Groton Neighbors

05/30/2026

Free concert at Groton Hill — a new big band.

Join us for the Generation Big Band’s first ever performance as a new student ensemble of ages 16 and up! All are welcome – no tickets needed! ⭐

Directed by Jerry Sabatini, this ensemble explores the foundations of the standard big band repertoire and the evolution of big band music by some of the most important composers and band leaders in American Jazz – and Music – history.

05/30/2026

🌸 Signs of SPRING in Groton:
Common cinquefoil (Potentilla simplex) — tough and resilient in poor soil and harsh conditions. A native plant.

05/28/2026

🌸 Signs of SPRING in Groton:
The lupine are blooming at the General Field— don’t miss it! (It’s quite accessible) The array of native wildflowers, thanks to the stewardship of Groton Conservation Trust, is one of the grace notes of life in our town.

05/27/2026

🌸 Signs of SPRING in Groton:
Ragged-Robin, also called cuckoo flower. (Silene flos-cuculi) Found in and near wetlands.

05/25/2026

Memorial Day 2026: Groton Neighbors member Peter Macy laid the wreath at the cemetery. Peter is 103 and is wearing his uniform from WWll.

05/24/2026

🌸 Signs of SPRING in Groton:

Black angus cattle in the rain on Gibbet Hill.

05/24/2026

Signs of SPRING in Groton

🌸 Wild geranium is a favorites. Wildflower. We usually see them as onesies and twosies. But, if you can visit the Bates Land in this week, you can see a meadow filled with wild geranium. This is the sort of thing that is difficult to show in a photo, but really, it’s a vision of loveliness, quite unusual to see so many of these delicate flowers all blooming together in a meadow. (Geranium maculatum) a native plant.
The word geranium is derived from the Latin “geranos” meaning “crane” and the long narrow seed capsule resembles the bill of a crane. Another common name for wild geranium is “cranesbill.”

05/20/2026

Courtesy of the Groton Conservation Trust, a band of Groton Neighbors enjoyed a slow paced nature walk (Noticing Walk) on the Duck Pond trail. There was time to notice, to reflect, to be curious, and to get some questions answered. Led by Holly Estes and Debbie Howell of GCT, we saw signs of beaver activity, woodpeckers, mallard ducks, and the lovely pond itself. Plant lore was shared, wintergreen was identified, and we saw how the hawthorn was named. (Huge thorns which discourage the deer!) Coffee, hot chocolate and cookies were a surprise treat, right there on the edge of Duck Pond. Big thanks to Carol Greenfield, Sheila Julien, and the rest of the crew at Groton Neighbors who made it happen.

05/15/2026

Signs of SPRING in Groton:
🌸 Wild strawberry in bloom. Seen near Cow Pond. (Fragaria virginiana)

05/14/2026

Signs of SPRING in Groton:
🌸 Gay wings or fringed polygala (Polygaloides paucifolia) — at first glance, this little flower resembles a tiny orchid, but it is not. A native plant, one of the milkworts, it is related to peas and beans.