Phenology Blog

Centennial woods is starting to look more and more similar to when I was first introduced to the forest. Even though this has not been my spot for very long, I still interacted with this forest many times throughout the year. Centennial was actually one of the first natural areas I explored in Vermont. In early September I saw the lush dense foliage and worked to identify trees within the woods. In November I spent time identifying exotic species like Norway Maple, Oriental Bittersweet, Buckthorn, and Japanese Barberry. At the very beginning of April I explored the new growth within the forest like the budding Red Maples along the wetland near the creek. I also observed increased wildlife activity like Woodpeckers. In my most recent visit I observed the culmination of the phenological cycle seeing many flowering species including Serviceberries, Field Horsetail, as well as the aforementioned Red Maple. I also noticed some fry moving around in a calmer area of the creek, which is the first sign of aquatic life I have observed at Centennial Woods.

Throughout my time exploring Centennial Woods I have identified a few different landmarks and specials spots along trails. Everytime I walk along the trail I notice the same snag that has become a hotspot for Woodpecker’s. I also have a particular fondness for crossing the bridge over the wetland as there are always new species and processes to observe. Finally I sit on the same fallen log across the creek to observe changes along the riverbank in species composition, wildlife activity, and streambank health. Because of Centennial’s proximity to the UVM campus it is a hotspot for students whether they are walking, running, or appreciating the outdoors. This makes it a natural and social area which provides a much needed sanctuary for students of all disciplines. Expanding past student use I have seen many Burlington residents use the woods as a recreation area for dog walking and hiking. Because of the intersection of human use and the natural environment there is an increased desire to protect the woods. Simply put the more people that use the space the more work will be put into the preservation of the space. Centennial is a great example of this principle as there are organized events to clean up the woods, research projects identifying areas of concern, as well as restoration projects happening.

As I was conducting my final visit to Centennial I felt very sentimental. I remembered my first visit when I had just arrived to Vermont and had no clue what I was doing. I remembered visiting with my lab group and enthusiastically pulling up Norway Maple sprouts. And I remembered reading a book and appreciating the warming weather and budding plants. I feel that in a lot of ways the changes I have gone through my first year of college reflect the phenological changes happening at Centennial woods. I certainly feel a much deeper connection to the woods after all this time. While I would not go so far as to say I am a part of Centennial Woods, I do think that I feel a sense of belonging in the woods, which is good enough for me!

In spirit of the city nature aspect of this challenge I chose to take some time and reflect upon the nature that I see the most. I walk from campus to downtown Burlington multiple times a week for work and the trip has become somewhat monotonous over the months. Trekking through the snow and rain can be quite the task after a day of classes. However last week I embraced the elements as well as the changing seasons and appreciated the nature that I pass by on a regular basis. While I was walking home in the pouring rain I felt an immense appreciation and respect for the natural processes that many of us take for granted. I am from a temperate rainforest and have always loved the rain. Especially knowing that lush greenery and bright flowers usually follows after. I think this is why I became inspired to identify the plants along my walk, as a sort of appreciation of the mundane.

My walk seemed to change now that I had given it a new purpose. I observed the plants closely and thought about how they fit into their landscape and ecosystem. I identified five species that included trees, shrubs, and flowers. Some notable species were Corydalis solida a small flowering plant with fern like leaves, Forsythia a yellow flowering bush in the olive family, and finally an apple tree which is most likely a Crabapple tree. After looking at the city nature challenge website I was shocked to see how widespread this challenge is as well as its impact in bringing people together to celebrate nature and biodiversity. Happy Spring!

This week I explored a new phenology spot as Sunny Hollow unfortunately became unaccessible to me. I chose Centennial Woods Natural Area and found a spot near the stream that has a variety of plant life as well as many interesting natural features. The open land adjacent to the stream is very wet aiding in the growth of Red-Osier Dogwood which was budding and brightly pigmented. These buds were easily identifiable due to their color and opposite branching pattern. These stems develop in color as the sun shines explaining their vibrant hue.

I also observed what I believe to be a Male Fern that was budding on the roots of a very large downed tree. The shape of it’s buds intrigued me, and I only realized it was a fern once I saw the two smaller baby ferns emerging the buds. These ferns are known to enjoy rich forest soils and have been observed in Vermont and New Hampshire.

In terms of wildlife I did not observe any animals while exploring my spot. However I did hear the birds chirping and found some evidence of Woodpecker activity on two trees. One tree is a nurse log that seems to have older woodpecker holes. The second is a much younger tree that has holes that look fresh based on the color of the exposed wood (the photo quality is not the best but the tree in the background is the second one).

