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

Exploring The Last Green Valley: We can help protect our pollinators

June 16, 2019

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…

Exploring The Last Green Valley: Lady’s slipper a beautiful forest addition

June 9, 2019

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…

Exploring the Last Green Valley: Remembering Teale and D-Day this Week

June 2, 2019

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…

June is “Busting Out All Over” With Outdoor Opportunities

May 28, 2019

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…

Exploring The Last Green Valley: Black fly a springtime winged tormentor

May 19, 2019

“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…

Exploring The Last Green Valley: Volunteers with noble purpose help monitor fishable streams

May 12, 2019

What do three types of mayfly, four types of stonefly and five types of caddisfly have in common? Each of these micro-invertebrates begins their life in water. Each of these species is also sensitive to water pollution, and therefore serve as an indicator of the…

Exploring The Last Green Valley: In May, it’s easy to see all things are possible

May 5, 2019

“The world’s favorite season is the spring. All things seem possible in May.“ Edwin Way Teale It seems as if a switch turned on, or perhaps it was due to the night of soft rain, but the morning of April 14 I remarked to my…

Exploring The Last Green Valley: The brown-headed cowbird is a parasite with wings

April 28, 2019

Bird nesting season has arrived. Migratory birds have returned and, along with our year-round birds, are actively seeking nesting territories, attracting mates, building nests, laying eggs and rearing young. Every bird builds a nest characteristic of its species. Bald eagle nests are built of large…

Exploring The Last Green Valley: Museums help preserve the region’s story

April 14, 2019

Too often, we don’t recognize the treasures in our own backyards. Living in The Last Green Valley National Heritage Corridor means there is a rich array of both natural and cultural resources within reach. When thinking of a museum to visit, we often go to…

Exploring The Last Green Valley: Land trusts are crucial to conservation

April 10, 2019

I spent March 23 at Wesleyan University in Middletown with more than 550 other people for the Connecticut Land Conservation Council’s annual conference. Gathered at the conference for training and workshops on the myriad issues facing conservationists were landowners, students, educators, municipal commission members, land…

Exploring The Last Green Valley: New life and promise awaken as nature does this spring

March 31, 2019

“On this chill uncertain spring morning, towards twilight, I have heard the first frog quaver from the marsh. It always seems to me that no sooner do I hear the first frog trill that I find the first cloud of frog’s eggs in a wayside…

Exploring The Last Green Valley: Don’t forget the guide book for exploring the region

March 24, 2019

“The truth of the matter is, the birds could very well live without us, but many – perhaps all – of us would find life incomplete, indeed almost intolerable without the birds.” – Roger Tory Peterson Last week, a reader called me looking for suggestions…