It is with great sadness that I visit my phenology spot for the last time this semester. I know I will be back, but to miss the changes this spot will go through in the next four months is sad to think about. My visit this week was one of the best, with all the newly sprouting flowers, buds, and the buzz of animal activity around every corner.
A lone mushroom still holds on tight to the rotting log it grew from in late November, but around it is new life, sprouting and twisting their way up into the floodplain ecosystem.
There has been some human made changes along the path to my area, and along with the extreme flooding, it has made the spot almost unrecognizable. I don’t know how to feel about this. When I saw this tree cut and removed from the side of the path, I felt loss. Like part of me had been removed. I realize it was for safety of trail visitors, but this snag that held another dead piece of wood, was the indicator for me that I was almost to my spot; and now it’s gone.
Seeing this dramatic of a change over the span of 6 months was strange and sort of daunting. Even though this form of management was necessary, it made me wonder how humans might continue to change this landscape while i’m gone for 4 months.
In the past two semesters I have witnessed nature and culture intertwine before my very eyes. I have watched each season change, and with it the landscape. I have seen human impact, growth, death, and natural alterations of the natural community. I have seen the inhabitants of the place, and some resonance of those who don’t want to be seen. I have seen the remains of the Winooski junk yard, the rising river levels, and the increase in beaver populations. I have found homeless people’s shelters, set up throughout the seasons, and tracks of wild mink leading back to its den. People live here, and so do animals; such a diverse array of species rely on similar aspects of this landscape to live their lives, and therefore this spot is not only important to me, but to many other people, animals, and plants.
I am part of this spot. I’m not just a visitor. Yes I only stop by once or twice a month to check up on how things are changing, but I impact this environment just as much as it has impacted me. In the fall, I walked over millions of fallen leaves, potentially crushing any insects beneath them. In winter I trudged through snow, potentially disturbing an area of hibernation. In spring I walked through sinking mud and growing vegetation, potentially increasing erosion or preventing further plant growth. In order to study this place, I had to leave my mark there as well, even if it was unintentional. Whether or not my mark left was good or bad, this place has left a huge positive mark on me; giving me a place of peace and serenity, while providing me with education and entertainment. I will most definitely be back.