My site: Salmon Hole – Winooski, VT
I saw this site a few weeks ago. I was biking from Burlington to Winooski along the bike path and off to my left I saw a dirt path gong down the slope towards the river. I figured it would be a good spot to set up a hammock so I dipped off of the bike path and down through the woods. A jumble of paths dart throughout the largely deciduous trees that cover the steep slope. Following these paths down to the river I was startled by the rugged stone beach and the dramatic cliffs I found.
I noticed while leaving Salmon Hole park that it is sandwiched quite closely in-between busy roads and developed lands. This makes Salmon Hole park- as well as my phenological study site- an area where interactions between humans and the environment takes place. Non-permeable surfaces and even a nearby water treatment plant seemed like concerning factors that could effect water quality in the surrounding area. This site will be an ideal area to study phenological processes because it is a protected area amongst urban development that will change throughout the seasons and host a variety of wildlife. I am curious if the river will fully freeze over, when that may happen, and how that will effect the systems surrounding it. It would be amazing to walk up and down the frozen river and look closer at the cliffs for patterns or processes.
MOST COMMON WOODY SPECIES:
-Northern Red Oak
-Box Elder
-Barberry
-Buckthorn
-Red Maple
