Not just for pancakes, maple syrup has been a staple in the North American diet for centuries.
Wildlife Wonders- Red Squirrels
Years ago, I had a close encounter with a big antlered buck, or male white-tailed deer, that I will never forget.
Brownfields
If you were a robin returning to the Connecticut River in the spring of 1970, you would have seen compromised industrial sites along the riverbanks.
The Secret Bog
Wildflowers—on my own home turf here, at the southern end of the Connecticut: this should be fun.
Maple Sugaring
The maple sugaring season is one of the most celebrated and ephemeral of spring events to occur up and down the Connecticut River watershed.
New England’s First State Forest
From the rocky knob of Great Hill at the southern tip of Meshomasic State Forest, I gazed at a big bend the Connecticut River takes in the middle distance, with ridges fading to gray-blue behind it.
Lyme Land Trust
There are about 100 land trusts in the Connecticut River Watershed, plus four state land trust associations, plus a national association.
New Reserve
Residents of Connecticut should be proud that, on January 14, 2022, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) approved Connecticut’s application for a National Estuarine Research Reserve (CT NERR).
Water and Forests
Anyone who studies rivers knows that the land cover in a watershed is the number one predictor of the health of a river.
One Photograph- Little Bird, Big Song
But from the first few dreamy days of April on well into May, where better to discover springtime than in one’s own patch of cozy, quaint New England woods?
Invasive Plants- Phragmites
By now, knowledge that invasive plants are bad news is pretty widespread. Numerous articles and agencies cite “billions of dollars” in damages annually to agriculture and fisheries; they are the “leading cause” of population decline and extinction in animals.
Celebratory Ecology- The Forest as Human Sanctuary
Streamside walking connects us with the splendors of flowing water on our Water Planet.
Below the Surface- Returning Home
It seemed like just another spring day when we stopped at the Salmon River, a tidewater tributary of the Connecticut River that splits the towns of Haddam and East Haddam, Connecticut.
From the Publisher- Eleanor Robinson
My father operated a farm in Maryland in 1944 and planted five acres of string beans, all to go toward the war effort.
Wildlife Wonders: Red-breasted Merganser
Spend a minute watching a mute swan go airborne. These stunning birds, who often gather at the mouth of the Connecticut River, are so big they need 100 feet or more to get up and go.
Speaking up for mute swans despite controversy
Spend a minute watching a mute swan go airborne. These stunning birds, who often gather at the mouth of the Connecticut River, are so big they need 100 feet or more to get up and go.
Estuary for Young Readers
I put my hand out in front of me like I’m offering to shake and say: “How do you do, sir. I’m called JJ, just like my father, and his father, and his father before him. We’re all ferrymen here in Old Saybrook, and we’re all called JJ.”
What’s for Dinner? – Turkey Pot Pie
Yum yum summertime…and what better way to celebrate than to have a barbeque! Our choices are diverse, but let’s focus on what’s fresh and readily available at this time of the year. What comes to mind? … Corn and tomatoes, which can be prepared with a minimum of fuss…and what a delight to the eyes as well.
Rowing
Dating back to the 1800s, it’s been an image tied to the Connecticut River: rowers in shells—long, impossibly slim boats—cutting through the water, powered by four or eight students, each hauling on an oar and steered by an ever-encouraging coxswain.
Gamboling on the Frozen River
It was always colder way back when, back in the day, at least according to the ancient ones—generations of parents and grandparents. It turns out they were correct.