My spot for the phenology lab is on a nice little offshoot path in Centennial Woods. It is super easy to get to but filled with nature and beauty. The first time I visited my spot was during a self-guided centennial woods lab. While doing the lab, my friends and I wandered off route a little bit and at one point ended up at this spot. For some reason I felt connected to it right away. Later, when I started this phenology blog, I knew this was the perfect spot for it. What really drew me to this spot is that there are quite a few trees in this area with curved and misshapen trunks and one tree that is leaning over quite a bit. What intrigues me about this one tree is how at first, I thought it was a dead fallen tree that has been uprooted, but it is actually alive. Its branches are only growing on the side facing the sky, understandably, and there is a lot of moss on this tree. I was really drawn to this particular tree. Also, the stream runs right next to my spot. It was calming being back in my spot again, it had been too long and being in nature is so peaceful and soothing to me. Being somewhere in nature that I can think of as my own is so reassuring and comforting. Walking to my spot this week was beautiful because it is peak foliage time. However, most of the trees in my spot had already started losing leaves and some are even bare. It was a little sad because it makes me happy when everything is green, but it was still my spot which brought me a lot of joy. The ground was super muddy in my spot and around the stream. This is probably due to the recent rainfall that has occurred recently. Overall, it was nice to be back in my spot and feel connected to nature again.
Phenology Blog Visit – Field Notes 10/24 @ 4:33 pm
- Overcast, a bit chilly but not too cold
- Mostly hardwood stand
- Peek foliage time, but a lot of trees in my spot have begun to lose their leaves
- Not as green as it was before, sorta sad):
- Ground is super damp and mushy from all the rain recently
- Tons and tons of leaf litter on the ground
