Vermont Reads SPeaker Series
We are joining Vermont Humanities’ community reading program known as Vermont Reads again this year. All across Vermont, community members are invited to read The Light Pirate by Lily Brooks-Dalton and to consider themes of resilience, strength through community and the unstoppable power of the natural world.
We have many copies of The Light Pirate available to take and pass along to friends, family and neighbors. The book follows Wanda, named after a catastrophic storm and born into a world that is rapidly changing. Rising sea levels and devastating weather patterns transform her coastal Florida town. Wanda adapts to this remade landscape, finding adventure, love and purpose in a place largely abandoned by civilization. The book is a meditation on the beauty and violence of an untameable wilderness and considers the dissolution of the human-made world while helping us to see how human connection, adaptability and a little bit of magic might guide us to a new future.
To support our community in exploring and discussing these concepts as well as the intersection of climate change/flooding, Lincoln VT, and preparedness, we have partnered with the Lincoln Conservation Commission to create a speaker series that will run from February through June.
We have many copies of The Light Pirate available to take and pass along to friends, family and neighbors. The book follows Wanda, named after a catastrophic storm and born into a world that is rapidly changing. Rising sea levels and devastating weather patterns transform her coastal Florida town. Wanda adapts to this remade landscape, finding adventure, love and purpose in a place largely abandoned by civilization. The book is a meditation on the beauty and violence of an untameable wilderness and considers the dissolution of the human-made world while helping us to see how human connection, adaptability and a little bit of magic might guide us to a new future.
To support our community in exploring and discussing these concepts as well as the intersection of climate change/flooding, Lincoln VT, and preparedness, we have partnered with the Lincoln Conservation Commission to create a speaker series that will run from February through June.
February
Jon Mingle - "Flood Tales: A Climate Reporter's Notebook"
Thursday, 02/12/26, 7:00-8:30
Thursday, 02/12/26, 7:00-8:30
Lincoln resident and journalist Jon Mingle will share stories and lessons from two decades of reporting on climate change from the Himalaya to Vermont. His talk will focus on tales of floods — humanity's oldest story genre — and their power to both fragment and strengthen communities.
BIO:
Mingle is an independent journalist focused on climate change, energy and resource issues. His reporting and writing has been featured in The New York Times, The New York Review of Books, Yale Environment 360, Seven Days, Slate, MIT Technology Review and many other outlets. A past recipient of the Alicia Patterson Foundation Fellowship and the Middlebury Fellowship in Environmental Journalism, he's the author of two nonfiction books on energy, climate and community: Fire and Ice: Soot, Solidarity, and Survival on the Roof of the World (2015) and Gaslight: The Atlantic Coast Pipeline and the Fight for America's Energy Future (2024).
BIO:
Mingle is an independent journalist focused on climate change, energy and resource issues. His reporting and writing has been featured in The New York Times, The New York Review of Books, Yale Environment 360, Seven Days, Slate, MIT Technology Review and many other outlets. A past recipient of the Alicia Patterson Foundation Fellowship and the Middlebury Fellowship in Environmental Journalism, he's the author of two nonfiction books on energy, climate and community: Fire and Ice: Soot, Solidarity, and Survival on the Roof of the World (2015) and Gaslight: The Atlantic Coast Pipeline and the Fight for America's Energy Future (2024).
Alex Smith & Trey Martin - “What is Act 59, why does it matter, and how can Vermonters get involved?”
Thursday, 02/26/26, 7:00-8:30
Thursday, 02/26/26, 7:00-8:30
Come hear and discuss Act 59 (the 30x30 Initiative). The act focuses on climate resilience and biodiversity protection. Alex will talk about how this can be affected by folks at the local level (conservation commissions and landowners in particular) and why and how the hunting and angling communities should be involved . His co-presenter will be Trey Martin, who is leading the Technical Advisory Committee for Vermont Housing and Conservation Board. Trey will provide background on what 30x30 is and why it's relevant to all of us. We will conclude the evening with a conversation about what this can mean for local communities, particularly those who utilize public land for hunting/fishing/etc, and how individual landowners/towns can get involved.
