Today, I returned to my American Beech tree at Potash Brook and made some phenological observations. Immediately upon approaching the tree, I noticed that the buds appeared to be lighter in color and shaper looking. This leads me to believe that the leaves will be emerging soon. I also noticed that the protective sheaths that were covering the buds four weeks ago were completely gone and the bud and twig around it appeared much more smooth. In the natural area surrounding the brook, I noticed a lot of other phenological changes. There were far more buds visible on other trees. The shoreline of the brook was also visible and not nearly as muddy as it was two weeks ago. I also noticed that the ground felt less squishy under the leaves of the trail, giving me hope for the coming warm weather. The weather has also completely changed since the last time I visited the area. It was considerably warmer today and the sky was completely clear and sunny. There was also no snow remaining anywhere in the area. Though it will be my last visit to the brook, I look forward to my final trip to Potash when the weather gets even warmer.
