The Mystic Meadow

As we approach mid-May, I was finally able to see some flowers in bloom. The air was filled with the sound of birds chirping and plants rustling in the breeze. The trees either had buds that were broken open or fully formed into leaves. The brook at the bottom of the hill was running steadily again. The fiddleheads have begun to unfurl to become ostrich ferns. It was peaceful to look out over the meadow and see it full of green and life. After nearly a year, the meadow has almost completed the cycle of life, death, and rebirth.

Nature and culture are deeply intertwined in the meadow. It would be forested like the rest of the woods if it weren’t for the power lines that run through it. The vegetation that grows here only exists because of the structures that we have put in place. The retention pond also ends the natural area, while the gate prevents runoff. One cannot stand in the meadow without seeing evidence of people’s interference. When I visited yesterday, there were people taking a walk along the path with their dogs. It is an important place of recreation for many people (and pets). I consider myself a part of the meadow because I have made changes to it. I have stepped on the grass, scared the animals, and dropped sticks into the water. I have contributed to the species interactions that take place here. I also feel a deep connection to this place because I have visited it many times. There is a sense of calm and familiarity when I gaze down the hill, and I can tell that I am a part of it.

During the BioBlitz, I went to Centennial Woods to explore the flora and fauna. My two most memorable observations were finding the deer carcass near Centennial Brook and seeing a Garter Snake almost as soon as I entered the woods. I was having trouble connecting to iNaturalist when I was in the woods so I had to upload my findings when I got back. This made it a bit of a hassle to have to find the locations for each creature, but other than that the app was really easy to use. From looking at entries around the globe, many of the observations appear to be either insects, plants, or birds. However, it was really interesting to see the aquatic species that were documented in the coral reefs in Oceania. I also found the observations in the Amazon Rainforest really interesting because the area is so biodiverse.

The meadow is starting to look more alive than the last time I was there as spring starts to bloom. I heard quite a few birds chirping and saw a couple robins. There was a small mammal scurrying around in the vegetation, but it hid before I was able to see what it was. I happened to see a caterpillar when I looked down to study the herbaceous plants. Many grasses and weeds are starting to sprout up, however the wildflowers are yet to come. Many of the trees’ buds have begun to open, and will hopefully cover the trees with leaves and flowers soon.

I could definitely see the approach of spring while I was walking around downtown Burlington and the waterfront today. The melting ice created a layer of muck on much of the grass and sidewalks. Many people were taking advantage of the warmer weather and the park was filled with dog walkers and skate boarders. Today was literally a breath of fresh air after months of snow and cloudy days.

The meadow is barely recognizable from the last time I visited. The entire area is covered in a thick blanket of snow hiding the previously abundant vegetation. All that remains are some bare trees and dead reeds sticking out of the ground. Despite the absence of the once vibrant life, the meadow takes on a different kind of beauty that is serene and anticipatory for spring to revive it.

There were not many signs of wildlife either, however there were some tracks in the snow that I was not able to get close enough to identify and what looked like a burrow or a tunnel. There did not seem to be any scat but there were multiple instances of urination. However, some of the urine along with the paw print (see below) were most likely left behind by a domestic dog as they were right off the side of the trail.

Centennial Woods was first occupied by the Paleo-Americans who migrated here around 11,000-9,000 YBP as a result of melting glaciers. For thousands of years, they practiced migrating with hunting and foraging for their sustenance. This was followed by a mass extinction and the Archaic period. At this time, the Champlain Sea became a freshwater lake and the tundra became a forest. They became more sedentary and reliant on plants. 3,000 years ago marked the next shift to the Woodland Period, when they started to build settlements along the rivers and develop agriculture. This began to particularly flourish with the Abenaki culture 400 years ago to the present day. They practiced seasonal migrations and coexisted with the forest. This was largely interrupted when the Europeans settled in the area in the 1600s. They completely transformed the landscape by clearing the trees for agriculture. Sheep farming then dairy were the main uses of the land. Since the 1850s, the land has gradually been transformed back into the forest it once was. The land has been passed between different ownerships and various laws have been passed to protect it. Now, Centennial is conserved in perpetuity since 1997 and is owned by the University of Vermont.

Brooks, C. (2020). NR-1 Lecture 4. Personal collection of C. Brooks, University of Vermont, Burlington, Vermont.

Sandy Bottom is a natural area in Hampton, VA. For this project, I looked at the wooded area of the park to compare to the meadow in Centennial Woods. One of the first things I noticed here was the amount of sound pollution from the nearby highway. While this was present in the meadow, it was much more prominent in Sandy Bottom. Even though this spot was composed of mostly over-story as opposed to the vegetation in the meadow, a lot of the tree species were similar to those in the surrounding Centennial Woods. I was able to identify White Oaks, Red Oaks, Eastern White Pines, American Beeches, Striped Maples, and Sugar Maples. I noticed that the oak leaves are much bigger than in Vermont (see below). The logs here were also covered in moss, something that I noticed was abundant in Centennial as well. Similar to the meadow, there were waterways in the area. I did not notice much wildlife other than a few squirrels. Regarding the phenology, the fall season is not quite as advanced as it is in Vermont. It was about 60ºF and many of the trees were still in their peak fall colors. Nonetheless, there was no shortage of leaf litter covering the ground. One other seasonal aspect that I noticed was that the sun did not set quite as early as it did up north.

Sandy Bottom Photo Gallery

The meadow has lost a lot of its color. The flowers have lost their vibrance and are reduced to exposed seeds and thorns. The dropped leaves and fallen stalks have given way to a clearer view of the meadow. The day was warm for this late in the season, so birds were conversing happily in the vegetation. The sun was a lot lower in the sky and it cast shadows on the already dreary meadow. Even though the area is now grayscale and dead vegetation, it creates a still sense of calm.