BIO:
Alex Smith is a licensed Adirondack guide, a member of the Vermont State Leadership team of Backcountry Hunters and Anglers, and a member of the Technical Advisory Committee for the states’ 30x30 initiative.
BIO:
Alex Smith is a licensed Adirondack guide, a member of the Vermont State Leadership team of Backcountry Hunters and Anglers, and a member of the Technical Advisory Committee for the states’ 30x30 initiative.
March
Zapata Courage - “How Wetlands Support Community Resilience in the Face of Climate Change”
Thursday, 03/12/26, 7:00-8:30
Thursday, 03/12/26, 7:00-8:30
Zapata will provide an overview of how wetlands support community resilience in the face of climate change. As weather conditions bring stronger storm events with more rainfall or prolonged dry periods, wetlands help to reduce local flood and drought risk. Wetlands also provide community and regional resilience through carbon storage, wildlife habitat, and connectivity for movement.The decisions we make today can have long-term effects, whether it’s what a landowner wants to do on their land to new Town projects.
Come learn how this unique ecosystem of where the land transitions from water to upland helps to protect Lincoln. This talk, with many photos, brings something for everyone to think about.
BIO:
Zapata is a Professional Wetland Scientist and is currently a Wetland Ecologist for the State of VT Wetlands Program. She works with landowners and consultants reviewing wetland delineations and providing technical assistance. She manages permitting, regulatory, and compliance issues related to wetlands in her region. Prior to working at DEC, Zapata worked as a consultant, field biologist, and environmental outdoor educator in VT , throughout the U.S. and in Kenya. Zapata is also the President of the Vermont Association for Wetland Science (VAWS), a newly formed non-profit. She also works with birds, mist-netting bats, radio-collaring wolves, rocket-trapping deer, paw-printing fisher, finding the elusive rare, threatened and endangered plants, and navigating human-wildlife.
Come learn how this unique ecosystem of where the land transitions from water to upland helps to protect Lincoln. This talk, with many photos, brings something for everyone to think about.
BIO:
Zapata is a Professional Wetland Scientist and is currently a Wetland Ecologist for the State of VT Wetlands Program. She works with landowners and consultants reviewing wetland delineations and providing technical assistance. She manages permitting, regulatory, and compliance issues related to wetlands in her region. Prior to working at DEC, Zapata worked as a consultant, field biologist, and environmental outdoor educator in VT , throughout the U.S. and in Kenya. Zapata is also the President of the Vermont Association for Wetland Science (VAWS), a newly formed non-profit. She also works with birds, mist-netting bats, radio-collaring wolves, rocket-trapping deer, paw-printing fisher, finding the elusive rare, threatened and endangered plants, and navigating human-wildlife.
April
Lincoln Conservation Commission - “Community Resiliency and the Work of the Conservation Commission”
Tuesday, 04/14/26, 7:00-8:30
Tuesday, 04/14/26, 7:00-8:30
In this talk, we will dive into the nitty gritty of what our Commission has done in the past and our current work. We continuously have multiple projects underway at any given time, from organizing Green Up Day, to collaborating with schools on town land projects, to general stewardship of town land, to having town lands assessed for different conservation statuses and uses - we do a lot! Come talk with us about what we're up to and brainstorm with us. We will also share what we have for volunteer opportunities for those who are interested.
Tina Scharf - “Tending to Place - Invasive Plant Control”
Tina will provide a short history of invasive plant control in LIncoln, where we are now, and share an upcoming initiative.
Conservation Commission mission and work:
The Lincoln Conservation Commission (LCC) is a body of five town appointed members working to protect and enhance Lincoln’s natural and cultural resources for their inherent value and their contribution to quality of life for all inhabitants. The Lincoln Conservation Commission and volunteers promote public understanding and appreciation of nature while advocating for, celebrating, and steward Town lands. We create educational events, spaces and tools, and engage in the civic life of the Town, including Town planning and policy development.
