A UVM Phenology blog Salmon Hole on the Winooski River

My final expedition of the semester took place on a very windy, very cold December morning, with a slight dusting of delicate snowflakes having already blanketed the forest floor. As I walked to Salmon Hole, I began to reminisce about the time I have spent this semester exploring my little alcove of land, tucked away along the Winooski River. At first, the long walk from UVM’s Athletic Campus to the Salmon Hole seemed daunting and extremely unappealing – but in my visits past, I have found myself becoming more and more appreciative of the journey. Even with the overcast sky, low temps and high winds, and almost completely frostbitten fingers, toes, and nose, I had a uniquely warm feeling in my chest as I approached the tiny sanctuary of natural beauty that I chose as my phenology location.

Upon my arrival, I found a barren landscape; the last of the trees has lost their leaves, nearly all the previously flourishing foliage had disappeared, and the little scurry-ings of squirrels, rabbits, and chipmunks could no longer be heard. There were several signs of life, however. I was able to capture audio of a herd of geese flying in v-formation above me, and also saw/heard a couple of crows echoing in the distance.

There were still some signs that some creatures had been bustling around since snowfall, however. Although many of the forest animals have settled in for winter, there were still a few up and about. I noticed a couple of severed tree branches, with the fresh inner “meat” of the stump exposed and chewed off. Maybe our little beaver friends aren’t quite ready to accept the arrival of winter, and that’s okay! As beavers continue to stock up on twigs, sticks, and branches to supply them with food for these next few months, many other animals are also gathering supplies to get them through the harsh Vermont winter, like berries, nuts, or other miscellaneous weeds/plants that can tolerate the bitterly cold temperatures yet to come.

Although I am not absolutely certain as to what species they may belong to (one may be a very small dog?), I was able to find two separate animal tracks on my way out of my phenology spot. I am excited to see just how many tracks I might be able to find come spring semester.

To conclude my final phenology blog of the fall semester, I wanted to reflect on some of the things that has brought Salmon Hole so close to my heart. Salmon Hole is a public space, open for anyone to enjoy – yet it has very little pollution and minimal human disturbance. I also find the structural layout of my spot to be unique and beautiful. A large tree hovering almost magically over the path, creating a natural archway above a large concrete block, perfectly positioned to be a resting spot for joggers, hikers, or other adventurers. The inlet of water against the mini ledge along the river makes me feel as though I am standing high above (10 feet max) the river, just taking in its beauty. My spot is also a little further into the woods than where I have seen others stationed for their blogs. This means I get to spend more time outside, just observing the natural world around me. I am not certain if I will continue visiting Salmon Hole as my phenology spot in the spring semester, however I do plan on making my way down here every now and again to see how this place changes through seasons.

Finally, I wanted to end with a little poem from my favorite poet, Robert Frost, who actually lived in New Hampshire! His work inspires me to view the land I inhabit as more than just dirt and rocks. He encourages readers to see the world in a way that puts human, animals, and landscapes on one, beautifully harmonic level of existence. Enjoy.

Until next time!

For my third phenology visit, I am moving outside of the Greater Burlington Area and heading to the good ol’ Midwestern state of Indiana – Go Hoosiers! Although my state is most well-known for corn, race cars, and RV factories, Indiana has some great natural places that are often overlooked.

While home for Thanksgiving break, I decided to do my phenology assignment this week on a place that is very near and dear to me: Ox Bow County Park in Goshen, Indiana. Ox Bow Park is named after a historic topographical change that occurred in the 1970s, when a portion of the Elkhart River meandered and got cut-off from the rest of the canal and created an Oxbow Lake. This cut-off caused many water-loving tree species (such as Cottonwood and Red Maple) to move inland as the soil became more saturated, and several wetland ecosystems formed in the area.

Ox Bow is special to me because of all the natural features it has, and how it promotes the integration of humans and nature for a better future of the planet. Ox Bow offers hundreds of acres of forests, wetlands, and prairies, all of which are protected and monitored by trained naturalists in the state. One of the key differences between Salmon Hole and Ox Bow Park is the presence of certain tree and animal species; Ox Bow has a large amount of Elm trees, of which has been largely decimated in New England due to the Dutch Elm Disease. Ox Bow also houses a large number of deer, beavers, otters, and geese. I am also a huge morel mushroom hunter, and the woods here are great for foraging!

