Welcome to my spot!

•October 9, 2018 • Leave a Comment

The exact location of my spot can be found here: https://www.google.com/maps/d/edit?mid=1Y4dqHCb6YP_SfaNXYyDnfI7r-9ZjXC6Z&ll=44.48448343002487%2C-73.19329813074427&z=18

 

The area I chose is located on the Trinity Campus right behind Mercy Hall. There is a trail right off the bike path to the right if you are walking towards the back five. Once on the trial the area I chose is  about a 2 minuet walk on the path and located on the right, just before the trail starts its steep decent towards the stream.

I was shown this hidden gem of a trail by a friend of mine and was shocked to realize that such a nice trail had been in my backyard without me knowing! Ever since being introduced to the spot I’ve come here to read, walk, and relax.

The common wooden species I was able to identify at include: Sugar Maple, Paper Birch, American Beech, Stripped Maple, and Norway Spruce. The ground is covered mostly in pine needles and fallen leaves.

 

 

 

Spring Break Phenology

•March 18, 2019 • Leave a Comment

Over spring break I traveled back home to Madison, Wisconsin. Just down the street from my house, about a 5 minute walk, there is a large natural area called Cherokee marsh. The natural community there can be classified as a wetland, whereas my site here in Burlington is a woodland. Cherokee Marsh is best known for the family of Sandhill Cranes that have lived there and hand many generations of offspring, something Burlington definitely doesn’t have. When I last visited two Cranes flew over head while I was walking around the marsh. The only animals tracks that I could identify was that of a while Tailed Deer and Grey Squirrel. Other birds besides that Sandhill Crane that I observed were Crows and Canadian Goose.

Image result for cherokee marsh in winter

March 8 Visit

•March 18, 2019 • Leave a Comment

My site can be classified as a woodland, or more specifically a Norther Hardwood Forest. Tree species like Red Oak, a variety of Maples, Birch, and Spruce can be easily seen on this landscape. Squirrel, deer, and beaver (seen in the early months of school) are commoners in this little patch of forest which also point to its woodland characterization. In warmer months wild flowers and an array of ferns can be seen growing in this area.

Since last visiting the amount of snow coverage has diminished due to the amount of perception. The path on which my site is located on has become some what of a mud slide with treacherous walking. Once at my site which is located at the top of a cliff there is evident since of water flowing downhill from the patterns left in the mud. There is are also lots of rocks now visible with the snow melt and perception sticking up from the ground (signs of erosion). Not evident from where you stand on my site but because of some walking I have done further down the trail there is a retention pond which probably saw an increase in volume due to how much snow melted.

Phenology Part 2

•February 20, 2019 • Leave a Comment

I have chosen to visit the same place as I did the previous semester. It is a small patch of woods located behind Mercy Hall in the Trinity Campus. The Coordinates are 44.484373, -73.193169. You can see it on a map here: here. Since last visiting my phenology site there have been many characteristic changes visible in the landscape. The most obvious being the amount of snow on the ground. It is now very easy to see the wildlife prevalent in the land scape based on the tracks left behind.

The most prevalent tracks visible on my penology spot was that of the Gray Squirrel. They could be seen at the base of most of the large trees in the immediate area.
More evidence that the tracks seen on the ground were that of a Grey Squirrel
I believe this to be the twig of a Norway Maple
Sugar Maple are very common on my site.

Human use of the land

•December 9, 2018 • Leave a Comment

A brief update on the site

Upon returning to this wooded spot what was once a leaf covered patch of land is now a covered with a white carpet of snow about 1-2inches deep. It is very evident that winter is upon us. There are no longer leaves blocking the suns touch to the forest floor, in fact all of the surrounding buildings are now extremely visible unlike before. With this new snow covering of the ground it has been interesting to look at the prints left behind by human and non-human creatures. Tracks i has able to make out where those of a squirrel, human, and domestic dogs.

 

Human land use

From my time observing the area in and around my phenology spot one of the main ways I’ve noticed how humans use this land is by means of transport short cut. My spot lays on top of the hill looking over a neighborhood and apartment complex which lays below, on the other side of me is the University. Every time I would sit down to observe the area there would be a number of students trudging up the hill to get to central campus. Or v they would be on their way home walking down the slope.

