I’ve seen my site green with life, frozen over, and thawed out with the first signs of spring popping up all around me. My favorite has been recently – I just really enjoy spring and being outside after such a long winter. I love winter in New England, and my spot was beautiful when covered in ice and snow. However, it’s much more lovely with ferns popping up, frogs jumping around, and birds singing above.
My favorite way to get to my spot is to walk across a log over the brook, then along the pebbles and mud down to where there’s a little island in the center. That’s where the sketch below was done from. That spot is my favorite. It’s surrounded by running water, and there’s plenty of young plant life. From my observations and also weather patterns in Vermont, I’d guess that the little island floods often, triggering a sort of succession with the smallest plants. I like that it showcases a lot of the concepts we talk about in lecture and lab.
Nature and culture intertwine at my spot in a way that creates community. My spot is pretty close to the trails in Centennial Woods, so I always see people walking and running by. Some have their dogs, some are chatting with friends, and some are just observing a beautiful area for some peace and quiet. My spot is at the center of a place where people come to connect with both each other and nature, forming a culture that appreciates what Earth provides for us and that wants to preserve it.
I don’t consider myself a part of my place. I don’t have much of an impact on it. It will still be there whether or not I continue to go back. I have an emotional attachment to it, but not so much that I can’t imagine myself without it. I appreciate that it’s given me so much to learn from and a place to escape to when I want to be alone. I hope that my spot remains a place for people to love and feel at peace in.
Pictures from my last visit:
^ a little bit of oil in the mud/water 🙁