News Flash

The North and South Rivers Watershed Association is hosting a Rain Barrel and Composter Sale.

2026 Rain Barrel and Composter Sale

After the heat and drought of recent years, this is the year to finally capture the free rain water from your roof to water your garden. It’s also the year to make free “black gold” compost from your kitchen scraps and yard waste. The WaterSmart Program through the North and South Rivers Watershed Association is selling rain barrels from the Great American Rain Barrel Company and composters from Earth Machine.

The rain barrels, which cost $80-89 depending on color, and composters which cost $80, are on sale in conjunction with the 2026 Gardening Green Expo. 

Online sales end Sunday, April 12. - All orders must be in by that time. 

Pickup begins Saturday, April 25 – Items will be available for self-serve pickup starting Saturday, April 25. Your merchandise will be labeled with your name and can be picked up at the NSRWA office at 214 South Street in Norwell.

Click here to order rain barrels. You must select state (MA) and organization (North and South Rivers Watershed Association)

Click here to order composters.

The Rain Barrel Sale is sponsored by WaterSmart South Shore. WaterSmart is a nonprofit partnership between the NSRWA and 12 towns on the South Shore: Cohasset, Duxbury, Hanover, Hingham, Hull, Kingston, Marshfield, Norwell, Pembroke, Rockland, Scituate and Weymouth. Our programs are based on the belief that education is key. Since its creation, WaterSmart has educated thousands of local school-age children, adults, and businesses on water conservation, stormwater pollution, where their water comes from, and how to care for it.

The North and South Rivers Watershed Association is hosting a Gardening Green Expo

Join Us for Gardening Green Expo 2026!

Monday, March 16–Friday, March 20 – Zoom lectures @ 7:00pm Live Expo at Kennedy’s Country Gardens on Saturday, March 21 from 10:00am-2:00pmMore info at https://www.nsrwa.org/get-watersmart/gardening-green-expo-2026/

Zoom Presentations at 7:00pm

Monday, March 16 – Garden for LIFE: Using Native Plants in the Landscape to Support Wildlife – Kristen Nicholson, Blue Stem Natives

Tuesday, March 17 – Next Steps for Nature – Doug Tallamy, entomologist, conservationist, author, and professor at the University of Delaware

Wednesday, March 18 – Restoring Personal Ecology: How Principles of Nature Heal Our Overwhelm – Todd Breitenstein, South Shore Permaculture/Our Grateful Garden

Thursday, March 19 – When the Lights Go Out: The Secret World of Fireflies – Blake Dinius, Plymouth County Extension

Friday, March 20 – Habit to Habitat: Transforming Landscapes into Resilient Ecosystems, from Conception to Maintenance – Evan Abramson, Founder and Principal of Landscape Interactions

REGISTER FOR ZOOM PRESENTATIONS 

Live Presentations at Kennedy’s

10:00am – The Path to the Perfect Plants – Chris Kennedy, Owner, Kennedy’s Country Gardens

11:00am – Less Raking, More Biodiversity – Lisey Good, Founder, Wild Cohasset

12:00pm – Changing Forests: Beech Leaf Disease, Emerald Ash Borer and Other Invasive Pests Affecting Our Landscapes – Abraham Monahan, Bartlett Tree Experts

1:00pm – Caring for the Soil, Making Compost and Leaving the Leaves – Jon Belber, Holly Hill Farm 

Register to Win Prizes!

• Signed copy of Doug Tallamy’s book Nature’s Best Hope
• A rain barrel from the WaterSmart program
• $50 gift card from Kennedy’s Country Gardens
• 1/2 Lb. Package of Organic Plant Magic
• In-person Ecological Garden Consultation from Blue Stem Natives ($400 Value )
• Bokashi Composting System from Sustainability Project – Honduras ($110 Value)
• Saved Salad Greens Seeds – The Friends of Holly Hill Farm
• Custom Spring or Summer Outdoor Container from Doveflower Cottage Garden Designs ($100 Value)
• Lifetime Subscription to Edible Southeastern Massachusetts Magazine

