Snow has arrived and made a grand entrance to Trinity Campus. The snow has me feeling nostalgic and walking through the covered soil and barren trees has me feeling meditative and peaceful. While the change in scenery is refreshing it is also a little disorienting. The snow, combined with other natural and anthropogenic factors, have all helped me in identifying my sense of place here in the Trinity woods.
The phenological changes in my location have altered my sense of place. Going to my location for the past month and seeing the same birch, beech and ferns made the area feel familiar. Now, the leaves have fallen off, the stream is slowing down and the ferns can no longer be seen due to snow. As a painter, I familiarize myself with areas visually. I enjoy seeing color and a variety of shapes. The turning of the leaves is an exciting time, and I think that was when I connected most closely with my area. Now, with the leaves gone and the snow covering the remaining color, I feel disoriented and easily lost in an area I once knew so well.
When I think of my area as a small part of a bigger place, the meaning behind the area increases. Knowing that Trinity woods is on my campus, near my school, in my second home of Vermont, makes each trip seem more meaningful. I like Vermont a lot so far, and familiarizing myself with a small, miniscule part of the state makes me love it even more.
It is hard to believe that nearly 80% of Vermont was once deforested. If my area were still used for agricultural purposes, or any other purpose that would require deforestation would completely alter my experience there. Historically, that land would have likely been used for sheep, dairy or timber industries. Now, the area is full of woods and new growth so I can enjoy my solitude when I need it (instead of being greeted by cows or sheep.)
some people beat me to the punch and walked through the snow.