Today I went to Salmon Hole for the last time to look for phenological changes. When I arrived at the park it was much fuller of life than any of the times I have been there. The trees were finally budding, and plants were sprouting from the ground. The birds were singing, and I caught the call of a black-capped chickadee.
Some of the large landmarks include the old sugar maples that split the trail into a fork, the stairs leading down to the park, the entrance of the park, the beach area, the rock jutting out into the river, the bench in the middle of the park, and the path along the riverbank.
The area around salmon hole is relatively the same as it was when I started observing it in the fall of 2022. The riverbank is slightly more eroded than before and the river was extremely high, many areas that I usually walk on, I could not get to.
In many ways, the evidence of a lack of people shows how nature and culture intertwine here. Many people do not use this area and it is evident by the somewhat overgrowth of the area and the disregard of the pollutants put into the Winooski River. This represents the culture around the area as many people can’t enjoy the outdoors or get outside because of their busy lives.
I don’t consider myself a part of this place, but I will always correlate this area with my freshman year of college and the simplicity and beauty of the areas around campus.