Hoag, Franni. (Sugar Bush Sketch) 2016 JPG File

The place that I chose to explore this Thanksgiving Break is the sugar bush behind my house. The forest is maintained by my neighbor and it has been certified as an organic maple orchard. At one point, a section of this sugar bush was used as farmland, as made evident by the stone wall that runs along the lower edge of the property. The sugar bush is predominately (if not entirely) hardwoods in the eastern most point, but slowly transcends into a mix of soft and hardwoods, before turning into a predominately softwood, swampy area. The most common tree present is inarguably sugar maple, although ash is also scattered throughout. As more softwoods are present, more yellow and white birch are also seen. The softwoods present include hemlock, pine, and spruce. One specific spot that I particularly like was along a very faintly marked trail. Several of the trees were bent. This was in the predominately hardwood section of the forest.

Hoag, Franni. (Home Spot) 2016 JPG File

This is a much more remote location than my usual place in Burlington, at Oakledge Park. It’s also not quite as beautiful; there is no Lake Champlain to look out onto. I am, however; much more familiar with the place that I visited this break. I have been exploring this sugar bush since I was very young; my family uses the trees that have naturally fallen for firewood every year. I have a very strong connection to this place.

Ecologically, this place also differs greatly from my place in Burlington. There are several Red Oaks that frame my place in Oakledge Park; however, there are very few in the sugar bush. Most that I saw were saplings. My place at Oakledge Park is also much more diverse in the sense of plant species present. I would say that there is not really a dominant species in my place at Oakledge; however, Sugar Maple, unsurprisingly, is the most prevalent species in the Sugar bush. The elevation of the sugar bush is also much higher, at approximately 1130 feet (according to my phone’s barometer) at it’s highest point. My town borders the Connecticut River Valley, but the sugar bush is in the hills leading westward from the river, attributing to our high elevation.