Throughout my time observing my phenology site I have become surprisingly disappointed with our use of the land here around UVM. When I chose my site I thought it was beautiful, and felt refreshingly natural and healthy in contrast to the largely developed area around campus. However, I have begun to see my site as a testament to the facade of a natural world with healthy ecosystems that has become so prevalent in the area. When the glacial retreat occurred approximately 10,000 years ago it paved way for a beautiful landscape of green mountains and left a beautiful lake. However, development began to erase this beauty, and with peak land clearance about 150 years ago much of this natural green world in the Vermont region was lost. Ecosystems were divided, split, and destroyed. I think that my site is a great example of this and now serves as a reminder to me that the natural world has been marginalized and set aside. The trees are healthy, and beautiful, but they stand alone, between two roads and a parking lot. There is very little wildlife in the area, because it it separated from most other natural sites on campus. At first I thought it was my fault, but Ive spent hours and hours there, seeing only a couple squirrels, and a very disappointed looking rabbit which I can certainly relate to.  On the other side, I do believe that my better understanding of this area, however disappointing it may be, is a testament to the fact that Ive actually learned something in nr001, and have become more aware of the world around me.

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