Follow the Trail with Bill Reid,
The Last Green Valley's Chief Ranger
Exploring The Last Green Valley: Appreciate where we live
“I do not know whether it is possible to love the planet or not, but I do know that it is possible to love the places we can see, touch, smell and experience.” — David Orr, Earth in Mind This time of year makes me…
Exploring The Last Green Valley: Woodcock courtship ritual something to behold
I was about 12 years old when I first witnessed the magical springtime courtship ritual and flight display of the male American woodcock. It was an early spring evening at dusk and I was outside enjoying the pastoral views from my grandparents’ old farm in…
Exploring The Last Green Valley: It’s time to spring outdoors
Just a few days ago, at 6:28 a.m. Monday, marked the Vernal Equinox — the first day of spring. The winter of 2017 will go down as relatively mild, with not too many snowstorms in The Last Green Valley, though March certainly went out like…
Exploring The Last Green Valley: Optics pioneer one of region’s most remarkable women
Exploring The Last Green Valley: Optics pioneer one of region’s most remarkable women It was just last month while researching my Bulletin column on the American Optical Company and the Optical Heritage Museum that I first learned about Dr. Estelle Glancy. In celebration of Women’s…
Exploring The Last Green Valley: Little bufflehead duck makes brief annual visit
Exploring The Last Green Valley: Little bufflehead duck makes brief annual visit For several years I lived near Witches Woods Lake in Woodstock. We could see the lake from our kitchen window and I frequently took advantage of a nice walking trail that went along…
Exploring The Last Green Valley: Sprague Land Preserve an extraordinary place
Exploring The Last Green Valley: Sprague Land Preserve an extraordinary place With the recent warm temperatures and snow melt, my thoughts are turning to springtime forest rambles. This spring, I have my sights on a very special place located in Sprague and Franklin. The first…
Exploring The Last Green Valley: Curious springtails are the snow fleas of winter
Exploring The Last Green Valley: Curious springtails are the snow fleas of winter I was about 10 years old the first time I discovered snow fleas, or what are really called springtails. The large pile of wet snow underneath the old oak tree in our…
Exploring The Last Green Valley: Reading the forested landscape
Exploring The Last Green Valley: Reading the forested landscape The Last Green Valley National Heritage Corridor is more than 1,000 square miles with 707,000 acres of land. Our region is 77 percent undeveloped land with 67.1 percent forested land including 12.3 percent coniferous forest (pine…
Exploring the Last Green Valley: Optical Heritage Museum keeps history of American Optical alive
Exploring the Last Green Valley: Optical Heritage Museum keeps history of American Optical alive The Last Green Valley National Heritage Corridor was and is home to many innovative and important companies. Beginning in the 19th century, with advances in waterpower technology and the birth of…
Exploring The Last Green Valley: ‘Wandering Through Winter’ with Teale
Exploring The Last Green Valley: ‘Wandering Through Winter’ with Teale Winter seems like the perfect time to re-tell the story of one of The Last Green Valley’s most gifted writers. If you enjoy natural history, travel, the fascinating turn of the seasons and the lyrical…