Centennial Woods

Centennial woods are a unique and essential part of the UVM community. Because the area is so easily accessible, students as well as other people in the area visit frequently. Even without people there, it is clear it is a utilized place. The brook always has new little stacks of rocks, and the surrounding area has a fort made out of branches. I even see peoples belongings, like bikes, hammocks, etc. left in the woods. Centennial woods have been a huge part of mine and other’s learning experience this year at UVM, and it is also loved just as much by people in the surrounding community.

I definitetly consider myself a part of Centennial Woods. Us and the brook are a part of the Winooski watershed, so everyone living here has an impact on the health of nearby waterways. It is important to remember we are a part of all of the nature around us to understand the connection between human and environmental health. Our actions significantly impact the state of the environment, in turn causing human health issues. Because I chose Centennial Woods as my phenology place, I was able to create an even closer relationship. I observed the seasonal changes from September to my most recent visit this past week, and I’ve developed a strong understanding of the woods learning more every time I visited. I have also brought my friends who are not in Rubenstein and aren’t introduced to the woods here. I have loved learning about the phenology of Centennial Woods and definitetly plan to continue visiting next semester, overall I am very grateful for its accessibility for the UVM community.

During my final visit to Centennial Woods of the semester, I noticed a variety of small bird species who made the woods much noisier than previous months. Other signs of birds were woodpecker holes which I find more and more of every time I visit.

The woods are appearing fuller as deciduous leaves continue to emerge as well as smaller plants along the floor. Wildflowers are one of my favorite aspects of spring and visiting forested areas in these months. Ostrich fern fiddleheads are scattered throughout Centennial Woods and have began to appear much more over the past month.

The amount of insects has increased significantly as well, with multiple bee species, moths, ants, etc. Also, down in the brook I was able to find a ton of small snails in the shallow water on rocks.

Over the past 4 days, I participated in the urban BioBlitz as part of the City Nature challenge. On may first, I explored between the church street area and the waterfront. The majority of my findings this day were plants, and I compared the street trees found in different areas. As I walked along the water, wildlife emerged. I was met with seagulls and a couple loons diving for food.

For the following day of the celebration, I made my observations at rock point. Here, I was surrounded by the sounds of birds, which were really fun to record on the iNaturalist app. The sounds I uploaded were quickly identified by other users, which is what makes the app so useful. It is also extremely easy to use and navigate through, giving almost anyone the opportunity to learn about the dispersal of species populations across the planet. The highlight of my trip to rock point was the group of white tailed deer walking through the woods. I also find it interesting to look for smaller observations like fungi, because the variation within a small area can be incredibly vast.

An amazing part of the app is the ability to watch as real time data comes in from completely different geographical locations, as 400+ cities are involved. With extensive participation from Cape Town, I enjoyed looking through those observations and being introduced to species I wasn’t before aware of. I especially found the sea life observations fascinating. Certain species looked drastically different than the species I commonly see, which out into perspective the diversity of nature.

Though it can be difficult to spot wildlife, the signs of animal activity throughout Centennial Woods are plentiful and can be easy to point out. As shown above, I came across a few piles of fur down by the stream. This is likely the result of an attack from a predator, and the prey could have been a deer based off the appearance of the fur. The forest is abundant with bird life, leaving their mark with nests in high up branches, and holes in trees as a result of woodpecker activity. As expected, grey squirrels cross my path various times throughout each trip I make to Centennial Woods. They are one species that has almost remained constant throughout all of my visits.

One of the most well known indicators/characteristics of spring is the emergence of buds. There were few leaves that are visible on deciduous trees throughout centennial woods, but the various buds and flowers indicate the forest will be vibrantly green soon. On a lower level, the forest floor has shifted from primarily dirt and organic matter to a dense layer small plants. Some are more abundant than others, and I sketched some of the common ones, attached above. The shift into spring is my personal favorite season to observe the changes in plant life. The forest seemingly rapidly becomes filled with new life and the regrowth of plants that became bare during the winter.

I recently spent a couple of hours on a walk around the Burlington area, observing the phenology and wildlife activity. I noticed much more grass peaking through the snow compared to the last few weeks as we begin approaching spring. Throughout my walk, I was surrounded by the calls of crows as large flocks flew above me. Along with this, I noticed a few other small bird species in trees and in the air. As for other animals, I spotted a few squirrels and a shredded up pinecone next to some tracks, indicating the squirrel was eating the pinecone (pictured below). While I observed the phenology, I took a bud from a few of the trees I was seeing often, also pictured below. Some species I saw were red maple, eastern hemlock, ginkgo, and sugar maple.

As we move deeper into the winter, the last few dead leaves of deciduous trees are cleared out. The forest appears sparse and branchy with tall evergreens making up the sparse over story. Most of these trees are bare the majority of the way up with needles only at the top. The understory is made up of small trees and bushes, some barely poking through the snow.

Surrounding the trail were small to medium sized animal prints in the snow, as shown in the second picture, but these might be domestic dog prints. The icy state of the snow made it difficult to see a to of animal prints clearly. Slightly off of the trail I came across something disturbing, a very picked away at animal carcass, pictured above. Throughout my time in Centennial Woods today, I was enveloped by the sounds of a few bird calls especially the male Black-capped Chickadee.

Beginning 19,000 years ago as the last ice age came to a close, the Laurentide Glacial Sheet retreated leaving behind extreme changes to the geology of the general area and melt water filled in what we now know as Lake Champlain. Vegetation is finally able to re-establish throughout Vermont, which allows for wildlife as well and ecosystems are rebuilt. This now abundant land and its proximity to a large water body attracted Abenaki people who were utilizing land throughout Vermont at the time. The Native American way of living with the land likely left the area of Centennial Woods intact until farmers began to claim the land as Europeans settled throughout New England. Fred Fiske was eventually one of them in the 1900’s, he was an alumni of the University of Vermont. Fred along with other farmers contributed to a great amount of deforestation of Centennial Woods. The land was divided as seen today with the barbed wire fencing left behind, used to protect crops and animals. Today, the woods are owned by the University of Vermont and are utilized by many people and students while still being a natural area that is highly appreciated and continues to be explored.

Citations:

The Changing Landscapes of Centennial Woods Natural Area: A Field Guide [PDF]. University of Vermont Natural Areas. University of Vermont Environmental Program, http://www.uvm.edu/~uvmsc/Centennial%20Woods/Changing_Landscapes_Centennial_Woods002.pdf.

Lake Champlain Thrust Fault: Geologic History. (n.d.). Retrieved December 05, 2020, from http://www.uvm.edu/giv/givsummer2010/westernskunkcabbage/ThrustFaultHistory/LakeChamplainThrustFault.html