Centennial Woods Phenology Blog

Let me first start off by thanking my phonology spot in Centennial Woods, as it has taught me not only about myself and the natural world, but also about how those two interact. After spending the past school year observing and reflecting on this place, I have found it easier to connect to other natural places in my life as well.

I have also learned that nature and culture intertwine all over the landscape, not matter where you are. At my phenology spot, this relationship between nature and culture is clear. A few months ago, using Biofinder and other tools, I found that Centennial Woods used to be cleared for farmland. You can see evidence of this in the type and age of the trees, and the forest succession that followed after the farm.

Even now that the area is forested again, humans still continue to leave their mark on the land. My phenology spot was right night to Centennial Brook, and although I did not do any formal testing, I know that runoff and pollution from UVM and the highway effect this brook.

Over the past few months I have come to feel one with my place. But I have been thinking a lot recently, and all semester long I have been saying “MY place” and “MY phenology spot”. This thinking that humans are above nature and thus have the ability to conquer it, is what is getting our society in trouble right now as we continue degrade our environment. This is why I have come to feel more a part of this place rather than take ownership or power over it. I feel welcomed and one with nature when I visit, and I hope to continue visiting throughout the rest of my time here at UVM.

As I walked down into Centennial Woods I could tell that Spring was beginning to unfold. Mostly because I was sliding down muddy, wet slopes.

Reaching my spot, I found Centennial Brook moving swiftly through the forest. The snowmelt and rain from the other night have the water much higher than I have seen it before. Because of the speed the water was moving I didn’t find any signs of amphibians. There were not many slow moving spots in the brook that would allow for eggs or tadpoles.

After searching the forest floor I was unable to find any spring flowers poking up through the leaf litter, The only life I found on the forest floor were the green ferns beginning to cloak the hillside along the brook.

Although my phenology spot is not right along the edge of Centennial Woods, it is also not deep in the interior of the forest. About 200 yards away, through trees and hills, there is a house in sight. I would describe the spot has having a medium edge effect because it is not right along the edge nor deep in the interior.

I believe that my phenology spot most likely hosts a number of interior species. But because it is somewhat close to the edge of the forest, noise pollution may effect some species such as, such as birds.

Bud Drawing (Scannell,2017)

I spent this spring break at my home in Rutland, Massachusetts. Knowing I was going home, I had a very specific phenology spot in mind that I wanted to spend time in. After about a ten minute walk back into the forest behind my house you will stumble upon a stand of American beech. Now beech aren’t anything special in the forest as it is a normal hardwood forest, but there is this special ten-foot diameter area where it is all beech trees. This spot in the forest had always caught my eye as I explored the forests as a child with my brothers.

As for the natural history of the forest behind my house, less than fifty to one hundred years ago this part of town was all fields. The trees had been cut down and the area was used for faming. My house is about a six minute drive to the center of our town and it supposedly you could see the center of town from my street at the time. Since then a northern hardwood forest has grown back. Although development plans in the town are threatening the remaining forests we have.

In the specific phenology spot I chose there were no woody shrubs to identify and observe. But as I walked through my yard and the forest I saw that many of the shrubs, as well as some trees, had buds on them.

I was unable to see any birds in my phenology spot, but I heard them. I heard the drumming of a Pileated Woodpecker and the faint chirp of a bird I was unable to identify but could possibly have been a Chickadee.

I am thankful I was able to spend time observing and thinking about the natural history and ecology of a place back home that means a lot to me.

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My goal was to visit my site and to see spring slowly popping out, but sadly I woke up to about two inches of snow this morning. Although my phonology spot was covered in snow, I still observed the early signs of spring. Due to the recent snowmelt and rain, Centennial Brook’s water level was higher and the water was flowing more rapidly. As evidence of this, I even had a hard time crossing the brook in order to get to my spot. Although finding signs of spring in the snow was a bit difficult, I was still able to identify a few. These included: the fresh green ferns beginning to grow on the forest floor, buds on the trees and bushes, and I heard more birds active than I have during other recent visits.

A full brook (Scannell, 2017)

Using “Wetland, Woodland, Wildland” as  reference I came to the conclusion that my site is an Upland Natural Community. There were a few factors that lead me to this conclusion and those included the water, soils, and plants of my area. Besides Centennial Brook, most of the water in Centennial Woods percolates through the water table and the area does not experience long-term flooding. The soils in Centennial Woods are not overly moist nor overly dry, and those characteristics are in-line with that of an upland natural community. As for plants, besides woody shrubs on the forest floor, the forest is primarily sugar maple, American beech, yellow birch, and hemlock. This leads me to believe that within the characterization of the area as an upland natural community, it can also be characterized as a northern hardwood forest.

