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

“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…

Aug. 18, marks the 100th anniversary of the ratification of the 19th Amendment, which gave women the right to vote in the United States. With today marking the first day of Women’s History Month, I’ve been thinking about the important role women have played in…

I have been thinking about the approach of spring. The Vernal Equinox is just days away (March 19), but winter has hardly been what we usually associate with the cold months of the year. Woe to the ice fisherman this winter with very little ice…

During the summer months my wife, Julie, and I drive the Bat Mobile along the dark roads of Windham County. Our patrol route is a 20-mile transect of small country roads between Windham and Putnam. While I would like you to think we are driving…

“I have loved my woods since the day I first walked in them, but my appreciation of them has increased exponentially since I first had a professional forester walk in my woods with me.” — Stephen Long from “More Than A Woodlot: Getting the Most…

A few weeks ago, The Last Green Valley woke to a crisp Sunday winter morning. Four inches of soft, wet snow fell overnight, and the storm had blown itself out, replaced by a stiff breeze and clearing skies — perfect conditions for wildlife tracking. I…

Last month I wrote about the Still River and Bigelow Brook in the first of my series about smaller rivers within The Last Green Valley National Heritage Corridor. The series is inspired by a group of water resources professionals, community leaders and other interested folks…