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.