Workday planned to remove invasive plants with sheet mulching
GREENFIELD — Residents are invited to learn how to get rid of invasive plants with sheet mulching on Sunday, April 5, from 1 to 4 p.m. at the John Zon Community Center.
Greening Greenfield is partnering with Peter Wackernagel and Youth Climate Action Franklin County to save the sweetfern planting from invasives along School Street.
“Two years ago, the native sweetfern shrubs were smothered and broken by invasive bedstraw, bindweed, sweet pea, and mugwort also came in, so we reached out to Regenerative Design Group to get advice on what to do,” Greening Greenfield member Nancy Hazard said in a statement. “Genevieve Lawlor came and analyzed the problem, and recommended an incremental multi-year management plan for us. We are now looking for volunteers to work with us on year two of her plan.”
When the John Zon Community Center was built eight years ago, Greenfield residents asked that it be landscaped with native plants. In the process, soil was brought in, and it had a lot of weed seeds. Two years ago, Greening Greenfield decided to work with others to restore the foundation plantings. Last summer, they worked with volunteer Ardi Keim to regularly cut back the unwanted plants around the sweetfern to gradually weaken them without disturbing the soil.
At the upcoming workday, volunteers will learn about the invasive plants, then cut cardboard to fit around the sweetfern, and add about 3 inches of woodchips supplied by the Greenfield Department of Public Works to smother the invasive vines and plants. To register, email hepatica3000@gmail.com or call 413-774-5667.
‘Mindfulness Meditation for Stress Reduction’ class coming to YMCA
GREENFIELD — Registration opens on April 1 for a free class, “Mindfulness Meditation for Stress Reduction,” at Franklin County’s YMCA, 451 Main St.
The class will be held Thursday, May 14, from 2 to 3:15 p.m. with Jean Erlbaum, local yoga and meditation instructor. The May 14 session will be followed by a six-week class at the YMCA, which will include gentle stretches, deep relaxation and practical skills to meet stresses of everyday life.
Call the YMCA at 413-773-3646 to register. For more information about the class, contact Erlbaum at 413-230-1518 or jean.erlbaum@verizon.net.
Pair of poets to read at Greenfield Public Library
GREENFIELD — Local poets Dennis Finnell and Joanne Hayes will read from their books “Where the Eye Leads the Head Soon Follows” and “I am the Prairie,” respectively, in the Greenfield Public Library’s Conference Room on Tuesday, April 7, at 2 p.m.
A St. Louis native who now lives in western Massachusetts, Finnell has published seven books of poems, most recently “Where the Eye Leads the Head Soon Follows” from BlazeVOX Books. His first book, “Red Cottage,” won the Juniper Prize from the University of Massachusetts Press. In addition to teaching at various colleges and universities, including Mount Holyoke College, he’s had more than 30 other jobs, from work on a Chevrolet pickup truck assembly line to writing training materials for major U.S. businesses.
Growing up in a Chicago suburb, Hayes wrote poems about midwestern life before moving to southern Vermont. In her current collection, “I am the Prairie,” she focuses on the ecology, history and memories of the Illinois prairie. Her two other collections are “We begin in fragrant fields” (2020) and “Riding out the Risk: A Conversation with Poet and Painter” (2024).
Books will be available for purchase at the event.
April 8: ‘Laughing Dog Farm’s Permaculture Journey’
GREENFIELD — Farmer, teacher and retired social worker Danny Botkin will present “Laughing Dog Farm’s Permaculture Journey” on Wednesday, April 8, at 6 p.m. in the Greenfield Public Library’s Community Meeting Room.
Botkin will show slides, tell stories and share knowledge learned from 30-plus years spent growing food by hand and raising dairy goats while stewarding the land and mentoring youth. He will provide several practical ideas to give people without land and/or inexperienced growers a leg up, whether in a suburban backyard, an urban lot or even on a windowsill. Botkin’s presentation will also include the mercurial history of Laughing Dog Farm, a small, diversified, permaculture-inspired homestead.
Next Writers Read set for April 8
GREENFIELD — The LAVA Center at 324 Main St. will present the next installment of its Writers Read series on Wednesday, April 8, at 7 p.m., featuring Susan Middleton, Patrick Keppel and Jane McPhetres Johnson.
The second Wednesday of each month, three writers read from their work, followed by a discussion facilitated by Lindy Whiton. There is a $1 to $5 suggested donation.
Middleton’s poems have been published in The RavensPerch, Wordpeace, Silkworm and Plum, among other publications. She is a co-founder of Slate Roof Press, which in 2007 published her chapbook “Seed Case of the Heart.” She also writes fiction and nonfiction.
Keppel’s play, “The Freeing of Mollie Steimer,” had its premiere in August 2025 with the Rock River Players in Williamsville, Vermont. His multimedia one-act play “Triangle,” with puppets and live music, was performed from 2011 to 2014 at the Center for Performance Research in Brooklyn, Sandglass Theater in Putney, Vermont, and the New England Conservatory of Music in Boston. Keppel is also a writer of fiction.
McPhetres Johnson was born in the Rockies. She was nominated for a Pushcart Prize in 2023 and was recently the featured poet before a sold-out crowd with the Deep River Ramblers band at The Iron Horse in Northampton. Her book, “Maven Reaches Mars: Home Poems and Space Probes in Four Fascicles” (Off the Common, 2021) boycotts Amazon.
Greening Greenfield screening ‘Most Likely to Succeed’
GREENFIELD — Greening Greenfield invites the community to a screening of “Most Likely to Succeed” at The LAVA Center on Thursday, April 9, at 6 p.m. Doors open at 5:30.
