Phenology Project A UVM blog

My site of Centennial Woods has been subject to change due to many socio-environmental perspectives of various groups. Evidence of this can first be seen in relation to the perspective of institutions. An institution put in place in Centennial Woods is that of the rules laid out regarding the use of the area. Before Centennial Woods became a protected natural area under the University of Vermont, human use of the area was not regulated. People would come and go as they pleased, and did not respect the land to the extent they do today. People could leave whatever they wanted in the area, take whatever they desired, and not respect the ecosystem they were in. Now, due to the rules and regulations implemented by the university, human interactions have changed. The area is maintained by the university, with people doing tasks such as removing trash and cleaning up natural debris. In return, people are not allowed to cut down trees or destroy other parts of the area. As the area becomes more populated in the future, the regulations may become stricter to account for the increase of people. The second perspective is the idea of limits. Limits are how the resources of the area are used and competed for. In this case, Centennial Woods’ label as a “natural area” is its greatest resource. Before the area became industrialized, there was a lot more natural areas around Burlington. People could go anywhere to be with nature or to participate in recreational activities like hiking. Now, the Burlington area has become more developed, decreasing the amount of natural areas and raising the demand for areas such as Centennial Woods. This could be a reason for the university’s involvement in the area, as they want to protect one of the few natural areas left in Burlington. As more and more natural areas disappear, the competition for these areas will increase, leading to more use of this area.

My spot is a bend in a stream flowing through Centennial Woods, a protected natural area at UVM. This spot exhibits many interactions between nature and culture. The most prominent of these examples is the creation of the natural area that the spot itself resides in. Since the university has deemed this area important enough to be protected, it shows the relationship between the people of this area and the natural world. They believe the natural world should be protected, rather than be used for things like commercial development. The overall culture of burlington seems to be geared towards protecting the environment and keeping the area clean. A second example of the interaction between nature and culture can be seen with the people that use Centennial Woods for outdoor recreation. People come to the area for running, hiking, and other activities. The natural world draws people to it, and people feel inclined to go outside and be in nature, and Centennial Woods provides a great place for people to do that.