lecture

The Value of Trees to Our Health and Our City: presentation by Peter Lawrence of ‘400 TREES’

~ Sawyer Free Library

THURSDAY, APRIL 18 from 5:30 -6:30 pm at the Sawyer Free Library at 21 Main Street

In celebration of Earth Month, please join PETER LAWRENCE of 400 TREES for a presentation on the benefits of trees in our beautiful city at the SAWYER FREE LIBRARY at 21 Main Street on Thursday, April 18 from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m.

In addition to enhancing the attractiveness of a city, trees provide essential services to its residents, including producing oxygen, removing carbon dioxide, and cooling our city by providing shade, among other benefits to our local ecosystem. Which trees provide the greatest benefits? What is the impact of a street without trees on a city and its residents? Peter Lawrence will also discuss the work done by 400 Trees Gloucester and the City to plant and maintain trees. What are the existing and future educational opportunities about trees, and what is our plan to create a permanent tree organization in the city?

400 Trees is a sustainability program that combines natural history, environmental stewardship, experiential education, and community participation to create a living legacy for generations to come. It is a collaborative project of Gloucester 400+ and Biomimicry New England, with support from the City of Gloucester Departments of Public Works and Health.

This event is open to all to attend. No registration required. For more information visit, SawyerFreeLibrary.org or 978-325-5500.

Throughout the month of April, the Sawyer Free Library is presenting a diverse lineup of events and initiatives designed to promote environmental awareness and stewardship. From educational workshops to reading challenges, the Library endeavors to inspire and empower individuals to embrace sustainable living and make meaningful actions in their own lives to protect our environment. To learn more about the Library’s programming in celebration of Earth Month visit: Sawyer Free Library.org/sustainablity-month

“A Little Gloucester History”- Sawyer Free Library’s Local Author Series Kicks Off

~ Sawyer Free Library

The Sawyer Free Library is excited to be presenting a series of local authors reading and sharing insight into colorful historical happenings of Gloucester this summer at 21 Main Street in downtown Gloucester. All events are in person and open to the public. The series kicks off this Saturday, July 22 with local author and historian Wayne Soini.

Saturday, July 22, 11:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., Wayne Soini to present “An Unsuitable Lecture: Thoreau, Walden, and the Gloucester Lyceum” – An unnamed critic for the Gloucester Telegraph declared that Henry D. Thoreau’s lecture was “unique” before he took umbrage and condemned it as “not exactly suitable for a Gloucester audience.” 175 years ago, in December 1848, Thoreau auditioned his upcoming book, Walden, before an audience of Gloucester folks at the Gloucester Lyceum (today, the Legion Hall).

Wayne Soini, a local author, through the lens of Thoreau’s controversial performance in Gloucester of “Economy,” which evolved into Chapter One of his classic book, will share more about the man Henry D. Thoreau and the writing (and rewriting) of Walden.

Thursday, July 27, 5:30 to 6:30 p.m., June Vail, Folly Cove Sketches: Remembering Virginia Lee – An author-talk with June Vail, Professor Emerita in the Department of Theater and Dance at Bowdoin College, about her book Folly Cove Sketches: Remembering Virginia Lee Burton. Vail’s new memoir paints a warm, honest portrait of her great-aunt, Virginia Lee Burton, Author and illustrator of beloved mid-century children’s books. Burton’s beloved books, including Mike Mulligan and his Steam Shovel and Caldecott-winner The Little House, continue to delight generations of parents, children, and librarians. Offering intimate glimpses into Burton’s wide-ranging artistic projects and everyday life, Vail vividly recounts how living with her great-aunt Jinnee in the Folly Cove, Massachusetts, community broadened her teenage perspectives and inspired some unexpected life choices. An open Q and A will follow Vail’s informal, illustrated talk. Books will be available for sale and signing following the presentation. 

Thursday, August 3, 5:30 to 6:30 pm, Dan Fuller, Gloucester Gale: The True Story of the Swordfishing Schooner Dorcas– In “Gloucester Gale,” Dan Fuller tells the true story of Captain Joseph Silveira and the swordfishing schooner “Dorcas” during the August Gale of 1924. In this vivid narrative about men battling against a raging force of nature during the bygone age of wooden ships and harpoons, he reconstructs the events of that hurricane and the schooner “Dorcas,” the impact on the rest of the fleet out at Georges Bank, and their loved ones back in Gloucester. Dan is a direct descendant of Captain Silveira, and this story has been part of his family’s folklore for generations. Dan has always been captivated by the sea and is an avid sport fisherman. He currently splits his time seasonally between Cape Cod Bay and Tampa Bay. Books will be available for sale and signing following the presentation. 

