University Of Vermont, Centennial Woods, Burlington, VT, 05401 US

Coordinates - 44.47733oN, 73.18606oW

There are two easy ways to get to my phenology place. First, take the trailhead for Centennial Woods off of Carrigan Drive after the residential area. Following the trail down the dirt steps and over a few bridges stay right at the first intersection. Follow the trail over the stream and other bridges until you climb a small incline into a larger clearing and intersection. Take a right up the sandy hill and before the steepest part turn left into the woods. This is the area I have chosen for my project. Another way to find my place is to take Carrigan Drive all the way down to the parking lot after the bus circle. take the path in line with the left side of the lot into the woods and take the first left. Follow this trail into the same clearing again.

Down the hill past the clearing there is a swamp area and above that in the outskirts of my phenology area is a stand of eastern Hemlock trees. There is a mix of Norway maple trees (pictured above) and large Eastern White Pine trees as well. Ferns and other small brush blanket the ground along with fallen leaves rich with color from the fall weather. Logs lay on the ground as homes for small creatures such as insects, spiders, small snakes and amphibians. Fungi can be found growing out of these logs or other plant matter on the forest floor. https://www.inaturalist.org/observations?user_id=johnbednarek

November 3rd. 6:00 PM. I walked from campus to my phenology place not only to observe the changes occurring in centennial woods, but also the context of the surrounding area. Of course it is now colder then the last time I visited my spot, the air is cold cutting through my thin jacket. My nose feels slightly numb and my lips are moving more slowly as I greet those walking by. On my walk to Centennial woods I already notice the changes in the trees and they become only more evident as I enter the woods. The leaves have almost all dropped to the forest floor and they crunch beneath my feet littering the trail. It is more difficult to find my spot because the ground is a uniform myriad of yellows, reds and browns. I finally do find a spot to sit and be present, immersed in the environment. The first thing I notice is the abundant rustling of squirrels and chipmunks skittering around near me on the forest floor. I presume they are burying their final treasured nuts and such in the soil to store for the long winter ahead. The wind also still blows even inside the protection of the woods, rustling leaves and the trees above. The woods are alive with creaking and groaning overhead as trunks and boughs sway and flex in the wind. Even more leaves fall around me from the ash and birch trees in the area. The Eastern White Pine and eastern Hemlock trees pinch their needles tightly to keep them from the clutches of the breeze. It feels good to be connected in nature in such a simple, raw act as just sitting and listening. 15 minutes passes and 30 minutes does as well before I look at my watch and realize my assignment is satisfied. Yet I am not yet satisfied. I sit in content and relaxation until the cold begins to creep in further. When I get back to campus, life resumes as normal, but I know that my place is still there, every second that passes. It remains in a similar state to what I experienced and I remember occasionally and picture the memory in my head, waiting to enter the woods once again.

2273 W Glenville Rd Amsterdam, NY 12010 United States

Coordinates: 42.92711oN, 74.05407oW

My additional Phenology place is a roughly 20 acre property behind my house. The woods are very similar to those in centennial woods or in the surrounding Burlington area. Similar tree species and animals as well. The phenology is also similar, as you can tell by the coordinates of each place, they have seasonal changes that reflect each other in similar processes, leaf changes, animal behaviors, and temperatures. My area at home includes a small pond and stream that doesn’t show up on the map but is a micro-ecosystem for reptiles, amphibians, insects etc. Both of these areas have similar proximity to “large” roads and are separated enough to not be heard but are within a 10 minute walk. I have seen deer, muskrats, groundhogs, squirrels, chipmunks even a bear at home in my phenology place in the past. In Centennial woods I have seen many of these smaller animals and evidence of deer but no bear although it is possible they have been through there. These places are very similar to each other but yet in different states and have small differences that are important. Spending time in both of these places in order to reflect and observe my surroundings has deepened my relationship and showed me more perspective regarding my place in this ecosystem

December 7th, 9:30 AM. Fresh snow the previous night has left a white blanket over the entirety of campus and centennial woods. finding my spot and settling down to sit, I notice distinctly less chirping from the birds but a few still persist even through the 24 degree breeze. The small mammals that I remember from last time seem almost more active now that winter has arrived. It might be because there are endless tracks of squirrels and the occasional chipmunk that are left imprinted in the snow.

The snow lies beautifully over the landscape and coats the tree branches and bark. All sound is dampened in a unique way with the snow insulating any noises the do occur. This time the woods are more silent than they have been before. I noticed that the trees with needles hold on to them tightly not dropping them in the fall like many of the deciduous species did. Although as I walked into the forest initially I noticed that some of the American Beech trees still had some leaves which was interesting.

