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!
