EV Expo April 27, 1-4 pm, Hopkinton High School

Events

The following sustainability-related events & activities are in/near Hopkinton, and sponsored by the SGC or community organizations - they are free and open to the public unless otherwise noted

Can YOU help? Volunteers are needed for the following.

For more about ATTENDING these and other events, scroll down.

Recycling & Reuse Day - Sat. 4/12, 10am to 2pm - Marathon School

Can you spare a couple of hours to help sort items or direct cars and people?

EV Expo - Sun. 4/27, 1 to 4pm - High School Lot

We could use a few people to help direct the flow of vehicles and people

Thu. eve. May 29 and Sat. morning May 31 - library

We'd love people, including youngsters, to help create a new educational garden at the library - native plants, pollinators, vegetables, herbs

Water Pollinator Gardens at Hughes & Pratt

We need many people to give about 30 minutes to water the new pollinator gardens - choose the location and date that suits you. Easy! Kids can help.

Native Plants, Organic Gardening, & Composting - a talk at the Senior Center - Mon. Apr. 7, 1pm

Our Sustainable Green Committee is excited to discuss these important topics with the seniors in our community. Some seniors probably have followed green gardening practices and no doubt will share their tips, too. This program will encourage spreading the word to their families, remind those who've stopped following the methods to take them up again, and provide important information to those who never knew about the need for sustainable gardening. And you don't HAVE to be a senior to attend. 28 Mayhew St - see you then.

Green Gardening Handout

Composting Handout

Sat. Apr. 12, 10am to 2pm - Annual Recycling & Reuse Day

An easy way to bring all your stuff at one time to be responsibly redistributed. New this year will be shredding plus 5¢ deposit cans/bottles , and Ashland residents will be joining us. At the Marathon School. See details on what you can bring, fees, and who benefits from your used items.

Sun. Apr. 27, 1 to 4pm - EV Expo at High School Lot

The first Electric Vehicle Expo in town! EV owners can sign up now to bring their vehicles to show and tell with neighbors from around town. Anyone who wants to learn more about EVs and get the REAL scoop from owners will appreciate this event. It's FREE!

Green Tip and Q&A - a discussion at the Senior Center - Thu. May 8, 1pm

Should you leave the cap on the bottle you put into your recycling bin? Can you put a pizza box into recycling? What are some of the best ways to go greener? Bring your questions and leave with answers along with a few of our favorite tips. And you don't HAVE to be a senior to attend. 28 Mayhew St - see you then.

Sat. May 10 - Garden Club Plant Sale - 8 to noon on the Common

Many varieties, including native plants and pollinators, plus vegetables and herbs.

Sat. May 17 - Senior Center Plant Sale - 9am to 1pm

At the Senior Center, 28 Mayhew St. Vegetable plants, pollinator plants, and more!

Help the Library and Sustainable Green Committee plant an educational garden this spring, at the corner of Main & Church Streets. This garden will show how to grow a mixed variety of plants in a relatively small space on a budget, using raised bed containers and a trellis. It will include native and pollinator plants, as well as herbs and vegetables. There will be a program showing how to use cuttings, and more. Kids using the library will water the garden throughout the summer.

We want YOU THE COMMUNITY to help plant it and learn as well as contribute. Thu. evening May 29 will be to prepare the beds. Sat. morning May 31 will be to put in the plants. No special skills required - just bring gloves and any trowels you have. Exact times to be determined, but save the date and sign up now using this form.

Help water pollinator gardens at Hughes & Pratt - between May & October - 30 minutes, you pick the date

Last year, we had dozens of volunteers eager to water the pollinator gardens we planted in spring 2024 at Hughes Farm and at Pratt field. We need to water them again this year to help them become fully established and we'll again need lots of folks. But for only about 30 minutes at a time, and you can pick the date that works for you. You'll get instructions but it's pretty easy. Kids are great helpers with this task! You'll feel gratified about the big difference you're helping to make. Sign up for one or more dates here.

Video series about composting

Watch the series of short videos by Hopkinton residents about our trash problem and composting as a way to help address it. And check out the incentive to use the Black Earth service - it won't last forever.

#4 with Linda Chuss - it's easy and cheap to compost in your backyard

#3 with Diane Hayward - The Black Earth cubrside pickup service is easy to use

#2 with Deena Baker-Nel - Scraps as trash or resource?

#1 with Christine Coffman - Hopkinton's Trash Opportunity - the why and the how.

MORE about Composting

From "Get the Dirt on Composting" at the Library, June 2024

If you couldn't attend, visit the composting page of our website, which includes all the good dirt on composting including slides from the event and more about the current Black Earth curbside composting incentive.

Town Meeting - May 8, 2024 7pm, Middle School

The specialized energy code PASSED by nearly a 2/3 margin.

Learn more about the specialized code at hopspecialized.org

Herbcide treatment for lake weeds - we're not fans

The Sustainble Green Committee advises against using herbicides to treat unwanted plant growth on Lake Maspenock - read the full statement here, including a list of resources to learn more.

Annual Update to the Select Board

Watch the Video on HCAM YouTube (starts ~1hr in)
See PDF of the slides

Eco-Friendly Living in Hopkinton - a talk as part of the Women's Club speaker series by Linda Chuss from the Sustainable Green Committee

Save Energy & Money - Mass Save, Heat Pumps, and 0% Loans - Watch the Video

0:00 - Introduction
2:25 - Mass Save with Dan Russo
23:30 - Heat Smart Alliance with Steve Breit (note there is no audio for this segment but the slides are useful)
58:20 - 0% Financing with Estela Singleton from Webster First FCU

Make all the events you hold or attend more sustainable using these guidelines

This is a way you can increase your impact - affecting not just yourself or your own household but many people at once, who will in turn start following some of the practices in their lives too. Learn more here.