Month: May 2021

Ah, the last post of the year. A bit of a bittersweet moment because I have developed a connection to this area, but I am also excited to be able to visit and not stress about an assignment attached to it. Centennial is starting to turn green again, it is much easier to identify tree species now, and the animals have become more active. I went to sit by the brook near the entrance of the woods and even saw some small fish friends swimming around in it! This was very exciting and I tried to catch some to look at, but to no avail- I will be back again though as I am determined to catch at least one little guy and study it’s patterns.

As I continued along, I found the leaves of what appears to be an intermediate wood fern- each leaflet is decided into subleaflets and each subleaflet is further divided into sub-subleafletes. The edges of the fern are also toothed and bristle tipped as seen below.

I stayed in centennial woods for upwards of three hours, just taking in all that the land had to offer and thought about how I have developed a sense of place in centennial. I wrote the following in my Write in the Rain book…

“I often find myself taking a trip down to the woods whenever I am stressed from school or struggling mentally. I like to see the trees that have stood there for so long before me, and will continue to be there long after I leave. It reminds me that no matter what happens in life, the world will keep turning and life will continue to go on. Maybe this is just wishful thinking, but I have noticed that some of the animals have started to get closer to me while I sit there. That makes me feel like I have become one with the land, and we have a mutual respect for each other. There is only one other place on this planet that brings me the same peace that centennial does- the lakes by my house and the path that runs along it. These two places make me feel grounded and safe, allowing me to forget about the outside world for a little while. And for that, I am beyond grateful.”

As I began to gather my belongings to head back to campus, I noticed that the sun setting on the trees looked particularly beautiful on this day. I captured one final photo of my spot and went on my way.

The City Nature Challenge is an annual global community science competition to document biodiversity in cities. To take part in this holiday, some friends and I went to the Gillbrook natural area in Winooski. This area has many trails which diverge and take you through wetlands and hilly forests. While we were there, I showed my friends how to use the iNaturalist app and document species that they saw. I have been using this app since high school, and have used it to help me identify lots of buds and plants in centennial woods for my phenology spot. It is really helpful, especially the feature that lets you compare your documentation with similar ones in the same area to help you get the most accurate reading.

The link is not able to be embedded, but this is a screenshot of where it is along with the URL you can click on to visit.

https://www.google.com/maps/d/u/0/edit?hl=en&mid=14z3OMRNFIwWAESomxLRJvvedKknOXV_i&ll=44.49680535304451%2C-73.17283005744534&z=19

While on our walk, we focused on documenting species near the pond. We found a garter snake, but it got away before we could capture a real good picture of it. We also saw some bulrushes and cattails, which kind of looks like corn dogs.

It was really interesting to see the different species being reported all over the world, and to think that really common plants in this part of the world do not exist in other parts and may seem exotic and exciting. It was especially fun to look at all the different types of animals people find right in their backyards!

After we were done in Winooski, we went back to downtown Burlington, got some food, and enjoyed a charcuterie board by the lakefront. It was quite a fun little day and I am excited to go on similar trips with my friends back home! It will be interesting to compare the native species of New York and Vermont and see if they differ or are pretty much the same.

At this point, when I visit centennial woods, it is entirely different from my last post, almost as if it is a different place entirely. The snow is all melted, however the water table is exposed due to the rapid snow melt- this means I got to get very muddy during my visit.

As I got deeper into the woods, I was able to identify multiple different tree buds, including Red Maple, White Pine, Beech, Ironwood, and Winterberry Holly. The Winterberry Holly really stood out because they added a pop of color to the scenery, you can spot the red buds from far away!

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I also was able to see a wide variety of woodland friends including a blue jay that sat very politely as it let me sketch it in detail! I observed squirrels and chipmunks running through leaves, a chickadee, a few robins, and a beetle. Additionally, I was able to find what I believe to be fisher tracks in the mud. I was not able to capture a good photo of the tracks, but I made a little sketch.

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Finally, as I finished up my adventure into centennial, I made a trophic pyramid and species interaction diagram based on the animals and plants I saw during my trip. It is interesting to delve deeper into the inter workings of an ecosystem and how they all depend on one another to remain healthy and prosperous. It is so easily overlooked how significant a small species like beetles or chipmunks are, but they are vital to the ecosystem.

I was actually in isolation during this weeks phenology project, as I was exposed to COVID. However, as soon as I was able to leave I took a trip downtown to explore the phenology. At this point in Burlington, spring is quickly approaching. Today, a few of my friends and I took a visit down to the lakefront and to a few stores on Church Street. The snow has been melting, so the grass is beginning to peek out of the ground, the ice on Lake Champlain is starting to break up into smaller fragments, and there is even some signs of wildlife coming out of hibernation for the year. The phenology of Burlington in March Compared to February is astonishing. In the warmer weather that this month has brought, we have the pleasure of seeing our little woodland and bird friends again after a long winter- in particular, today I saw a mallard duck walking on ice and a chickadee perched in a tree.

These were some of the buds I was able to observe while in Burlington. In particular, I saw many Sugar Maple buds and Beech buds forming. I was able to use my bud-identification sheet to determine exactly what species these buds belonged to.

After Visiting Burlington, my friends and I took a trip to Pingala, a vegan restaurant located right on the Winooski Watershed. In the attached picture, you can clearly see the sheets of ice that have started to break apart and melt, exposing the water underneath.