I think it’s safe to say Spring has officially sprung! With warmer temperatures, longer days, more frequent sun buds and grasses are starting to pop up all over campus. This being said, the UVM lawn is not the only place where there is new growth. As I walked down the muddy path to my footbridge in Centennial Woods I heard the songs of the Chickadee and witnessed the vibrant green of fresh moss. The promise of budding trees and shrubs held the most promise in my eyes as each new sprout reminded me of the miracle of life and rebirth in nature. I noticed Silver Maple buds as well as a large amount of Honeysuckle buds along the path. There were not many flowering trees that I saw, but I did find many Maple flowers that had fallen into the leaf litter on the forest floor. The Basswood, Buckthorne, and Boxelder were also beginning to show signs of life. Though I didn’t find them in my specific phenology site, I did end up walking further into the woods and did see frog eggs in the stagnant water, which was absolutely so exciting.
It was interesting to note that both native and invasive species were showing life at the same time, though they compete so intensely in their day to day lives