City of Oaks
Fred Fletcher Park: Raleigh, NC
This park is probably one of my favorite places, and I am lucky enough to live about 5 minutes away. I spent my childhood here walking my dog, Beau, at birthday parties, and exploring with my family. It reminds me of my phenology spot in Centennial Woods, which also has rich biodiversity and clear phenological changes. Walking around, the first thing I noticed is that autumn is in full bloom. In Vermont, all the leaves have fallen and we have already felt the beginnings of winter, but here, the oaks and maples are the most beautiful shade of red, and the eastern grey squirrels are still busy storing away the acorns of white oaks for winter. Autumn is warm here and it is about 60 degrees.
Known as the City of Oaks, Raleigh is packed to the brim with Red, White, and Willow oaks. These species of oaks are also prevalent in Centennial Woods. However, Fletcher Park contains different varieties of the native species we have studied in Burlington. Japanese Maple, Red Cedar, and Loblolly pine replace the Sugar Maple, Eastern White Cedar, and Eastern White pine traditionally found in Vermont. The park resembles the phenological state of Centennial Woods during my last visit in early November. Winters are mild here, so many of our birds remain, and the gray squirrels do not yet have the thick winter coats that they would in Vermont.
Honorable Harvest
After reading Robin Wall Kimmerer’s chapter on the honorable harvest from Braiding Sweetgrass, I decided to show my appreciation for this park by turning the fallen leaves of my favorite tree, the Ginkgo, into art. I liked the idea of giving the leaves a second life, and I left the two butterflies to rest in a nearby Japanese Maple as I left the park.