The leaf litter has been covered up with snow from the night before but I dug around in the snow with my feet where I was sitting and got down to the brown underneath. The leaves are disintegrating into the ground underneath. I imagine the decomposers are at work turning that leaf litter into loam. The ground has been mostly frozen over the last few weeks but is a little soft atill and things are damp and moist underneath the snow.

The aspects of my phenology place that I enjoy the most are the wildlife, the silence, and the escape it provides. Every time that I have visited my phenology place there were birds, squirrels, and other animals going about there days and I could merely be a spectator viewing them with curiosity. I felt a connection to the animals that inhabit the place that I just so happened to select to do my project on. even just in this little area of Centennial woods there is so much life and activity happening each and every day. Visiting my place occasionally sometimes felty annoying or inconvenient having to plan around getting there but without fail every time I got there I would stay longer than planned. It was a place to think reflective thoughts and put my life into perspective surrounded with other life and the outdoors. I have truly enjoyed this project as we have explored it through this semester and I hope that it will remain a staple of NR1010 for many years to come.

Jan 26th 3:30 PM The branches of the trees are still bare just like the last time I visited my phenology place, it looks similar from a distance with the snow on the ground but has a different feel. The snow is icy, more solid than the soft blanket like last time. Looking more closely to the snow it looks and feels almost stale, contaminated with dirt and debris. It isn’t soft like the fresh snow from last time, it has been sitting there for weeks and you can tell. The air temperature is more harshly cold, breezy and frigid.

This is a deer track that I photographed near my phenology site, evidence of wildlife activity in centennial woods. When I spent my time at the place it seemed even more quiet than before, the lack of birdsong and chittering of small animals was evident although the occasional exception was a welcome sound.

April 17th Phenology Walk

On April 17th, Our class was tasked with going out to observe phenological changes on campus, focusing on five different tree species: White Oak, Sugar Maple, Red Maple, Norway Maple, and Red Oak. Spring was definitely underway, but the trees were at different stages of waking up from winter.

Across most of the maples, especially the Red Maple and Sugar Maple, I noticed breaking leaf buds. Some trees showed small, newly emerged leaves which were mostly less than 5% of full size. It was exciting to see early signs of life after a long winter. The Norway Maple was the most advanced, with some tiny leaves expanding and even a few flower buds visible, which is expected as Norway Maples often flower earlier than other native maples.

The oaks (both White and Red) were earlier ion the process. Their buds were still closed, and I didn’t observe much leaf development yet, which aligns with the expectation that oaks usually leaf out later than maples in Vermont. I didn’t see any pollen release yet, and fruits were absent, which makes sense for this time of year when trees are just beginning their growing season.

A clear pattern stood out to me, the non-native Norway Maple was ahead of the native maples and oaks in phenological development. This observation fits with broader ecological patterns, where invasive or non-native species often leaf out earlier in the spring. which I thought was really interesting to observe first hand.

After my walk, I explored the USA National Phenology Network website. On their News & Publications page, I found an article about how long-term phenology data is helping scientists detect how climate change is shifting the timing of seasons. We have been talking a lot about this in class, how important phenological changes are to the status of our ecosystems and how they are starting to shift. For example, in Vermont and across the Northeast, spring is arriving earlier and fall is staying warmer for longer. These shifts impact ecosystems, from mismatches between pollinators and flowers to changes in migratory bird timing.

The data we collected on campus trees feeds into these larger databases. Even simple observations like the ones we took on the trees around campus, like noting whether a bud is breaking, are valuable because they help build a national picture of how climate change is reshaping seasonal rhythms. Tracking phenology year after year could help Vermont communities better predict and adapt to changes in forests, agriculture, and even allergy seasons.

Spring is always beautiful in Vermont, but this assignment showed me how important it is to pay attention to the details, and how those details tell a much bigger story about our changing world.

City Nature Challenge 2025

From April 25 to 28, I joined thousands of people around the world for the “City Nature Challenge”, a four-day BioBlitz using iNaturalist to document urban biodiversity. I explored several green spaces around Greater Burlington, including The Intervale, Centennial Woods and Waterfront Park. These are all places where nature and city life come together in interesting ways.

Armed with just my phone and the iNaturalist app, I set out to capture as many wild organisms as I could. I ended up observing about 15 different species, from spring wildflowers to birds and insects just starting to come out along with the warmer weather. Some of the species I spotted included:

• Mallard Duck (Anas platyrhynchos) — paddling around in the lake at rock point
• Eastern Chipmunk (Tamias striatus) — darting between logs near the creek in the Centennial.
• Red-winged Blackbird (Agelaius phoeniceus) — a vocal presence in wetlands near north beach.
• Hermit Thrush (Catharus guttatus) – My favorite song from the treetops
• Lily Of The Valley (Convallaria majalis) — one of the first woodland flowers I found blooming.
• Garter Snake (Thamnophis sirtalis) — found sunning on the trail in centennial before it zipped away.

