Phantastic Phenology

Limits can provide a viable future for my site using populations limits-a lower number of people at my site can make it healthier. Just close it for a few days every once and a while, and ban plastic use on the beach to reduce litter. Markets can be used by enforcing fines for litterers. Institutions teach kids to respect the Earth.  Political economy enforce the social norm of frowning on littering (backed by markets.) Social constructions are the cultural instilment of the importance of Mother Earth, the respect and caring of her in a mutualistic relationship using the languages of the Native people to properly salute her. Ethics is the recognition that the earth and humans are the same. Neither is more important that the other, both demand and deserve respect. We could all work together to pick up trash, and our act!

The site is very dependent on people. Bordering a beach exposes my spot to a continual train of humans, which opens the spot up to environmental degradation. It also lies below a road, and therefore experiences unintentional polluted runoff. However, bordering a beach makes the more likely to be protected, since beach-goers won’t want to be by an extremely polluted, disgusting pond. The pond is also home to a multitude of animals and plants. Each plant slowly pushes its way from the dirt to provide clean air, food and shelter to the others of my site. Birds nest in the cattails, feasting on the insects that lie in abound. Raccoons, deer, and others come to my site to feast and occupy during the times when humans are not present.

We can implement education (institutions) to teach the populace about the importance of ponds and wetland ecosystems. Environmental ethics can help as well; treating the natural world as if she were another person will help stop pollution and other environmental discrepancies, giving the respect to my spot that she deserves. Markets can help through taxing and fines for those who litter. Social constructions can be used simultaneously with ethics- we must construct the natural world as an entity that has human-level intelligence and is worthy of an equal amount of respect.

I would reach out to the nonhuman residents of my site by sharing the site with them, without causing any of them harm. I would not disturb the site in any way, no pollution, habitat destruction, nothing. I would simply share the spot with them, reveling in its beauty and unity. This is possible-slowly, over time, the nonhuman residences would become comfortable with my presence, incorporating me into their world. All I will have to do it listen, watch and understand their interacts, and fit myself into their world by being more mindful of how every individual fits into the picture. I would reach out to other people with information on the importance of the ecosystems present at my spot, and incorporate environmental ethics.

At my spot, it is assumed that people will respect nature and keep it pristine. However, this is not an ethical thought. Ethics entices one’s morals, and people do not typically treat the beach in an ethical  manner. They poison the beach, with their chemical-soaked skin. They pollute the beach, with their garbage and waste. Would you poison your sister with foul chemicals? Or drown your brother in a  sea of garbage? No. The beach is a mere place to go. It is not something to care about for it’s own well-being. It is a thing to be kept neat for human use.

Stories of going to the beach continue the tradition. The beach is someplace to go and spend time with friends. The beach is someplace to party. The beach does not get any respect, even though it deserves endless respect. The plants and animals that live on and by the beach are fragile, and the constant pollution ravishes their home. The beach tradition will always continue, but hopefully as  time goes on, the land will become a being worth ethical attention.

The concept of limits is used by biologists, ecologists and social scientists to focus on issues that can stem from the imbalance between a population and the resources used by this population (too many individuals in a population in comparison to the available resources.) More generally, the concept of limits is used to describe the interrelations between humans and the natural world. The use of the area surrounding my Phenology spot as a public beach has far-reaching effects on the natural area. Due to the high concentrations of people, the wildlife populations of my spot are very low, which is terrible because the pond and surrounding cattails are a perfect habitat for many creatures. The overpopulation of people also reduces the biodiversity of my spot, since many wild animals are uneasy living in such a close proximity to large groups of people. The ecological footprint is rather large- litter and chemicals from beach-goers pollute the area, making it hard for sensitive species to survive.

In the past, humans placed even more limits on the location that would become my Phenology spot. The use of the area as a industrial site then a petroleum storage area (see “A Brief History” post for more information) resulted in high levels of heavy metals and other toxic wastes in the lake and soil. This limited and sickened the wildlife populations, along with the people that worked and live near North Beach. This was a classic example of the “Tragedy of the Commons;” everyone exploited and polluted the land and lake to the brink of destruction.

The future of my Phenology spot is uncertain- there is a fenced off zoning area on the edge. If a building is put up there, my entrance to the spot would be completely destroyed. Who knows where this destruction would end? Next thing we know, the pond is filled in and covered with a parking lot, and all of the beautiful Boxelders, Basswoods and Northern Red Oaks are cut down. I  hope that the Burlington public will not let this happen;  not only would a beautiful micro-ecosystem be destroyed, but the beach would lose its natural beauty and appeal.

Societal rules, norms and constraints develop the formal and informal institutions. At the beach, littering is frown upon, since no one wants to go to a dirty beach. This societal norm is also a law, since littering is prohibited. The combination of informal and formal institutions reduces the ecological footprint on my Phenology spot, but does not completely eradicate it. Laws prohibiting development without a permit also serves to reduce negative environmental actions. The management of this area by the City of Burlington stops a resurgence of the Tragedy of the Commons by making the land open to public use, but not change.

