The Industrious Eastern Chipmunk
I visited my grandparent’s old place in New Hampshire this past weekend to tend to the flower gardens and lawn. The tranquility of a glorious early fall day was interrupted by the constant staccato chip, chip, chip call of several resident chipmunks. I lost count…
Why Do Leaves Change Color in the Fall?
Already the leaves are starting to change color. The red maples catch my eye first, especially those growing along streams and wetlands, with their bright red leaves shining in the afternoon sun like a warning flag – winter is coming. Soon, each day will start…
Exploring The Last Green Valley – Walktober 2021
Wednesday at 3:20 p.m. marks the Autumnal Equinox, the official end of summer and the start of the seasonal change towards winter. For some, autumn is their favorite time of year with cool sweater weather and the colors of fall leaves changing from shades of…
The Nipmuck Trail
“A good trailsman always leaves a trail a little better than he finds it.” ‑‑ Edgar L. Heermance, “Father” of the Connecticut Blue-Blazed Hiking Trail System, from Connecticut Walk Book, 20th Edition, 2017. Some of the wonderful outdoor resources we have in the 26 Connecticut towns…
Jumping “Crazy Snake” Worms in The Last Green Valley
My friend Dick Waterman from Hanover, one of the three villages of Sprague, is a regular reader of this column. Thanks to his inquisitive nature, coupled with years of documenting the natural world in his neighborhood, he has provided me with several ideas to share…
Finding Beauty in a September Day
“For days now, monarch butterflies have been drifting through. While birds are migrating south by night, in starlight and moonlight, these butterflies are moving south by day, in brilliant sunshine and under the shadows of clouds. The night of the migrating songbird finds its parallel…
Help Improve Water Quality in The Last Green Valley
Join The Last Green Valley’s Water Quality Monitoring team and become a citizen scientist. Jean Pillo, Water Quality Monitoring Coordinator for TLGV, is hosting a training on Riffle Bioassessment Water Quality Monitoring. Hundreds of water quality monitoring volunteers work throughout The Last Green Valley National…
A Visit to the Tantaquidgeon Museum
“Father and brother Harold built the little stone original museum that was begun in 1930 and completed and opened in 1931. The purpose of this little stone room was to house our collection of various artifacts that had been made and used by our people…
Tickets for Sale to the 2021 Tastes of the Valley – THIRSTdays Harvest Tour!
Help support TLGV and sustain the rich agricultural tapestry of the National Heritage Corridor by taking a “THIRSTdays Harvest Tour” of The Last Green Valley this fall! Our newest iteration of Tastes of the Valley will have you sample locally crafted sips while enjoying…