December 8th – Final Post in Semester 1

My phenology place has become even more brown as plants and animals get ready for winter. There are several tree species that are still holding on to dead leaves – I noticed that the wild grape plants that had twisted around the eastern cottonwood trees at the edge of the pond still had a few leaves, as well as some boxelders that leaned out over the water. The only green vegetation at my site was some garlic mustard I found growing in the dead leaves at the base of trees, some grasses by the pond, as well as the duckweed floating in the pond. The only fruit that I found at my site was a few dried wild grapes hanging onto branches and on the forest floor. There is definitely evidence of decomposers at work, and there were a few mushrooms and lots of moss in the area. Most of the downed wood is starting to rot, and the nutrients will be recycled for the next growing season in the spring.

I was able to notice more signs of animals at my site than the previous time. I found an interesting cache of dried wild grapes left in a tree by a creature. There were several other signs of animals including scat left by what I think is a woodchuck, as well as tracks left by either a woodchuck or a raccoon along a log. I also saw some claw marks on a log and some bark scraped off a tree. The only animals I saw or heard at my site were some gray squirrels, some wood ducks on the pond, and some white-throated sparrows. I would say there is less activity from birds or amphibians, who have either migrated by now or are starting to slow down for the winter, but there is still a lot of signs of life from other species, who are finalizing their preparations for winter. Most of the mammals are trying to finish storing food and find a good place to hole up.

There are many aspects of my phenology place that I enjoy. I like how there is something new to discover each time, and the pieces, patterns, and processes that shape the landscape are constantly changing. I like how the more I go to my place, the more details I am able to see, like a new type of plant growing, a new sign left by an animal, or something indicating that humans had been there before me. My phenology place is important for many different types of species, and now is also important to me.