An Evening of Humor & Insight: The Financial Benefits of Sustainability
2015-05-06 19:30 (America/New_York) | Wellesley College – Science Center Auditorium
Wellesley College, Sustainable Business Network, & Sustainable Wellesley present “The Financial Benefits of Sustainability – An Evening of Humor and Insight.” Experts discuss how Sustainable Business Practices create value, profit and business opportunities.
More information about the event and how to reserve your Complimentary tickets with Sustainable Wellesley.

Sustainable Living Festival - joint GNC/Sustainable Wellesley Event
2015-05-16 10:00 - 15:00 | Wellesley Municipal Light Plant, 455 Worcester St (Rt 9), Wellesley, 02481
Lots of great exhibitors are lined up for the Sustainable Living Festival. Stay tuned for specifics on speaker highlights & workshops. Bring your children so they can enjoy the “Kids Zone.” Look for great ideas and inspiration from experts in the following fields: LEED architects, Farmers Clothing, Designer Electric, landscaping, home/health products, rooftop solar, energy efficiency/conservation, and more.
More details …

Needham Farmer's Market 2015 Opening Day, Sunday, May 24th, 2015
2015-05-24 12:00 - 16:00
The Needham Farmer’s Market is opening for the 2015 season on Sunday, May 24th. The market, located at 270 Garden St. behind Needham Bank, in Needham Center, will be held every Sunday from May 24th through the end of October from noon-4 pm. So, mark your calendars, and come on down for some fresh produce and local products, and perhaps some live music. Check out the Market’s website for their vendor list and other information.

Needham Farmer's Market - Sunday, May 31, 2015
2015-05-31 12:00 - 16:00

Needham Farmer's Market - Sunday, June 7, 2015
2015-06-07 12:00 - 16:00

Going to Pots: Outdoor Container Gardens
2015-06-08 19:00 - 20:30 | Needham Public Library, 1139 Highland Ave, Needham , 02494
Adults & Teens program
Master gardener Betty Sanders will lead a discussion of techniques and demonstrate five unique container gardens, using annuals, perennials and herbs.

Needham Farmer's Market - Sunday, June 14, 2015
2015-06-14 12:00 - 16:00

STEAM Lecture Series: Climate Reality at the Newton Free Library
2015-06-17 19:00 - 21:00 | Newton Free Library, Druker Auditorium, 330 Homer St., Newton, 02459
Did you miss Green Needham’s “Climate Reality Project” presentation last October? Then plan to attend Newton’s Green Decade on June 17th 7-9pm for this presentation by Quentin Prideaux, a Climate Leader, from the Climate Reality Project. He will cover the impacts and causes of climate change, the actions we need to take, and what it all means for Massachusetts and the Northeast. He will discuss why some have been confused about the science and, although the subject is serious, Quentin keeps it positive and lighthearted where possible. Druker Auditorium at the Newton Free Library (330 Homer St, Newton, MA)
Here’s a link to Green Decade’s calendar.

Needham Farmer's Market - Sunday, June 21, 2015
2015-06-21 12:00 - 16:00

Needham Farmer's Market - Sunday, June 28, 2015
2015-06-28 12:00 - 16:00

Needham Farmer's Market - Sunday, July 5, 2015
2015-07-05 12:00 - 16:00

Needham Farmer's Market - Sunday, July 12, 2015
2015-07-12 12:00 - 16:00

Needham Farmer's Market - Sunday, July 19, 2015
2015-07-19 12:00 - 16:00

Needham Farmer’s Market – Sunday, July 26, 2015
2015-07-26 12:00 - 16:00

Needham Farmer's Market - Sunday, Aug 2, 2015
2015-08-02 12:00 - 16:00

Needham Farmer’s Market – Sunday, Aug 9, 2015
2015-08-09 12:00 - 16:00

Needham Farmer’s Market – Sunday, Aug 16, 2015
2015-08-16 12:00 - 16:00

Needham Farmer’s Market – Sunday, Aug 23, 2015
2015-08-23 12:00 - 16:00

Needham Farmer’s Market – Sunday, Aug 30, 2015
2015-08-30 12:00 - 16:00

Needham Farmer’s Market – Sunday, Sept 6, 2015
2015-09-06 12:00 - 16:00

Raising Backyard Chickens
2015-09-12 10:30 - 12:00
Thinking about a small backyard flock or a terrific family pet? Join the visiting chicken and human counterpart Kerrie Capraro, who will answer questions about coop planning, chicken biology and raising chicks to be healthy egg layers.

Needham Farmer’s Market – Sunday, Sept 13, 2015
2015-09-13 12:00 - 16:00

Invasive Plants: Not Just a Nuisance
2015-09-18 09:30 - 11:00 | Needham Public Library, 1139 Highland Ave, Needham , 02494
Do you know why invasive plants are harmful beyond our gardens, extending to the local food web? Are you curious about which invasive plants are in our area? How can we recognize them? How can we eliminate them from our own yards and community?