REGISTER TO WIN PRIZES 

Give-aways, Downloads, and More

• $35 Special NSRWA NEW Member Deal with $25 Kennedy’s Gift Card and $10 Explore South Shore Guide Map (For NEW NSRWA members only)
• Order your rain barrels and composters
• FREE Tree Saplings from Bartlett Tree Experts (While supplies last)
• Free native plant seeds
• FREE Edible Southeastern Massachusetts magazines
• Get your FREE Help Save Water lawn sign
• Download our 16-page Greenscapes Guide  – With tips on how to create a beautiful healthy yard the natural way. (After filling out the online form you will be redirected to the guide.)
• FREE Help Save Water lawn signs
• Watch past Gardening Green Expo videos online

And more! Go to https://www.nsrwa.org/get-watersmart/gardening-green-expo-2026/ for more information.

Our crews are still hard at work to make our streets safe and accessible. While the main storm has passed, we are currently focused on:

• Plowing Sidewalks
• Widening Roads
• Removing Snow Piles

Please Note: Road widening may result in additional snow at the end of driveways or on previously cleared sidewalks. We appreciate your patience as we complete these final cleanup steps. 

Due to the snow and cold temperatures, the Swap Shop will be closed until further notice.

Due to the heavy snowfall, sidewalk clearing is taking longer than anticipated. We apologize for the delay and appreciate your patience as we work to keep our community accessible.

Update: Snow is still falling, and our snow plow operators are exhausted but working hard to keep our roads safe. Please be patient as it takes time to get to every street we plow. For your safety and to help our crews, please stay off the roads if possible and keep vehicles parked in driveways as the parking ban is still in effect. Thank you for your continued patience.

If you have any concerns, please call our office at 781-741-1430. 

Snow Emergency Alert: A parking ban is in effect during the duration of the storm. All vehicles must be removed from streets to allow plows to work. Violators will be towed. Please stay off roads to allow crews to work safely.

The Town of Hingham has partnered with Black Earth to provide discounted curbside composting to Hingham residents.

Full details and SignUp

13 Gallon Starter Kit -  $20 (recommended size)

• Discount courtesy of the Town of Hingham.
• Includes a 13 gallon curbside bin with locking lid and wheels plus 15 liners for the curbside bin.
• (Dimensions: 13" w x 13" l x 27" h)

Density Discount

When 250 Hingham households are signed up, the price will be lowered to $99.99/6 months for weekly collection or $74.99/6 months for every-other-week collection.* If you are interested in starting now or at the price drop, please sign up below. If you select preregister during sign up you will be notified via email to enroll in service when participation reaches 250. 

*Density discount threshold and rates are subject to change over time.

The Town of Hingham Engineering Department is constructing new sidewalk on North Street and within the Lincoln Street Right-of-Way, and making other associated improvements to improve accessibility, and pedestrian and traffic safety at the intersection. The improvements will include the construction of new sidewalk, the reconstruction of existing sidewalk to improve accessibility, the installation of an RRFB system at a new crosswalk, and relocation and installation of new streetlights and steps within the right-of-way. Ancillary work will include the installation of conduit and the removal of utility poles, and incidental landscaping as required.

The work is being constructed as the beneficiary of a MassDOT Shared Streets Grant, and a MassDOT VRU RRFB equipment grant.

You will experience travel delays during this time. On-street parking where it may interfere with the progress of the work on a given day will not be permitted from 6:00 AM to 6:00 PM. We will coordinate our work areas with abutters to maintain access to properties.

Vehicle access to your property (driveways-parking etc.) will be prohibited during certain times while the work is underway, please seek guidance from available representatives (Police/DPW/Engineering Staff) that will be onsite during the work. We apologize for any inconvenience.

If you should have any questions, please call the Department of Public Works at 781 741-1430.

NOTE: The Town of Hingham or its’ contractors are not responsible for the replacement of or readjustment of materials such of cobblestones, bricks, landscape borders, cement structures, private underground utilities (i.e. electric, irrigation, etc.), or other objects which are placed within the town layout without permission.

The Town of Hingham Engineering Department will be conducting roadway construction on the entire length or sections of of the following road on:

Friday, November 14th from 9:00am to 2:00pm.

• Otis Street (Paving)

All scheduling dates and times are dependent on weather conditions and subject to change. Please be sure to check our Town’s website for any updates to this schedule.

