For Thanksgiving Break I was tasked to find an area near me to visit and study!
Since I live on an small island on the Coast of Southern Maine, I decided to find a phenology spot that is on the water, but still with diverse land species.
To get to my spot it is about a mile walk from the nearest parking area, and you walk through wooded trails until you reach the point of the island which has a small beach!
Why is this place special to me?
This place is special to me because of the proximity to the ocean, and because of the many different natural communities I observed. Also since Burlington is landlocked, there are many species I can only observe in Maine. Like common Periwinkles and types of seaweed; Dulse, Kelp, Sea Lettuce, Laver, and Rockweed.
Also because of the bird populations that spend time in the water. For example below circled is a picture of some of the birds I noticed near the water.
The birds I identified included: Seagulls, Eider ducks, and Red Bellied Cormorants.
Between this new spot and my spot in Burlington, I noticed many differences...
(above is a picture of my view from the center point of my home spot)
Ecology of my new spot
The most common trees in my new spot were white/red oaks and black cherry trees, then some other hardwood trees. But in my Burlington spot the most common trees included sugar/red maples and evergreens trees. Also my new spot is surrounded by the ocean, so it has very different species compared to the species living in the stream of my Burlington spot. In the ocean spot, seaweed like knotted whack is very common and on the rocks surrounding the area I found many small shells and smaller tide pools containing species like sea mosses and hermit crabs. The bottom composition of the ocean is very sandy and rocky compared to the stream where the bottom composition is mostly leaves and mud. The the only species I have spotted in the stream are the occasional water bug and frog. In my new spot I see many birds in the water and in the trees which I don't see in my phenology spot, but in both places I see red chipmunks in the trees.
Phenology of my new spot
Comparing these two spots phenology I noticed that the spots were very similar, in both areas all the leaves had mostly fallen and birds had not completely migrated yet. I also noticed recent fallen trees in both areas possibly relating to sudden harsher weather. The temperatures and elements of both areas seem very similar.
After I sat for a while in this spot observing the species around me...
For honorable harvest I decided to take a white oak and red oak leaf from my house (which is about a two mile walk from my spot) and leave them on the forest floor!
What is honorable harvest?
The honorable harvest is a covenant of reciprocity between human beings and the living world"