Spring Snow (Scannell, 2017)

Utilizing Biofinder I discovered a few different things about my phonology spot in Centennial Woods. Much of Centennial Woods is considered to hold highest priority rare species and rare natural communities. Centennial Woods is also considered to be a priority interior forest block which makes sense as it is one of the few designated natural areas in the city of Burlington. As I laid all the different layers onto the Biofinder map, Centennial Woods exploded into a rainbow of different important natural designations. Although this visit was nice, I am excited to explore my phenology spot with no snow on it!

Winter in Centennial Woods is beautiful! It was so pretty to see Centennial Brook more-or-less frozen over. Searching for signs of wildlife I found a few different tracks. I saw a lot of what I assume to be dog tracks, and I think the track pictured below is that of a cottontail rabbit.

Tracks (Scannell, J. 2017)

Although I know in class we have been discussing animal tracking as a sign of wildlife, I was able to see some wildlife in action. About to leave my spot I heard what sounded like I wood-pecker. Below is the video I shot of what I think is a Pileated Woodpecker. It was amazing to watch and listen to a wood-pecker so close.

Pileated Woodpecker (Scannell, J. 2017)

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Here is a list of some of the plants I was able to identify on my site: Hawthorn, Sugar Maple, Shadbush, and a Beech. Most of plants in my phenology spot are shrubs and bushes so I travelled a bit away from my spot to identify some trees.

Twig 1 (Scannell, J. 2017)

Twig 2 (Scannell, J. 2017)

Twig 3 (Scannell, J. 2017)

Twig Drawing (Scannell, J. 2017)

Though out the course we have heard a lot about the land-use history of a place. This land-use history effects the state of the place today, effecting the vegetation, animals, etc. Through class and various labs, I had heard that Centennial Woods was once farmland. Signs that point to this include stonewalls, old barbed wire, and the types of trees there.

As I sat in my phenology spot this week I thought about the land-use history of the place. I was really hung up on the idea of what my spot may have looked like back, decades to hundreds of years ago. Using Burlington Geographic as a resource I was able to find some old maps and aerial pictures of Burlington, including Centennial Woods. Although back in the day they didn’t have the option on their maps to click the little man and see the street view like we do on Google Maps, being able to even see aerial photos of the area was so interesting. Knowing the land-use history of a place not only increases your connection with the land, but it also helps connect you to the people of the pass that sat in the same place as you.

Map of Centennial Woods
Burlington Geographic and Google Maps

Map of Burlington (Hopkins, G.M. 1890)

This year I am spending Thanksgiving with my Aunts, two cousins, and my own immediate family at the Trapp Family Lodge in Stowe, VT. Thankfully I was able to visit my new spot on Saturday November 19th, before the ten inches of snow came.

Although I will always have a special place in my heart for Centennial Woods, my new phenology spot in Stowe is amazing. I hiked up one of the trails about half a mile and came into this hemlock forest. The moment I stepped into this part of the forest I felt an immediate connection and knew it had to be my spot.

Saplings (Scannell, J. 2016)

Mossy Log (Scannell, J. 2016)

Fallen Log (Scannell, J. 2016)

Like the rest of Vermont, at one point 75% of the land in the town of Stowe was cut and cleared. Because of this, the forest around the Trapp Family Lodge is not very mature and developed. There are places within the forest with a large population of birch, hemlock, pine, and beech.

Much of the ecology of my place in Stowe was very similar to that of my place in Burlington. Had travelled somewhere out of New England, or even just out of the state, I think I would have encountered different tree and animal species.

I have started to discover more and more along this journey that you can feel a sense of place for more than just one area. After spending the week in Stowe, exploring the forest behind Trapp Family Lodge, I think I have begun to form a bond with this new place.

Trapp Family Lodge, Stowe, VT

Google Maps

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My first glob post of November, how exciting! I am looking forward to seeing snow in my phenology spot, but sadly when I went today it was sunny and fifty degrees out. It definitely does not feel like November out there. Not too much has changed with my spot. About a week and a half of on and off rainy days has raised the water level in Centennial Brook. Besides this the only new change was the greater amount of fall foliage that has fallen to the forest floor and into the brook.

Forest Floor (Scannell, J. 2016)

Moss (Scannell, J. 2016)

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Here is an Events Map for my Centennial Woods Place