As hard as it can be to believe, my first year of college and time at my Centennial Woods phenological site have come to a close. During my time with this site, I have had the chance to observe firsthand so many of the awe-inspiring and mysterious changes that the natural world undergoes during the phenological calendar. Beginning in the fall, I saw this site, which is one of heavy evergreen and American beech coverage, when it was shrouded in green during the warmer months. From there however, I got the chance to watch as hardwoods lost their leaves and many species went into resting for the winter season, which was particularly fascinating for me as I am from the Deep South, where these phenological changes are not nearly as pronounced. Following this long freeze that swept over the spot during wintertime, I was able to revisit the site over the past week and see the rejuvenating effects of warmer temperatures and spring weather in full effect, with countless plants budding and sprouting and many migratory birds returning to the area, which was quite awesome. As I have spent such a significant amount of time dedicated to this spot within Centennial Woods, I have also become intimately familiar with many of its key features and landmarks, whether that be the high number of towering white pines that dominate the overstory when looking out onto my site, or the steep gradient that is positioned directly above the trail I take to reach my site. Whatever the feature may be, thanks to being attached to such a specific site for the past few months, I have grown to recognize these unique features and perks in ways that I would never have otherwise. Ultimately, I think that my small but mighty sit-spot within Centennial Woods is indeed a spot where nature and culture intertwine, though is a place that I would not yet consider myself to be a part of. Centennial Woods is a vital urban green space within Burlington, therefore I firmly believe that it plays an integral role in cultivating the culture of the city, whatever that may be, and that the nature found in Centennial Woods and at my spot are forever interwoven with the city itself. However, while I would love to consider myself a part of this place that I chose, I simply think that I have not been here long enough to have that integral relationship yet. Having only been in Burlington for a number of months at this point, I think that I would need to continue this connective pattern with my place for a number of years in order for me to truly consider myself to be a part of it. I have had such a great time observing the changes and goings on at my phenology site, and hope to return next year and see what else has changed as the phenological calendar keeps ticking.

Until we meet again,

Abel Murphy

This past weekend, as part of my ongoing phenology project, I took part in the collective Burlington City Nature Challenge iNaturalist Bioblitz, and very much enjoyed doing so. To do my part, I chose to explore and record species that I found in the Centennial Woods Natural Area, which also happens to be the location of my phenology site. I chose this location for the Bioblitz due a number of factors, including its close proximity to campus and unique natural communities as a notable urban green space in the Greater Burlington area. In terms of the Challenge itself and using iNaturalist to record all of my findings over the weekend, I found that it worked very well. I was fortunate enough to be familiar with iNaturalist and therefore was very comfortable quickly noting and adding species observations as I happened upon them. Additionally, I very much enjoyed the community aspect of the Challenge, and being able to see the many different observations recorded by my peers, proving just how ecologically diverse Burlington truly is. During my time spent in Centennial Woods, I encountered and observed 20 different species of flora and fauna, which included but was not limited to paper birch, barberry, a red squirrel, and a broad-winged hawk. While some of the species that I found were to be expected, as they are very common in Vermont and across the Eastern U.S. like Northern Cardinals and White Pines, I also encountered some species that were new to me such as the pine siskin. Looking at a larger scale and in the many other cities also participating in the global Bioblitz, I was astonished to see such a massive turnout and such a vast number of species recorded all across the globe in just a few short days. Seeing the hundreds of thousands of observations recorded in places like La Paz, Bolivia and Tagum City, Philippines, helps show just how impactful and beneficial organizing events like this are for documenting levels of global biodiversity. Ultimately, I very much enjoyed partaking in the City Nature Challenge and doing my part to help people see how crucial and relevant biodiversity is in our world, and am looking forward to participating again next year! Additionally, I have attached an image of a species I found during the Bioblitz this past weekend (barberry to be specific) and a link to the location I was recording observations at below.

