Phenology Project A UVM blog

Many of the perspectives that we discussed in class can be applied towards my site. The most prominent of these is limits. Centennial Woods’ status as a protected natural area marks it as one of the most valuable resources we have left. As population and technology increases, people spread out and develop on natural areas. This means that natural areas will start to disappear all over the world. It is important that we continue to protect the few areas we have left in the future. The site is protected via another perspective, institutions. The site is protected by the institution of the University of Vermont, and also several legal doctrines prohibiting the development of the land. If more legislation is created regarding the use of the land, we can ensure that the area is protected for a long time to come using more institutions. To do this, I could work with the group responsible for protecting and maintaining the site at the University to make sure that the place is safe for many years to come. We could also work in conjunction with the town of Burlington to pass legislation to protect the area as well. The final perspective that can be applied to my site is ethics. Similarly to Aldo Leopold’s land ethic, the ethics of the people around the area in relation to the planet can protect my site. By working with several activist groups or again the University, we can get people thinking about the area in a sustainable way, possibly through presentations or newsletters.

I could also reach out to other dwellers of the area or others using this area as their site. Since we all rely on this place for one reason or another, it is feasible to think that they would also want to protect the site like me. By working with these people, we can combine our voice in order to get more things done in relation to protecting our site. I don’t believe that a form of negotiation or arrangement would be necessary as we are all looking out for the common good of our site. I don’t think that this would be possible with non-human residents of the are however. This is because in the past, society has overlooked those without a voice, namely groups viewed as inferior to those with more “power,” such as the Native Americans when Europeans came to settle the new world. Therefore, groups that are literally without a voice, the non-human residents of the area, would be dismissed without a second thought. Instead, it is important to advocate twice as hard for those who can’t do it for themselves. Including information about the value of the non-human components that are vital to the site is important when trying to educate people about the value of the area. But by using these methods, I think that the future is looking bright for Centennial Woods.

My site of Centennial Woods is a protected natural area, which is under the jurisdiction of the University of Vermont. Based on this, we can assume that the people that utilize this area follow the same ethical thinking of Gifford Pinchot. Pinchot thought that natural areas of the world should be protected by the creation of national parks regulated by the federal government. This model is the same as the one applied to Centennial Woods. It allows for people to still appreciate the area and keeps it protected. Conversely, if people followed the ethical thinking of Aldo Leopold, who thought that the best way to protect natural areas is by having no human interaction as possible, no one would be able to use the area for recreation. This would lower the potential for any habitat destruction in the area by humans, which would be beneficial for the animals of my site. The social construction of the university and its protection provided to the area makes people appreciate the area more. They view it as something worth protecting. That has helped the area stay beautiful and full of life in the past, and will hopefully have the same impact in the future.

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.

There has been very little change to my site since I last visited it. This winter has been a lot more mild than previous ones, which could attribute to the lack of change. I have noticed that there are less birds in the area, as they have possibly migrated for the winter. Now the trees have full shed their leaves, somewhat obstructing the flow of the river. I have also noticed that there has been less human activity in the area, as my own footprints have been the only fresh ones as far as I can tell. This could be attributed to the coming winter.

The area my site is located in, Centennial Woods, has a very rich history. The oldest known evidence of human interaction at my site was that of Native Americans over four thousand years ago. An area in Centennial Woods contained evidence of Native American tool making, including stone flakes. This evidence was found by students in UVM’s archaeology program in 1998. From this point forward, the site was used by Native Americans up until the seventeenth century, when settlers from other countries came to settle the land. This marked the point where the Natives shared the land with the settlers, who eventually built the area up into the modern day Burlington we know.

When creating a Social-Ecological System Map for my site, I noticed that my site is affected and affects several groups, in both positive and negative ways. The site in Centennial woods is beneficial for the wildlife living their, providing them with a habitat. Centennial Woods also provides a place for the students at UVM to learn about the natural world in a hands on manner. In turn, UVM protects Centennial Woods from threats like the lumber industry and would be developers. The wildlife and Centennial Woods contribute to the natural ecosystems found in the area. Centennial Woods is unfortunately negatively affected by local recreation. The constant stream of hikers and runners lead to habitat fragmentation and erosion, damaging the ecosystems in the area. Centennial Woods benefits the people living at Centennial Court as well. Since there are no other houses around, due to the protection of the land provided by UVM, they can enjoy a safe and quiet neighborhood. Unfortunately, the people living there and the developed areas so close to the forest can create harmful runoff that could damage the ecosystem. Overall, Centennial Woods is an area that provides many benefits to the communities in the area, and even though there are minor drawbacks, the bulk of the would be problems are negated by the protection UVM provides.

My spot at home is a large rock on my property. It is in a deciduous forest, with many tree species comparable to my phenology site, including Northern Red Oaks, White Oaks, Red Maples, and Sugar Maples. The site also has tree species that are different from my site, mainly Mountain Laurels. This similarity is due to the fact that my home is in relatively the same climate zone as Vermont, so therefore, there is a similarity in the species found in these two areas. The similarities do not stop at plant species, however. I have noticed that both of my sites share the same types of animal species. This includes Gray Squirrels, White Tailed Deer, and Chipmunks. In addition to these species, I have seen similar bird species, including Pileated and Downy Woodpeckers. My home site has other bird species in it as well that are not found at my phenology site, to the best of my knowledge. These species include Blue Jays and Cardinals. My home site is at a much higher elevation compared to the surrounding area than my phenology site, and there is therefore a lot less soil due to erosion. This has not had any noticeable impact on the species found in my site, however.

This is an Event Map of my phenology site and the surrounding areas. When making this, I noticed several changes to the area. The leaves on the trees have all fallen, covering my site and the stream surrounding it. When I came this time, there was a lack of birds in the area, probably because they have flown south for the winter. It is noticeably colder, and there is more wind. I took the time to take more pictures of my site.

Here is a map of my plot. Since coming here the first time, I’ve noticed that the leaves on the tree in my site have changed color from green to yellow. The non-woody plants have also started to die. Broken pieces of nuts in my site could indicate some animal activity in the area.