It was sad to say goodbye to my phenology spot this week. It was absolutely beautiful outside and it was actually, finally, spring.
The site has changed a lot since I started going here. It doesn’t really follow normal seasonal patterns, as you can see below, where it looks like some of the images have been swapped. This checks out with ice out dates getting later and later every year.
Throughout the whole year, the understory has stayed very sparse. It is one of the only areas of this natural community (maple-ash-hickory-oak forest) that behaves this way. It also means that it was hard to observe too many seasonal changes in smaller plants. I did find a patch of red-berried elder over by the rock ledge that I’d never noticed before.
Most of the life that I observed as the weather warmed was sounds of birds in trees and the occasional small mammal. Speaking of birds, I was finally able to catch one on camera. There were several black-capped chickadees in this tree.
I composed a sit-sketch showing the location of everything, which I’ve remade here for easier readability. Of the landmarks in my site, my favorite is the large mossy rock in the center of it. I really enjoy sitting on the rock and listening to the sounds of nature. I also like the rock ledge to the back of the spot. I climbed pretty far up it this week, which is really fun because you can stand at the same height as the tree tops and remain completely hidden. I’ve marked this area as the ‘secret garden’.
There is a lot of interconnection between nature and culture here. Red Rocks Park serves as a place where everyone can have access to the beauty of nature. It is very accessible, and is right by a bus stop, so anyone could theoretically visit. I think it’s important for social and human health that we preserve city natural areas like this one.
I don’t view myself as a part of my place. I don’t feel as much like an intruder as I did when I first started visiting, due to how familiar I am with the landscape. However, I do feel like I am just a visitor, and I’m lucky to get to experience this beautiful place even if only for short periods of time. I want to protect my spot. I think the reason the ‘secret garden’ area of my spot is so amazing to me is because it feels somewhat untouched by humans, as it’s difficult to reach from the trail without some difficult climbing.
This has been such a fun class and such a fun project!
Signing off,
Greta