Of all the things I could hjave done to change my place in Centtennial Woods, I chose to improve the trail system. Currently, many of the trails in the woods have become quite compacted and are also eroding in some spots. By creating new trails, improving upon existing ones, and creating some new trails, there is the potential to allow the soil to recover, make the trails better for the members of the community, and hopefully even increase the woods biodiversity!
Panoramic view of my spot taken with my IPhone (yay technology!).
Funky-frozen mud thingy that caught my eye.
(Sorry there aren’t more photos, my hands were cold!)
The changes from fall to winter are much less perceptible than summer to fall. At first glance, it appears that nothing has changed. There are still no leaves on the trees. The leaves are brown on the ground. Everything seems dull and muted. There is barely any noise, save for the occasional brave chickadee and the rustle of a squirrel through the leaf litter. Today, I really had to ask myself what has really changed here? Well, for starters, it was much colder. Like 20 degrees Fahrenheit cold. If I thought that it was cold a few weeks ago then I was sorely mistaken. This caused the already subdued calls of birds and squirrels to become even more infrequent, till the only thing I heard was the sound of my boots crunching through the leaves. The ground was also starting to harden and freeze, locking up it’s moisture in solid form till the spring thaw (I took a pretty cool photo). Although it was only about 2:30, the sun’s rays were already slanting and causing the woods to have that strange half-light glow that one cannot describe, but must witness for themselves. The only thing missing is a few inches of snow, which will hopefully appear before I head home for break. I was very sad I didn’t get to witness how the landscape changes with the addition of several inches of snow.
I sat there for a while, lost in a daydream, until a dog-walker passing by jerked me out of my reverie and I realized my nose was running and I couldn’t feel my hands. So I began my trek back to campus, where I too am preparing for winter, just like the creatures in Centennial Woods. They are eating to survive the winter, I am eating to survive finals.
For some it can be hard to imagine what a landscape looked like 10, 20, 50, or 100 years ago. However, for me, I always find interest in imaging what the landscape previously looked like and how us humans have influenced it over a given time period. Just by walking through Centennial Woods one can easily tell that this is no old growth forest; the trees are much to young and the species found (a lot of maples and white pines) indicate the age of Centennial Woods. Before I get into specifics of what my place in particular used to be (I think), some maps I found in the University of Vermont special collections are very useful to look at:
Centennial Woods Natural Area, 1993
Courtesy of UVM Special Collections
Map of the City of Burlington, Vermont: from official records, private plans, and actual surveys. Courtesy of UVM Special Collections
The first details the purchases of tracts of land for Centennial Woods in 1993, and the second map details the layout of the city of Burlington (home!) in 1890, as well as who owned private tracts of land. According to the 1890 map, parts of Centennial Woods were previously owned by C. Baxter Est., H. Stevens, Hickok Est., and the Ainsworth family. However, I was not able to discover what they used their land for explicitly. I’m going to attempt to infer that using ecology. Given the time period, it would be logical to assume that tracts of land that large are either a wealthy person’s estate or used for agriculture. In fact, according to the Centennial Woods field guide, one can find barbed wire throughout the forest, with trees growing around it. This suggests that the land was formerly a pasture. Also, the presence of white pine (especially around my particular Phenological spot) helps indicate where the forest is in it’s development. White pine is a early successional species that likes coming in after pastures and hay fields have gone to fallow. Using this knowledge, I am assuming that my spot in Centennial Woods used to be mostly agriculture.
I still don’t know what that damn concrete structure is though.
Citations:
Hopkins, G. M. Map of the city of Burlington, Vermont: from official records, private plans and actual surveys. Philadelphia, Pa.: G.M. Hopkins, 1890.
http://cdi.uvm.edu/collections/item/Burlington_Hopkins_1890 (accessed December 02, 2014)
Centennial Woods Natural Area. Burlington, VT: University of Vermont, 1993.
http://www.uvm.edu/~uvmsc/Centennial%20Woods/Centennial_Woods_Survey_1993.jpg (accessed December 02, 2014)
The Changing Landscapes of Centennial Woods Natural Area: A Field Guide [PDF]. University of Vermont Natural Areas. University of Vermont Environmental Program, http://www.uvm.edu/~uvmsc/Centennial%20Woods/Changing_Landscapes_Centennial_Woods002.pdf.
