Here is an event map which I created of my visit:
During this visit to my spot in Centennial Woods, I only noticed a few phenological changes that had occurred. The leaves of the oak sampling have turned brown. The pine needles seem less plentiful in the center of the clearing, as if they were pushed to the sides from repeated footsteps. Pine cones were trampled/destroyed, something I thought was interesting. There were also fallen trees I observed while walking to and from my spot.
Here is a poem I wrote while sitting in my place:
The Stunned Forest
“I have come to observe the stunned forest,
Where I am not the only one who feels like a tourist.
The damp floor beneath my feet,
The relative absence of any heat,
The scattered sounds of a few brave birds,
Reminds me that life has left in herds.
The modification of the surrounding environment,
Signifies Mother Nature’s distance from retirement.
The vigor of the weather is promptly displayed,
By the fallen trees which form a cascade.
The sheer amount of broken limbs,
Is sure to be the cause of the wildlife’s whim,
To run away instead of remain,
For danger lurks when winds roar through this domain.
However, the damage is not done forever,
The birds will chirp when they finish their endeavor.
The return of animals will mark a new beginning,
As they adapt and continue on living.
New plants will take the place of old,
The continuation of the story seldom told.
The process of disturbance and regrowth,
and the impacts on plants and animals, both.
I must leave and let the forest resume it’s tasks,
But before long I hope to be back.”