Change in Foliage
There has been significant phenological changes in the foliage of my spot since I last visited. Almost every deciduous tree has lost all of its leaves. All that remains on the maple trees are a few seed pod stragglers. The only species with some dried leaves still on the trees are the paper birch trees. There are only a few spots where I sighted berries hanging from trees. There is not a lot of leaf litter covering the trail, most likely because of the high wind in the area picking up the leaves.
Wildlife in the Area
It was hard to track any evidence of animal activity as the trail and surrounding ground vegetation was frozen solid. The only evidence of animals in the area were a few bird chirps and a sighting of a gaggle of geese resting in the pond. This is very different from the animal activity I observed when I first visited the sight. There were significantly more bird calls in my hearing range and a lot of insects scattered throughout the vegetation.There were a few decomposers sighted on less frozen ground breaking down dead leaves.
What I have enjoyed about Arthur Park
Observing the phenology of Arthur Park these past few months has been an enlightening experience. From seeing the leaves fall to watching the wildlife disappear, I have learned so much as to how nature’s clock operates. My favorite aspect of Arthur Park has to be how diverse the ecosystems are. Within such a small spot, there are many different types of environments. There are the marshes, the forest, and the pond, all interacting and changing together.