Trails Day crowd

Almost exactly a year ago, I decided to participate in a CT Trails Day event that was sponsored by this organization called the Avalonia Land Conservancy that I'd been meaning to get involved with for decades. It was one of those groups I knew I should belong to, but I'm not much of a joiner, so I stayed on the sidelines... and out of their more than 2,000 acres of holdings in Southeastern CT. But in early June of 2013, I didn't say no to an offer to hike a property called Babcock Ridge that Avalonia was hoping to buy. It was truly love at first sight: with Babcock, as well as with the adjoining refuge, named in honor of my late neighbor, Don Henne, a well-known local conservationist. In fact, it was more than that, and I so enjoyed the land and the people that I wound up overcoming my reticence, joined the group, and started leading natural history tours for them. This is part of the group I co-led on a Trails Day trip today through Henne to look at the Great Blue Herons. I hope I gave back as much as I got.