All the best,

Abel

Map Link: https://maps.app.goo.gl/Q5gCTGbZu5sLmFYU8

This week, as part of our ongoing phenology site project, I had the chance to revisit my original site nestled deep within the Centennial Woods Natural Area. While it was definitely quite snowy given the weather that Burlington was hit, there were still signs that spring was in the air! While walking over, there were quite a few birds out and about despite the wintery conditions in the woods, as I heard multiple robins and cardinals while at my site, both of which are very common species in Centennial Woods. Along with the recognizable bird calls and activity in and around my phenology site, I could also tell that a few of the buds on the maples around my site have just begun to swell, a surefire sign of the spring to come. From what I could tell, it looked like a few of the oak and maple trees around my site had begun to show some swelling in their buds which I included in the photograph attached to this post, however my site is dominated by coniferous species like white pine and eastern hemlock, so they are not as common as in other parts of Centennial Woods. In terms of spring tracking, the fresh cover of snow made the search for amphibians like spring peepers a bit challenging, although there were still many tracks left by squirrels and field mice that abounded the snow all over Centennial Woods. Overall, while this weekend may have allowed winter weather to temporarily reclaim Centennial Woods, I could definitely see the signs of spring poking through the snow and am sure that the next time I visit, spring phenological processes will be in full swing.

Until we meet again!

Abel Murphy

As part of our ongoing phenology project this semester, I got the chance to go out and find some tracks and signs of local wildlife here in Burlington this week! Despite there being so many great urban green spaces to choose from all over the city, a couple of friends and I decided to walk down to the Salmon Hole area along the Winooski River to look for some tracks in the snow on Saturday. While the fresh coat of snow was quite beautiful and will undoubtedly lead to some great tracks in the coming week, we went out right after the snow had stopped, so it was almost too fresh to find many well-defined tracks unfortunately. However, we did still come across multiple signs of wildlife in the Salmon Hole area and did not come up empty-handed. Walking along the snow-covered trail, there were countless dog tracks, and we chose a spot popular with many pet owners. Despite this overwhelming presence of dog tracks in the snow, we did find a few tracks we concluded to be left by Eastern Grey Squirrels (See Attached Image). We came to this conclusion by looking at our track guides and checking the measurements, which often lined up, and also recognizing that we were in an area of heavy tree cover along a slope and the stride pattern of the tracks matched the galloping pattern squirrels have. Although no tracks were found, we came across many signs of beaver activity in the area. We found ample evidence from chewed shoots and plants that beavers either currently or recently inhabited the section of the Winooski River that we were exploring. Knowing that beavers use so much wood from trees and plants along the banks of rivers, and also leave quite recognizable incisions where cuts are made, this conclusion was pretty easy for my friends and I to make. Taking a few pictures of the tracks and signs we found, my group found it pretty easy to upload our findings to the iNaturalist project that our class is currently participating in. With our sightings logged, we are hoping that the findings at Salmon Hole can help in collecting data about the wildlife that inhabit the Burlington area.

Until Next Time!

Abel Murphy

Welcome back to my phenology site blog and happy 2024 to all!

This is the first post documenting the changes and features at my phenology site nestled deep inside the Centennial Woods Natural Area of the new semester! Since I last visited and posted regarding my site, things have changed in certain ways. For one, the average daily temperature has dropped by a considerable amount as the season of winter has officially set in, leading to consistent freezing conditions, which has greatly altered the environment at my phenology site. Despite temperatures creeping up the past couple of days and there being clear evidence of melting, much of the Centennial Woods Natural Area is still covered in a layer of snow, or in the case of the trails, a thick sheet of ice that makes things quite slippery! Interestingly enough though, the persistent layer of snow seemed to be lesser at and around my specific site, which I chalk up to the fact that my site is on a hill, thus it gets hit with more direct sunlight and is therefore more prone to quick melting. In terms of seeing what signs and tracks the wildlife around my site has left thus far, I was able to find a couple different examples despite the snow having melted a decent amount. In what was left of snow around my site, I was able to find evidence of quite a few dogs who had made their way along the path, and in terms of non-domesticates species, I was able to see what I thought might have been some deer tracks, as well as a pile of nutshells that seemed like evidence of squirrel activity. Hopefully, as we progress through winter, I am able to find many more different pieces of evidence left by the creatures that call my site home!

Until we meet again!

Abel Murphy