Horse Chestnutting Around Mortensen Sanctuary at Riverbound Farm, Cheshire September 2016 I'm writing up these trails six or so years after walking them with Damian. I'm starting it while listening in to his annual PPT meeting. (The Planning and Placement Team is the interdisciplinary team of parents and educators … [Read more...]
Smith-Hubbell Wildlife Refuge and Bird Sanctuary
Purple Martins Majesty Smith-Hubbell Wildlife Refuge and Bird Sanctuary and Tower, Milford August 2021 As most readers know, every hike (and "hike") I feature on CTMQ isn't great. Sometimes my hiking partner is a drag, sometimes the weather is a bummer, and sometimes the hike itself isn't impressive. … [Read more...]
Kalmia Sanctuary
Keep Kalmia and Carry On Kalmia Sanctuary, Harwinton May 6, 2018 I'm going to do a rare thing here in Harwinton. I hiked all seven currently trailed properties on one (rainy) morning, so I'm going to sort of serialize the write-ups. As anyone who knows me, or has read a lot of this website, I wake up early. I … [Read more...]
Roger Tory Peterson Estuary Center
Take a Flyer Old Lyme, (Google Maps location) March 2018 CT Audubon will hopefully be opening a true education center in the former Bee & Thistle Inn. I feel like I shouldn't be writing about the Roger Tory Peterson Estuary Center based upon an opening day visit. After all, the "center" is quite unlike all of … [Read more...]
Wigwam Brook Wildlife Sanctuary
Wiggin’ Out Wigwam Brook Wildlife Sanctuary, Litchfield Novembers 2017 & 2020 The town of Litchfield has always been interesting to me. Everyone is familiar with its fancy dan “downtown” area; with its restaurants and high-end shopping. But outside of that strip through the center of town, Litchfield gets a little … [Read more...]
226. Sharon Audubon Center
Sharon and Sharon Not Alike Sharon (Google Maps location) February 25, 2012 There are a lot of Audubon Centers in Connecticut. Certainly not as many as there are in other states, but we have more than you realize. And, as is always the case with most everything I write about, it's more confusing than you realize … [Read more...]
HAS: Lewis Farm
Suffield HAS It! Lewis Farm, Suffield October 2017 Once in a while, I'll realize that certain things I've done for CTMQ are things that not many others have done. Though I'm sure many people have walked all three of the Hartford Audubon properties. So I'm not really sure why I'm writing this introduction … [Read more...]
HAS: Station 43
Ice Station 43 Station 43, South Windsor January 29, 2014 & A year later I wasn't expecting much from this particular wildlife sanctuary along the Connecticut River in South Windsor, so I didn't really allot all that much time for exploring. Turns out, I was sort of right - at least in … [Read more...]
Audubon Greenwich
Where Goldfinches are Made of Real Gold Greenwich (Google Maps location) May 2010 I will likely do a rare revisit of this place. I still have to hike its trails, and will likely have Calvin with me, and he'd enjoy it. It's so nice that I think you'll agree - better pictures are warranted. Daggone Greenwich. … [Read more...]
113. Audubon Society Center at Fairfield
Are You Peregrinning at Me? Fairfield (Google Maps Location) June 13, 2009 “Happy Holidays! Merry Open House Day!” Why does everybody look at me funny when I shout that out on the second Saturday of June every year? After all, Connecticut Open House Day is one of the greatest days of the entire year. What is … [Read more...]