Welcome to the New England Beacon!

Each Monday we write about the New England environment and way of life seen through our local perspective. Previous posts

By Curt Spalding

Being the administrator of EPA’s New England office for the past three-plus years has truly been a privilege. I am a resident of Rhode Island, but during the course of EPA’s work I’ve gotten to visit so many beautiful regions in each of the six New England states.

From Maine’s inland agricultural expanse to Connecticut’s coastal suburbia, from the forested mountains of Vermont and New Hampshire to the cherished coastlines of Rhode Island and Massachusetts, I am constantly reminded of New England’s stunning natural beauty, extraordinary culture and history. I have met loggers in the far reaches of Maine and urban commuters near Boston. This all has given me deeper appreciation for the ecology, economy and people of our region.

The New England Beacon is a new blog series that we send to you from our regional office. The posts will be written by EPA New England employees from their personal perspectives. It will present snippets about anything related to the New England environment and way of life – the fall apple harvest and March maple sugaring; innovative parks built on landfills and eco-sensitive development and other environmental issues seen through our local perspective.

For instance, in the past our bloggers have written about backyard chickens and visiting hawks in a Maine community; commuting from Cape Cod; and waking pre-dawn to that first glimpse of sunlight in Concord, Mass. In future blogs you might learn golf course ecology from an avid golfer or about unusual treasures collected from local waters by a member of EPA’s dive team.

Instead of learning about best management practices for stormwater, you’ll read about a cat trapped in a storm drain, and rather than scanning Energy Star requirements, you can read about the plethora of Christmas light options entangling New Englanders.

New England is a small region geographically, but it has some of the nation’s richest architecture, oldest farms and most beautiful coastlines. New England’s variety is found in forests, beaches, mountains, farmland, small towns and dense urban centers. It has the maritime culture of New Bedford and the tobacco growing region of the Connecticut River valley. In New England, we see intense development balanced by a profound respect for the environment.

We invite you to make a point of checking in with us every Monday to read about our New England perspectives here at the New England Beacon!

About the author: Curt Spalding is the regional administrator of EPA’s New England regional office in Boston.