You will experience travel delays during this time. On-street parking will not be permitted from 6:00 AM to 6:00 PM. It is important that you avoid on-street parking until this project is complete. Vehicles which interfere with this project will be removed. 

Vehicle access to your property (driveways-parking etc.) will be prohibited during certain times while the work is underway, please seek guidance from available representatives (Police/DPW/Engineering Staff) that will be onsite during the work. We apologize for any inconvenience.

If you should have any questions, please call the Department of Public Works at 781 741-1430.

NOTE:  The Town of Hingham or its’ contractors are not responsible for the replacement of or readjustment of materials such of cobblestones, bricks, landscape borders, cement structures, private underground utilities (i.e. electric, irrigation, etc.), or other objects which are placed within the town layout without permission.

The Town of Hingham Engineering Department will be conducting roadway construction on the entire length or sections of the following roads beginning November 13th. The streets to be completed are as follows:

Thursday, November 13th through Friday, November 21st

• Rt. 3A - Bradley Woods Drive to Downer Avenue (Paving)

All scheduling dates and times are dependent on weather conditions and subject to change. Please be sure to check our Town’s website for any updates to this schedule.

You will experience travel delays during this time. On-street parking will not be permitted from 6:00 AM to 6:00 PM. It is important that you avoid on-street parking until this project is complete. Vehicles which interfere with this project will be removed. 

Vehicle access to your property (driveways-parking etc.) will be prohibited during certain times while the work is underway, please seek guidance from available representatives (Police/DPW/Engineering Staff) that will be onsite during the work. We apologize for any inconvenience.

If you should have any questions, please call the Department of Public Works at 781 741-1430.

NOTE:  The Town of Hingham or its’ contractors are not responsible for the replacement of or readjustment of materials such of cobblestones, bricks, landscape borders, cement structures, private underground utilities (i.e. electric, irrigation, etc.), or other objects which are placed within the town layout without permission.

The Town of Hingham Engineering Department will be conducting roadway construction on the entire length or sections of the following roads beginning October 27th. The streets to be completed are as follows:

Monday, October 27th through Friday, October 31st

• Scotland Street, Polk Road, Palmers Lane (site work)
• Downer Avenue (site work)
• Otis Street, Governor Long Road, Broad Cove Road (site work)

All scheduling dates and times are dependent on weather conditions and subject to change. Please be sure to check our Town’s website for any updates to this schedule.

You will experience travel delays during this time. On-street parking will not be permitted from 6:00 AM to 6:00 PM. It is important that you avoid on-street parking until this project is complete. Vehicles that interfere with this project will be removed. 

Vehicle access to your property (driveways-parking etc.) will be prohibited during certain times while the work is underway, please seek guidance from available representatives (Police/DPW/Engineering Staff) that will be onsite during the work. We apologize for any inconvenience.

If you should have any questions, please call the Department of Public Works at 781 741-1430.

NOTE:  The Town of Hingham or its’ contractors are not responsible for the replacement of or readjustment of materials such of cobblestones, bricks, landscape borders, cement structures, private underground utilities (i.e. electric, irrigation, etc.), or other objects which are placed within the town layout without permission.

The Town of Hingham is providing notice of construction of RRFB installation and associated crosswalk and ADA compliant landings throughout Town. The Town has received grant funding from MassDOT and Federal Highway to install these pedestrian safety enhancements to improve crosswalk safety.

Following are the locations approved for construction through this grant and through the use of certain Town road construction funds:

1. Crossing Downer Avenue below Planters Field Lane at Foster Elementary School;
2. Crossing Main Street at the Hingham Middle School Driveway, aka Rosemary Lane;
3. Crossing Hull Street at the Hull Street frontage of 2 Fisher Road crossing to the Glastonbury Abbey;
4. Leavitt Street between Irving Street and Winter Street;
5. Short Street south of Leavitt Street;
6. Main Street at the crosswalk west of Aberdeen Road, at the Haley Field Driveway;
7. Main Street just south of Arnold Street;
8. Lincoln Street at the Benjamin Lincoln House.

  A virtual meeting of the Traffic Committee will be held at 7:00 PM on July 23^rd, and the public is welcomed to attend to learn more about these pedestrian infrastructure improvements.