(Palmer, 2016)
This Thanksgiving break I returned to my hometown of Pepperell Massachusetts. Ever since I was two years old I have been playing in the woods and streams by my former house. I lived on a dirt road up a long driveway, where most days the only sounds were that of birds and the occasional power tool.
My backyard led to a local walking trail headed towards Heald Pond. Often on sunny summer days my mom and I would walk out to the pond.
My junior year of high school my friends and I started picnicking at the orchards adjacent to the pond. We would play frisbee in the field and run through the maze of abandoned apple trees. Instead of ordering a pizza and sitting on a couch watching Netflix, we would bring the pizza to the orchards and watch the stars. This place is filled with some of my favorite high school memories.
(Palmer, 2016)
The nights we watched the stars were my favorite. My three best friends and I sprawled out on quilts talking about anything and everything. We felt safe, peaceful, and whole.
This weekend for the first time I took my mom to see the orchard.
My town has protected the area as a space for recreation. With a grant from the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service, the town is restoring habitat for birds and other animals inhabiting the area.
Since it is an abandoned orchard the trees provide an excellent habitat for birds. Walking through the rows of trees I realized I had never before noticed how many birds actually inhabited the area. One time I was sitting in the field eating a pizza and listening to music with friends, a woman came up to us with her dog. She said how it is her favorite place to bird watch, and told us about one bird migrating through the area that sounds like R2D2 from Star Wars. At the time I chalked the interaction up to be quaint. I never expected that I would feel a similar appreciation for the area. Suddenly instead of just looking at the trees I was noticing movement, the life of the orchard. I could hear the chickadees sending their distinct warning call as Ellie barreled through the grass.
I remember thinking,through the singing of the birds, I wish I could see them, identify them somehow. Then a bird zoomed in front of my face perching on a bare apple tree to my right. I desperately attempted to take a photo but my iPhone couldn’t capture the beautiful creature. So I tried to memorize it’s grey-ish blue color, and the way orange lined the edge of the wing. After some research, my best guess is that it was a tufted titmouse, but I could be wrong. Again, I am left yearning to know more. I’m hoping that when I go back during Christmas break I’ll bump into the bird lady and her dog so I can get some questions answered.
I think the most accurate way to summarize the phenology assignments, and learning in general, the more I learn the less I know.
(Palmer, 2016)
Another example of this would be with plant life. Before NR001, there were grass, pine trees, apple trees, oak trees, and maple trees. Now all of the sudden I realized that even in Massachusetts and Vermont the biodiversity is crazy.
The picture on the left is a woody plant with red berries appearing to have a bright yellow casing. These things appeared everywhere! And only on some groups of apple trees. I tried searching on the USDA plant database, but who knew so many species could inhabit my little county in Massachusetts. I have a new found appreciation for people who can identify anything in an area as diverse as a rainforest.
However, I am proud to say that I believe that I identified some fungi growing on an apple tree. Based on some photos and information from Naturally Curious, I’m pretty confident that this is Foliose Lichen.
Foloise Lichen (Palmer, 2016)
As my mom and I wandered through the trees, she commented on how sad it was that the trees were so overgrown. Once upon a time I may have agreed with her, but now this weekend I saw all of the life that this seemingly uncontrolled place holds. Whether it be the birds, lichen or the strange twisting berry plants, the lonely apple orchards support a wide variety of life.
In comparison to Salmon Hole, the two places are very different. Although the edge of the orchard is on Heald Pond, the only other water source in the area is a tiny pond, that is nearly drained after this summer’s drought. Also the soil is extremely different. I noticed at salmon hole the soil is often moist
(Palmer, 2016)
enough to spread it on a piece of paper and have it leave a color behind. Heald Orchards soil is grassy, dry and rocky. I’m sure that the apple trees also have a great impact on the quality of the soil and what grows there.
Obviously there is a huge difference in trees between the two spots. Salmon Hole is a mix of many different species, and the orchard is predominantly mono cropped with the exception of a few random maples sprouting up here and there.
Phenologically speaking, the two areas are on a similar timeline. When I last visited Salmon Hole, the final leaves were falling, and same goes for Heald Orchards. However, it has been much windier at Salmon Hole and typically the only windy area at the Orchards is the field.
(Palmer, 2016)
As I type this I feel as though I am cheating on Burlington. But, I feel far more connected to, and excited about the orchards. I believe this is mainly due to the memories and comfort of home associated with the park, and the fact I felt entirely isolated from my typical immersion in American lifestyle. Even though it is a small city, I am still adjusting to the constant bustle and noise of Burlington, something I still hear and feel when visiting my phenology spot. I miss that feeling I got when I walked through the orchards, of sharp fresh air in my nostrils and the sound of grass rustling in the wind. Salmon Hole is beautiful and I am amazed by the diversity and movement there, but I often still feel as though I am trapped by the human world when I hear cars and can see buildings less than a thousand feet away from me. Over time I know I will grow to have more of an appreciation for Salmon Hole, and I look forward to getting to know it better and creating some new memories.
https://www.google.com/maps/d/embed?mid=1LIQ6kdaBIWklH5FAf_vp_Hw8jpg