Using iNaturalist was surprisingly easy and a fun way to slow down and observe details I’d normally walk past. I loved how it helped me learn species names quickly and that experts and other users could suggest better identifications if I wasn’t sure. It felt like contributing to something bigger, which felt really cool to be a part of. I also used the Merlin bird ID app from Cornell to help identify some of the things I was hearing but not seeing. My favorite bird song that I heard was that of the hermit thrush. I remember it from my childhood in the mornings when I would wake up with my window up and it is a beautiful reminder of many memories.

What really amazed me was watching observations come in from around the world in real time. I browsed through species logged in places like Cape Town, South Africa and São Paulo, Brazil, finding colorful birds, giant flowers, reptiles and wildlife I’d never see here in Vermont. It made me appreciate how urban biodiversity is a global story, even though it looks totally different depending on where you are. And yet, just like in Burlington, people everywhere were out connecting with nature in their own backyards, proving that cities aren’t separate from ecosystems they’re part of them. I like to think about how other people across the world might be looking around at our submissions and seeing the animals that we observe every day is something totally foreign for them.

The City Nature Challenge reminded me that you don’t have to go far to experience wildlife as it’s already all around us. Whether it’s a nut hatch in the treetops or chipmunks on the ground, paying attention matters. And it feels good to know that by simply taking a photo, I was contributing to real science.

Final Phenology Assignment

I walked to my phenology spot for the last time this year in the afternoon of March 3rd. I walked the same way I always do, on the same paths, past the same trees. I have become familiar with the way there and it is like second nature to me now. I settle into my classic sitting area. There is a big log that I always sit on that has become comforting and familiar which I included in my sketch.

I can see the creek by peering through the trees at my spot. The path winds down from my left to a fork which has a branch that curves right in front of my spot. The trees are maple and beech in the immediate area but down the hill there are more hemlock and pine. I feel like I see the same 3 squirrels chase each other around here occasionally. This spring especially they were present almost every time I visited. I feel as if most things are the same as they were in the fall, except for phenological changes of course. This time of year things are turning vibrant green but leaves are still off of the trees. In the fall there was a similar temperature but the air was more crisp and cool. The air is just as cool now but it feels more full, more fresh and new along with springtime. Leaves still litter the ground and I have to sit on the log because the ground is damp from the recent rain. It seems so familiar yet so much has changed. It was incredible to see the changes occur throughout the year as leaves fell, snow coated the ground, birds left, birds returned, and now as buds are beginning to show again and the air is sweet it feels like a whole new place yet it is still just the same.

My spot is off the beaten path so I wonder if I am one of the first to come here. I am confident I am the first to spend so much time in this exact place. From the cobwebs I hav to brush away from my face whenever I visit after I push through the hanging branches I get the impression I am the first to be here in a while. Nature and culture blend into one here. often on the nicest days that I spent here there were other hikers and people exploring the trails and area for themselves. Some probably visit regularly while others may just be visiting for the first time. From my spot I am pretty well hidden so sometimes I even go unnoticed and just observe. Vermont has such a culture built around the outdoors and recreation and I see that in the people that visit centennial woods. People enjoy the feeling of being outside and being a part of nature and its rawness. I definitely felt that. The culture here cannot survive without places like this, and without the culture this place would not be appreciated. They need each other so I think they come together very poetically in places like centennial woods. Even my little corner that I chose at the beginning of the year. This place could exist without the culture and the people here but it wouldn’t be recognized for its simple yet complex beauty, and the culture wouldn’t exist at all without places like this.

I have begun to feel as if I am a part of my phenology place but still merely as a visitor. I feel almost like an intruder when I visit. It might just be in my head but I feel like I am disturbing something by coming here. I still feel clumsy and big especially compared to the birds and small rodents and mammals that scamper around without hardly making a sound. The only time I feel truly a part of my place is after a time of sitting in silence. Thinking that everything has forgotten I am here and goes back to business as usual. That is when I feel I am a part of this place. It has been an incredible experience getting to know this place and focusing such time and energy on one specific spot and the changes that occurred. The biggest takeaways for me are to slow down and sometimes just sit. I didn’t always want t go out to visit my phenology spot but I always felt better afterward. Maybe in the future I will find more phenology spots and spend time observing them too.