Forests and Fields Through The Year

I discovered Packard's writings about the time I discovered Ponkapoag Pond while living in the suburbs of Boston in the 1990s. About that time, I began to discover the wonders of photography and began exploring the many parks and reservations contained within the "Emerald Necklace" surrounding and running through Boston. Blue Hill Reservation and Ponkapoag Pond were close by and perfect for a budding nature photographer. Blue Hill Reservation was established as a preserve set aside for public recreation in 1893, with a far-sighted goal: preserve and protect the land for the benefit of all. Farmland and wood lots were purchased and combined into over 7000 acres of rolling hills and ancient ponds. Today, only minutes from the über-urban Boston, Blue Hill Reservation is a wonderful natural resource for city-bound residents. For me, someone who grew up on a farm in the Adirondacks, it was my refuge from urban life.