I never have been good at saying at goodbye, so this isn’t going to be easy. With you, my readers, we have explored a world that would otherwise remain unobserved, that lies not too far off from where I lay my head at night. Together, we have identified tree species, spotted wildlife, and examined the natural history of a spot that is now dear to my heart. After doing a bit of research on the history of the Burlington Country Club, I learned that the 150 acres that the golfing community takes up was purchased in 1924 from Fairholt Estate. The Fairholt estate was built in as a summer home for publisher Henry Holt in the 1890’s, and designed by Frederick Law Olmsted, architect of Shelburne Farms and Central Park in New York. The location has been transferred from owner to owner over the years, but the land was remained mostly unharvested and unused for agricultural or natural resource collection for the last one hundred years. However, being close to the road and because of other signs of evidence, I am assuming my forest is young. There is not an excess of paper birch, an early succession species, but the dominance of eastern white pine in my clearing shows evidence of forest age. The prominence of sugar maple also leads me to believe this small stretch has been established for around 20-30 years. The connection I have formed with this forest grotto is indescribable, as I have watched the seasons change and Mother Nature put the world around me to sleep.
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