What did I miss all those years not listening for the birds, not knowing what is on top of the wires, in the bushes, behind the leaves calling out? Recently, I’ve been thinking about this. What did I miss all those years not slowing down to watch the aerial wonders of Chimney Swifts against the blue of a summer sky, to seek out the identity of the White-throated Sparrow as it sings its thin whistle notes at dawn, or to simply ask why the quaint Nuthatch feeds upside down at a neighbor’s feeder.

Birding has allowed me to slow down, to build an awareness of a world within and outside of my own, and to simply marvel at the unbounded absolution of flight. Most importantly, it has allowed me to actively engage with and deeply appreciate the natural world. And with this appreciation comes a desire to share with others the names, behaviors, and quirks of these feathered creatures...

One of the things I love most about working in Connecticut’s conservation community is the willingness to collaborate and work together. Although many of Connecticut’s land trusts focus on the town in which they are based, there is a collective understanding that we are all part of something larger. The municipal boundaries drawn on maps mean nothing to migrating birds, flowing rivers, and the changing climate. Magical things happen in those moments when we consider our place in a larger landscape.

I felt a bit of that magic earlier this month, at the relaunch of the South Central Regional Land Conservation Alliance (SCRLCA), a Regional Conservation Partnership (RCP) for the greater New Haven area.