Since I am on Thanksgiving break and already succumbing to boredom, I decided to check out some of my classmates blogs and see what their places were like. A blog that fascinated me was Sonya’s blog, which appears to be on the edge of the Intervale, a busy road, and the Winooski river. Our spots are similar in that they both deal with a lot of human traffic. I noticed that she comments on the amount of garbage found in her spot and how it contrasts with the natural setting. Although Centennial Woods does not have a ton of trash (from what I have noticed) there is a lot of human traffic, from dog walkers, college students looking to get away from the hustle-bustle(and perhaps partake in slightly illegal activities), as well as that huge concrete structure covered in graffiti. I will find out more about it in my next post covering the land-use history of Centennial Woods. Another difference between our spots is the setting. I am in the middle of an early-succession forest, whereas it looks as though Sonya’s could be more of a riparian setting. Finally, Sonya manages to write beautifully and very descriptively in a way I could only hope to do about her phenological spot. I have to use photography as a medium in order to convey what I see, think, and feel from my perspective, yet she can does it with writing.
(Check out her poem on her spot. It’s awesome.)
This gallery contains 5 photos.
A view of the sun fighting through the clouds and the trees. I thought it captured the fall mood of the day perfectly. The oh-so sad leaf litter that now lies on … Continue reading
So much has changed since I last visited Centennial Woods. In the anthropological sphere, classes are picking up in intensity, I turned 19 (and now feel like such an adult), currently am in the process of transitioning from cross country running to track and field, and gearing up for winter. The natural sphere is gearing up for winter as well, and today’s weather perfectly reflected that. It was a crisp, overcast 45 degrees with a slight breeze that foreboded of the colder weather yet to come. Something I immediately noticed was the silence in the woods. Previously, the wind rustled the leaves and people walked their dogs, but now the trees are bare and silent and the woods is almost devoid of visitors. The only noises are the birds (such as chickadees) chirping at one another and the rustle of my feet through the dead, brown-yellow leaves.
My spot was almost completely unrecognizable compared to the last few times I have visited. Almost all of the branches have lost their leaves and are now strewn on the ground. They too have lost their beautiful fall colors, and now wear the drab yellow and brown colors that signify the approach of winter. As I was sitting on the ground, I could hear birds conversing in a language I cannot understand, as well as the occasional (now very fat) squirrel bouncing through the leaves. The most exciting part of my visit was I heard a woodpecker drilling into a tree somewhere in the woods. I actually got up and explored, but unfortunately couldn’t find the right tree. Hopefully next time I will get to see a woodpecker and maybe even catch a photo of it!
I really enjoyed making this event map from my adventures in Centennial Woods today! Hopefully you, dear reader, will get a general idea of the things I find interesting when I’m out in the woods.
Although in the last few weeks the temperature has been very variable, today definitely felt like the ideal autumn day: crisp and hand numbing with a slight breeze to remind you that winter is most definitely coming. At first glance, not much had changed from the beginning of October to now, but upon further inspection, I found that the effects of autumn have taken its toll. Almost all of the leaves were on the ground, leaving the trees bare and sad-looking, while the ground has turned into a (damp) myriad of colors. Most of the herbaceous plants I was unable to identify have died from the chilly mornings and nights, as well as the ferns. Oh well….
I have not seen much wildlife at my spot so far, however, there are a few hints that make me think other wise. Empty acorn shells still scatter the forest floor, suggesting that the chipmunks and the squirrels are getting busy bracing themselves for winter. I also kept hearing bird calls, reminding me that a whole group of organisms (birds) I always forget also try to survive these tough winters, unless these birds are migrating further south and just found a brief resting spot. I also overheard the familiar tapping of a woodpecker somewhere out of site. It’s refreshing to remember that in the woods, one might feel alone, but in fact one is surrounded by many creatures just trying to live their lives.
Just a quick sketch of what my place looks like from what (I hope) is a birds eye view!
