The community is invited to help with a project to plant pollinator gardens near two popular trails in town. PHOTO/SUSTAINABLE GREEN COMMITTEE

Bees, butterflies and moths might be an annoyance to many people, but a pair of local high school students understand the importance of these insects to aid in the balance of nature.

Brother-and-sister duo Shaurya and Suhani Patni will lead a project to plant pollinator gardens near two trails in town this month, and they are asking for the community’s assistance both with planting the gardens and then watering them.

“[Pollinator gardens] provide habitat and nutrition for species that have lost their natural resources, especially bees, which we rely on for agriculture,” Shaurya explained, via a press release from the Sustainable Green Committee, which is supporting the project. “Pollinator gardens promote native diversity, create a beautiful space, increase natural defenses against pests, and foster the growth of other plants in a garden. They’re true champions of sustainability and resilience, embodying the harmonious coexistence of humans and nature.”

The first planting is scheduled for Monday, July 22, at the Hughes property (192 Hayden Rowe Street). The plan is for a 200-square-foot plot featuring native plants that will attract endangered bee species. Planting will take place from 5-7:30 p.m., following by a brief celebration.

On Wednesday, July 24, the crew will move to the Pratt property (between 108 and 126 Fruit Street) to install 100 flowering plants from 5-8 p.m., with the goal of enticing butterflies and moths.

There will be signs at both gardens designed to educate visitors and offer guidance on creating similar gardens.

This is the first such project the Sustainable Green Committee has sponsored, and committee member Linda Chuss noted that high-profile community members, including area politicians, have been invited to participate.

“We’re hoping to make a little bit of a splash with this,” Chuss said.

Anyone interested in learning more or signing up to help with the project can visit HopGreen.org.

Ryder honor for HHS grad

Make sure to check out Chris Villani’s feature at HopkintonIndependent.com on golfer Keegan Bradley, who was named captain for the U.S. Ryder Cup team that will compete in 2025.

Former Hopkinton High School golf coach Dick Bliss had some nice things to say about Bradley, a 2004 HHS grad who spent only one year in town (after growing up in northern New England) but made quite an impact.

“He will be unbelievable,” Bliss said. “The way he has handled everything. He is humble at one point, but he thinks things through. Whether it’s out on the golf course or whatever he does, he thinks things through, and he will find a way.”

Added Bliss: “He was a Ryder Cup fan from all the way back in high school. He had so many dreams, and all of his dreams have come true.”

Japanese knotweed and bittersweet plants are making their presence known in front of the Hopkinton Police Station. PHOTO/ED HARROW

Invasives continue to thrive

There are troublemakers hiding in plain view in front of the Hopkinton Police Station — along with locations all around town. They are Japanese knotweed and bittersweet, fast-growing plants that are known to take over areas and destroy other plant life while being especially difficult to control and kill.

“Both are highly invasive and near impossible to eradicate and are all over town,” shared resident Ed Harrow, who has sounded the alarm about these plants for some time now (see our article from Oct. 26, 2022). “Strands of knotweed along our streets and bittersweet everywhere one looks!”

Nguyen again in Girl Scouts’ 500 Club

Hopkinton’s Emma Nguyen joined the Girl Scouts of Eastern Massachusetts’ 500 Club for selling at least 500 boxes of Girl Scout Cookies in 2023-24.

Nguyen, a member of Troop 82358, sold 535 boxes this past year to become one of 564 Girl Scouts in the 500 Club.

Class reunion committees hard at work

Hopkinton High School’s class of 1974 is planning its 50th reunion this fall. If you were a member of that class and have not heard from a classmate about the plans, feel free to reach out to us and we will get in touch with the right people (editor@hopkintonindependent.com).

A member of the HHS class of 1972 reports that organizers were able to locate all but one member of that class for the reunion two years ago. If anyone knows where Pamela Reheuser is now, please shoot us an email.

HI contributors branch out

Back in May, we wrote about Amit Jagdale, a resident who used artificial intelligence to produce a children’s book about cars. Jagdale, also an accomplished photographer whose work is featured at the Hopkinton Independent website, recently published a second book that focuses on another one of his passions: tennis. The books is titled “Tennis — Fun for Kids” and can be found at Amazon.com. …

Meanwhile, congratulations go out to Hopkinton Independent writer Courtney Cornelius, who shared that her nonfiction essay “Rounding Up” will be included in an anthology from Wising Up Press called “Out of Line — Who Defines?” It’s due to be released next month.