Final Phenology Visit

Revisiting my site today was a pleasant experience despite the rainy weather. It looks very different than when I visited in the winter. The snow has melted, the stream runs again, and the deciduous trees are starting to show signs of life. Branches are down from recent storms, and the site is a swamp of mud from all the snowmelt, but overall the main landmarks of the site remain the same.

I made a sketch of my site showing the trees and the brush, although I could not completely convey the energy of my place.

I’ve become familiar with these pine trees, with the mossy roots, with the steep slope to get down from the path to my sight. With the river, both when frozen and when running. I don’t feel like part of my site because this is not my home place. I feel a connection to Vermont, and to my sight, but I do not feel part of it the way I feel part of my natural areas at home. This sight also feels like it belongs to everybody as it is so close to the trails which many use for recreation in Centennial Woods: hiking, dog walking, bird watching, etc. Overall I have grown to love my place, and am sad it was my final blogpost visit.

April Showers Bring May Flowers?

Paper birches are still not seeing clear signs of new buds, but some seem promised soon with nice weather on the way. Hopefully we will get to see some flowers before long. It’s nice to get spend time outdoors in this nicer weather, and I enjoyed revisiting my tree.

I noted these findings on iNaturalist.