…high. Two examples are the almost complete loss of American elm and American chestnut in the early 1900s, both major woodland components throughout their range including New England. Efforts to…
Geology of the Connecticut Valley
…compression and extension, the continents we know today. While Pangea was literally coming apart at the seams, some of those seams called rifts were more successful at breaking free than…
One Photograph: By EAR
…perhaps most lyrically of all as “a lovely, minor key little song, wistful and carefree at once, delicate as crystal, simple as breath” (Merrill Gilfillan).*3 But from still others come…
Watery Wilderness
…to the campground. The estimate for this trip is 8 to 10 hours, but we completed it in 7 without rushing. Tara Schatz is a freelance writer and photographer with…
Questing
…early 1990s. Originally based on following maps, compass readings, and rhyming riddles in search of hidden boxes, staff and volunteers at Vital Communities developed it into a unique form of…
Brownfields
…Such leadership has been demonstrated by communities across the country when it became clear that they must address this complicated legacy of brownfields. The Brownstone Quarry Park, known for zip…
Gardening for Good: How to Find and Grow Native Plants from Seed
…can make the difference. Judy Preston is a local ecologist active in the Connecticut River estuary.\n\n Resources For links to detailed instructions about how to propagate native seeds, visit: https://www.estuarymagazine.com/2024/09/resources-how-to-propagate-native-seeds/\n\n…
On My Mind…
This article appears in the Fall 2024 issue.\n\n On My Mind…\n\n Mark your calendars: Spring 2026. That is when we celebrate the next biennial World Fish Migration Day (WFMD)….
Moose
…syrup makers complained that moose in their daily travels were readily walking through their expensive pipeline systems and the grim statistic of highway fatalities resulting from collisions with moose were…
Migratory Bird Act
…contentious and filled with adversity. He vainly searched for compromise solutions to get some semblance of his reform agenda passed, but in the end his reforms were defeated. He was…
Conte Corner: Let Our Mission Be Our Guide
…term, by pivoting to state, local, and private funding of land conservation, restoration, research, and stewardship activities. We know that our communities can and will come together in difficult times…
Hydrilla
…from Greek mythology, Hydra. Once established, this perennial plant is known to completely displace native submerged plant communities. Hydrilla can alter fish populations, cause shifts in plankton communities, and affect…
Below the Surface: Plant Eggs to Grow Salmon
This article appears in the Winter 2024 issue\n\n Biologist Jennifer Noll (far right) uses a water jet inserted inside a metal funnel to drive the funnel a couple of feet…
Whitewater Paddling
…on rainfall. This section, visible along Route 100, is home to Tunnel Vision, one of the most notorious expert rapids in New England, a precipitous labyrinth of rocks and holes,…
Casting About: Farmington River, Part Two
This article appears in the Fall 2024 issue\n\n Farmington River, Part Two\n\n Story and Photos by Ed Mitchell\n\n The long pool by the former Hitchcock Chair factory in Riverton, part…
The Art, Architecture, and Landscape of Hill-Stead Museum
…received some form of formal higher education, Theodate simply took another path by engaging a professor at Princeton to serve as her private tutor in art history,” says Melanie Bourbeau,…
Thornton W. Burgess
…food, fun, or simply their feathers. Many species common today, including ducks, Canada geese, and shore birds, were in trouble in the early 1900s. Mrs. Quack recounts her harrowing journey,…
It’s All About the River’s Water Quality
…of 1984. “Voluntary compliance” was replaced with “mandatory compliance with penalties.” The die was cast. Industries, farms, and individuals made the necessary investments. The Connecticut River rose from a Class…
Made You Look
…bronze symphony that took fourteen years to complete. I have seen the “original” on Boston Common, and another “copy” in the Smithsonian, as well as smaller versions in other museums….
The Watershed Fund
…story about her appeared in the Winter 2023 issue. https://www.estuarymagazine.com/2023/12/first-annual-award-for-early-career-achievement-in-environmentalism/ The winner of the 2024 award was Riley Doherty. Her story appears in the Winter 2024 issue of estuary. The…