Hello, all! I am happy to announce that I have begun my adventures throughout Centennial Woods once again for the Spring semester!
This week, I chose to endeavor through the first strip of Centennial Woods until the hemlock stand (my phenology spot for last semester). I chose to broaden my range for my phenology spot which will allow me to discover and analyze much more than last semester! I began at the entrance to Centennial Woods on Spear Street up until the hemlock stand (approx. a 5-10 minute walk)
Throughout my journey, I encountered a winter wonderland compared to my previous visits. The trees were frosted over and brushed with snow, as the ground was icy and crunchy when I took each step. Due to the snow, I was also able to encounter many animal tracks on the ground – something that I had a hard time finding in the warmer seasons.
Through the usage of iNaturalist, I was able to confidently identity the tracks that I came across and can assume that the tracks shown above belong to a local raccoon in Burlington, VT. The app was easy to navigate and gave me many references to point me in the direction of my final identification theory. I believe that is is safe to say that due to the size and point shape to the tracks, as well as the length of the toes and paw pads, that these tracks definitely belong to a RACCOON.