Phenology Blog

Welcome to Rock Point, the location of my phenology spot. I chose Rock Point for a few reasons, one being obvious. Rock Point is absolutely beautiful. The views from on top of the cliffs are stunning. Putting the obvious aside, there are a multitude of other reasons why I am excited to spend a lot of time at Rock Point. One of the reasons is that I want to make my phenology blog something I am proud of and put a lot of effort into. I originally had a spot in Centennial Woods but I knew that having a spot so close that I was not really excited for would cause this project to become a chore and something I had to do, not wanted to do. By taking around 15 minutes to bike to a place that I am really happy with, there is more of an effort being put in that I hope will transfer into effort that will make the project something I am proud of. Secondly, I thing the geologic history of the area is really cool. Learning about the geology in class was really interesting to me and sparked an interest in geology that I want to continue to pursue. I also think that the current land use of Rock Point by humans is really interesting. I think that looking into the way the land is being used currently affects the ecosystems on Rock Point will be fun to explore.

The way you get to my exact phenology spot is by bike. You could walk, but that would probably take an hour, so I bike. It is about a 15 minute bike away from campus. This amount of time changes depending on how I am feeling in the moment. First you bike down to the waterfront and then along the waterfront. You go down until you see a bridge cross over the bike path. About 30 seconds later you will hit a place to lock up your bike. There is a large sign that talks about Rock Point and a trailhead. Lock up your bike and start to walk down the trail. You will soon be in an area where the dominant tree species are Eastern Hemlock and Red Pine. You can stop to enjoy the view or continue down the path. You will start to see some Northern White Cedar and some bedrock exposed from beneath the ground, specifically Dunham Dolostone. The area from the path to the edge of the cliff is now roped off and is being protected for restoration. After a little bit more walking, there is an area with stunning views that is no longer blocked off. There is a little clearing that has very clearly been walked on by many people excited for the view. This is my phenology spot. In this area the bedrock is bare, unlike the mossy bedrock of the areas that are either protected from humans or just not that interesting to them. The predominant woody plant is Northern White Cedar. There are some Beeches in the area as well along with some Sugar Maple, especially young Sugar Maple, and one Red Oak. Once you have taken in the spot, you can turn around and get ready to bike up the hill to campus, or stay for another 10 minutes. I usually choose the second.