Hello Tree People

Welcome to my blog!

View of Lake Champlain from a lookout above Lone Rock Point

In this blog, I will be studying the phenology of Lone Rock Point throughout the seasons. My specific location is a little herbaceous area that juts off from the main viewing portion of Lone Rock Point. I chose this spot because it offers me the unique opportunity to observe what happens when a rare natural community and a large (and at times problematic) body of water intersect. Throughout this project, I will be keeping an eye out for any fauna that visits the area, the development of flora, and hope to monitor water quality. However I am perhaps most excited to simply bask in all of the beauty this location has to offer.

How to get there…

To get to my phenology spot from UVM, you can choose to take a brisk hour-and-a-half walk or catch the 7 bus from Union Street and Pearl Street. This bus should take you to a stop right before the “Burlington High School” where you can enter. From here, follow the paved pathway that will eventually lead to a bridge. After crossing, follow the path that forks left and walk until you reach a clearing. This should lead to a wooded area with a map of various trailheads. Follow the “Universal Access Trail” until it breaks into the “Sunset Ridge Trail.” You should find where the Sunset Ridge Trail slopes into a set of stone stairs that curve to the right. Here you should be where Lone Rock Point meets the shoreline of Lake Champlain. Make a sharp left and you will see a small secluded area with some herbaceous plants, trees, and fallen logs.

How to get to Lone Rock Point from the University of Vermont

My Visit and Vegetation Observations

I visited this spot on the morning of October 16th, which was a cool 52 degrees Fahrenheit and slightly cloudy. My little spot was bursting with fall foliage from a nearby Silver Maple, and a surplus of yellow-leafed Indian Hemp. I also observed some American Hophornbeam and Northern White Cedar trees that were beginning to brown. Although Northern White Cedar is a dominant species in the surrounding area, there were minimal at my location. This was likely due to the fact that there was less Calcium Rich Dolostone at this location to provide this tree with it’s needed nutrients. In terms of wildlife, I saw a small team of ducks swimming across Lake Champlain, a couple of busy chipmunks getting ready for the winter, and some large non-migratory birds calling to one another.