Month: November 2019

As my Phenology Blog spot has changed with the seasons, my relationship with it has as well. This spot started as a sunny spot in the woods, off the main trail and along a quaint stream. It reminded me of the woods back home, and it had a very comforting, relaxing nature about it. Now, in early November, as the trees have lost all their leaves and the ground is covered in snow, this place feels a little more foreign to me. Snow doesn’t usually fall where I’m from until December, and this little spot in the woods – blanketed in white – feels like a winter wonderland. I have always loved the quiet that snow brings to a forest, and I was glad to have an opportunity to observe that so soon! As the woods change with the seasons, so do my favorite aspects of the spot. 

My blog spot is a little haven off the main hiking trail, this trail is a part of Centennial Woods, and Centennial Woods is a forest on the outskirts of UVM’s campus. To escape from res hall life, or bad grundle food, all it takes is a 15 minute leisurely stroll from my room to arrive at my spot. This blog spot has really become a part of my “escape” time, and is a very nice way to reconnect with nature when it’s hard to find the time. It is just a little piece of the woods, yet it has so much to offer. 

In the grand scope of history, this little spot in Centennial Woods was not always the quiet, forested refuge it is now. Centennial woods, in Vermont’s early days of being settled, was clear cut and being used as crop and grazing fields. In the mid to late 1800s, many farms in this area were abandoned, and it is likely that the oldest trees in the forest started to grow in. It wasn’t until the 1970s that UVM designated the woods as a natural area. This history is clear in the youth of the trees in the forest. This is interesting to me because I come from an area not suitable for farming, and so to see this rocky history of the land is a new perspective for me.

While my Phenology Spot has many characteristics that define it, its most prevalent features come from the species found there. In terms of trees, I found Eastern White Pine, Boxelder, and Norway Maple. These trees are indicators that you have arrived in my spot, as well as being focal elements of the spot. The Eastern White Pine is across the stream and is one of the oldest trees in the area. It is much taller than the surrounding trees and has a much larger base than the others. This tree is marked with a band, and is indicative of the history of the area. The other trees such as Boxelder and Norway Maple are very prevalent in the area and make up a majority of trees in the area. A few other species seen at the spot are pill-bugs, squirrels, worms, sawgrass, and foliose lichen. The sawgrass shows how Centennial Woods is affected by human interference. Sawgrass is a plant native to Florida, and is considered highly invasive. This species often outcompetes natural forest floor vegetation, and so it can be detrimental to native species. 

Since the last visit to my Phenology Spot, the vegetation in the area has changed drastically. The previously lively forest was now completely dead. The ground was covered with fallen leaves and other dying plants. This makes a great habitat for the worms as it causes a buildup of detritus and a damp environment. It appears, judging by the state of the woods, that fall is almost, if not already, over and winter is coming soon.  

Because of the excess of worms and other organisms in the ground, the soil is very pilly. This likely shows that the worms have been active in breaking down the increased organic matter, as well as churning the soil. In terms of topography, the site is nearly the same. There seems to be excess sediment in the stream due to recent rain events, as well as a slightly increased flow. 

Mapping out the site really helped show me what my subconscious finds most predominant about the area. I first thought of the meadow and the stream, but when I reevaluated after visiting the spot again, there were many more features I picked up on: the trees, the wildlife, the vegetation. All of these features define the space and make it what it is. Mapping it all out gave me a broader sense of the character of the spot, and really deepened my knowledge of the surrounding area.