Follow the Trail with Bill Reid,
The Last Green Valley's Chief Ranger
Exploring The Last Green Valley: Winter is perfect time of year to get outdoors
Exploring The Last Green Valley: Winter is perfect time of year to get outdoors The Winter Solstice will be marked at 5:44 a.m. this coming Wednesday. The word solstice comes from the Latin words for sun and to stand still. Winter Solstice is when the…
Exploring The Last Green Valley: From history to hiking, shopping and dining, Sturbridge has it all
Exploring The Last Green Valley: From history to hiking, shopping and dining, Sturbridge has it all As I travel around the 35 towns that comprise The Last Green Valley National Heritage Corridor and speak to community groups about our region, I sometimes am surprised when…
Exploring The Last Green Valley: Hibernating season is upon us
Exploring The Last Green Valley: Hibernating season is upon us The calendar still says autumn, but sunrise today revealed a dusting of snow on the cars and driveway. During morning farm chores I had to break up the thin layer of ice that had skimmed…
Exploring The Last Green Valley: Opossum is only marsupial found in Connecticut
Exploring The Last Green Valley: Opossum is only marsupial found in Connecticut For the past few weeks my wife has been leaving food out for a beautiful stray cat. We hope to entice the animal with food so as to eventually tame him and include…
Exploring The Last Green Valley: The witch of the woods has many uses
Exploring The Last Green Valley: The witch of the woods has many uses This past month, I led a hike along the Nipmuck Trail in Ashford. The trail winds through the Natchaug State Forest and some of the more spectacular habitat in our region. The…
Exploring The Last Green Valley: Canada geese are here to stay
Exploring The Last Green Valley: Canada geese are here to stay Yesterday, a flock of Canada geese flew over our house. They were flying in their classic V-shaped formation and the chilled autumn air was filled with the cacophony of their honking music.I always stop…
Exploring The Last Green Valley: Trio of maples represent three of our veterans
Exploring The Last Green Valley: Trio of maples represent three of our veterans Friday is Veterans Day, our public holiday to honor U.S. veterans and victims of all wars. It was originally called Armistice Day and marked the end of hostilities in World War I…
Exploring The Last Green Valley: Ravens more than symbol of Halloween
Exploring The Last Green Valley: Ravens more than symbol of Halloween And the Raven, never flitting, still is sitting, still is sitting On the pallid bust of Pallas just above my chamber door; And his eyes have all the seeming of a demon’s that is…
Exploring The Last Green Valley: Fall migration a quiet process
Have you noticed that fewer birds are singing this time of year? At my house, the dawn chorus of spring and early summer mornings has been replaced with an occasional caw from the local crow family or quirrr from the red-bellied woodpecker. As summer winds…
Exploring The Last Green Valley: Autumn olive is silvery invader of field, pasture
Exploring The Last Green Valley: Autumn olive is silvery invader of field, pasture Today, my focus turns to yet another invasive plant and one of the 10 most wanted in terms of problem plants in our region. Our six acres of land in Putnam is…
Exploring The Last Green Valley: Get out and enjoy apple season
Exploring The Last Green Valley: Get out and enjoy apple season “It is remarkable how closely the history of the apple tree is connected with that of man.” — Henry David Thoreau, “Wild Fruits: Thoreau’s Rediscovered Last Manuscript” There is something about biting into a…
Exploring The Last Green Valley – Walktober highlights include W. Thompson Lake, eccentric local
Walktober highlights include W. Thompson Lake, eccentric local What do Nathan Hale Homestead, French River, JN Webster Scout Camp, Uncas Leap, Leffingwell Museum, Shetucket River, Roseland Cottage, Ekonk Hill Turkey Farm, West Thompson Lake, Nipmuck Trail Pixie Falls and Mount Misery all have in common?…