Month: May 2018

My site is a classic example of nature and culture intertwining. The land along this part of the Winooski River is used for hiking, and trails are routinely maintained. It is also an extremely popular fishing location. Almost every time I came here, I saw other people enjoying the Salmon Hole and RiverWalk, too.

There are benefits and drawbacks to this land use. People develop a greater sense of appreciation for nature by spending time outdoors. It is also physically and spiritually healing to be in nature. However, this brings litter, overfishing, and other problems to the Salmon Hole.

I do not think I would consider myself a part of my place because I am not extremely dedicated to it. I think it’s a beautiful place to hike, but I did not develop any kind of connection beyond that.

Today was another beautiful spring day, a couple weeks after my last visit. A big rain event over the course of a few days had just occurred, and the river was higher than I’ve ever seen it before. The trail that I use to get to my site as well as the little beach next to my site were flooded. The water came up onto my site, several feet higher than it usually is.

Finally, I saw some signs of spring on my site. Two different varieties of shrubs displayed beautiful buds. The honeysuckle had new berries. New grasses and ephemerals were growing in the little patches of dirt on my site. A few of the trees on my site, including common buckthorn, yellow birch, and box elder, had not yet begun budding, but are probably close.

On my way up the trail, I was blessed enough to see some ostrich fern!