The film reveals the shortcomings of conventional education methods in today’s world. It explores new approaches that aim to revolutionize education as we know it, inspiring school communities to reimagine what school could be. It also urges Americans to talk about reinventing education to meet the demands of the 21st-century economy.
Educator Doug Selwyn will lead a question-and-answer session after the film. Refreshments will be served.
GCC hosting ‘Bridging Generations: A Civic Engagement Conference’
GREENFIELD — Greenfield Community College will host “Bridging Generations: A Civic Engagement Conference” on Friday, April 10, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the Cohn Family Dining Commons.
This intergenerational conference invites students, community members and local leaders to explore how cultural and historical moments have shaped our worldviews and civic engagement. Through conversation and interactive learning, the event aims to strengthen understanding and build civic trust across generations, according to GCC.
The morning will feature a panel discussion, “From Woodstock to TikTok: How History Shapes Our Worldviews,” where participants will reflect on pivotal political and cultural moments, from the moon landing to social media developments, and how they influence perspectives today.
Following the panel, attendees will participate in guided lunch conversations before choosing from interactive workshops designed to foster dialogue and critical thinking:
- “Yes, We Should Talk About Religion and Politics: Tools for Brave, Respectful Conversations in a Divided Time,” led by Linda McCarthy and Judy Raper, will offer strategies for engaging in meaningful conversations across differences.
- “Media Literacy: Strategies for Finding Solid Information Online,” led by librarian and archivist Claire Lobdell, will explore how filter bubbles and confirmation bias shape the information we consume, and provide tools for evaluating sources and identifying misinformation.
- “Building Empathy for Real-World Change,” led by Meckenzie Sarage and GCC student leader Leilani Aires, will focus on empathy as a skill that can be developed and applied to strengthen relationships, civic engagement and social change.
The conference is free for students, with a suggested $10 donation for community members. Participants are welcome to attend the full event or drop in for individual sessions. Registration is requested.
For more information or to RSVP, visit gcc.mass.edu/events/bridging-generations-a-civic-engagement-conference.
April 13: Free screening of ‘Bad Faith’
GREENFIELD — The community is invited to a free screening of the documentary “Bad Faith: Christian Nationalism’s Unholy War on Democracy” at the Garden Cinemas on Monday, April 13, at 6:30 pm.
The film explores how Christian nationalism has become a dangerous political force. The 2024 documentary is based on popular books about Christian nationalism, and it relies heavily on the book “Shadow Network: Media, Money, and the Secret Hub of the Radical Right” (2019) by Anne Nelson. It takes its title from the book “Bad Faith: Race and the Rise of the Religious Right” (2021) by Randall Balmer.
This event is co-sponsored by the Sunderland Understanding Antisemitism Committee, the Sunderland Human Rights Task Force, the First Congregational Church of Sunderland, the Interfaith Council of Franklin County and the Hatfield Equity Alliance.
“The movie is eye-opening, filled with new information about how Christian nationalism has systemically infiltrated the U.S. government and politics,” Kim Audette, facilitator of the Sunderland Understanding Anti-Semitism Committee, said in a statement. “It answers a lot of questions about how we arrived at our current reality. Being informed is the first step to action.”
After the film screening, there will be a discussion with the Rev. Jonathan Rehmus and the Rev. Leslie Fraser.
Rehmus is a teacher and minister who has taught “Religion and American Politics” at the University of Massachusetts Amherst as an adjunct professor of political science. His scholarship focuses on the New Testament gospels.
Fraser is a multi-faith chaplain at Mount Holyoke College, an educator and career advisor at UMass Amherst, and co-president of the Interfaith Council of Franklin County.
Leverett author to speak on book chronicling Dolly Parton’s life
GREENFIELD — The Greenfield Public Library will welcome Leverett author Martha Ackmann on Wednesday, April 15, at 6:30 p.m. to discuss her book, “Ain’t Nobody’s Fool: The Life and Times of Dolly Parton.”
Ackmann chronicles the life of Dolly Parton from her impoverished childhood to international stardom as a singer, songwriter, actress, businesswoman and philanthropist. The book is a deep dive into the social, historical and personal forces that made Dolly Parton a beloved and unifying figure.
Ackmann is a journalist and author who writes about women who have changed America. Her essays and columns have appeared in The New York Times, The Atlantic, Salon and the Washington Post. A Guggenheim fellow and a scholar in nonfiction at the Harvard-Radcliffe Institute, she was a longtime member of the Mount Holyoke College faculty, teaching courses on Emily Dickinson and nonfiction writing.
Her previous books include “The Mercury 13: The True Story of Thirteen Women and the Dream of Space Flight,” “Curveball: The Remarkable Story of Toni Stone, First Woman to Play Professional Baseball in the Negro League” and “These Fevered Days: Ten Pivotal Moments in the Making of Emily Dickinson.”
Copies of the book will be available for purchase.
Library program to introduce Soil Health Test Kit
GREENFIELD — UMass Extension soil health educator Artie Siller will introduce the UMass Soil Health Test Kit in the Greenfield Public Library Makerspace on Thursday, April 16, from 10 a.m. to noon.
In this workshop, Siller will introduce a simple, hands-on soil testing toolkit for farmers, home gardeners and land managers. Participants will see demonstrations of quick field tests — including measurements of soil structure, compaction, water infiltration and biological activity — and learn how to interpret the results.
After the demonstration, the kit will be permanently housed in the Greenfield Public Library’s Library of Things, available for patrons to check out with a valid library card.
This program is free and open to people of all levels of experience, but space is limited and registration is required by visiting greenfieldpl.libcal.com/event/16599526.