The institutions governing the North Beach area have changed greatly throughout history. When the Abenaki were the only humans residing in the area, the land was  governed in a sustainable way by Native institutions, which regarded the land as a sacred entity that had to be cared for in thanks for all it gave. Once the Europeans reached the Greater Burlington area, the land began to be exploited for industries such as shipbuilding and tanning, which started the decimation of the land. As time wore on, the land was used for various other industries, and finally ended up as a petroleum storage area in the mid-1900’s. The institutions that governed the land during this period were capitalistic, wanting to squeeze out every last drop of capital that could be taken from the land with no regards to environmental well-being. By the second half of the 20th century, people began enforcing laws to restrict and reduce pollution, and began looking down on those who mindlessly destroyed the land. The most recent institutional turnover has started bringing us in a full circle towards sustainable living once more.

Throughout history, humans have had a wide variety of interactions with my Phenology Spot (see “A Brief History: Human interactions with my Phenology Spot“). Presently, my Phenology Spot is located on a beach, so there are many interactions between the place (nature) and humans (culture).

Going to the beach is a very popular activity, especially during the summer. People go to spend time with friends and family while enjoying the water and fresh air. Food, drinks and games are usually brought, resulting in trash such as plastic bags that blow away and end up caught in my Phenology Spot. My spot is also located below a road, so heavy rains wash petrochemicals from the road into the pond. These interactions have a negative impact on the organisms that reside in and make up my spot.

On the flip side, no one wants to spend time at a dirty, polluted beach. As a result, the beach is regularly tested for harmful pollutants and litter is cleaned up. This makes the beach more enjoyable for beachgoers, and also mitigates some of the negative impacts that people could have on the area.

The changes that have occurred since my last visit were astounding, as usual. All lingering leaves had fallen from the trees, and the vegetation looked even drier. All lingering hints of life vanished, leaving husks of what had been a vibrant hub of plant and animal activity a few months earlier. The crickets I had heard on my last visit had not lingered- the nip in the air was enough of a warning for the approaching winter season. A thin veneer of sheet ice encased the pond, cracking around the edges of the flattened cattail patch. Sunlight showered the scene, creating a beautiful scene. The silence was only broken by a Pileated Woodpecker letting a call loose.

The first human interactions with my spot occurred roughly 11,300 years ago, when the Paleoindians moved into the Champlain Basin as the glaciers retreated (LCMM). These early humans were hunter-gatherers, and moved freely around the basin following herds of animals. As the climate warmed and many species of large animals became extinct, these small, migrating groups of Paleoindians began to condense and settle down. This shift occurred roughly 9,000 years ago,  and the people of this time most likely relied more heavily on fishing than before (LCMM). Around 2,000 years ago, Native Americans of the Champlain Basin began farming, and slowly developed the “Three Sisters” method that was used when the Europeans arrived. The Three Sisters farming method was a very sustainable farming practice: The corn acted as a bean pole, allowing the beans to reach the sun. The beans naturally fix nitrogen, and would replace the nutrients that the corn and squash took out of the soil, and therefore maintained the soil quality. The squash acted as a climate and weed controller- its large leaves held moisture in the soil and shaded out potential competition.

When the Europeans arrived in the Champlain basin in the 1600’s, they were met by the Abenaki, a Native American tribe that resided in the area. The Europeans began forcing the Abenaki out of the region and clear cut most of the region for farming. The European settlers then set up lumber processing plants, woodworking shops, boatbuilding yards, and machine shops. Tanneries, preservatives, and arsenic also contributed to the pollutant pool (History). The soil and lake became polluted from years of unregulated dumping. The North Beach area evolved from a lumber port, to a railyard, to a petroleum storage facility in the early 1900’s. By the 1970’s, the newfound environmental movement swept through the area, working to clean up the mess created and recreate a healthy natural space for organisms, both human and nonhuman alike to enjoy.

Throughout history, the area containing my phenology spot has endured many different human influences. In the beginning, there was very little impact caused by humans- hunter-gatherers did not even set up permanent settlements on the land and ranged around in small groups. Once they began settling and farming, they still had very minimal influence over the land. All farming, hunting and fishing techniques were refined until they could be carried out in sustainable ways. When the Europeans began settling in the area, these environmentally-friendly methods were discarded, and humans began having extremely harmful effects on the area. Presently, we are still negatively impacting the area, but we are beginning to turn ourselves around and look back to the sustainable ways of the Native Americans.

Social-Ecological systems show the interconnections between societies and ecosystems. They vary from place to place and person to person, but always reflect the interactions experienced within the place. I put together a social-ecological system for my Burlington phenology spot, which reflects a mere portion of all of the synergy present at this location. In my diagram, there are several main groups that are directly attached to the central “Phenology Spot”, with equally important connections stemming from these areas. The main groups are People, Wildlife, Diversity of Ecosystems and Plants, Water Quality, Basis of Economy, and Indigenous and Local Values. The People and Values sections show how humans tie into and impact the spot, positively and negatively. On the positive side, nature enthusiasts fight for conservation and inform the general public of Nature’s beauty and suffering, which helps protect Nature. Specifically, the beach goers of the Burlington area experience the beauty of my spot, and wish to conserve it. On the negative side, nature enthusiasts and people in general can negatively impact my spot by disturbing and damaging parts of the system when exploring it. They also inadvertently cause disruption through pollution-runoff, litter, and common beach goer products such as sunscreen permeate the system, lowering water and habitat quality. People who wish to enjoy the area can cause habitat fragmentation and disruption through expanding human structures like fences, parking lots, and buildings. Development and infrastructure expansion also takes away from the natural system. Ecosystem degradation harms humans in the long run- they lose important ecosystem services such as wetland filtration, good water quality, and the benefits that stem from terrestrial forests and unfragmented  wild.

