Month: November 2022

I am home in South Jersey, specifically Haddonfield, a cute historic town in the Philly suburbs, for break. I decided to take a walk around one of my old favorite natural areas, one right behind my high school, Hopkins Pond in Cooper River Park.

The park has a manmade damned pond and is dominated by Red Maple, American Beech, Red Oak, and White Oak. It also has a lot of English Ivy and Norway Maples which are invasive species.

Some major differences I notices from my phenology spot in Vermont were that here the leaves are still falling. It has not snowed yet and the leaves still crunched underfoot. There was also a difference in species composition with no Sugar Maples or Striped Maples to be seen. Instead of leaving a gift for my site while on my walk, I decide to pick up trash as an act of service instead. I live in a highly developed area and therefore the parks require constant maintenance to address invasive species, water pollution, and litter. It was lovely to view the nature in my hometown with newfound knowledge of species as well as newfound respect for urban ecosystems specifically.

Going out to my phenology site was a bit on an odd experience. It is November, yet it is unseasonably warm. Sitting outside is extremely pleasant as the temperature is in the mid 60s. This is a bit concerning as warm temperatures are likely a sign of climate change, which threatens the health of species and ecosystems across the world. Nonetheless, the leaves have dropped from all the trees. The only deciduous trees which have still retained some leaves are the American Beech trees and a couple of Red Oaks. I can hear the wind rushing through the cattails and rushes, although sounds of wildlife are scarce. Nature is preparing for winter.