history of centennial woods

Over the course of the semester I’ve learned a lot about not only Burlington, but my phenology location in general. Centennial Woods was obtained by the University of Vermont from various private landowners (from 1891 to 1968 ish) in the mid 1990’s. The natural area covers over 65 acres, and is utilized not only for recreational purposes, but also for educational purposes. Depicted below are images from the entrance to the woods, an NR1 class in the woods, and a professional birds-eye map. More about Centennial’s history can be found here

    

a change of scenery

(Wright inspired writing)

With an absence of academic schooling, I joyfully return home for the holiday and am reminded of everything I left behind. Connecticut in the fall is a beautiful place, and I was fortunate enough to visit one of my favorite places to observe. Upon arrival I took note of how my breath barely appeared in the air, while much warmer than my Vermont counterparts, it was still a brisk day. I began my trek into the woods amazed at the nature surrounding me. Leaves scattered, covering the forest floor were somewhat silent under my boots, the expected crunch absent given the time spent being stomped on. I arrived to the pond and gazed at the natural beauty surrounding me. Insects dancing along the surface of the water, skipping to their own beat. A single leaf, carried by the wind, landed in front of me, skimming the surface of the pond before diving under. I continued on the path, rocks rolling as my boots picked them up on my journey. I stopped again at a stream taking a moment to listen to the water trickling down over sticks and leaves. The water traveled taking its time flowing over the many rocks and matter below it, leaving behind a beautiful symphony of sound.

(Holland inspired writing)

The land in Connecticut differs greatly from the land in Vermont. While both are protected areas, the trees and wildlife in the Connecticut area were much more diverse in height and diameter. There seemed to be a more even distribution of young, old, and snag trees, where as in Vermont one can see far fewer older and snag trees. The presence of young new trees in Vermont can most likely be explained through the presence of the Great Cutover, where most of Vermont was deforested in the 19th and 20th centuries. While Connecticut also had similar problems, by 1820 only 25% of forested areas remained untouched, certain areas recovered faster than those seen in Vermont. This could be accounted for a number of factors; Vermont observes much harsher winter seasons, and the ground is often frozen for much longer periods of time. Connecticut has a slightly longer growing season most likely increasing the availability for regrowth. Both New England areas showcase beautiful leaf changes in Autumn, and lovely floral growth in the Spring.

 

  

event map ~explained~

Based on the examples provided in Hannah Hinchman’s article The World as Events, I’ve created my own event map to illustrate my most recent visit to my location. This trip was slightly different because I went into it trying to find interesting things to blog about, so I was much more attentive to the world around me. I began, as I always do, by walking into Centennial taking note of the UVM sponsored sign. “CENTENNIAL WOODS Natural Area” it reads. I then continued my walk into the woods, it was a little colder and windier so I was walking with my head up, looking at the trees when my boot caught on a root and I tripped. I laughed at myself and carried on to my spot when I saw Emma and Emily, I said hi and carried on. Once situated I sat on the log that I’ve grown fond of and spent time breathing and taking in everything around me. Then after a while I texted Emma to see if they were still in the woods and they came to where I was and we took photos on the other fallen tree. I then jumped into the water instead of crossing and got my pants wet and we left. Overall, a successful trip.

birds-eye map

In my birds-eye view drawing, you’ll notice that I’ve centered the perspective around the water. In the bottom left corner I’ve featured a dead log that I like to sit on when I visit my site. I’ll often sit here and just unplug for a bit. Additionally there’s a more narrow tree seen on the right that fell that crosses the water, this one appears much younger than the thicker one. I also chose to feature the hemlock overhang in my drawing because it seems like a significant aspect of my location. I’ve also noticed that there are a decent amount of younger trees closer to the water.

phenology location: centennial woods!

Hello world and welcome to my phenology site blog! My spot is located in Burlington Vermont, specifically within Centennial Woods; you get there by starting down the main path (off of Catamount Drive), and following it until the second clearing where you then turn and head down the slope and towards the stream. At the stream you’ll want to turn left towards the secluded shrubbery and then you’ll be at the center of my selected location! Here you’ll see a variety of different tree species and wildlife including, but not limited to, tons of Eastern Hemlocks.

click here to see on a map!