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Hiking the Natchaug Trail along the Civilian Conservation Corps Loop

October 19, 2021

“As long as the light lasts in these mid-October days, we want to spend each sunlit moment out-of-doors. The silent tide of the autumn colors that has been rising during the earlier part of the month has held for several days now at its peak.”…

Walktober Cancellations

October 15, 2021

Unfortunately, the weather has forced us to cancel the Night Sky Adventures planned for the nights of 10/15 (Walktober #121) & 10/16 (Walktober #139).

Make Your Woods Bird Friendly – TLGV and Partners Launch Next Round of $6.1 Million Southern New England Heritage Forest Grant Program

October 13, 2021

Attention woodland landowners: Funding is available to improve your woodland habitat for important bird species and to manage your woods for wildlife and people. The Last Green Valley (TLGV), the MassConn Sustainable Forest Partnership (MassConn) and the Northern Rhode Island Conservation District (NRICD) are pleased…

More Walktober!

October 12, 2021

This holiday weekend marks the half-way point of The Last Green Valley’s Walktober. So far, the weather has been mostly glorious and allowed our beautiful Heritage Corridor to shine. With three more weeks to go, however, Walktober really begins to heat up as the temperatures…

The Industrious Eastern Chipmunk

October 5, 2021

I visited my grandparent’s old place in New Hampshire this past weekend to tend to the flower gardens and lawn. The tranquility of a glorious early fall day was interrupted by the constant staccato chip, chip, chip call of several resident chipmunks. I lost count…

Why Do Leaves Change Color in the Fall?

September 28, 2021

Already the leaves are starting to change color. The red maples catch my eye first, especially those growing along streams and wetlands, with their bright red leaves shining in the afternoon sun like a warning flag – winter is coming. Soon, each day will start…

Exploring The Last Green Valley – Walktober 2021

September 21, 2021

Wednesday at 3:20 p.m. marks the Autumnal Equinox, the official end of summer and the start of the seasonal change towards winter. For some, autumn is their favorite time of year with cool sweater weather and the colors of fall leaves changing from shades of…

The Nipmuck Trail

September 14, 2021

“A good trailsman always leaves a trail a little better than he finds it.” ‑‑ Edgar L. Heermance, “Father” of the Connecticut Blue-Blazed Hiking Trail System, from Connecticut Walk Book, 20th Edition, 2017. Some of the wonderful outdoor resources we have in the 26 Connecticut towns…

Jumping “Crazy Snake” Worms in The Last Green Valley

September 7, 2021

My friend Dick Waterman from Hanover, one of the three villages of Sprague, is a regular reader of this column. Thanks to his inquisitive nature, coupled with years of documenting the natural world in his neighborhood, he has provided me with several ideas to share…