BIO:
Tina has a BA in Geology and a Masters in Wildlife and Fisheries Biology, both from UVM. I worked for 20+ years in wildlife biology, for Vermont Fish and Wildlife, various NGO's, and in private consulting. I was a member of the precursor of the Lincoln Conservation Commission, The Lincoln Treasures Committee. I joined the Commission in the early years of its existence (early aughts) and continued until a couple of years ago. I was also on the Library Board for seven years. For fun I do a variety of self-propelled sports and love to travel. I've lived in Lincoln since 1976. It is Home! I am inspired by something a wise person (whose identity I don't recall) said, "Find a place you love and take care of it."
Conservation Commission mission and work:
The Lincoln Conservation Commission (LCC) is a body of five town appointed members working to protect and enhance Lincoln’s natural and cultural resources for their inherent value and their contribution to quality of life for all inhabitants. The Lincoln Conservation Commission and volunteers promote public understanding and appreciation of nature while advocating for, celebrating, and steward Town lands. We create educational events, spaces and tools, and engage in the civic life of the Town, including Town planning and policy development.
BIO:
Tina has a BA in Geology and a Masters in Wildlife and Fisheries Biology, both from UVM. I worked for 20+ years in wildlife biology, for Vermont Fish and Wildlife, various NGO's, and in private consulting. I was a member of the precursor of the Lincoln Conservation Commission, The Lincoln Treasures Committee. I joined the Commission in the early years of its existence (early aughts) and continued until a couple of years ago. I was also on the Library Board for seven years. For fun I do a variety of self-propelled sports and love to travel. I've lived in Lincoln since 1976. It is Home! I am inspired by something a wise person (whose identity I don't recall) said, "Find a place you love and take care of it."
May
Kieran Mulvaney - “ Of Ice and Bears: The Changing Arctic”
Thursday, 05/07/26, 7:00-8:30
Thursday, 05/07/26, 7:00-8:30
The Arctic is changing. The northern reaches of the world are warming four times faster than the rest of the planet, melting sea ice, threatening the way of life of the region's indigenous inhabitants, and challenging the continued existence of some of its most iconic animals. In this presentation, Kieran Mulvaney guides us through the Arctic and its natural and human history. He describes his own experiences – from standing at the North Pole to looking a polar bear in the eye – and details how the changing Arctic is prompting several countries, including the United States, to look upon it with covetous eyes.
BIO:
Kieran Mulvaney is the author of several books on the Arctic and Antarctic, including The Great White Bear: A Natural and Unnatural History of the Polar Bear and, most recently, Arctic Passages: Ice, Exploration, and the Battle for Power at the Top of the World, which The Economist listed as one of its Best Books of 2025. A founder of the Whale and Dolphin Conservation Society in 1987, from 1989 to 1995 he was an oceans campaigner for Greenpeace, during which time he led several expeditions to the Antarctic to confront Japanese whaling ships. Those voyages were documented in his book The Whaling Season: An Inside Account of the Struggle to Stop Commercial Whaling. He has also worked with organizations including the International Fund for Animal Welfare, Polar Bears International, and the New England Aquarium. A frequent contributor to National Geographic and The History Channel, he has also
written for The Guardian, The Economist, BBC Wildlife, and New Scientist, among other publications. He is also an award-winning boxing commentator, in which capacity he worked for ESPN, HBO, and Showtime. Born in Weston-super-Mare, England, he has traveled widely in the Arctic and Antarctic, and spent seven years in a cabin in Alaska. He lives in Bristol.
