Centennial Woods- Phenology Blog: Alyssa Warbeck

Today was such a beautiful day to visit centennial. Based on what I saw I can definitely say spring has sprung for sure. It was so exciting to be in the wood since its been getting greener. As lovely as my first Vermont winter has been, everything feels brighter, lighter, and more welcoming. I saw my first fiddles heads and tons of wildflowers. Needless to say I am happy to have gone before I head home.

My site is just as beautiful as ever despite the treacherous hill I need to conquer before I get there. I got to walk past the flowing stream, the wildflower path, and the mossy lawn before I got to my spot. Standing as strong and beautiful as ever was my hemlock tree. The same one from my earlier post that is mysteriously cleared around it. Once you get to the tree, you can look to your left and see the extremely tall and thick Eastern Hemlock trees that stand proud, soaking up the newfound sun. It doesn’t seem to have changed too much since I first saw it, there weren’t any downed trees int he immediate vicinity. However, the hemlock seemed a little bit different. I’m not sure if this is new or just something I hadn’t noticed before, but the needles seemed a little wilt-y.

Im not sure if its a detrimental about of foliage damage considering the trees seems like it is still in pretty good condition. I think that nature and culture intertwine here a good amount considering the amount of interaction centennial wood gets from the public. With all of the flora that fills centennial woods, there are a multitude of culture connections. Whether that be the indigenous knowledge knowledge that is deeply rooted in spaces such as this since we are on Abenaki land. Additionally there are connections with a lot of the plants that I have been able to see first hand. For example, fiddle heads are a food commonly prepared and it has been fascinating to see how commonly it grows here in Vermont. Additionally, having centennial woods in the backyard of UVM has been a means of giving college kids opportunities to connect with nature as well as learn about the cultural history between UVM and centennial.

I would consider myself a part of centennial woods. I feel like what really ties me to this land is not my proximity or my love for nature. But rather the knowledge I have gained of this land. Taking the time to learn about a place and all of the systems within it has built the connection up. From revisiting this spot time and time again, I have come to learn about its makeup, its inhabitants, and its phenological processes. This knowledge and in turn appreciation has bound me to this land. This is a connection I encourage everyone who can to establish with this whole different world that is so close to campus.

This week I got to go back to my tree and check on its phenological progress. This trip into centennial was much less slippery hat it had been the past few trips. In comparing the two it is very apparent that spring is here, even as I’m writing this, it’s 60 degrees and sunny. Centennial as a whole seems to be waking up and showing their hues. However, that does not seem to be the case for my specific tree. In revisiting the baby beech, it does not seem to have made much phenological progress. The buds still appear to be a pretty dull brown color with no apparent green. However, this does not seem to be the trend for other beeches around. Some of the surrounding beech trees appear to be on the verge of flowering. It seems as though the buds of these beech trees are beginning to have green and purple/red replace the brown on the scales. This leads me to wonder if it is just my beech that has stunted growth. I would hypothesize that a contributing cause to the lack of growth could be the location of the beech. Not so much where it is in the woods but more of its shade coverage. The baby beech is located right between two bigger trees which provide a substantial amount of shade to the tree at most hours of the day. This lack of sun exposure could definitely reduce the speed or the trees general ability to flower. Zooming out, nothing much else has happened to the tree. In fact, the remaining dead leaves from the first blog post still remain on the tree and the bark remains extremely scaly for young beech.

Taking the small hike into centennial was definitely telling of some phenological changes. For starters, most of the snow was gone under the cover of the trees. Except for right along the path, for most of the trip I was traveling on slushy ice. The setting surrounding the ice was definitely telling of the upcoming of the mud season. I will miss the frequent fluffy snows, I am excited for the upcoming warmth. However, while I am visibly ready for the changing of the seasons, the beech trees excitement is not as visible.

There wasn’t really much change in terms of the trees phenological progression. The buds have not yet flowered. The dead leaves continue to be the only ones present. However, the buds are very much in tact and it seems as though this baby beech has not yet fallen victim to any beech blight. Something I did notice that I did not realize last time was that the bark on this beech is much scalier than typical for beech trees. Had it not been for the dead leaves and the distinctive buds, identifying this tree would’ve been much more difficult.

Heading into Centennial for this assignment, was much more of a trek than I realized. Evidence of the past snows and frosts covered the paths to my spot, which was once more quite a hike. My spot is mostly populated by conifers like Eastern Hemlocks, Eastern White pines and similar trees. Therefore, it made this assignment a little difficult when looking for these deciduous trees. However, on the way to my spot I was able to spot some baby American beeches!