Ox Bow is also an 80% natural area, with only 20% of the land having been cleared for the construction of recreational activity locations (disc golf, playground, and shelters), along with a couple of educational buildings. Ox Bow hosts several educational classes open to the public throughout the year, along with a summer camp for children to learn about the natural world around them.

Ox Bow County Park is an island of natural beauty in an otherwise largely urbanized city, and it is protected by the state in hopes of preserving the ecosystems around us and saving the land for the future generations. Compared to Salmon Hole, Ox Bow has a much larger variety of ecosystems and environments and focuses on how humans and nature can interact in a mutually beneficial way.

Thanks for reading, and Happy Thanksgiving!

I decided to revisit Salmon Hole on a warm fall day, with medium wind speeds and the first snow of the season having occurred a couple days before my visit. As I began walking to my phenology spot, the changes in the landscape and foliage were obvious; nearly all the leaves on the surrounding trees had fallen off, and most of the vegetation covering the ground had disappeared. As Vermont approaches the end of fall, and the beginning of winter, the changes in the environment are in full motion. While sitting quietly in the center of my spot, I noticed a severe lack of animal presence; I saw several ducks floating down the river, the sound of crows overhead, and a singular Downy Woodpecker. I was unable to locate any squirrels, beavers, etc., however, which shows that just as us humans are pulling out our winter coats, many animals are retreating into hibernation or constructing their warm, cozy winter dens.

One tree species seemed to outlast the others in foliage, and that was the Norway Maple. Several other plant species also seemed to be unaffected by the approach of winter, mostly non-native/invasive species such as Oriental Bittersweet, Garlic Mustard, Buckthorn, and Goldenrod. The ground also seemed to have become muddier/clay dense since my previous visit, and several spots in the area have become uneven due to (what seems to be) erosion from our recent rain events.

Below is a bird’s-eye-view of my spot at Salmon Hole, of which displays the layout of several natural features of the environment. The patches of vegetation illustrated below is nearly all invasive species/weeds that have yet to die off before winter. It also highlights the stream bank at my spot, of which has also clearly undergone further erosion since my last visit.

On a windy, cool October day, I made the journey to The Salmon Hole on the Winooski River to begin my first phenology assignment assessment. As I walked on the main path, I encountered a wide variety of tree and shrub species, such as white oaks, northern red oaks, Norway maples, and honeysuckle, with occasional birch and pine trees popping up. I eventually reached an opening that had clearly been utilized by beavers to build dams, as the area was nearly completely cleared, and only left with dozens of gnawed tree stumps.

Besides the trees mentioned above, I also found a couple white/European ashes, common buckthorn, and several decaying elm trees. As for vegetation, oriental bittersweet and honeysuckle were the most noticeable shrubs in the area, however, there was also Lesser Burdock, Broad-Leaved Golden Rod, Purple Flowered Rasbery, and New York Ferns. I also found an abundance of Silky Rosegill Mushrooms, and some other unidentifiable fungi growing on the ground and logs.

I only encountered one bird species during my assessment, of which I believe was a Redhead Duck. I hope to also see how the landscape might change as beavers begin to move further inwards on the land to reach more trees to build their dams. I look forward to seeing more fungi growth in the coming weeks as mushroom season reaches its peak.

For the remainer of the semester, I will be exploring the natural wonders of The Salmon Hole on the Winooski River. I will be investigating the ecology of this location, along with how seasonal progressions affect this environment. When researching a location to conduct my phenology project, I knew I wanted to choose somewhere near water. I am passionate about watersheds, stream health, and aquatic ecosystems, so proximity to the Winooski River was a major factor in my decision.

Getting to The Salmon Hole is relatively easy, as it is just a quick 20 min walk from campus along Colchester Ave. Once you arrive at the parking lot for the park, a quick walk down to the hill/stairs leads you to a slight crossroad. After taking the lefthand path, there is another crossroad, where you take a second lefthand turn. Continue down the path past the rocky shore until you reach a large overhanging tree above the path with a large stone off to the right.