BIO:
Kieran Mulvaney is the author of several books on the Arctic and Antarctic, including The Great White Bear: A Natural and Unnatural History of the Polar Bear and, most recently, Arctic Passages: Ice, Exploration, and the Battle for Power at the Top of the World, which The Economist listed as one of its Best Books of 2025. A founder of the Whale and Dolphin Conservation Society in 1987, from 1989 to 1995 he was an oceans campaigner for Greenpeace, during which time he led several expeditions to the Antarctic to confront Japanese whaling ships. Those voyages were documented in his book The Whaling Season: An Inside Account of the Struggle to Stop Commercial Whaling. He has also worked with organizations including the International Fund for Animal Welfare, Polar Bears International, and the New England Aquarium. A frequent contributor to National Geographic and The History Channel, he has also
written for The Guardian, The Economist, BBC Wildlife, and New Scientist, among other publications. He is also an award-winning boxing commentator, in which capacity he worked for ESPN, HBO, and Showtime. Born in Weston-super-Mare, England, he has traveled widely in the Arctic and Antarctic, and spent seven years in a cabin in Alaska. He lives in Bristol.
Barbara Rainville, Town of Lincoln Emergency Manager & Vermont Emergency Mgmt. - “How to Prepare for a Local Emergency: State, town and personal levels of responsibility”
Thursday, 05/28/26, 7:00-8:30
Thursday, 05/28/26, 7:00-8:30
Barbara and a representative from Vermont Emergency Management will share how the town and state prepare for natural and man-made disasters, what help you can expect from local and state government and other entities and ways that you can prepare in order to help stay safe .
BIO:
Barbara is a Lincoln resident, Marketing Manager for her family business, Maple Landmark Woodcraft, and has a masters degree in City/Urban, Community and Regional Planning. She has been the Town of LIncoln Emergency Manager since 2016.
BIO:
Barbara is a Lincoln resident, Marketing Manager for her family business, Maple Landmark Woodcraft, and has a masters degree in City/Urban, Community and Regional Planning. She has been the Town of LIncoln Emergency Manager since 2016.
June
Liza Cochran - Workshop: “The Arts - Looking Anew at the Ecological Crisis of our Time”
Thursday, 06/04/26, 7:00-8:30
Thursday, 06/04/26, 7:00-8:30
“We need artists, writers, poets, and filmmakers: they can dismantle the walls of numbness,” wrote climate scientist Joëlle Gergis in her book Humanity’s Moment. In this session, we will be engaging in the enduring practice of the arts to look anew at the ecological crises of our time. Through writing, reading, prompts, and discussion, we will explore concepts of longing and belonging in our magnificent, afflicted world. Everyone welcome; no prior writing experience necessary
BIO:
Liza Cochran is a writer and educator. She has worked with students and writers across the US and beyond, in nonprofit and school settings, including at Emerson College, Harvard Graduate School of Education, Columbia University, and Grub Street Writing Center. She is the co-director of the writing collective Understory Writers, which offers creative nonfiction and environmental writing classes to adults and teens around the globe. You can follow her on Substack at @lizacochran. She lives in Lincoln, Vermont.
BIO:
Liza Cochran is a writer and educator. She has worked with students and writers across the US and beyond, in nonprofit and school settings, including at Emerson College, Harvard Graduate School of Education, Columbia University, and Grub Street Writing Center. She is the co-director of the writing collective Understory Writers, which offers creative nonfiction and environmental writing classes to adults and teens around the globe. You can follow her on Substack at @lizacochran. She lives in Lincoln, Vermont.
Additional Events
Book Discussion #1- The Light Pirate - Monday, February 23, 3:30
Book Discussion #2 - The Light Pirate - TBD (sometime in May)
Exhibit - The Lincoln Historical Society will share an exhibit highlighting the floods of Lincoln and how the community came together to clean up, rebuild and get stronger.
Book Discussion #2 - The Light Pirate - TBD (sometime in May)
Exhibit - The Lincoln Historical Society will share an exhibit highlighting the floods of Lincoln and how the community came together to clean up, rebuild and get stronger.