It is quiet at the beaver bridge today. Only the sounds of nearby birds keep me company. The water level is lower than the last time I visited. It smells bad and the water has turned green. The only signs of life are the birds that fly by and the tiny fish that can be seen in the murky water. All the colorful leaves are gone and the landscape is turning brown. Thankfully there is still some color in the reeds, grass, and evergreens. It feels icky here surrounded by this foul smelling water.
I got to the Beaver Bridge today at 12:30 pm; it was 60 degrees and cloudy. The water was shallow (0-5ft) and clouded with sediment. It was wet out today, so the banks of the pond were very slippery. In the shallowest parts of the water and all along the bank there are common reeds and various grasses growing. A couple feet from the bank there are shrubs and trees growing. There are barberry bushes, maple trees, northern white cedars, and eastern white pines.
The entrance to Centennial Woods is on Carrigan Drive just past the police station. You should see a UVM Centennial Woods sign and an old bike rack that mark the trail head. Once you have found the entrance follow the trail until you come the white “Caution Poison Ivy” sign then turn left. Follow this trail across two plank bridges. When you get to the fork in the trail continue straight to walk across four more short plank bridges. By this point you should see a Muddy Buddies sign that marks the creek flowing under the last bridge. Round the bend after the bridges and hike up the hill. There should be a graffitied concrete wall to your right as you hike up the hill. Walk until you get to the fork in the trail then turn left toward the tree with multiple trunks growing in the middle of the trail. Continue following this trail until you come across another fork then turn left. This trail should have more pine needle than before. There are a lot of exposed roots so be careful. After following this trail for no more than 5 minutes you should come across a small plank bridge at the bottom of a hill. After the bridge turn right and walk straight until you come across the Beaver Bridge.
I first came across this bridge by accident while on a hike with a friend. I thought it was a cool little spot because it is just a small pond surrounded by the forest. I also liked the idea of potentially seeing a beaver as I study this place every week. It is super close to campus and very easy to get to, so it made the perfect location for my phenology project.