Phenology of Centennial Woods

Site Evolution

Over the course of the last 9 months, I have observed shifts in the phenology as well as my connection to my space. Beginning in late summer, I have visited my site every month and through this, I have watched species come and go.

When I first arrived at Centennial Woods I was greeted by the pollinators who do their hard work so we can enjoy the green spaces we have come to know and love. Through the winter their absence was missed. As these vibrant flowers went dormant for the winter, I gained a new understanding of the importance of our pollinators. Not only do they provide us biodiversity among landscapes, but they also give us a sense of joy. The reintroduction of their presence in the emerging spring brought me back to my initial moments with Centennial.

Landmarks

As for major landmarks, I have become familiar with this old-growth tree that continues to indicate that I am approaching my site. In my initial observation of this tree, I was flooded with thought-provoking ideas about what species might inhabit it. My friend and I concluded that it would be a perfect place for squirrels or chipmunks to hide acorns and hide. The ideas that resulted from this discovery deepened my understanding of commensalism relationships in Centennial.

Nature & Culture

In the context of the culture in outdoor spaces, I think that the community that I found in Centennial grew my love for my spot. As I became more and more submerged in the spot, I developed friendships that stemmed from this common love of nature. My friendships and love of the land were parallel to my love of the community that I built. This dynamic thrived without the context of Race, Culture, & age. In this light, I would consider myself a part of my site. Through time I have walked and sat with the nature in Centennial in which I have come to know it. Through this connection, I think that a peice of my freshman self will always remain in Centennial. The days and weeks might consume my day to day life, but I always come back to this site thay I have found a sense of place in.

Sketch

Red Maple was a focal species of my spot that I enjoyed observing. Through the seasons I was able to observe these phenological changes. Through my illustration, the phases of the Red Maples life cycle is illustrated.

For the Burlington BioBlitz, I explored different parts of campus to see what kinds of trees are sprouting. In my observations, I was able to document 7 various tree species. Photographed above is one of them! Above are the buds of an Elm tree. The elm tree’s ability to grow across different landscapes makes it a perfect campus tree.

As I ventured toward central campus, near Howe Library, I observed many signs of emerging spring. The Callary Pear tree on the right had freshly sprouted buds that seemed to attract pollinators. As I watched the wildlife around the tree, the Common Eastern Bumble Bee was going to work pollinating the tree! At the same time, an Eastern Grey Squirrel was roaming the trees for acorns.

My experience using iNaturalist was surprising in how captivating it was to see everyone hone in on the signs of spring all around us. I think iNaturalist has provided us a way to develop our understanding of the land and all of it’s magic that it can do. Not only this, but it allows us to share it with people from all around the globe which I think is fascinating. (This is not an iNaturalist sponsorship though). I was able to follow my curiosity into the Amazon in Brazil. I found a post about Hoffman’s Two-toed Sloth, which was incredible to see. iNaturalist allows us to observe wildlife from other areas of the globe. This was fascinating to me because it led me to think about how my actions in my day-to-day life, affect wildlife in areas I might not have close proximity to. Overall my experience with iNaturalist grounded me and brought me back to zoomorphism.

Upon my return to Centennial Woods, I was greeted by the songs of chirping birds. These birds flocked through the trees in abundance looking for places to nest. There were no signs of spring in the context of phenological changes. On the other hand, there was a new emergence of bird species. There was a lack of spouting in certain tree species. This can be explained by the fluctuating cold temperatures, as well as snowfall. As new buds begin to emerge, the snow would often reverse this growth. I predict that there will be more sprouting in mid-late April.

BIRD CALLS!

