Follow the Trail with Bill Reid,
The Last Green Valley's Chief Ranger

“The habits of this famed bird differ so materially from those of almost all others of its tribe that an accurate description of them cannot fail to be interesting to the student of nature.”   John James Audubon I’ll never forget the first time I saw…

For the past several weeks I have been exploring land trust properties throughout The Last Green Valley National Heritage Corridor. I’ve shared some of those experiences in previous columns. Today I want to share with you two Avalonia Land Conservancy preserves. Founded in 1968, Avalonia’s…

We are living in challenging times. We are getting pretty good at practicing social distancing and used to wearing protective masks when in public. I do look forward to a time when things slowly return to normal. The one store we have had to visit…

I’ve been thinking about pollinators a lot lately. Regular readers of this column know I’ve planned and planted a pollinator garden in my own yard. But I also know there is so much more to learn about pollinators, so I was pleased to see the…

April was a month of exploration for me. Despite the chilly temperatures and frequent dreary, rainy days I found plenty of time to get out in the great outdoors of The Last Green Valley National Heritage Corridor. I took the time to explore wooded trails…

April is Earth Month in The Last Green Valley, and to honor the 50th Anniversary of Earth Day, I wanted to give you some more ways you can celebrate and support the goals of Earth Day – not just this month, but throughout the year.…

“The care of the earth is our most ancient and most worthy and, after all, our most pleasing responsibility. To cherish what remains of it, and to foster its renewal, is our only legitimate hope.” From “The Art of the Commonplace: The Agrarian Essays” by…

Here in The Last Green Valley we are blessed with many different types of outdoor recreation. We certainly do not lack in trails to hike, bike and run, and we can thank the numerous land trusts active in the National Heritage Corridor for many miles…

I’ve grown even more appreciative of my own backyard these last few weeks. I’ve always taken the time to walk the property regularly, and I am constantly surprised by the diversity of life I find. I thought sharing with you some of my observations in…

Here in The Last Green Valley and throughout the country, millions of us are living life remotely. Non-essential businesses have been closed in both Connecticut and Massachusetts. Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont’s advice regarding outdoor recreation according to the state website is, “individuals should limit outdoor…

On a cool evening last week my wife, Julie, and I drove out to Blue Flag Meadow in Hampton. We parked, stepped through the entrance gate at the edge of the large, 10-acre field and walked out to the open expanse. Although the day had…

One night long ago I was driving along a dark road in Woodstock when my headlights caught a fox along the side of the road. For a moment it stood frozen in the light, then turned and jumped over a stone wall back into the…