The Shad Spirit

…along the old truss railroad bridge. You imagine some of the busy commuters on their way between Boston and New York looking up from their laptops to refresh themselves with…

Mother Trees

…the mother trees. Mother trees are the biggest and oldest trees in the forest. They are at the center of a complicated communications network between all trees. They can be…

Dam Removals

…bombs. Each state has an agency that regulates dams and tries to ensure owners keep them in good shape, but dam failures are common, and when a large one fails,…

Gardening for Good: Rethinking Weeds

…which we call a rose By any other name would smell as sweet.” —William Shakespeare Any number of dictionaries refer to the word “weed” using distasteful associations. For example, you…

Maple Sugaring

…sugar making and their rich culture-specific rituals that accompany it. But all had in common the life sustaining rescue brought forth by the maple trees. Far from being a garnish…

Monarch Butterflies Summer in New England

…protection from bird predators. We admire their beautiful caterpillars and enjoy the annual restoration of their numbers—which is essential to the species’ survival. But the freezing temperatures of autumn and…

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…

Snowy Owls

Norman Smith releases a snowy owl, helped by his third-generation owl research assistants—Carmella and Alexa Nihill—at Duxbury Beach, MA. Image Credit: © Raymond MacDonald/ray-macdonald.com.\n\n Snowy Owls\n\n Fierce Predators, Beautiful Birds\n\n…

Estuary for Young Readers

…wanted to start right that minute. I told her she had to wait but she could definitely come back and search with us in the spring. It hadn’t been an…

Celebrating Microcultures

…River valley, like Manchester Community College, have helped Centerbrook shape the academic architecture of New England. Image Credits: Getty Images/Apostrophes (blue background), Jeff Goldberg/ESTO (Manchester Community College), and Derek Hayn/Centerbrook…

Rowing

…has grown and prospered over the years, with competitive and recreational components for youths and adults. During the peak of summer, between 150 and 200 people come through Riverfront’s various…

On My Mind…

…the formidable Collins Axe Company until it closed in 1966. In its heyday, this company produced 1,300 different “edge” tools for sale internationally, items such as machetes, picks, swords, bayonets,…

Book Announcement- If Only Houses Could Talk

…largely responsible for the creation of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). The book, Historic Houses of the Connecticut River Valley, can be obtained for $23.99 by visiting arcadiapublishing.com.\n\n…

Moose

Moose\n\n An Endearing Symbol of the Wild North\n\n By John Buck\n\n Moose comes from the Algonquin word Mooswa, meaning “the one who strips twigs.” To fulfill its life functions, the…

Land Trusts in the Watershed

Bascom Hollow Farm in Gill, Massachusetts, has received conservation support from the Mount Grace Land Conservation Trust. Photo courtesy of Dick French Land Trusts in the Watershed An Overview Editor’s…

Migrating Under a Microscope

…Service is named. Conte was a powerful committee chairman who lobbied tirelessly to direct federal dollars to his western Massachusetts home district. He was a committed conservationist and ardent supporter…

Helping Those Who Need Help in the Wild

…do,” she said, adding, “We rehabbers couldn’t do it without the support of our caring communities.” There are many other rehabilitators that are equally as committed. Grae O’Toole, for example,…