORD MUSEUM concordmuseum.org

While we love being outside, Concord Museum has an exciting schedule of upcoming talks that will take us deeper into the natural world. Definitely worth some time indoors!

The Global Odyssey of Migratory Birds May 3 | 7:00 - 8:00 pm

In-person and Virtual Join Scott Weidensaul, naturalist, ornithologist and author of A World on the Wing: The Global Odyssey of Migratory Birds and marvel at the wonder of bird migration and its global sweep.

In the Footsteps of Henry David Thoreau May 4 | 7:00 - 8:00 pm

In-person and Virtual In his new book, Six Walks, award-winning author and artist, Ben Shattuck, depicts six journeys from Cape Cod to Mount Katahdin that were once taken by Thoreau. According to one reviewer: “echoing Thoreau’s brilliant reflections with his own, Shattuck distills the healing power of nature into a narrative that’s a pure pleasure to wander through.”

Founding Women and the Dawn of the Conservation Movement May 10 | 7:00 - 8:00 pm

In-person and Virtual Joan Walsh, Gerard Bertrand Chair of Field Ornithology & Natural History at Mass Audubon, and Reed Abigail Gochberg, Harvard Lecturer and Curator, speak on the role women played in the founding of the conservation movement.

On Emerson and Parker: A Conversation with Dean Grodzins May 25 | 7:00 - 8:00 pm

In-person and Virtual Few figures had more influence in shaping Transcendentalism in America than Ralph Waldo Emerson and Theodore Parker. Join Dean Grodzins, author of American Heretic: Theodore Parker and Transcendentalism, in a wide-ranging conversation to help mark the 219th anniversary of Emerson’s birth.