When I went back for my final visit at my phenology spot, I was met with a beautiful winter wonderland. Mostly all of the trees had lost their leaves except for the pine trees, as expected. The water was still flowing in the lake and the view was stunning. The ground was covered in snow, and there were surprisingly a lot of footprints in the snow. I guess some other people were appreciating the snowy view from the path as well!
I spotted some animal tracks in the snow—probably squirrels or maybe a deer. However, I couldn’t see any of the animals that could have made those tracks. I thoroughly enjoyed being outside in the elements, but the sounds of the flyover planes was still pretty distracting. In some spots on the path, there were some leaves visible underneath the snow, but there were few spots where I could really see which leaves were which species. I made my attempt to be all scientific and identify some leaves from the path, but they were honestly way too soggy and cold :/
What I loved most about completing my phenology posts was getting off campus and being outside in a beautiful place. What I loved most about doing my phenology posts was getting off campus and spending time outside in such a beautiful spot. It gave me a chance to slow down and notice things, like how the trees and animals changed over time. Being out there felt really peaceful and gave me a break from all the stress of school. Even when it was cold, it was always worth it to go. It’s cool to look back and see how the spot changed, but it always felt familiar and comforting. I hope that I go back and visit even after this project is over because I had such a nice experience.