In addition to the more broad-sweeping Naturalist’s Library, here are some resources specific to the New England region. Feel free to add suggestions in the comments section.
Regional:
Wetland, Woodland, Wildland: A Guide to the Natural Communities of Vermont (but actually applicable more regionally) by Thompson and Sorenson
Reading the Forested Landscape: A Natural History of New England by Tom Wessels. What’s up with all those stone walls, anyway?
The Woodchuck’s Guide to Gardening by Ron Krupp, crusty Vermont gardener
Written In Stone by Chet and Maureen Raymo – relatively easy-to-read overview of the region’s geology
New England Wildflower Society, one of the best regional resources for conserving and promoting native plants; has a garden (near Boston), a farm (in Western Mass), and offers many classes and volunteer opportunities
Earth Tones Native Plant Nursery, a native plant nursery in Connecticut that is owned by a friend of mine, named “Best Native Plant Nursery” by Yankee Magazine in their March/April 2014 edition
Maine:
Acadia National Park: great camping, hiking, and history, both natural and human; the first national park in the east
(Sorry, that’s all I know about Maine. Doh!)
Western Massachusetts:
Mass Audubon: birds, wildlife, advocacy, and more; many locations throughout the state
Hampshire Bird Club: top-notch birding club in Amherst, MA
Hitchcock Center for the Environment: excellent environmental education center for both children and adults
Beneski Museum of Natural History at Amherst College: very impressive collection of ancient, regional tracks, bones, and other geological artifacts
Earth Matters: Essays on the Nature of the Pioneer Valley by The Hitchcock Center for the Environment. See here for an online collection of these essays and here for the book. Stay tuned for some columns by yours truly (this summer)!
Western Massachusetts Master Gardeners’ Association: when UMass dropped the Extension version of this program, these folks picked it up and carried on
Southern New Hampshire:
Antioch University New England: fantastic Environmental Studies graduate programs
Monadnock Conservancy: local land conservation agency for the Monadnock region
Harris Center for Conservation Education: local environmental education center, many activities for all ages
White Mountain National Forest: great hiking and camping
Mount Monadnock: year-round hiking and camping, said to be the world’s third-most hiked mountain (after Japan’s Mt. Fuji and China’s Mt. Tai)
Vermont:
UVM Extension Master Gardeners program, if you want to increase and share your gardening skills. Also see the Windham County (VT) Extension Master Gardeners’ Facebook page, which I administer, for information and questions about gardening.
Green Mountain National Forest, lovely scenic national forest in Vermont
Post Oil Solutions: community-generated ideas for addressing climate change
The Nature of Vermont: Introduction and Guide to a New England Environment by Charles W. Johnson, a useful reference guide to the ecology of Vermont
Book: Landscape Plants for Vermont by the University of Vermont Extension Agency: helpful guide for garden planning, applicable to New England generally.