Thanksgiving Break Phenology Location
My chosen phenology location for Thanksgiving break was located in Harpswell, Maine on Orr’s Island at 43º47’30.1″N 69º57’26.1″W
This location differs greatly from my location in Centennial Woods. The composition of the forest in the new location was almost entirely red spruce and balsam fir trees whereas my location in Centennial Woods has a greater species diversity. There was minimal leafy vegetation (such as ferns, like in Centennial Woods) on the forest floor, this is most likely due to the large population of deer in the area. There were also large amounts of down trees and sticks all over the forest floor.
It is also a lot quieter than my Centennial Woods location. I can’t hear any people in the woods with me or the noise from the city nearby here. In this spot it is just me and the woods on an island in Maine, the way that it has been my whole life. I could feel the cool coastal air and smell the salty tang of the ocean.
I did not see any animals in this exact location but I did see some deer on the drive in maybe a mile from the location. It was also evident that deer live in this area due to the lack of vegetation on the forest floor. According to my dad who works at the nearby Schiller Coastal Studies Center, there have been lots of deer around the area this fall.
I was unable to partake in “response to honorable harvest” portion of the assignment because to the best of my knowledge the area I was in follows a “leave no trace” philosophy and I did not want to leave anything there that did not belong in those woods.