Since my last visit the ground has dried, and the birds have moved back home for the season. The pines have begun to show signs of pollen (oh no! Allergies!). The oak buds have gotten bigger and the grass in the area is a newly vibrant shade of green. The thunderstorms of last night and whipping rain have fed the ground well, but stripped a good number of needles from many of the pines.
In terms of whether or not I feel like a part of my phenology spot, I don’t. While it is a natural area, it was made and is used constantly by humans so while I personally don’t feel like a part of it, many people at UVM who frequent the area surely do. I feel like if it was a more secluded, less busy area I’d feel more in tune with it, but the constant human noise and lack of seclusion makes it continually hard to connect.
Nature and culture in my phenology spot cross relatively often. In the natural space there is a constant culture of meeting, “hanging out” (some times literally hanging, in hammocks), and of relaxation. The fact that the natural area is so close to campus pathways and busy buildings lends itself to the human culture, and since it’s part of a larger campus that heavily incorporates nature and natural spaces. 
