Greetings Dear Reader,
The place I chose was in Centennial Woods near the Centennial Brook and the baseball field. To get there from central campus residence hall you have to turn right on Colchester heading toward Trinity Campus then turn right on East Ave. Next go left on University Road then turn right onto a dirt and gravel road to the side entrance of the centennial woods natural area. When you enter the trail you will need to go straight then at at the first intersection turn left towards the wooden fence then follow the trail until you reach another intersection. Here you will see the white natural area sign which you need to turn left towards. Keep going on that path and pass the white chair and you will notice to your left that there is a pond surrounded by a fence and a field with telephone poles in it. My spot is to your left and its center point is a sugar maple with a white golf ball near the base.
I chose this place after visiting the area during my Intro to Environmental Studies class for a lab. It was a prime spot I believed for my Phenology project because I was told that there were beaver and mink in the pond nearby. I also like how it was bordering a meadow and showed different habitats so close to each other. Another factor that helped me choose that spot was because it was easily accessible and a short 5 minute bike ride away.
Photo Credit: Liz McDonnell