That’s what’s pictured in my iNaturalist post. Within a conifer stand, there were a few baby beeches littered about. Most likely from the mature Beeches dotted within the stand. These trees were small enough where I could take a look at the buds, which I included on my post. There were no signs of flowering from the buds. But the identification process was made easier by the presence of some shriveled leaves that were holding on despite the harsh colds and strong winds. I assume there had been some protection from the surrounding canopy from theses winds. However, the buds were also identifiable by the long slender and light brown scale like tip. What did throw me off was that the bark of the trees was not as smooth as what I perceived American Beech to have.

This week proved to be difficult for spotting signs of wildlife with the continuous melting of the snow with the increasing temperatures. However the ever present sounds of the Black-capped chickadees, Tufted titmouse, and American robin emerging with the coming warmth. Despite not being able to record some of these calls, I had been able to identify them based on my common knowledge of the birds of the North East.

In my explorations I had gone into Centennial woods but I was not able to get any clear tracks. These picture below were ones simply spotted around campus, as is apparent with the surrounding human tracks. The sign I was able to record was some more tracks –pretty clear ones if I may add– of a common local species. The identification process of these tracks was not too difficult considering the clarity of them, they seemed pretty recent and well preserved in the icy ground. Looking at these tracks I was able to notice their small size which limited the selection down greatly. Then I was able to notice the sharp nails and the amount of toes. From all of these observations, I was able to determine this species as the Eastern Grey Squirrel.

The process of using iNaturalist was not one foreign to me considering I have used the program in the past. But it was pretty easy to navigate and add to the class page. Through scrolling around the page it was easy to discover that may others have recording this animal as well.

Coming back to campus, I’ve been greeted with lots of flurries. This time of year Vermont has proven to be so beautiful which serves as a great opportunity to explore the phenological changes that have occurred since I’ve been gone. There have been a lot changes in the month from December to January. While I cannot necessarily depict the exact changes that have occurred in terms of my previous phenology spot, I can explore the general differences I see around Centennial woods and in my new spot.

The new spot I’ve chosen is a little bit farther into the woods than the previous one, while it is still on the path, this path is a little less traveled. My main reasoning for changing my spot was to find a spot with a little more land and possible spots to see animals and signs of them. To get to my spot you would follow the most straight forward path from the entrance and follow it all the way into the clearing by the brook. Once you reach that clearing, head left up the hill and continue on that path until you’re surrounded by mostly conifers. More specifically my chosen spot in right under an Eastern Hemlock right off the path.

The spot is mostly composed of conifers such as Eastern Hemlocks and Eastern White Pines with a few oaks nearby. With lots of Eastern White Pine saplings dotted around. Also, there were some fallen down logs nearby which could serve as potential spots for animals to hide or take refuge. Considering the snow was freshly fallen when I visited my spot, it was a little difficult to make out potential animal signs. However, I think potentially I saw some raccoon tracks!! Anyways, I hope you enjoy the pictures of this beautiful spot as much as I enjoyed visiting it!

I have thoroughly enjoyed this assignment, it has given me opportunities to understand phenology through my own thoughts and observations. A chance to understand how quickly and dramatically the land can change and does every year. I have been able to put my tree and plant identification skills to the test while using other resources to assist me.

For my final trip to my spot, I decided to sit and take it in for a few minutes before I began to write and take notes. What I find most important about this is to connect with the world, while we are exploring and observing this world, and this spot specifically, it is important to enjoy and embrace it first. Sitting there I found a wind chill that would brush past the uncovered parts of my face. At a harsh 29 degrees Fahrenheit, it was much chillier than the last time I went. Therefore, there are many opportunities for change to occur. On the way to the spot and around it, I saw remnants of the last frost, with little frost bitten patches dotted about. However, the sun was much too apparent for much of the frost to remain. The soils were not frozen, this was very evident in the muddy footprints surrounding and in my phenology spot itself. This trip was pretty peaceful despite the very disturbing sounds of the aircrafts filling up the skies above. Not only was this to my displeasure but it was also very disturbing to the birds where previously were pretty quiet. These sounds caused them to call and grow more active, while it was nice to hear their voices I do feel remorse for the constant human disturbances to their lifestyles.

Some main phenological differences I noticed in my spot include the leaf litter and what is left of the vegetation on the ground and on the trees. In terms of the leaves on trees, I noticed that there were little to no leaves left on the trees, only a few crumpled leaves on the Guelder-rose bush behind the path. Speaking of the Guelder-rose bush, this was the bush that also happened to have some very prevalent berries remaining. These berries were bright red and in bunches, which was a stark contrast to the barren twigs surrounding it. The leaves that were on those trees and bushes are now all on the ground. But this leaf litter is much different from what it was last time. It is not as fluffy and fresh as it had been when they first fell. Now they are much more squished to the Earth and sodden. These flatter and weaker leaves are indicators of decomposition which definitely indicates the presence of decomposers. A little farther away, there are persisting intermediate wood ferns, which does live true to the naturally curious December excerpts, so that’s the little bit of green that persists here besides the needles of the conifers.

