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acorn adventure

Acorn Adventure Scavenger Hunt

September 7, 2017

Ranger Jean will be leading the TLGV Acorn Adventure at the Opacum Land Trust’s Thompson Forever Preserve in Southbridge, MA, on Sunday, September 10, from 1-2:30. The Preserve is located on Eastford Road (Route 198), just south of Dennison Drive in Southbridge, MA. We will…

‘Masked bandit’ is alive and well in The Last Green Valley

September 5, 2017

Summer vacation reading was a requirement growing up in my house. When I was about 9 or 10 years old, my mother gave me “Rascal: A Memoir of a Better Era,” by Sterling North, as my summer reading assignment. North’s description of his boyhood pet…

Exploring The Last Green Valley: Insect-sized pit of doom a little wonder of natural world

August 28, 2017

A couple of months ago as I was unlocking the door to my barn, I noticed a conical-shaped hole in the sandy soil next to the door sill. It looked like an upside-down volcano about two inches in diameter. I recognized it immediately from my…

If you look closely, you can see signs of approaching fall

August 24, 2017

The autumnal equinox is more than a month away, but already I know the signs of seasonal change. I see it all around me and I hear its call, “autumn is coming.” This past weekend I attended the Lebanon Country Fair. Along with three volunteer…

Putnam Bank Supports The Last Green Valley

August 22, 2017

Putnam Bank through its Foundation donated $3,000 to support The Last Green Valley’s annual Walktober celebration. Walktober is TLGV’s premier event, designed to raise awareness of the significant cultural, natural, and scenic resources of The Last Green Valley and also promotes several fairs, festivals, and…

The Natchaug River valley is worth a visit soon

August 16, 2017

For 30 years I lived in Woodstock Valley on Route 198, the state highway that stretches between Chaplin to the south and Southbridge to the north. For me, the defining feature of Route 198 is the beautiful stretch between the towns of Eastford and Chaplin…

Are The Last Green Valley’s Streams Healthy? You Can Help Us Find Out!

August 14, 2017

Each fall, dozens of volunteers gather important water quality information by collecting, sorting, and identifying underwater bugs from small streams in eastern Connecticut. Through this program, called, “Riffle Bioassessments for Volunteers (RBV),” we can learn a lot about water quality in these fragile stream environments…

Universal Accessibility Training

August 9, 2017

Nonprofit trail groups, land trusts, municipalities, and state and federal agencies are invited to train with The Last Green Valley, Inc. (TLGV) using “High Efficiency Trails Assessment Process (HETAP)” equipment. The HETAP equipment helps land managers collect and provide information so that mobility-impaired people can…

Butterfly Season is Here: The Eastern Tiger Swallowtail Butterfly

August 7, 2017

For one of my teenage birthdays, I was given an insect and butterfly catching kit that came with a fine-meshed insect net and other items for euthanizing and mounting specimens in display frames. With my net in hand, I ventured forth to hunt my butterfly…