Posts by Lois
A Summer of Wonder and Concern in Birdland
The summer of 2021 will go down as one of my more satisfying and yet concerning summers when it comes to my fascination and interest in birds. My wife refers to our backyard as Birdland due to the variety of species visiting and residing near or on our property in Putnam. This is simply because…
Read MoreAugust Acorn Adventure (8/14): Birds of Prey with Horizon Wings
Acorn Adventure: Birds of Prey with Horizon Wings 10 -11:30 a.m. Saturday, Aug. 14 9 Sand Hill Road, Ashford, CT Tour the Horizon Wings Raptor Rehabilitation facility and meet the raptors. We’ll meet all the birds and get to know the owls. Join us for this rare opportunity to see the amazing birds of Horizon…
Read MoreJuly Member Program (7/25): Nature Hike at Whitney Forest
Nature Hike at Whitney Forest 9 a.m. Sunday, July 25 Oliver Rd., Lebanon, CT Join us on the Hibbard Trail as we explore the unique and diverse landscape of Whitney Forest, a CT Forest & Park Association property. This easy 1.5 mile hike with little elevation change is perfect for families and nature enthusiasts alike…
Read MoreJuly Acorn Adventure (7/24): Bats in The Last Green Valley
Acorn Adventure: Bats in The Last Green Valley 7:30 p.m. – 9:30 p.m. Saturday, July 24 Wyndham Land Trust Lyon Preserve, Pomfret, CT Join TLGV Chief Ranger Bill Reid and Wildlife Biologist Devaughn Fraser, PhD from the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection for a fascinating evening learning about bats in The Last Green…
Read MoreGiant of the Forest: The Splendid Tulip Poplar
“I frequently tramped eight or ten miles through the deepest snow to keep an appointment with a beech-tree, or a yellow birch, or an old acquaintance among the pines.” — Henry David Thoreau One of my favorite places to visit is Nathan Hale State Forest at the Nathan Hale Homestead Museum in Coventry. I am usually there two…
Read MoreFinding Beauty in a Summer Day
The Summer Solstice may be in June, but for us New Englanders it is July when summer really starts. The heat of the season draws me outdoors to the wealth of beauty right out my doorstep. Here is what I’ve been seeing so far and what I’ll be looking for as we slide toward the…
Read MoreIndependence Day: Remembering Samuel Ashbow
I grew up outside of Boston, and as a kid was told the story of one of my ancestors who fought in the battle of Bunker Hill. It was the first major battle of the American Revolution and while the colonists lost the battle, they proved they could fight and hold their own against the…
Read MoreTimber Cruise Request for Proposals
The Last Green Valley, Inc. (TLGV) is seeking the services of a Connecticut licensed forester, qualified in conducting timber cruises to conduct a forest inventory for the purposes of a valuation of standing timber on approximately 181.6 acres of forestland, located in the towns of Chaplin, Hampton, Scotland and Windham, Connecticut. Click here for the…
Read MoreSummer is a time to explore our ponds and lakes
Last Monday was the summer solstice and the official start of summer. We have a tradition at The Last Green Valley (TLGV) to take in the summer solstice with a sunset paddle, and Monday about 30 of us enjoyed a beautiful evening at Mansfield Hollow Lake. It got me thinking about our individual connections to…
Read MoreThe fascinating life of oak gall wasps
Earlier this month my colleague, LyAnn Graff, brought in an interesting looking fuzz ball surrounding a thin leafy branch of a burr oak tree. It was about the size of a golf ball, but with red-tipped small points on the wooly surface. I figured it must be an oak gall of some kind and the…
Read More