CPL Nature Club: Rethinking Urban Green Spaces: Nature Walk with Earthwise Aware (Main)
Join Earthwise Aware (EwA) for an interactive walk to observe, document, and take part in shaping urban spaces that work with nature. Together, we will explore how design choices and climate pressures shape the ecological value of our everyday green spaces, and document habitat conditions using simple citizen science tools.
Starting at the library lawn, we will examine spaces that appear green but often function poorly. Manicured lawns and sparse tree plantings may look inviting, yet they frequently support little biodiversity and can limit soil health and resilience. What makes a space truly nature-friendly? We will record what is present, what is missing, and what that tells us about ecological function.
During the walk, we will:
Observe and document plant communities and habitat quality
Identify signs of low and high ecological function
Compare conventional landscapes with more resilient plantings such as native beds or meadow patches
Contribute real data that supports local ecological understanding and decision making
This is participatory science in practice. Your observations will feed into broader efforts to track urban biodiversity and inform better land use choices.
The program will meet outside the library in Joan Lorentz Park. Registration required.
Rain date: Wednesday May 6
Watercolor Workshop (Boudreau)
In this class you will be introduced to painting with watercolor, including techniques in color mixing, observational painting, and composition. At your own pace you will learn how to paint still life using watercolor in a relaxed and welcoming environment. This class will cover wet on wet and wet on dry techniques, masking, pressing, shading and light techniques, ink washes, and pattern making. You will come away from this class with many beautiful watercolor paintings of your own and a greater understanding and appreciation for the medium of watercolor.
This class is suitable for beginners and can be adjusted for all levels of experience. This class is for adults.
This class is taught by Brooke Lambert.
Brooke is a professional printmaker and painter. She holds a BFA from Massachusetts
College of Art and Design and shows her work widely in New England, New York, and
beyond. Brooke works in Studio 291 at Western Avenue Studios & Lofts in Lowell, MA.
She is currently represented by The Society of American Graphic Artists and Equity
Gallery in New York, NY and Galaray House, contemporary art gallery in Lexington,
MA. She has thirteen years of teaching experience and currently teaches adult art
workshops and holds artist demos at several locations in New England.
Watercolor Workshop (Boudreau)
In this class you will be introduced to painting with watercolor, including techniques in color mixing, observational painting, and composition. At your own pace you will learn how to paint still life using watercolor in a relaxed and welcoming environment. This class will cover wet on wet and wet on dry techniques, masking, pressing, shading and light techniques, ink washes, and pattern making. You will come away from this class with many beautiful watercolor paintings of your own and a greater understanding and appreciation for the medium of watercolor.
This class is suitable for beginners and can be adjusted for all levels of experience. This class is for adults.
This class is taught by Brooke Lambert. Brooke is a professional printmaker and painter. She holds a BFA from Massachusetts College of Art and Design and shows her work widely in New England, New York, and beyond. Brooke works in Studio 291 at Western Avenue Studios & Lofts in Lowell, MA. She is currently represented by The Society of American Graphic Artists and Equity Gallery in New York, NY and Gallery House, contemporary art gallery in Lexington MA. She has thirteen years of teaching experience and currently teaches adult art workshops and holds artist demos at several locations in New England.
Moses Youth Center
The Moses Youth Center (Formerly known as the Area 4 Youth Center) was originally constructed in 1992. The building is 19,500 GSF with a concrete structure, large windows, skylights, and its original building systems. Named for Bob and Janet Moses, Cambridge residents, educators, and civil rights leaders, the facility is primarily used by the Department of Human Service Programs’ Cambridge Youth Programs division, which serves Cambridge teens through afterschool and summer programming. Nurtury, , an early childhood education provider, operates from the building’s basement level. Moses Youth Center also serves the larger community as a location for programs supporting new parents, community meetings, and a neighborhood voting location.
The building has been evaluated for systems upgrades several times and is currently in design for an upcoming capital project to improve the aging HVAC systems, repair critical plumbing infrastructure, and make key elements of the building more visually appealing for users. In addition, DPW Engineering is working on a project for street improvements around the building to help address and improve exterior water infiltration issues that have impacted the Youth Center. (Kristen, you could link to the port project that Gerry is working on if you think it is appropriate).
This project will enhance thermal comfort for staff and residents who use the Moses Youth Center. It will also further the climate goals outlined by the Cambridge Net Zero Action Plan through its transition to an electric energy system, which will decrease the building’s greenhouse gas emissions.