As the seasons change, my sense of place in my phenology location changes as well. When I first found the spot in early September, the forest was vibrant and full of life as the summer started to wind down. I remember feeling energized by all the life and movement around me. When fall came, the leaves changes and life began to slow down a bit; I saw and heard fewer creatures as last time and I began to feel the cool breeze of winter approaching. It felt calmer, but the forest still felt alive with trees swaying in the cool autumn air, migratory birds singing their final goodbyes, and mammals preparing their burrows for the winter. This time when I visited, I was struck with an intense feeling of peace. The world fell silent as is it snowed, blanketing the forest floor. I heard nothing but the faint trickle of the creek, which had deepened and slowed since my last visit. My sense of place here changed from a place that energized me with its vibrancy and life to a place that brought me peace and clarity. I was able to sit there for a while and feel totally calm, despite all that is happening a few miles away back at school.
My site in Centennial Woods is a small piece to a large system. In a way, my sense of place in the world feels similar to my phenology’s site in the woods. I am a part of many systems; I am a part of my family, a part of a group of friends, a part of the student body of UVM, a member of my local society, and a citizen of the world. Just as my site is affected by whatever is happening in its surroundings, I am affected by my surroundings. This inclusivity in the events happening around me help give me a sense of place. I also feel a strong sense of place in my site because it’s a place I can go to disconnect and just be surrounded by nature. Visiting my site reminds me that I’m nothing more than another animal in the woods. We get so caught up in our day to day lives that we magnify our importance, so it’s both calming and humbling to feel small and insignificant surrounded by the trees.