© Miranda Garrow
Students and faculty (living & parking) on Trinity campus use my place as a pathway to get to the parking lot and to and from classes. This pathway also connects to an apartment complex on Riverside Ave. It is a quick shortcut for those walking to campus as well as downtown. The constant use of the footpaths creates erosion and changes the landscape of the area as well as increased runoff. UVM students use this location as a “hangout”. This results in there being a significant amount of trash in the area. The development surrounding the location (Trinity Campus) has created a lot of edges on most sides, which makes it harder for wildlife to seek refuge. The squirrels seem to enjoy it because it is a connector between patches as well as an escape from the people living on Trinity. As soon as I started this phenology project I became a part of the system. I inhabited the surrounding developed area. I, however, did not use the footpaths or hang out in there. I became a regular user of the footpaths and most of the time went off the paths. Going off the path disrupt a lot of the tiny ecosystems that cannot handle being trampled. Also crunching the leaves and my presence disrupted the squirrels business as well as possibly the birds living in this area. I have a positive impact on my site because I am able to pick up the trash because I have more of a connection to the site.
Using the maps on the Burlington Geographic website, I have found that up until 1925, my site and the land surrounding it has been owned by various people that chose not to develop it. 1925 was the beginning of Trinity College and this is when the area surrounding my site became developed.1
Since my last visit, there has been a lot less squirrel activity since the temperatures have been getting colder. There was a lot more sunlight coming through because the last of the leaves have dropped. I am sure the few animals that do live there are confused by how warm it is this late in the year. It definitely is strange for it to be this warm in Vermont this late in the season. There should be snow and the temperatures should be a lot colder but that is not something I was expecting to see at my site this visit because of how the temperatures have been the past few weeks.
- “Trinity College (Vermont).” Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 19 Apr. 2015. Web. 09 Dec. 2015.