Follow the Trail with Bill Reid,
The Last Green Valley's Chief Ranger
Exploring The Last Green Valley – The Majestic Great Blue Heron
The Majestic Great Blue Heron I remember very clearly the first time I saw a great blue heron. It was in the early 1970s and I was hiking with friends at a large protected forest and wetlands habitat in Concord, MA, when suddenly a mature…
Exploring The Last Green Valley – The Climbing Strangler of Trees – Oriental Bittersweet
The Climbing Strangler of Trees – Oriental Bittersweet As a wanderer of forests, paddler of rivers, and hiker of hills I am always on the lookout for invasive plants. Over the past several years the spread of invasive plants has imperiled our native plants. Without…
Exploring The Last Green Valley – Enjoying Wetlands in The Last Green Valley
Exploring The Last Green Valley, Enjoying Wetlands in The Last Green Valley When we plan an outing to explore the beautiful natural resources here in The Last Green Valley, we tend to think of our state parks and network of trails that lead us through…
Exploring The Last Green Valley – Fireworks and Celebrating Independence Day
Exploring The Last Green Valley, Fireworks and Celebrating Independence Day There are many holiday traditions that we all enjoy throughout the year. We stay up till midnight on New Year’s Eve to celebrate the first moments of the year. We search our closets for something…
Exploring The Last Green Valley – Haying Season in The Last Green Valley
Exploring The Last Green Valley, Haying Season in The Last Green Valley “Make hay while the sun shines.” Old Proverb As of this writing, June has been mostly dry with few prolonged rain storms. Our dry weather has caused me to water my vegetable garden…
Exploring The Last Green Valley – The First Day of Summer in The Last Green Valley
Exploring The Last Green Valley, The First Day of Summer in The Last Green Valley This Monday, June 20th, marks the first day of summer for 2016. Here are some first-day-of-summer facts from The Old Farmer’s Almanac, a handy source of weather information and wisdom.…
Exploring The Last Green Valley, The Hermit of the Forest
Exploring The Last Green Valley, The Hermit of the Forest Readers of this column may recall my fondness for bluebirds and the bluebird boxes on our property in Putnam. The bluebird is one of the more familiar species of the thrush family, a diverse group…
Exploring The Last Green Valley, Mountain Laurel – Appreciating Kalmia latifolia, Our Connecticut State Flower
Exploring The Last Green Valley, Mountain Laurel – Appreciating Kalmia latifolia, Our Connecticut State Flower I was first introduced to mountain laurel after I moved to northeastern Connecticut in 1980. I lived on Route 198 in Woodstock, and at that time, the 5-mile stretch of…
Exploring The Last Green Valley – Memorial Day: Remembering the Andersonville Nine at Yantic Cemetery
Exploring The Last Green Valley, Memorial Day: Remembering the Andersonville Nine at Yantic Cemetery As Memorial Day approaches, it is time to remember those who gave the ultimate sacrifice for our country. This Monday, many towns in The Last Green Valley will hold parades and…
Exploring The Last Green Valley – A River Runs Through It – The Shetucket River
Exploring The Last Green Valley, A River Runs Through It – The Shetucket River Two weeks ago this column focused on the Willimantic River and the recreational opportunities it offers to paddle enthusiasts. In keeping with our spring season water recreation theme, today we explore…
Exploring The Last Green Valley – Give the Gift of Vitamin N (Nature)!
Give the Gift of Vitamin N (Nature)! “If a child is to keep alive his inborn sense of wonder, he [or she] needs the companionship of at least one adult who can share it, rediscovering the joy, excitement and mystery of the world we live…
Exploring The Last Green Valley – The Willimantic River – A National Recreation Trail
The Willimantic River – A National Recreation Trail To the lost man, to the pioneer penetrating a new country, to the naturalist who wishes to see the wild land at its wildest, the advice is always the same – follow the river. The river is…