Phenology Project – Annie Faubert

Sitting in Silence

Sitting in one spot for 15 minutes at Arthur Park connected me to the senses around me. I could smell the decomposing leaves in the air and hear the cars passing by on the nearby road and the geese flying above. At one point in my solitude I was fortunate to observe a flock of geese swooping down and landing in the pond as shown in the following video. I also observed that, although it was a very windy day, there was minimal wind reaching my spot. This is likely due to the area being just off of a small cliff that blocks the wind coming from the lake.

Seasonal Vegetation Changes

Although it was only my second time at Arthur Park, the vegetation in the area was significantly changed from when I saw it last. The leaves on all of the maple and birch trees have fallen to the ground as is expected in mid-autumn. Only the leaves of the common buckthorn are persistent in staying on their branches. There are also still some bright berries growing in bushes in the area. In the marsh, the cattails are shedding seed fluff to let seeds fly away in the windy autumn season. Also, there are more fungi growing on decomposing logs in the area.

Birdseye View of the Area

Introduction

The place I chose for my phenology project is Arthur Park. Arthur Park is located on North Avenue in Burlington, VT, just opposite the Burlington high school. To get there, I took the 7 bus and got off at the stop across from the Burlington high school. From there, there is a sign just before the wooded area that says Arthur Park, and leads to a downhill trail. My specific spot is located at the end of that trail, at the shore of the pond. I chose Arthur Park because I am curious about the sea caves present there that I can explore when ice freezes over the pond. I am also very interested in seeing the influence a natural area that is directly next to an urban area has on the wildlife.

Vegetation

There is a variety of vegetation at Arthur park that changes with the relative distance to the pond. Some ground vegetation observed at Arthur Park are many ferns and wildflowers along the trail. There is also an area of tall grasses and cattails that is the transition area from the woods to the pond and clusters of milkweed farther off the trail.

Common Woody Plants

• Yellow Birch
• Sugar Maple
• Boxelder
• Green Ash
• Paper Birch
• Eastern Hemlock

Location of the Park