Thursday, August 24, 5:30 to 6:30 p.m., Ellen Levy: The Saturday Evening Girls in Gloucester –Author Ellen Levy will relay the story of a Boston library group that created magnificent Arts and Crafts pottery at the turn of the last century. Supported by their benefactor, Helen Storrow, the immigrant girls vacationed at Wingaersheek Beach.  In a lively presentation, Ellen will share the stories she gathered while researching for her series of historical fiction books taking place in the 1910s in Massachusetts. 

For more information on the Sawyer Free Library’s Author Talks and the complete schedule of summer happenings at the Library, please visit www.sawyerfreelibrary.org, call 978-325-5500, or 21 Main Street in downtown Gloucester. As always, all events are free and open to the public. 

Shipwrecks of New England

~ Sawyer Free Library

Join maritime researcher, Jon Johansen for an evening discussion on “Shipwrecks of New England” at the Sawyer Free Library on Tuesday, July 14 from 5:30 – 7:00 p.m.

The only easy mode of transportation back in the 1800’s and up until the advent of the automobile and truck was sailing and steam vessels that plied the coast and oceans of the world. Traveling at that time could be dangerous as many of these vessels came to grief along the shores of New England, New York and the Canadian Maritimes. This lecture will cover some of the major disasters starting with the loss of SPARROWHAWK at Orleans, MA in 1626 right up to the loss of the submarine U.S.S. THRESHER off Cape Cod in 1963. Some of the others include: ROYAL TAR (1836), LEXINGTON (1840), ARCTIC (1854), ATLANTIC (1873), CITY OF COLUMBUS (1884), PORTLAND (1898), GENERAL SLOCUM (1904), LARCHMONT (1907), EMPRESS OF IRELAND (1914), and MONT BLANC (1917).

Johansen is the publisher of Maine Coastal News, a monthly publication dedicated to covering the waterfront of the state of Maine. He has a lifelong interest in shipwrecks and maritime history.

The event is free and open to the public. The Sawyer Free Library is located at 2 Dale Avenue, Gloucester. For more information visit sawyerfreelibrary.org or 978-325-5500.

Sparrowhawk‘s sister-ship, Surprise

Antarctica: Lessons from the Bottom of the World presented by the Sawyer Free Library on Saturday, 2/20 at 2pm

~ Sawyer Free Library

Join environmental attorney, diver and photographer Michael Carvalho, for a Live Zoom presentation about his arctic exhibition to Antarctica in 2018, “Antarctica: Lessons From the Bottom of the World,” on Saturday, February 20 from 2 to 4:00 p.m. Registration is required in order to receive the Zoom link. Register here. 

Illustrated by his breathtaking photography he will discuss the developments in Antarctica, the rising sea levels and its impact locally. According to experts, temperatures in the Antarctic region are rising due to “heat-trapping gas pollution,” which has serious global consequences. Gloucester, like all coastal regions, is vulnerable to increasingly extreme weather.

Since obtaining his open water scuba certification in 1978 in Rockport, Carvalho has completed more than 2,500 dives on six continents.

Carvalho is the former chairman of the board of directors for the National Council for Science and the Environment. In 2019, he represented the United Nations Environment Program for North America as a delegate at the UNEA-4 Conference in Nairobi, Kenya. He is currently a member of the board of directors for Salem Sound Coastwatch and a trustee with the Manchester-Essex Conservation Trust.

This free virtual lecture presented by the Sawyer Free Library to foster civic engagement and discussion on issues facing the community. For more information, visit sawyerfreelibrary.org.

A View from a Different Lens: Sawyer Free Library to host a presentation on Race Amity on Thursday, Feb 25 at 7pm

~ Sawyer Free Library

Race Amity: advancing the discourse on race through friendship.

On Thursday, February 25 from 7:00-8:30pm, the Sawyer Free Library will be hosting a Zoom presentation of WGBH’s powerful documentary series “American Stories: Race Amity and The Other Tradition.”  This presentation will include a brief introduction to the film by Dr. William H. Smith (creator, executive producer, and writer of the series), a reading from the book “Race Amity: A Primer on America’s Other Tradition,” a viewing of the film “Race Amity: America’s Other Tradition,” a commentary by Dr. Smith, and a Q&A Session. Register here!

By sharing healing, inspirational stories of the power of race amity, the documentary explores the moral counterweights to the tradition of racism in America and how we can move together towards unity and love. Created by WHS Media Productions LLC, the film discusses the “better in us” perspective needed in the current climate of disunity across racial, religious, and political lines.

“This grand Race Amity Project is a timely work that speaks to our hearts and souls! I am blessed to fully support it.” – Rev. Dr. Cornel West, Professor Harvard Divinity School, Social Commentator   

This virtual event is FREE and open to the public. Advanced registration is required to access the Zoom link. Please register on the Library Calendar at sawyerfreelibrary.org.  

Dr. William H. Smith is the founding executive director of the National Center for Race Amity. He is the creator, executive producer, and writer of the series, “American Stories: Race Amity and The Other Tradition” and the producer and co-writer of the award winning Invisible Soldiers: Unheard Voices.