This past visit to my Phenology spot was especially special following the first big snowstorm. When I visited, it was still snowing, but there were already at least four to five inches on the ground. This snow made a major difference in how I observe the landscape and experience my place. I couldn’t sit on the ground because of all of the snow, so that slightly changed how I usually experience my place. All the ferns and woody plants were covered by the snow, making it feel much less lively and rich. Almost none of the trees in my place have needles left beside the three large eastern white pines and the other hemlock trees. The honeysuckles I took pictures last time still had some leaves, but it looked like it was dying and they were about to fall off. Despite all the changes, I still felt a strong sense of place in my spot, mostly because of the hemlock and the pine trees. Although everything else looked very different, I still felt very safe and familiar there.

My sense of place in my Phenology Blog spot is nestled within my sense of place in Centennial Woods, which is nestled within Burlington as a whole. Each time I visit, my spot, and Centennial Woods as a whole, I become more familiar and attached to it. Now, I’m not only familiar with the landscape, but I have a more personal physiological connection to my spot and the Woods as a whole. Being in my spot in Centennial makes me feel relaxed and safe, and that feeling now begins the moment I enter the Woods. Simply knowing I have that connection to a place within Burlington has also helped me gain a more solid sense of place in the city as well. I live very far away and haven’t been in Vermont very long, but it’s very comforting to know that there’s somewhere here that feels so familiar, which makes Burlington feel more like home.

My sense of place in my spot is in many ways attached to the end of the summer when I first visited it. As the seasons have changed, I have gained more familiarity with my spot through time and have gained a sense of place greater than the phenological changes. However, my spot, and Centennial Woods, haven’t always looked the way that they do now, even remotely. My spot was once likely completely cleared to graze sheep, but because UVM cares for Centennial Woods, I don’t expect it to change much physically anytime soon. I assume that my sense of place in my spot will remain as long as I am able to sit and feel both big among the hemlock saplings and small amount the eastern white pines while watching the river.