Ethan Allen Park
Friday, October 14, 2022 10:32am
52°F and damp from the previous nights rain
How to get to Ethan Allen Park:
Driving- leaving from the Davis Center at UVM, head West on Main Street for 0.5 miles. Turn right onto Battery St and continue straight for 0.7 miles. When Battery St meets the Pearl St and Park St intersection continue straight onto Park St. Take a left onto Sherman St and drive straight for 0.4 miles, then take a slight right onto North Ave. Drive straight on North Ave for 1.8 miles. At the stoplight of North Ave and Ethan Allen Pkwy, take a slight right onto Ethan Allan Pkwy and take the first right into the parking lot at Ethan Allen Park. The trailhead is located just past the parking lot. Take the bike path trail, following the signs along the way to reach the pinnacle look out.
The view of Lake Champlain and the Adirondacks at the pinnacle of Ethan Allen Park is what drew me to study the phenology at this place. Based on google map searches it looked like it was situated amongst the urban area of the New North End. I was fascinated by the urban wild that Rock Point provides and was interested to see if Ethan Allen Park would be similar. I’m excited to watch this place change with the seasons!
Most Common Woody Plants:
- Staghorn Sumac
- Red Chokeberry
- Common Buckthorn
- Sugar Maples
- White Oak
- Northern Red Oak
- Paper Birch
On the path from the trailhead to the pinnacle I observed Eastern White Pines, Norway Maples, and an abundance of Sugar Maple sapplings along the path. As I got closer to the pinnacle these species became fewer in number and eventually the main woody plants listed above were the primary inhabitants of the natural area. The Staghorn Sumac and Red Chokeberry predominated on the edge of the the forest at the pinnacle. Sugar Maples are the most abundant mature tree at the pinnacle with fewer Northern Red Oaks and White Oaks. The Paper Birch observed were younger and were located along the forest edge. The Common Buckthorn was growing along the righthand side of the bike trail when you enter the pinnacle from the trailhead described in the driving directions above.
Check back often for updates on the phenology of Ethan Allen Park throughout the seasons!