I did my last visit to my phenology site on Saturday, as I knew it was supposed to rain on Sunday. It was a little cloudy and gray, but it was a nice temperature and I even saw a toad on the walk to my spot!
I was also super excited before I even got to my spot because on the way there, I checked back on the tree I had been tracking and it is finally budding! The little leaves were so cute 🙂
When I made it to my spot, I sat down nearby the yellow birch and did a sketch of its bottom trunk/roots and bark, which I think is so pretty and interesting.
It was really nice to be back at my spot after so long, and now I can see how much it has changed over the past 6 months! The most obvious phenological change has been that of the trees. I’ve seen the trees’ leaves go from green to red and orange to brown and fallen on the ground to (finally) budding again! I’ve also noticed more animal activity now versus in the winter, similar to the beginning of fall semester. Of course, there has also been the transition from fall (with green and rain) to winter (brown and snow) to spring (brown/green and mud).
The major landmark I have become familiar with is the yellow birch tree. Last semester, I decided that this tree would be the center of my site and I think it’s fitting because it stands out so much. There are minor landmarks along to way to my spot, too, like now I can recognize the growing red maple I’ve tracked the past month and there is also the one random ditch in the ground on the side of the trail that always reminds me which way to go.
Nature and culture intertwine here in such a nice way. As my phenology site is a part of Centennial Woods, there are a bunch of people who visit it every day! When I visited on Saturday, I ran into more people than I ever have before, which made me really happy that people are taking advantage of this cute natural spot we have right here in Burlington! There are human-made trails that go through the woods, but much of the woods are left unaltered by humans and you’re able to really experience nature when you visit.
I think after all this time I’ve spent at my spot, I consider myself a part of my place. I really love to visit it and I’ve become so familiar with it – I remember how the first few visits I would have to really think about which trails I was following to get there, but now I can get there off of memory. Also, my spot is so close to campus and accessible that there’s no way I won’t visit in the future, even when it isn’t required. Centennial Woods is such a lovely place to have on UVM’s campus, and I’m very glad I got to spend so much time there!
