Welcome to my phenology blog! I am excited to watch the seasons change at Arthur Park. My specific site can be found within Arthur Park on the Donahue Sea Cave Trail by the Long Pond under the shade of a large Butternut Hickory tree.
This site is relatively easy to reach by bike or bus, and it is walkable from the UVM campus, but it is a bit of a long walk. As you travel down North Ave you will see the sign for Arthur Park and a trail leading down into the forest.
The Forested Trail
As you enter the park, the trail is shaded by large trees. The forest was especially beautiful today with the fall foliage in full force. I enjoyed seeing all of the different shades of fall colors. Some of the most prominent trees in this section of Arthur Park are Sugar Maples, Striped Maples, Norway Maples, and American Beeches.
The Riparian Zone
As you continue walking the landscape shifts into a riparian zone by the pond. Rushes and cattails line the side of the pond and the ground is covered with low lying plants such as clover, American Aster, and assorted thorny bushes. Many vines climbing dead trees and covering the ground can also be observed. There are less woody plants here although I observed Honeysuckle, Black Cherry, Sugar Maple, and of course Butternut Hickory trees. This is where my specific spot can be found, by the large Butternut Hickory. If you keep walking about a minute past my spot you reach the edge of the pond. Today I even observed some ducks on the lake.
