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Extreme heat is becoming more frequent and more intense — and it poses real risks to public health, infrastructure, and our most vulnerable neighbors. Join City staff and regional experts on April 7 from 6–7:30 p.m. for a conversation about how climate change is reshaping New England summers, who is most at risk, and how cities like Cambridge and Boston are responding. Whether you’re concerned about your own health, the health of neighbors and relatives, or the future of our city, this discussion will offer practical information and next steps. This event is cosponsored by the Office of Sustainability and the Cambridge Public Library.

Join us on Thursday July 16th at 6:30pm to celebrate the 2 year anniversary of the launch of the CARE (Community Assistance Response and Engagement)Team! We will be screening Beyond The Call, a powerful documentary highlighting how the City of Cambridge created and implemented the CARE Team, a community-centered alternative response program designed to support people experiencing mental health and behavioral health crises. This documentary will offer an inside look at the challenges, breakthroughs, and real-life impact of building a public safety model rooted in care instead of criminalization. There will be food, swag, and an opportunity to connect directly with those doing the work!

Seven projects in total were selected after a record number of ideas were submitted and more than 10,000 Cambridge residents age 12 and older voted how to spend $1 million on capital and operating projects to improve the community. In order of ranked votes, the following seven projects won $1,060,000 in fiscal year 2026 funding: 1. Improve Parks with Shade Structures and Seating ($250,000) 2. Build a Pollinator Garden in a City Park ($75,000) 3. Funding for High School Clubs ($150,000) 4. Slower Speeds for Safer Streets ($250,000) 5. Mobile Center for Hard-to-Recycle Items ($75,000) 6. Welcome Baby Boxes for New Parents ($60,000) 7. Electric Vehicle Chargers ($200,000)

In honor of Black History Month, join Opera on Tap Boston for Shakespeare of Harlem, a concert celebrating the life, work, and enduring influence of Langston Hughes. The program weaves Hughes’ poetry and prose with art songs by composers such as Margaret Bonds and Florence Price, alongside the voices of his contemporaries, including Georgia Douglas Johnson and Countee Cullen. An ensemble of celebrated local actor-singers brings the text and music to life, illuminating the ideas, experiences, and cultural moments that shaped Hughes as a writer. The performance will be followed by a talkback, offering audiences a chance to discuss with the artists and the material in conversation. Featuring: Morgan Beckford, Soprano Melynda Davis, Soprano Todd McNeel, Baritone Fred C. VanNess Jr., Tenor Producers: Nina Evelyn and Kathryn McKellar Registration is not required but preferred.

Join the Collins Branch Library in collaboration with the Cambridge Climate Leaders Initiative for a monthly discussion of a climate-related topic. Each month the group will discuss a book on the topic at hand then hear about a related local program or initiative and how you can take action. Topic: Heatwaves & Hard Truths Book: The Heat Will Kill You First: Life and death on a scorched planet by Jeff Goodell Meetings will be held on the fourthThursday of each month from 6-7:30 p.m. Copies of the book will be available at the Collins Branch during library hours. Registration is encouraged, but not required. For more information contact Jo at jpercell@cambridgema.gov.

Join the Collins Branch Library in collaboration with the Cambridge Climate Leaders Initiative for a monthly discussion of a climate-related topic. Each month the group will discuss a book on the topic at hand then hear about a related local program or initiative and how you can take action. Topic: Regenerative Possibilities Book: Not Too Late: Changing the Climate Story from Despair to Possibility - edited by Rebecca Solnit & Thelma Young Lutunatabua Meetings will be held on the fourth Thursday of each month from 6-7:30 p.m. Copies of the book will be available at the Collins Branch during library hours. Registration is encouraged, but not required. For more information contact Jo at jpercell@cambridgema.gov.

Join us for activities celebrating the theme of "Plant a Seed, Read" all summer long. Today's activity is bird and bug suncatchers. Explore color, light and creativity as you design a suncatcher to look like a stained-glass window. We will use colored tissue paper to fill frames shaped like birds, butterflies and dragonflies. Hang the finished masterpiece in a window to watch the sun transform it into a glowing display of color. Recommended for children ages 6-12 and their caregivers. July 7 - Tissue Paper Flowers July 14 - Bird and Bug Suncatchers July 21 - no activity on this date July 28 - Perler Bead Plants August 4 - Paint by Sticker August 11 - Origami Peace Cranes

Join the Central Square Branch Library for a screening of Jeanie Finlay's documentary Your Fat Friend. Made over 6 years, acclaimed director Jeanie Finlay charts the rise of writer and activist Aubrey Gordon from anonymous blogger to NYTimes best selling author and beloved podcaster. Her aim? A paradigm shift in the way we see fat people and the fat on our own bodies. Her life changing work has brought her an ardent, international audience but also threats to her life. One of her biggest challenges is getting her parents to listen. Your Fat Friend, a film about fatness, family, the complexities of change and the deep, messy feeling we hold about our bodies. yrfatfriendfilm.com / @yrfatfriendfilm

This program shows how owls use their specialized powers of sight, hearing and flight to survive and thrive. A wealth of fact and folklore about these masters of the night explains the natural and unnatural history of owls. A variety of live North American owls provides the focus of this presentation. Recommended for children ages 6 and up and their caregivers. Space is limited, and we may not be able to accommodate late arrivals once the program begins. Thank you for understanding! Funding for Summer Reading has been generously provided by the City of Cambridge, Cambridge Public Library Foundation, Friends of the Cambridge Public Library and the Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners.

Update 6/18/25: Due to rain in the forecast, this story time has been cancelled. Children and families can join us for an outdoor story time and short walk at Alewife Brook Reservation. We will meet at the seating area on the bike path near the Alewife Brook Pathway and DCR Wetland Boardwalk: https://maps.app.goo.gl/CC32nJqG1Xk3b5zDA. There is no parking available on-site. Parking is available at Alewife MBTA station or limited on-street parking on Cambridgepark Drive. No registration is required. In case of bad weather, this event will be cancelled and the listing will be updated on the website. Please call 617-349-4023 with any questions, including day-of weather cancellations.