Outdoor Enthusiast: Land of Good Fishing

Location: The Last Green Valley, also known as the Quinebaug and Shetucket Rivers Valley National Heritage Corridor, is a 1,085 square-mile area located in northeastern Connecticut near the town of Killingly. This beautiful region contains more than seven state forests, including the largest in the state, and is surrounded by rugged hills. It also has more than 130 miles of trails, including the East Coast Greenway, a National Millennium Trail which runs all the way from Maine to Florida. The area is bordered by the Quinebaug and Shetucket Rivers, and it boasts over 80 ponds and lakes. There is a variety of wildlife, including black bears, moose and lamprey. Mashamoquet Beach State Park and Mansfield Hollow are two areas to visit. Both are ideal places for camping and fishing. Bill Reid, the Director of External Affairs for The Last Green Valley, said, "It is truly the last green valley... from Washington [D.C.] to Portland, it is the last spot of pretty much undeveloped land." The park was designated an area of national significance by Congress in 1994. Courtesy of http://www.tlgv.org/index.php

Visit: When we arrived to the Mashamoquet Brook State Park we met up with Director of External Affairs, Bill Reid, and interviewed him on a bridge by the brook. He spoke very enthusiastically about all the activities people could partake in and provided general information about the Park. After our interview with Bill, we followed Jean Pillow into the brook.  She demonstrated the correct way to collect organisms.  She had boots that went over her knees and everything.  It was very interesting.  She explained that in the summer it is mating season for the organisms so the best time to gather creatures is definitely in the Fall. I found this to be very educational. Sara, Meghan and I all ventured into the brook for a hands- on experience. Sara and I did a segment for our show  " Lunch with the Lab" while standing on the rocks and then decided to climb out because we were informed of a black snake that had just slithered in. I thought that the water was pretty cold, especially for June. The brook was very peaceful and relaxing.

The last person we interviewed was John Folsom who spoke about the Native American history that is related to the State Park. He told us that Mashamoquet is the  Native American word for " Land of good fishing". As he pointed out this may not apply just to Mashamoquet brook ( which is where we were) but to all the brooks in the area. After all three interviews the media lab moved to a nearby bench in order to have a picnic lunch to celebrate Meghan's birthday. - Stephanie Merkel