In terms of animals, like much of my other posts, there haven’t been many indicators of animal presence. Considering how close my spot is to the path, this isn’t much of a surprise. However, as I had mentioned earlier, there was less bird presence. In other posts, I had mentioned the usual presence of birds. But this time, I could see much less of the birds and could certainly hear them less. Last post, I had included a picture of what seemed to be cocoons. In returning to the spot where they were, I checked the tree they were attached to a found they were no longer there. This tiny difference is what phenology is all about; animals and factors of an ecosystem that all undergo these changes all contribute to and are affected by these seasonal changes. So while I cannot see any apparent animal tracks or scat, I am aware that these changes are still occurring all around my phenology spot and Centennial Woods.

What I love most about the spot I chose is the stream. That was something that I had really wanted to incorporate in whatever spot I chose when we were looking. I was very curious to see how the stream ecosystem changed with the seasons. Especially to see if I would freeze over or not. Now, we haven’t gotten far enough into winter to come close to experiencing or seeing that happen. But the surrounding phenological changes were fascinating nonetheless. Something else I really loved was the diversity of trees and woody plants around my chosen area. While immediately next to where I would sit was a Norway Maple and a silky dogwood, when I would look up I could see my clearing framed by coniferous trees. It’s amazing how dynamic one little location can be when you really look around. With the knowledge that I’ve gained about this land and about Centennial Woods specifically, I have really been able to appreciate it more.

Last week, while visiting my hometown for Thanksgiving break, I’ve seen my home-town ecology through an entirely different lens. A large difference I observed when I went home was how many more leaves there were on the trees. While New Jersey has never stood out to me ecologically, it was fascinating to see it differently now that I’ve developed a more ecological background. Jersey has had its first frost, yet the leaves persist nonetheless. Which proved to be very convenient for me and my tree ID capabilities. Therefore, I come to you with a short list of some of the trees I found. Trees I had not been able to identify in the past. In the spot I chose specifically the standouts were; Norway Maples, Red Maples, and Northern Red Oaks. I’ll include some pictures below.

In addition to the trees, there seemed to be some ground cover in the form of fallen leaves and the invasive Japanese Pachysandra. A plant I have not yet discovered in Burlington. What was comforting is since I live in the northeast so the common trees are very similar. While the winter phenology has been a bit accelerated in Burlington, it is still progressing back home.

While I was unable to leave a gift, reading Honorable Harvest did give me insight into valuing the land once more.

Before I begin this blog post I definitely recommend taking part in this activity. To take 15 minutes out of your day and visit a natural spot, take this time to absorb what’s around you and enjoy the beauty of this land. Now into the post.

I am constantly amazed by the beauty around the spot that I’ve chosen. I love the bend in the river and the slow rush of water. These 15 minutes were a much-needed break during this busy time in the semester. The spot I’ve chosen sits in a clearing surrounded by conifers, there’s a gentle rush of the stream accompanied by the strong winds of the afternoon. The Eastern White Pines that stand strong around the clearing felt the wrath of the wind as the echos of their trunks hitting against each other rang through the air. Looking deeper at the trees and around the bends of the river, I found so many natural secrets that lay hidden. On the tree I was able to find little cocoons indicating a life hidden away on this boxelder. Around the bend theres a little pocket under the soil above that I’m sure houses some creatures in a tiny little ecosystem of its own. Looking at a spot is one thing, but when you take a closer look

There were definitely some main differences between the foliage now and when I first went. It’s not like the spot has lost its beauty, it has just changed with the seasons. When we first arrived, the maples were plentiful and the milkweed was thriving. The greens and yellows of the tar-spotted Norway maples no longer dotted the sky and silky dogwoods were bare. The water doesn’t seem to have changed much, it flows gently still and it’s not cold enough to freeze over. By just listening I could hear the difference between now and before. There are less birds calling to others Just to set the scene of where I was planted I have included a little map of what I’m surrounded by.

Welcome to my blog! When I first ventured into Centennial Woods I was amazed at how dynamic this one natural area was. Between the brook, and the patches of coniferous trees mixed with patches of other hardwoods, it was fascinating to see all of these factors intermingle in one location. Therefore, I wanted to share this spot with you! I chose to focus on a place near a brook, I hope you find it as interesting as I do!

 

To get to the spot you need to follow the wooden path, conveniently enough my spot spreads right across one. Refer to this map to about the location of the spot. 

 

 

In this beautiful spot, there was a diverse range of plants I saw. 

Heres a quick list:

• Norway Maple
• Silky Dog Wood
• Northern Red Oak
• Alder Buckthorn
• Multiflora Rose
• Beggar Ticks
• Guelder Rose
• Golden Rods
• Sensitive Fern
• Eastern Hemlock

Any many more species to discover!!

Heres some pictures: