A UVM blog Grace Kaufman Rock Point Phenology Site

To take part in the City Nature Challenge I decided to set off on a run and try to cover as much ground as I could in the hour I had. I ended up going on the bike path along Spear St. behind Patrick Gym and taking that all the way to the end, then meeting up with the main waterfront bike path at Oakledge Park. I took that path all the way to Waterfront Park, then ran up College St. back to campus. I saw a ton of trees and flowers budding and blooming, and I stopped about every mile or so to make an inaturalist observation.

I love running around Burlington because I get to see a lot of different areas, and so for this project I was able to find species on campus, downtown, and at several of the parks in the city. The weather was not amazing, so I did not see a whole lot of wildlife out and about, but I did see some birds and a random crawdad on College St. I probably encountered dozens of species, but I logged seven for our project. I love using inaturalist because it is like an encyclopedia of wildlife at your fingertips, and it is fun to guess what you are looking at based on the suggestions the app gives. La Paz, Bolivia ended up winning the City Nature Challenge by a landslide. It is interesting to look at their observations since it is such a biodiverse place. Considering the size and population of Burlington, I would say that we did pretty good!

Today I returned to my spot one last time. It was a rainy spring day, and for the first time in the forest I could see clear signs of spring. My tree finally budded leaves and little plants were sprouting out of the forest floor. There were hardly any people out, so I had the trails to myself and I the only sounds I could hear were the birds chirping and and raindrops falling. I find the forest to be even more zen in the rain, and I did not mind that fact that I was sopping wet.

I have enjoyed coming back to this spot time and again throughout all of the seasons. I have observed phenological changes like the leaves changing and falling, then regrowing in the spring. I have observed the ground freezing and accumulating snow, then thawing and melting streams of water into the lake. I have noticed driftwood accumulating on the shore of the lake, as well as major erosion on the banks and sediment deposition into the lake. I have observed the silence of winter with the lack of birds, and then the return of their happy songs in the spring. This project has helped me be very present and aware of my surroundings.

I have become familiar with various “landmarks” at my spot like this sideways tree or the little pools of water that form in the rocks when the lake is high. I have become familiar with the trails at Rock Point in general, and the areas where the forest composition changes from coniferous to hardwoods. I think Rock Point has done a great job of fostering a culture of appreciation and stewardship of the land. The trails are open to the public, yet they are well maintained and clean. They have signs reminding people to stay on the trail where habitat restoration is taking place. The human footprint on the land is minimal, which highlights the natural elements. Every interaction I have had with people on the trails has been friendly and people seem to just be extremely content to be out in nature. The more I came to the place the more I considered myself a part of it. Especially on days when I would come alone and the trails were empty I felt a strong connection as I walked through the woods and observed my surroundings.

Today truly felt like spring. The sky was completely blue and the sun was beaming down on Burlington. Everyone was out and about walking, running, biking, and basking in the sun. For the first time I biked to my phenology spot rather than running. I ran the Burlington Half Marathon yesterday, so I needed a running break. All along my ride I noticed that beyond more people being out, there seemed to be more critters out and about too. I saw a ton of birds and squirrels along the way. I also noticed that the lake was extremely calm, almost glass-like. This means there was no cold winter wind like there has been for the past few months.

My tree looked pretty much the exact same as the last time I visited. I did not see any signs of budding or flowering yet, although all of last year’s leaves are gone. I have not seen much evidence of budding on very many trees yet, but I have seen some plants sprouting up from the ground. I am excited for the trees and plants to start flowering soon.

Another observation I made about my sight that is not related to my tree is the water quality of the lake. My spot is situated in a shallow little bay area of Lake Champlain, and I noticed that it looked especially green today. When I got closer I saw a thin layer of green material on the top and recognized it as cyanobacteria. This is the material that makes up the algal blooms we learn about in NR 1. My hypothesis is that the warmer temperatures are causing this bacteria to spread in the shallow waters.

Today I set off on my usual running route along the bike path, this time with some friends. The path was clear of snow for the first time in quite a long time, which made the run more enjoyable. I can tell that spring is on the way because a few plants are beginning to pop up now that the ground is not frozen. Seeing everything come back to life after a long winter is one of my favorite things. I noticed more animals out and about at Rock Point, from squirrels to birds.

My tree is not yet showing any signs of budding or flowering, although it has finally shed its leaves from last year. When I visited last time the little beech was still hanging on to a few old leaves. Now the pointy ends of the twigs are exposed. I am guessing that next time I visit I will begin to see some signs of new growth and budding.

Today I set off on my usual running route to Rock Point on the first day of March. The landscape is still looking very wintery, and there is another foot of snow in the forecast this weekend. I ventured out with my friends Caitlin and Will and we jogged along the waterfront path. I recently invested in some micro-spikes for winter hiking, and I actually used them on this run for traction because the path was covered in snow. The trails at Rock Point were covered in a beautiful blanket of snow, and there were quite a few people out walking with dogs. My spot looked very similar to the last time I was there.

I kept an eye out for certain tree species at my phenology spot today. Of the species listed I saw the most American Beech trees. I find them to be the easiest to identify in the winter because of their unique pointy twigs and smooth bark. They also stand out because some still have leaves hanging on. I did not see any evidence of these trees flowering or fruiting yet, but I expect to see this happening within my next couple visits as the weather here transitions more towards spring.

Today I set off on a 9 mile run all over Burlington, exploring the natural areas along the way. I am currently training for the Burlington Unplugged half marathon in April, and my long runs have allowed me to explore the city with my fellow running friends. The route I planned for today took us along the waterfront path, through Oakledge Park, Perkins Pier, Waterfront Park, and North Beach, which gave me plenty of spots to look for wildlife.

Because it has been so warm recently, there was no snow in sight on my run. This made it difficult to find tracks of any kind, but I was able to encounter some species of birds. The first I came across were a flock of gulls. They were flying overhead near the lake close to Oakledge Park, and I could tell they were gulls by their body shape and call. About half a mile later I came across a hawk perched in a tree on the side of the trail. I could immediately tell it was hawk because of its beak, talons, and tail feathers, and I used iNaturalist to specifically identify it as a Cooper’s Hawk. Right after I snapped a photo it took off into the sky, which was cool to watch because these birds are very graceful. Other than these two species I mostly saw dogs, squirrels, and plenty of people out since it was a nice day.

It is now nearing the end of the first month of the year 2023 and I decided to return to my phenology spot from last year. This was an exciting visit because it was my first visit where there was snow on the ground! This made getting to my spot a bit of a challenge, but in my typical fashion I decided to run there. I was dreadfully unprepared as the path to get there was a sheet of slippery ice and snow, but I enjoyed challenge. Since my last visit about a month and a half ago there have been several phenological changes. The biggest change is the layer of snow that now covers the ground, concealing the grassy plants and undergrowth on the forest floor. Now all of the trees are bare except for the evergreens dusted with snow. The lake is not yet frozen, but there are large icicles forming on the sides of the rocks where the waves hit. The forest is significantly quieter as the snow acts as a sound absorber and the birds are not chirping as much. I did not observe any creatures, only the tracks they left behind in the snow. I am not yet a master at identifying tracks, but I think I picked out squirrel, deer, and raccoon tracks in addition to the human and dog footprints on the path.

I returned to my spot today, and this was my first visit at dusk! (somewhat unintentionally… forgot how early the sun sets). I ran down as per usual, this time with a fellow NR friend, Caitlin. Despite being December, there is still no snow on the ground, although from my spot I can look across lake Champlain and see snow on the peaks of the Adirondacks. At this point as I look around the hardwood trees are all almost completely bare except for a few red oak leaves still clinging on. The various leaves scattered on the ground have gone from their bright autumn hues to a darker brown, and are beginning to decompose. There is a noticeable amount of sediment/decomposing leaves on the bottom on the lake in the shallow areas. Aside from the beautiful sunset, the only bright colors remaining in the spot are the greens of the conifers: the spruce, cedar, and white pine. The only signs of animal life I spot are some little bird tracks on the sandy beach and a squirrel or two. Nature seems to be preparing itself for the long winter ahead.

I have thoroughly enjoyed this phenology project, and I will definitely continue to visit this special spot on my trail runs. I have had the privilege of observing this natural area at different times of the day and through different seasons. Allowing myself to be fully submerged in the nature of this spot has helped me forge a connection to the land there. I am always happy to bring friends with me to my spot and share the beauty with them. I especially love the fact that there are several different formations within my spot. I usually go right down to the water and perch on the rocky outcroppings, and from there I can see the lake in front of me, the mountains across from me, the beach next to me, the forest behind me, and the rock point thrust fault on the other side of me. My favorite part is probably closing my eyes and listening to the little waves lap at the rocks.

I am back at home in Cincinnati, Ohio, and while brainstorming places that would be suitable for a phenology spot I had some trouble choosing. Cincinnati is much more urbanized than Burlington, so it is hard to find a spot as secluded as my Rock Point one. I decided to go for a little hike with my mom and dog to get some inspiration. We went to French Park, which has a lovely set of trails and a creek full of fossils. My parents actually got married at this park, and I grew up going there all the time because it is right down the street from my house. Along our hike I kept my eyes peeled for a spot that reminded me of my Rock Point spot in some way. I ended up choosing an area where there was a shelf of rock that jutted out into the creek as an overhang, somewhat similar to the way that the rocks meet the water of Lake Champlain at Rock Point, although not quite as grand.

In terms of the ecology of my Cincinnati place versus my Burlington place I found some comparisons within the vegetation present. At Rock Point there is a mix of coniferous trees like eastern hemlock and eastern white cedar, and well as some hardwoods like sugar maples and american beech. At my spot in French Park I could only see hardwoods, specifically red oak, sugar maple, and american beech. Additionally the wildlife I observed was similar in both spots, aka mostly squirrels. One major difference is the noise pollution. Even within French Park you cannot escape the sounds of cars in the distance, whereas at Rock Point I enjoy the serenity of just hearing the breeze and the water lapping at the rocks. In terms of phenology both spots seem to be experiencing their transition from autumn to winter. Just about all the trees have lost their leaves and they are now scattered about on the ground. (Yay stick season!) I found some ice formation in the creek at French Park, which I have yet to witness at Rock Point but I am sure it will come soon enough.

Today I returned to my phenology spot at Rock Point, this time bringing a friend to enjoy its beauty with me. We ran down on the waterfront bike path and took a break to sit and soak up the sun at my spot. We sat in silence, just listening to the waves hitting the rocks and the wind rustling in the trees. It was a perfect sunny day, but windier than the last time I was there. The waves were slightly larger and I could look out and see sailboats on Lake Champlain. It was a surprisingly warm day for the very end of October, yet I could see the signs of the seasons changing as I look around. Most of the hardwood trees were now bare, and their colorful leaves were scattered the ground. The trees that still hung onto their leaves were bright oranges and reds. The coniferous cedar and hemlock trees remained their steady dark green color. The shrub-like plants and grasses in the understory were still alive and green. Next time I return maybe there will be snow 🙂