A UVM blog Phenology Spots

Over fall break I traveled back home to a small town about an hour north of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. While I was home I visited one of my favorite outdoor spaces that I often visit with my family to hike, run, swim, or just have fun. Moraine State park is a 16,725 acre area of forests and hills surrounding Lake Arthur, a 3,225 acre lake, in the center. One of my personal favorite area is located on the south shore and consists of three popular hiking trails that all connect to one another.

Looking at the species present here, there are a variety of coniferous and deciduous trees. You can find similar trees to those at Salmon Hole, like maples for example. There are a variety of maple trees at both locations, like sugar and red maples. There are sections of mainly evergreen trees, consisting of pines and spruces mainly. I decided to capture a photo of an area with some hemlocks and maples that recently lost their leaves. As some would call it, “stick season” is in effect in both places.

I highlighted below the area in which I took these pictures.

Salmon Hole is a natural area in South Burlington along the Winooski River and can be located on Riverside Ave. By going down some short trails, you can reach the area I chose to focus my phenology spot around. There are large rock areas which poke out into the river and allow a better view of the water. Going further left, there is sand/mud by the water that connects up to the vegetation as you leave the water level. There are many elm, maple, and cottonwood trees in this area. There are also riverbank grapevines that surround the understory. I chose this area because it has water, rocks, and plants, so I can compare how all three change throughout my visits. This is also an area I’ve never been before in Burlington, so it gives me a chance to explore.