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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

CPA FY18 Petitions

Is King Philip’s War really part of the past? Four Indigenous speakers tell us that it’s still deeply present. People who are not Indigenous often think of Metacom’s Resistance – more commonly known as King Philip’s War – if they know of it - as part of a distant past. If we have read children’s stories of an idealized colonial life, or educated with traditional textbooks, we might think of the war as a single violent chapter in an otherwise quaint, albeit colorful, history, with colonial heroes bravely conquering their enemies. Historical markers dotting the New England countryside, especially in Massachusetts, reinforce this idea: it was brutal, but the colonists emerged victorious, and in any event it was long ago – nothing to do with life today. For Indigenous communities, the past is not so easily left behind – and nor should it be for non-Indigenous people. We all live today with its aftermath. King Philip’s War continues to shape daily life, experience, and memory. Panelists include: Hartman Deetz, Mashpee Wampanoag Brad Lopes, Aquinnah Wampanoag Brittney Walley, Hassanamisco Nipmuc Elizabeth Solomon, Massachusett at Ponkapoag, moderator On the eve of the 250th anniversary of the American Revolution, this panel invites audiences to grapple with a foundational war of Indigenous resistance on its 350th anniversary - and to see that it is not past, but deeply present, for us all.

Join us for a Know Your Rights presentation led by an attorney from De Novo. This session will share important updates for Temporary Protected Status (TPS) recipients, including: How to renew your TPS Work permit and travel information Legal supports and available resources You’ll also have the chance to ask questions and connect with local organizations that can help with ongoing support. This a hybrid event. A Zoom link will be sent to all registered participants 1 hour before the event. We will be providing interpretation in Spanish and Haitian Creole on location during the event. Registration is encouraged but not required. Pizza will be provided! Vin jwenn nou pou yon prezantasyon ak yon avoka imigrasyon De Novo sou Estati Pwoteksyon Tanporè (TPS). Nou pral eksplore sijè tankou: Kijan pou renouvle pèmi Travay TPS ou ak enfòmasyon sou vwayaj Sipò legal ak resous ki disponib Pou wè prezantasyon sa a sou Zoom, enskri pou reyinyon an ak lyen ki anwo a. Pou gade l an dirèk, vizite Bibliyotèk Central Plas la (45 Pearl Street). Entèpretasyon an ap disponib an kreyòl Ayisyen ak an Espanyòl. Gratis epi louvri pou tout moun! Acompáñenos a la presentación de un abogado de inmigración de De Novo sobre el Estatus de Protección Temporal (TPS). Hablaremos sobre los siguientes temas: cómo renovar su TPS permiso de trabajo e información de viaje apoyos legales y recursos disponibles Para ver esta presentación en Zoom, regístrese en la reunión usando el enlace anterior. Para verla en vivo, visite la Biblioteca de Central Square 45 Pearl Street, Cambridge Habrá interpretación en criollo haitiano y español. ¡Entrada libre y gratuita!

Join Earthwise Aware for a thought-provoking workshop examining how land use and climate change influence the design, function, and future of urban green spaces. Starting at the library’s front lawn, we will explore how conventional designs can undermine biodiversity and tree health. What makes a space truly nature-friendly? Can a lawn, sidewalk, or plaza be transformed into habitat? We will compare low-functioning green spaces with examples of micro-forests, native plantings, and meadows. Along the way, we will observe seasonal changes in plants and wildlife through the lens of phenology, the study of nature’s calendar. We will also introduce simple participatory science tools that help monitor habitat quality, foster community engagement, and inform better decisions. Even a modest native plant patch can be a pocket of resilience. Come learn how to spot, support, and reimagine urban nature that works with the ecosystem, not just mimics it. The program will start with a workshop in the Rossi Room, then move outside to Joan Lorentz Park. Registration required.

To mark the 250th anniversaries of the American Revolution and the founding of the United States, a coalition of local non-profits and government agencies will present Washington in American Memory, a seven-part speaker series. Trace how diplomacy, collaboration, and conflict shaped the early republic through Washington’s relationships with Native people, featuring: Colin Gordon Calloway, author of The Indian World of George Washington: The First President, the First Americans, and the Birth of the Nation and the John Kimball, Jr. 1943 Professor of History and Professor of Native American Studies at Dartmouth College Kabl Wilkerson, enrolled member of the Citizen Potawatomi Nation (Bourassa & Muller families; Bear Clan) and doctoral candidate in the History Department at Harvard University

Learn how to restore biodiversity and help slow climate change — while creating a beautiful garden! Join Amy Meltzer as we discuss the following: The current biodiversity crisis The shared evolutionary history among native birds, insects and plants How your support of those relationships are necessary for the species' survival How your garden can support biodiversity How you can help our Cambridge public plantings thrive This is a hybrid event. A Zoom link will be sent to all registered participants 1 hour before the event. The in-person event will take place in the Learning Lab.

Meeting minutes of the Cambridge Historical Commission meeting held April 7th, 2011

Newsletter that explains the FY17 tax bill in detail and answers some frequently asked questions.

Harvard Book Store, the Harvard University Division of Science, the Harvard Library, and the Cambridge Public Library welcome Dr. Anjana Khatwa—award-winning earth scientist, TV presenter, and advocate for diversity in the geosciences and nature—for a discussion of her book The Whispers of Rock: The Stories That Stone Tells About Our World and Our Lives, a 2025 New Scientist Best Book of the Year. Registration is required.