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

“Truly, out of the darkness, where forever the stems of our little northern ferns are hid, the frond reaches up an eager hand for the blessed sunlight.” From “An Almanac for Moderns,” by Donald Culross Peattie A summertime walk in the woods reveals large patches…

When was the last time you visited one of our many state parks and state forests? August is here, summer is moving quickly through the warm season, so now is the perfect time to plan a visit. Here in Connecticut the opportunities are boundless, especially…

I think we have a family of crows nesting in our neighborhood. Perhaps they have a nest in the thick woods between our house and the highway, or it might be in the trees south of our back field. We see them frequently throughout the…

What do 18 farms within six towns in The Last Green Valley National Heritage Corridor all have in common? Each has been protected from development by the Connecticut Farmland Trust. The town of Lebanon alone has 12 protected farms, more than any other town in…

We have several hickory trees in our neighborhood, but the one I appreciate the most stands by the stone wall bordering the back pasture. At least 60 feet tall in the open air, the tree benefits from little competition for sunlight. Its rounded crown is…

“Fireflies create a magic that transcends time and space. Their resplendent displays change ordinary landscapes into places ethereal and otherworldly.” — Sara Lewis, “Silent Sparks: The Wonderous World of Fireflies” Do you remember the first time you saw fireflies? I vividly recall one warm summer…

It was a chilly, sunny autumn morning when I discovered a frog in the grass below a maple tree in my yard. The cool weather had slowed its metabolism, and it hardly moved when I picked it up and held it in my hand. Its…

I am pretty sure my neighbors drive by our house and wonder when we’re going to mow the lawn. The fact is, we care more about the wildflowers and important pollinating insects making our yard and fields home than we care about how it looks…

One recent morning, I ventured over to Old Furnace State Park in Killingly for a hike. The park is less than 10 miles from my house and is one of my preferred locations for a forest ramble. Old Furnace has an excellent trail network. I…

I am partial to June. It is my birth month and that of my mother, too. It is also the month of the Summer Solstice and when school summer vacation begins. My memories of summer vacation run deep. Summer meant Boy Scout camp, hikes and…

We’re on the cusp of June, and before you know it the summer solstice will arrive with the warmth and heat of the season. If you’re looking to get outdoors and experience countless and diverse locations in The Last Green Valley for enjoying nature, here…

“The sun always crosses the line on time, but the seasons which he makes are by no means so punctual; they loiter, or they hasten, and the spring tokens are 3 or 4 weeks earlier or later some season than others.” — John Burroughs from “Spring…