“‘I call this place home, and this movie reminds me why,' he said.”

The Connecticut River Valley is home to New England's longest river, a remnant of the last Ice Age. But the receding glaciers also left behind another gift – some of the richest soil on Earth. This fertile valley has been home to Native Americans – and new settlers since the early 1600s. A complex story of the land, its people and the culture is told in “A Long Row in Fertile Ground” – a WGBY documentary film, which is the origin of the quote above.

Now geologically speaking the region is simply fascinating. The rocks and formations, evidence of a long-vanished lake and dinosaurs to hunt up and down the river valley. Maybe people take them for granted but dinosaur trackways (and fossil plants, fish, even weather features and ripple marks) show up near the river and throughout the region – and one protected-under-a-dome state park as well.

“The Connecticut Valley has revealed fossils of ancient animals, but many of its former inhabitants remain a mystery. If the past is a guide to the future, important discoveries will continue to be made by amateur fossil collectors. Paleontology is a science in which we all can participate.”

The Connecticut River Valley actually is composed of more than one state. Born near the Canadian border, the river gains strength from tributaries as it then flows south for some 410 miles between Vermont and New Hampshire, through Massachusetts and Connecticut to empty into Long Island Sound. The river valley is home of choice for many humans who could live anywhere else on the planet.

The Native American word for this major water feature some say means “long, tidal river” – and the river does rise and fall with the tides. While walking the mudflats, bird imprints look awfully similar to fossil trackways found up and down the valley.

Think all fossils ever created have been found? In 1967 schoolchildren found odd-looking impressions in a stone wall – and guess what – Yale University/Peabody Museum scientists then unlocked the rock to discover the finest skull of a Triassic era reptile Hypsognathus ever known. At least so far. Maybe someone in your family will make the next contribution by simply asking, “What is that?”

Fuel your dinosaur-hunting imagination on a visit to Dinosaur State Park in Rocky Hill, which has a special dinosaur day discovery celebration on Saturday, Aug. 16, 2014. The dinosaur track site under a geodesic dome offers an exceptional display of early Jurassic fossil tracks from 200 million years ago, fossil fish, tracks and discoveries from the state and beyond. There's also two miles of nature trails with a swamp boardwalk, pollinator gardens, an outdoor arboretum with ginkgoes, magnolias, more ancient species.

Part of the State Parks Centennial Celebration and Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) noting the 48th anniversary (2014) of the discovery of dinosaur tracks (learn about that inside the display center), special activities will be offered 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Visitors can mine for gems and/or fossils in a water-based sluiceway, 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. (requires purchase a mining bag to participate). 

An on-site Discovery Room features Connecticut’s Geologic Treasures, a “Life Through Time” exhibit, animal skulls – and hundreds of fossils and geologic specimens. Many of the latter may be examined with the park's hand-held magnifying glasses. There are dinosaur puppets to try out and crafts with dinosaur embossed footprints. (Fun.)

Now, the river watershed spreads out over 11,260 square miles, connecting 148 tributaries (38 major rivers, plus lakes and ponds) – so the rewards of an outdoor outing just walking or having a picnic – or both – are tremendous. Hike, stroll, kayak, canoe, fish, explore – in every direction are state parks, wildlife areas, trails, waterways, places of interest. There are people along the way who share vast stores of knowledge and their love of place, if you just ask. You'd be amazed at what can result.

Editor's note: That's a stone giant – “sleeping” for now. According to Native American legend, he stamped his foot and changed the course of the Connecticut River – and for doing so was cast into a deep slumber for all time. At the annual Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station Plant Science Day at the Lockwood Farm, Hamden, a community of people connected with useful information about soils, insects, weather, pollinators – and were able to meet scientists who study these topics plus many others – plus display about natural predators, parks, hikes, trees, farms, food. More about the day (and a theory of where the sleeping giant image was captured and where to learn about hiking the giant at his very own state park), plus people met. Volcanoes too. Coming up.