Another use of the land recently made visible to me with the loss of leaves and visibility gain is what seems to be a retention pond that lays at the bottom of the steep slope. Although I could not find any information about this water catchment, it is clearly a man made structure within this natural area.

This small wooden path is also known for its mountain biking trails. It’s characteristic of being a steep, up-and-down trail makes for great mountain biking terrain. There are even some noticeable human made jumps on some sections of the trail.

Finally, what I would say is the most common human use of this land is done by way of leisurely hiking. It is not uncommon to see families, students, and people from the surrounding neighborhood talking strolls through this small wooded area, sitting under trees reading, or simply enjoying being in nature.

Prairie Back Home

•December 4, 2018 • Leave a Comment

Wisconsin native prairies. Home to a diverse array of grasses, flowers, and other small woody shrubs. Giving home to many different kinds of insects, small rodents, and the occasional deer. Here in this prairie, the sound of a sandhill crane echos in the background, they are preparing for their annual migration which will come in the days to follow. The land is preparing for winters first sight of snow as well. Signs of animal and insect life is noticeably scarce. The landscape is filled with tones of tan, grey, and brown. Some may say this land has lost its life, but what I see is a preservation of life, preparing for the harshness of winters conditions to come. This native prairie may be view as a flashback into times past. A glimpse of what this town may have looked like before mans touch. Today many may look upon this natural area and see nothing but weed like plants, but to the native people before us this land holds richness.

 

The prairie I explored in Madison is much different than that of the wooded area in Burlington. The land is dominated by small shrubs, grasses, and the occasional black cherry tree in this native Wisconsin area. In Burlington the wooded habitat is dominated by large hardwood stands. There is little to no grass or small shrubs. The prairie area in Wisconsin is on a rather flat gradient, whereas the forested area sits atop a cliff, giving way to a steep descent below. The area explored in Madison also had no sign of a first winter dusting. The land seems to still be preparing for winters first touch of snow. The last time I visited the wooded area in Burlington there had already been a substantial amount of precipitation.

 

 

 

you may find this area here:

https://www.google.com/maps/place/Cherokee+Marsh+-+South/@43.1512784,-89.3888776,17z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m5!3m4!1s0x0:0x3eb3e1a197a4f3a6!8m2!3d43.1512784!4d-89.3866889

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Event Map

•November 7, 2018 • Leave a Comment

The Last Leaves are About to Drop

Upon my return to the trail drastic changes have happened. The entirety of the forest floor is covered in leaves, only a hand full of leafs have yet to fall to the ground. I noticed that I can now see the dorm buildings which are neighbor to this little patch of forest. I noticed a few bird calls this time, although I couldn’t determine what kind of birds they were. But, I can definitely tell it was two different species calling out.

Heres a picture that shows the leaf cover.

 

 

Here is my event map of this visit.

 

Fallen

The leafs cover the ground like a plush orange carpet

Emitting a fire like assortment of colors

They flow down the steep slope of the north end of the trail like a sunsets fade over the horizon

Covering the ground like a wave washing up on shore

Only when the wind blows do we get a small glimpse of the brown dirt that lays beneath

The colors are something out of a water color painting

Differing in shades of orange, yellow, and red that seem to complement each other perfectly, like there was an artist overseeing the color way of each leaf

I could look at this bed of colors for hours

Mesmerizing in its soft beauty

 

 

Birds Eye View

•October 22, 2018 • Leave a Comment

Upon revising my spot the very first thing I noticed was a decrease in leaf density in the canopy. Much more light was hitting the ground and the sky was much more prevalent when looking up. The ground went from a brown dirt and pine needle cover to a more colorful canvas of orange and yellows. Some if the trees themselves have become bare and a bit sad looking. An indication that winter is definitely fast approaching.  The only wildlife observable today was the occasional plump grey squirrel.

 

 

Hello world!

•October 10, 2018 • 1 Comment

Welcome to UVM Blogs. This is your first post. Edit or delete it, then start blogging!

 
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