Sunday April 23, 2023 11:09 am
Raining, cloudy, with a foggy haze
Changes to my site over time:
I have experienced Ethan Allen Park in fall, winter, and now spring. I witnessed the leaves turn from green to red, orange, and yellow as summer transitioned to fall. The trees and other woody plants lost their leaves in the winter and the greenery changed to a white landscape full of snow and ice. I noticed less animals while visiting my site in the winter months, but several different animals’ tracks indicated wildlife activity. The snow and ice began to melt and the landscape transitioned into spring, which brought with it mud and lots of shades of brown. Eventually the trees and plants began to bud and greenery came back into the park. During my last visit I saw the trees and plants starting to leaf out and the grass turning green again.
Major and Minor landmarks I’ve become familiar with:
- Small red shed on the path from the parking lot to my phenology site
- Ethan Allen Tower
- American Chestnut restoration field
- The Pinnacle
- The clearing and picnic tables
How do nature and culture intertwine at my site:
Burlington Wildways trails run through Ethan Allen Park, effectively connecting Ethan Allen Park to other areas in the greater Burlington area. The many trails at my site allow people to bike, run, ski, and walk throughout the Park. The open green space at the pinnacle has a clear view of Lake Champlain and the Adirondack Mountains, which encourages people to stop and appreciate the view and nature as they pass through. Throughout my time at Ethan Allen Park I had several interactions with people passing by, walking their dogs, asking what flora I was trying to identify, or simply expressing their enjoyment of the nature with me. Ethan Allen Park is certainly a place where culture and nature are deeply intertwined.
My time spent at Ethan Allen Park over the past 8 months has made me familiar with my site. I have built a relationship to my phenology spot. I look at the nature that surrounds me much differently now than I did in October. I notice the minuscule changes taking place. The relationship I have formed with my site makes me consider myself a part of my place while I am there.