Exploring The Last Green Valley: Finding beauty in a summer day
Bill Reid
The Summer Solstice may be in June, but for us New Englanders it is July when summer really starts. The heat of the season draws me outdoors to the wealth of beauty right out my doorstep. Here is what I’ve been seeing so far and what I’ll be looking for as we slide toward the “dog days of August.”
New birds seem to be everywhere. Fledgling robins, bluebirds and cardinals have mastered the art of flying. While they don’t have the beautiful plumage of their parents, the sight of them is a splendor to behold. They join their parents in groups in our trees, begging for food. Some are even bold enough to join their parents at the feeder.
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Exploring The Last Green Valley: Garlic Mustard: Springtime invasive plant
By Bill Reid
Garlic and mustard are staples in my house. We love the intense bold flavors. But garlic mustard, now that is a whole other beast. It’s a plant, Alliaria petiolate, and it’s a highly invasive and destructive plant that is blooming right now.
I seem to be seeing garlic mustard, and other invasive species of plants, wherever I go. This week I spotted it along the edges of roads in my neighborhood and, unfortunately, we also have it on the edge of our back field. I pulled quite a bit of it last year, but it is back now thankfully less than last year. So, what is this plant and how did it get here?
Exploring The Last Green Valley: Installing a bat house in your yard
By Bill Reid
This week I begin my spring and summer volunteer work for the CT DEEP Wildlife Division to help monitor bats. This will be the fourth year I’m doing this work, and I have written about this important volunteer activity in past columns.
Twice a month, after sunset, I drive a 20-mile transect of small country roads between Windham and Putnam. CT DEEP provides me with a laptop loaded with sophisticated mapping and recording software. I only drive 17 to 20 miles per hour and along the way a large, highly sensitive microphone attached to the vehicle roof by a strong magnet records the echolocation calls of feeding bats.