Today I went to my spot and sat still for 20 minutes, no stimulations or distractions other than the natural world. This was a lovely experience, a break from the constant rush of classes and college life. At my home in central Vermont, I often spend long periods of time alone and quiet in the woods. The chance to connect to the landscape with no ulterior motives is quite special. Today I found myself comparing the experience of woods-sitting here in Burlington versus a more rural area. I could still hear the stream of traffic from both Main street and I-89. I could hear other people walking and chatting and alarms blaring from somewhere in the city. It made me realize how lucky i am at home to be able to fully escape into the woods and hear nothing human made except the occasional piece of farm machinery on the other side of the mountain. After a bit I also realized how lucky we are as students here to have access to places such as Centennial Woods and Rock Point.
After I sat for awhile, I took some time to note the specific changes in the area since the last time I visited. The most obvious change is of course foliage color. The Norway and sugar maples are all a stunning bright yellow and the oaks a beautiful deep orange. The barberry bushes as well have turned a yellowish-green and lost all of their berries. The ferns and moss are still in full swing, however, the marsh area is mostly dead grasses and stalks.
Today’s list of birds is much shorter than last time:
- WBNU (White-Breasted Nuthatch)
- BCCH (Black-Capped Chickadee)
- WTSP (White-Throated Sparrow)
- MALL (Mallard)
- SOSP (Song Sparrow
- BLJA (Blue Jay)
Finally, I am including a general map of the area around my spot.
