1/31/2020 January; Endurance

Since the last time I visited my phenology site in Centennial Woods the site has changed quite a bit. When I first entered the woods the path route was the same as last time. Except now there is a layer of snow covering the ground. When walking on the path I noticed the track prints of human shoes as well as dogs. This shows that human activity is still common in the area during the winter seasons. Once I reached my spot I immediately noticed how high the water level of the brook is. This is probably because of the melting of the snow. Because of this higher water level, the sides of the brook are more eroded than they were in the fall. Since it is officially the winter season, there is no life in the brook and the only noticeable green of the area is the occasional moss on the trees. When visiting my site there was not a lot of animal activity. Occasionally there was a bird that would fly above and call out. To find some animal tracks I had to venture a little beyond the brook. I came upon what looked like deer tracks. The track was hoof shaped but did not have the separation between the two hoofs. Therefore, I was unsure as to what I had actually found. The track was too small to be a moose and it was too large to be any sort of rabbit or squirrel. I have identified a maple tree and an Eastern black walnut tree that hang over the brook. I was able to identify the Eastern black walnut by the twig I found. All the photos attached below were taken by me personally!

Dog tracks found in Centennial Woods.
Deer tracks found in Centennial Woods.
Eastern Black Walnut Twig.
Above is a diagram of a twig from an eastern black walnut tree.
Picture of my field notes.