In my exploration of the winter wildlife in Burlington, I explored the woods area behind the Redstone campus which backs up the Burlington Country Club. During my observations, I encountered numerous tracks that indicated lots of wildlife activity. As I ventured out into the woods I came across grey squirrel tracks, dog prints, and deer tracks. The process of narrowing down the identification of the tracks was difficult but I observed the patterns. I observed that the deer tracks were those of a diagonal walker and assessed the size of the print. Since the track was about 2-3 inches, I concluded it was not a moose track and in fact a deer track. In regards to the dog print, I observed the depth of the middle of the print and considered how it made more of a U shape. Since bobcats’ prints show more of an X shape, I concluded it was a dog print. As for the grey squirrel print, I observed the size of the hind prints which were about 2 inches. This indicated that it was a grey squirrel and not a red squirrel. Through this investigation of the Burlington wildlife, I am left with a broader understanding of the habitat our campus provides for the focal mammal species that roam.

In regards to animal tracks, I noticed many tracks with what appeared to be dog prints. Upon this observation, I was filled with joy at the thought of dog owners

Amidst my final visit to my phenology spot in Centennial Woods, I was able to observe the tree species that were persisting, as well as the ecological changes in the marsh area. The species that were persisting included Eastern White Pine, Eastern Hemlock, and Norway Maple. Among the leaf litter, I was able to observe that Northern Red Oak, and American Beech, among other species, had completely shed their leaves. As temperatures dropped, it became harder to observe the leaf litter considering snow covered the ground. It became harder to notice the presence of ferns among this factor. As for animal activity, I could only notice species of birds that flocked through the woods. I could not observe any animal tracks during my visit. And in the marsh area, there was a lack of flowers, and other greenery that once drew me to the area. The vegetation in this area was limited to what appeared to be typha.

Through the seasons my spot has lost its greenery, and some inhabitants of the area have migrated. Even though my spot has changed entirely, I am still fond of the value the place holds. I am thankful to have been able to witness these changes.

The phenology location I chose to observe over the break lies in the Patuxent River Natural Resource Management Area. Although this natural area lies within minutes of my house, I have never observed the spot in the closeness that I had this week. Amongst my observations, I noted the focal tree species present. The old-growth forest was filled with American Beech, Black Cherry, and a plentiful number of Oaks. While most of the Oaks had shed their leaves already, I was able to notice the variety of Oak species through the leaves. Red Oak, White Oak, and Black Oak seemed to dominate the space. Along with my observations of the overstory, I was able to observe the understory as well. In my observations of the understory, I noted the presence of ferns on the forest floor. Ferns seemed to grow wildly in this area. The presence of ferns is validated by the close proximity to the bay. These moist, well-drained soils, serve as a perfect habitat for ferns, oaks, and beeches.

The ecology of my spot in Maryland differs from my spot in Centennial Woods as the there is a lack of Maples, and Eastern White Pines in MD. Noting that Oaks, American Beech, and even ferns in general require more acidic soils, points to my conclusion that the soils in MD, are more acidic than the soil at my spot in Centennial Woods.

As I sat in Centennial Woods observing the phenology of my area, I observed the changing of the leaves on focal tree species. From my observations trees such as Green Ash, Box Elder, and Buckthorn had completely lost their leaves. I instantly observed what trees had lost their leaves as the forest floor had become covered in leaves. Although these trees had shredded their leaves, the conifers (Eastern White Pine, and Northern White Cedars) of the forest remained fully bloomed. After considering how many leaves covered the floor, I was left with a research question: How does the covering of leaves affect species’ habitat beneath the soil. After researching this question, I found that fallen leaves act as a source of organic material as they decompose, according to the USDA.

Along with my observations about the phenology of the trees, I observed the marsh area behind the stream as well. The field that was once filled with wildflowers and high grasses, was now an area of muddy waters. The absence of greenery in the field-induced the lack of bees and other insects I have previously observed. The stream lacked the presence of macroinvertebrates as well.

Centennial woods is a wildy beautiful natural boreal forest occupied by The University Of Vermont. Centennial Woods has many different areas with various creeks, meadows, and pastures. This location is located off of the trail 2nd trail (behind the creek) where the path branches off into four different directions. My discovery of this beautiful meadow was prompted by my exploration during our first lab. I found this spot to be highly captivating as it was inhabited by ashes, and maples, along with a meadow of vibrant wildflowers. Over the course of my phenology research, I hope to observe how the boreal trees, and the organisms that inhabit it, change throughout the seasons.

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