Energize Wayland Earth Day Photo Contest
2026-04-14 08:00 - 2026-04-26 23:30 (America/New_York) | MA
Get outside, explore Wayland, and capture what our environment means to you!
📸 How to Participate
– Choose one of the contest themes listed below
– Take a photo and write a short description of each image
– Email it to: EnergizeWaylandPhotoContest@gmail.com by April 26
🏆 Prizes: One winner in each category will receive a $50 gift card to Russell’s Garden Center
🌿 Categories
1. Nature & Beauty
-Earth’s Hidden Gems – Close-ups of plants, textures, insects, or small natural details often overlooked
– Local Wayland Landscapes – Trails, parks, and scenic views around Wayland
– Signs of Spring – Blooming flowers, wildlife, and seasonal changes
2. Impact & Awareness
– Before & After – Environmental damage contrasted with restoration efforts
– Human Impact – Pollution or climate-related visuals
– Hope for the Planet – Renewable energy, conservation efforts, or community gardens
3. Sustainability
– Reduce, Reuse, Recycle in Action – Everyday eco-friendly habits
– Zero-Waste Life – Creative ways to minimize waste
– Eco-Friendly Innovation – Green solutions like biking or solar energy

Pizza + Drinks: See a Next-Gen Heat Pump Water Heater in Wayland Home
2026-05-13 17:00 - 19:00 | 66 Sherman’s Bridge Rd, Wayland, MA 01778 (Tom Cooper’s House), 66 Sherman’s Bridge Rd, Wayland, MA, 01778, United States
Curious about newer, more efficient options for heating water at home?
Join neighbors for a casual, drop-in pizza gathering at a Wayland home and see a next-generation heat pump water heater in action. The homeowner recently installed the system and will share their experience. A couple of members of the Reservoir team will be there to answer questions.
This is an informal, come-and-go event – stop by anytime, grab a slice, and take a look. No presentation, just a chance to see how this kind of system works in a real home and connect with others interested in practical ways to reduce energy use.
Location: 66 Sherman’s Bridge Rd, Wayland, MA 01778 (Tom Cooper’s House)
Time: 5-7PM (drop by anytime!)

From Canopy to Ground Layer: Building Soft Landings with Keystone Plants for Pollinators
2026-06-16 19:00 - 20:30 | First Parish in Wayland, 225 Boston Post Rd., Wayland, MA, 01778, United States
This presentation explores the powerful connection between keystone plants and the insects that depend on them. You’ll learn how to implement “Soft Landings” in landscapes of all scales from home gardens to larger sites. This innovative habitat design and management strategy focuses on creating lush, drought-tolerant mini-ecosystems beneath native trees to support pollinators throughout their life cycles. Participants will learn what defines a pollen specialist, discover examples of these fascinating bee-plant relationships, and understand how keystone plants function as foundational species in our ecosystems.
You’ll benefit from practical strategies on site preparation, herbicide considerations, and building a resilient plant matrix of sedges, cool-season grasses, and flowering keystone species. By the end of the presentation, participants will be equipped to design and install a Soft Landings planting that transforms conventional landscapes into thriving sanctuaries for bees, caterpillars, and other beneficial insects.
Our Speaker: Heather Holm is a pollinator conservationist and award-winning author of four books: Pollinators of Native Plants (2014), Bees (2017), Wasps (2021), and Common Native Bees of the Eastern United States (2022). Both Bees and Wasps have won multiple book awards including the American Horticultural Society Book Award (2018 and 2022 respectively). Heather’s expertise includes the interactions between native pollinators and native plants, and the natural history and biology of native bees and predatory wasps. Her work has been featured in the New York Times, Minneapolis Star Tribune, and many local publications.

Native Seedling Transplant at Fowler
2026-06-17 11:00 - 13:00 | Fowler Branch Library, 1322 Main Street, Concord, US
How did your native plants grow in your winter seed sow milk jugs? Drop by the Fowler Library backyard anytime between 11am and 1 pm to separate our seedlings into plantable clumps. Bring your jugs! Trade, compare, and share! Register at cfpl.info/events if you wish to receive updates for this and other pollinator week programs, but all are welcome!

From Gas Pumps to Charging Stations: EV Basics for Everyday Drivers
2026-06-17 19:00 - 20:00 | Zoom
Now Is the Time to Go Electric!
With local gas prices climbing toward $4.50 a gallon, the financial case for making the switch to an electric vehicle has never been stronger. Charging an EV at home on Eversource East costs the equivalent of just $2.80 per gallon – saving drivers roughly 38% per mile. And the savings don’t stop at the pump. Because EVs eliminate oil changes, spark plugs, and complex exhaust systems, they cost 30–50% less to maintain over their lifespan than gas-powered cars. All told, drivers can expect around $4,000 in total cost-of-ownership savings over the first five years.
Although the supply of new EV models is a bit unpredictable at the moment, there are still great options out there. And do not forget the used EV market, where most vehicles are also eligible for the Massachusetts MOR-EV incentives ($3500). The volunteer inputting this information just turned in a 2023 Kia EV6 with only 17,000 miles. A wonderful vehicle at a HUGE savings. We bought a 2026 Hyundai Ioniq 5 to replace the leased car and got a very good deal on the new vehicle. Please do not let our topsy-turvy market circumstances prevent you from finding a vehicle that you will love!
Whether you’re looking to purchase or lease, now is a great time to lock in immediate, predictable savings. Hear directly from EV drivers, get your questions answered, and take the next step to going electric. Register for the MassEnergize online webinar on June 17, 2026, 7–8pm: www.bit.ly/EV-101.
And stay tuned for the EnergizeActon.org EV Petting Zoo coming up in July. This is a wonderful yearly event for EV drives to meet up, plus potential EV drivers can check out the cars and ask lots of questions!