Dr. Eric Olson, an expert on invasive plants, will address these questions on Friday, September 18 at 9:30 a.m. in the Needham Public Library, at the League of Women Voters of Needham’s first League Friday Forum of the season. You’re invited to come and learn more about this important topic.
Dr. Olson is a professor in the Sustainable International Development Graduate Program at Brandeis University, with a PhD in evolutionary biology and ecology, specifically in the ecology of “tri-trophic” interactions: host plants, the insects that feed on these plants, and the wasps, birds, and other predators that feed on those insects. He also teaches courses in water & sanitation, climate change, ecotourism, environmental impact assessment, and environmental health.
A question and answer period will follow. Light refreshments will be served at 9:30 and the speaker will begin at 9:45. The event is free and open to the public.
A flyer with more details about the event and the speaker is available

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Needham Farmer’s Market – Sunday, Sept 20, 2015
2015-09-20 12:00 - 16:00

Plastic Bags: To Ban or Not to Ban?
2015-09-25 18:30 - 20:30 | Unitarian Universalist of Wellesley, 309 Washington Street, Parish Hall, Wellesley, MA
The evening will start with a 45-minute version of the award-winning movie “Bag It: Is Your Life Too Plastic?” Then Newton Alderman Alison Leary will discuss the Newton bag ban and lead a discussion about whether Wellesley should join 15 other MA communities in banning plastic bags. Sponsored by UU Wellesley, Sustainable Wellesley, and the Town of Wellesley 3R (Reduce Reuse Recycle) Working Group. Flyer attached. Please click here for more information and to register for the event.

Needham Farmer’s Market – Sunday, Sept 27, 2015
2015-09-27 12:00 - 16:00

Needham Farmer’s Market – Sunday, Oct. 4, 2015
2015-10-04 12:00 - 16:00

Needham Farmer’s Market – Sunday, Oct. 11, 2015
2015-10-11 12:00 - 16:00

Answering the Call: An Interfaith Gathering for Climate Action
2015-10-12 18:30 - 21:00 | Temple Beth Elohim, 10 Bethel Road, Wellesley, MA
“Climate change is a problem that can no longer be left to future generations.”
Source: Pope Francis, speaking at the White House, September 23, 2015
Inspired by Pope Francis’ encyclical on climate change, members of Boston area congregations and faith organizations are gathering on October 12th to share messages of hope, inspiration, and action for healing our world. Keynote speaker will be Father Bryan Hehir; other speakers include Rabbi Shoshana Meira Friedman and Rev. Fred Small. The event kicks off an interfaith coalition to “answer the call” to act on climate change, and to ensure a clean and equitable energy future in Massachusetts. The coalition will be working to support the MA Power Forward statewide campaign to help move Massachusetts toward a clean, just, and inclusive energy future. For more information, please click here. To register for the event, please click here.
Originally conceived of as a small interfaith gathering by members of the Wellesley Village Church, UCC, the event has now grown to include 39 Boston area congregations and faith organizations that have signed on as sponsors and supporters. “As a Jesuit priest and pastor of a Jesuit parish (St. Ignatius of Loyola, Chestnut Hill) how could I not answer the call from the first Jesuit Pope to care for our common home?” said Father VerEecke, Jesuit Artist-in-Residence at Boston College for the past 25 years. “I am profoundly moved to be part of this ecumenical event, inspired by Pope Francis’ encyclical Laudato Sí,” VerEecke said
Confirmed speakers to date, and their roles in the program:
• Father Bryan Hehir – keynote speaker – The Parker Gilbert Montgomery Professor of the Practice of Religion and Public Life at Harvard Kennedy School and the Secretary for Health
Care and Social Services in the Archdiocese of Boston
• Rabbi Joel Sisenwine – welcome – Senior Rabbi, Temple Beth Elohim, Wellesley
• Imam Ismail Fenni – opening prayer/invocation – Imam at the Islamic Society of Boston in Cambridge
• Rabbi Shoshana Meira Friedman – master of ceremonies – Assistant Rabbi for Engagement at Temple Sinai
• Father Robert VerEecke – “Creation” dance and remarks – Pastor, St. Ignatius of Loyola in Chestnut Hill; Jesuit Artist-in-Residence at Boston College; Director of Boston Liturgical
Ensemble
• Rev. Margaret Bullitt-Jonas – remarks – Episcopal priest and Missioner for Creation Care in the Episcopal Diocese of Western Massachusetts
• Mariama White-Hammond – remarks – Minister-in-Training, Bethel AME Church in Jamaica Plain
• Rev. Fred Small – remarks – Minister of First Parish in Cambridge (UU) and founder of the Creation Coalition
• Rabbi Rachel Saphire – remarks – Associate Rabbi at Temple Beth Elohim

DETAILS:
Welcoming Reception & Sign-in: 6:30pm
Program: 7:00 pm to 9:00 pm
Event co-chairs: Amy Benjamin, Temple Beth Elohim, and Lise Olney, Unitarian Universalists of Wellesley

Needham Adult Education: Zero Energy Home
2015-10-15 19:00 - 20:30 | Needham High School – Room 206, Webster St, Needham
Peter Kane, Instructor
Join us to learn about the design and construction of a zero net energy home built in Westwood three years ago. The owner/designer/builder will present a slide show illustrating the important design considerations, construction details, and the finished home. The presentation will also cover the cost of the construction, how the home has performed over the three years, what it is like to live in it, and what mistakes were made that could be avoided – and answer the question of whether solar energy really works. (Hint: the electric company owes him money!) Note: a Saturday morning tour of the home is included in the course fee.
NHS – Room 206
Oct. 15, 7-8:30 pm
plus one Saturday morning visit to the zero energy home: @ 149 Ellis St., Westwood, MA 02090 10-11am Oct. 17
$35