The second circle constitutes wildlife. High biodiversity can be connected to the health of the place, the higher the diversity, the healthier the system. Humans have a tendency to destroy or pollute integral parts of the ecosystem, resulting in loss of diversity. My phenology spot contains a high ecosystem diversification (yet another circle on the  diagram), meaning that there are several micro-ecosystems that make up the overall ecosystem. In this case, there is a aquatic  ecosystem, a wetland ecosystem, and a terrestrial ecosystem. This helps to create a wide range of organism habitat and ecosystem benefits, all of which can be lost with too much unnatural disruption.

Water quality and Plant Diversity are the final natural aspects on my chart. These both directly impact the quality and quantity of life in the ecosystem. Water quality is important for healthy plants and animals, and important for humans if they wish to use said ecosystem for recreational or practical use. Plants directly relate to the animal life, so healthy and diversified vegetation is necessary for healthy and diversified animal life. Human development and hubs can pollute, fragment, or destroy natural spots that have good water and diversified vegetation, losing important ecosystem benefits and species.

Lastly, Local and Indigenous Views can highly impact a spot. If local values support development, the area has a higher chance of being converted into a developed spot. If local values lean towards nature, many places have a higher chance of remaining intact. Indigenous views always lean towards the side of nature, since their culture was about living at one with nature rather than subduing it. Luckily for my spot, the culture of Burlington supports the conservation of nature and people enjoy the natural beauty of the beach that my phenology spot is located on, which helps prevent destruction of my spot.

At this point, I consider myself to be an integral part of my spot. To be integrated into a place, I believe that a mutualistic relationship must be formed between the human and the spot. The spot must do something for the person; it must give them a sense of  belonging, and must make them want to be there and want to protect the spot. In return, they must actually protect the spot- they must pick up trash and do their best to maintain a high quality of life for the inhabitants of their spot. There must be a deep connection of love and trust; the spot must be seen as not just a place but as an living entity, made up of many individual components that need each other in order to survive. I feel this connection with my spot- I feel at home there, relaxed and safe, and the spot openly welcomes me, allowing me to explore it and learn about it. I do my best to care for my spot, picking up trash and keeping it clean for all of its parts and pieces.

Hey Guys! I live near Buffalo, New York, and over Thanksgiving I found a home Phenology spot. I created a new page that contains more information on the spot, and how it compares to my Burlington spot. This post is basically just pictures from the spot that I wanted to share, along with a link to a Google Maps image of the location of my spot.

Link: https://www.google.com/maps/d/edit?mid=zAIXDI3CN5g4.kFv-qoorvxkw

Big-Tooth Aspen Leaf, Red Pine Pinecone, and Big-Tooth Aspen Tree:

Green Ash Bud and Bark:

Black Cherry Leaf and Bud:

American Beech:

Today, I was yet again astounded by the changes that were present at my phenology spot. With the exception of the Northern Red Oak, all of the  trees had completely lost their leaves. The Cattails and Goldenrod were going to seed, rustling in the dry breeze. The only wildlife present were crickets, chickadees and the waterfowl on the lake. As I made my way around my spot,  it was clear that fall  was coming to a close. The usual signs of wildlife were diminished – no frogs croaking in the pond, fewer birds, no bees buzzing around. My spot was rushing to prepare for winter, yet on the surface, it seemed as if nothing moved. All was quiet, save a final chickadee call.

A Haiku:

Through the fallen leaves

A chickadee’s call resounds

Fall comes to a close.

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Returning to my site was slightly shocking – it is amazing how much can change over the course of two weeks. All of the trees that had still been green on my last visit showcased their brightest colors, while those who had already changed colors before my last visit stood silently, their music having dropped to the ground with the last of their leaves.

The non-woody vegetation had also changed significantly, no longer was the ground a rich green with a hint of change – it had transformed into a tapestry of brown, green, red and yellow, adorned with the colorful leaves of the surrounding trees. The cattails had also transformed: their typically robust stalks appeared shrunken and wilted, listlessly rustling in the light breeze. The whole area carried the feel of fall, with the promise of winter following shortly.

Despite the area preparing herself for the winter, there was a lot of active wildlife. Nearing the water’s edge, I could see where a raccoon had tread, could see where a moose had waded into the cattails, knocking them askew. Looking around, I spotted several Black-Capped Chickadees eating the remaining wild grapes along with squirrels, Ring-Billed Gulls, and a Great Blue Heron.