I chose to explore the property I stayed on over break located in Adirondack Park. This is a 104 acre property in Keene, NY in the high peaks region. This land used to be known as Clifford Falls Farm in the 1700s and 1800s and is now protected by the people who live there who try to leave the land alone as much as they can. There is only a house where they live, a barn with a stable and a lean-to on the property. They have a “no mow zone” field and the only mowed area is directly in front of the house. There are many Sugar Maples on their property that are tapped by a local syrup company.
Observations
The large field used to be a potato farm that the Clifford family lived and worked on. The rest of the property is almost entirely forested. By Clifford Falls, there are mainly Eastern Hemlock, White Pine and Eastern Red Cedar trees. On the other side of their property there is a stone wall suggesting there may have also been a sheep pasture on the farm. The trees there are also planted in rows and much younger than by the water. There are Paper Birch, Sugar Maple and some Eastern Hemlock and White Pine trees in that area as well. Many of the pine trees are very young and barely a couple of feet tall.
Animal and Bird Activity
The first day I was there I went for a run and saw what we believe was a wolf running across the road. It was huge, I thought it was a dog at first but the gray coat led me to believe it was a gray wolf. When we were eating dinner we looked out to the field and saw a coyote eating something in the snow. The tracks were gone sadly soon after because of the warm weather. There were many deer too that went in and out of the woods and tried to eat the growing apple trees that were planted. In regards to birds, I heard many robins while I was there and saw a few hawks. I unfortunately wasn’t able to get any pictures before they flew away. I saw a blue jay and a cardinal almost every day in the woods that are visible from the house as well. On the warmer days there were significantly more robins in the yard and in some of the trees.
Tracks
Most of the snow with fresh tracks was melted while I was there but I was able to catch a red squirrel who kept coming up to the window. He seemed to live on the side of the house or in the woods by this overhang. The recycling was over there so it appeared he was visiting it often. There was also a chipmunk that came up to the side of the house.
Comparison to Burlington
There are many similarities and differences in these two areas. Overall, The Adirondack Park has a similar phenology to the wooded and mountainous areas around Burlington. However, being in such an isolated area makes it so that much more of the wildlife is visible in my new location in comparison to the city-like atmosphere of Burlington. They are relatively close and just across the lake so many of the same animal and tree species are seen there. One big difference is that where we were in Keene was at 2,500 feet of elevation. Therefore, there were many more conifers and fewer majority hardwood forests like the ones we see in Burlington which is barely above sea level.