Finally I wanted to conclude this post by adding an image of the specific area I chose. I chose this spot because it is right on the stream so I can see if there are any noticeable changes to the stream velocity. As I said earlier this stream is close to a very damp open area that has a lot of diverse understory growth. Across the stream is a more dense forest housing a variety of coniferous and deciduous trees. The most notable species I observed was the Eastern White Pine which seemed to be shedding a lot of branches throughout the forest. And finally my spot has a nice fallen log that is perfect for sitting and observing the nature.

This sunny Monday afternoon me and a classmate headed out to East Woods Natural Area Loop to identify some tracks. I want to preface this post by saying that since this is a well traveled urban natural area there was not a plethora of tracks like there are in Jericho for example. But this is still a good example of land use practices and recreation.

The first track of interest that we found seems to be from a Snowshoe Hare. We came to this conclusion for a few reasons. Firstly the tracks demonstrate a galloping gait which is characteristic of rabbits and hares. Secondly the track was quite large signifying that it was most likely from a Snowshoe hare which have much larger feet than rabbits

The second set of tracks that I found interesting definitely belongs to some species of bird. These tracks are long in shape and small in size. They have a direct register walk but few defining features past that. I would hypothesize that these tracks are old as it is hard to see much that would clue me into the species. Based on what I can see and my knowledge of the area I think these tracks belong to a crow.

Lastly I wanted to finish off with a picture showing the amazing conditions out there early today as well as some dog tracks because we saw at least three dogs on our short walk. It is always a treat to see people and their pets enjoying urban natural areas to there fullest extent!

Sunny Hollow Natural Area has changed a lot since October from the fallen leaves to the icy conditions. Winding through the hiking trails was difficult to say the least in the snowy conditions. The only leaves that have managed to hold on this long are on young American Beech trees which surprisingly have a few very brown leaves. Other than that the only green in the canopy comes from the Eastern White Pines which are plentiful and vary in maturity. Another plentiful species was fungus. I found mushrooms of varying types on fallen sticks and even a particularly magnificent Paper Birch. Some were more squishy and others very hardened and their coloring varied from orange to a dark brown. Since seeing moss on trees is such a rarity in the Northeast I appreciate every little fungus that I notice on trees

Since the ground was covered in an inch or two of snow there were plenty of tracks along the trails and at my spot. However most of these were human or dog tracks. This is not unexpected considering that my spot is located within a public park along a managed trail. While I was walking I payed particular attention to any tracks that stood out to me. I can’t say with certainty that any of them were wild animals but nonetheless it was interesting to see the differences in paw size and nail length and how that contributed to the look of the track. It is also always heartwarming to see the amount of use that this urban natural area gets. I consistently have seen people out with their dogs and even their mountain bikes along these trails.

Within the few months that I have been frequenting Sunny Hollow Natural Area I have had the privilege to observe many changes within the forest. One of the biggest changes I have noticed is the leaf cover. Since October there has been a steady decline in the amount of leaves on the trees. The interesting part about this is that the amount and speed of the falling foliage is different for every species. Throughout my visits I noticed which leaves were falling around me. On my second to last visit I saw a lot of oak leaves making their descent. However on my most recent trip I saw very few leaves fall. The leaves that I did see were all American Beech, and some of them were still holding on to their branches. With the deciduous trees shedding their leaves it became much easier to identify the coniferous species. I saw stands of young Eastern White Pines throughout my hike in various stages of infancy. There were also a considerable amount of Christmas Ferns peeking through the snow. Surprisingly they still had their vibrant green color despite the cold temperatures.

Another interesting natural phenomenon that I observed are the ice formations on the forest floor. When I first saw the crystalline structures I was shocked, I had never seen anything like it and thought it was a one off. But as I kept walking I saw more and more patches of ice that seemed to stretch out like tentacles from the ground. Upon further inspection and research I have identified this pattern as needle ice. It occurs when ice grows from the moist soil moving upwards. Knowing the source of this ice it is not surprising that this occurs within this area as the soil is moist which is exemplified by the swamp like areas surrounding the forest.

All in all I deeply appreciate Sunny Hollow Natural Area for its serene beauty and calming effects. I am glad that I chose a phenology spot that requires a small hike. It has been incredible satisfying to walk along the same trail every few weeks and observe the same spot. I feel a much deeper connection to the area and the plants that reside there.