An Introduction to My Sit-Spot
My site is located in Centennial Woods. It includes a small stream, forest, and the edge of a meadow area. I chose this location because of this diversity of natural spaces and the birdsong, which I heard more of in this spot than I had previously as I hiked around for a spot. I also heard more traffic, from the ground and the air. I think it will be interesting to consider how the human world impacts the natural world, even in the middle of natural areas. To get to my site, follow these directions:
- Go to the entrance with the big green Centennial Woods sign
- Take a slight left past the poison ivy warning sign
- Keep going straight through the clearing
- Take a slight left towards the brook
- Continue until you reach the area where the forest meets the meadow
This area is mostly covered with small ground cover plants and tall pine trees. There isn’t a lot of mid-size growth, and glossy buckthorn dominates what is there. The buckthorn didn’t have any berries left. Ferns cover the ground in many sections – I’ll have to try to identify them before snow falls. The area towards the stream has many fallen branches, and one giant fallen trunk that’s covered in moss, scattered with mushrooms, and sprinkled with the remnants of pine cones, which must have been a squirrel’s snack. Here’s a list of the most common woody species:
- Eastern white pine (majority of trees)
- Red maple (leaves had turned red when I visited)
- American beech (leaves were already brown and crispy)
- Glossy buckthorn
The coordinates for my site are 44.47963, -773.18514. Here’s my site on a map:
I am currently taking Global Environmental Assessment, which teaches the basics of ArcGIS. I’m looking forward to trying to use those skills to understand my phenology site in a deeper way by looking at different information about my site through maps.
