Crescent Woods Phenology Blog

I cannot believe that this is my final post!! Unfortunately, I left campus a bit early so I was not able to head back to centennial woods for a final check-in. Since I couldn’t talk about centennial, I decided to take a trip to a local natural area about 30 minutes from me. This week I traveled to Great Brook Farm State Park in Carlisle, MA and took a lovely walk through the forested trails. During the walk, I noticed lots of similarities to the phenology around Burlignton since I was still in New England. I saw some familiar tree species such as the eastern hemlock, red maples, red oaks, birches, and eastern white pines. I also saw several fiddleheads and saw some that had unfurled and began to form adult ferns. New leaves and buds were a lot more present here than in Burlington, I am assuming it is because I am much further south so spring temperatures are rising faster here. For animal species, I saw several chipmunks, grey squirrels, geese and their new babies, and heard so many bird species. There were also several abandoned structures here such as rock walls, stone foundations, and even a full cabin! I also got to look around the dairy farm at the park, which is part of the Cabot co-op just like UVM’s dairy program. It was so interesting to compare this site to places I know in Burlington, and it was so fun to show off my tree ID skills to my friend who joined me on my hike. Overall, this trip was a really great time to reconnect with nature in my local area and to re-cap all that I have learned throughout NR2. Thanks to all involved for a great year!!

During the 2021 City Nature Challenge, I explored my phenology spot, Centennial Woods. Nothing particularly interesting happened on my visit, but it was nice to see the changes of spring present in the area. Over the past few weeks we’ve gotten tons of rain, so hopefully that manifests in bright green vegetation for the rest of the spring :). My trip had all of the usual sightings: maples, eastern white pines, honeysuckles, paper birches, and various types of ferns. I also heard black-capped chickadees as well as a woodpecker. In my experience, using the iNaturalist app did come with a learning curve. While it was easy to categorize and identify my sightings, trying to research out what my peers found was slightly difficult, but in the end I figured it out. I think the app is a really interesting tool for all sorts of individuals with any interest in the environment or nature. It seems like a great educational resource to incentivize appreciation of natural areas, due to its game-like nature and social media-esque layout. When I go on my next nature walk at home I will be sure to make my own observations and check out what my neighbors have found.

When looking at the cohesive City Nature Challenge data, it was so interesting to see all of the diverse locations that participated. I would consider myself part of (or relatively close to) the Boston area, and they had about 22,480 observations: which is wild to think about. I also saw that a town my house lies on the border of, Tyngsboro MA, was participating and had 370 observations, with a total of 147 species. Next time I take a walk through my backyard I will be cognizant that it is full of diversity and not as boring as I think it is.

Spring has sprung here at Centennial Woods and I am excited to recap my findings from my April visits. My later visit occurred after the rain and snowfall this past week, so the ground ended up being slightly more muddy than it probably would be this April. Luckily, green is starting to return and is pushing out the grey vibes of the dead of winter. Buds are starting to grow and sprout, and some are beginning to open. Ferns are also present and showing off their green leaves.

In regards to animal activity, there was quite a great amount of evidence as well as sightings. As snow has melted, tracks can only be visible in the mud. Unfortunately, the only clear prints I was able to find were left by dogs. During my trips to the woods I saw various birds and squirrels interacting with the trees and vegetation. I was able to see and hear a Pileated Woodpecker pecking on a large tree. For me a huge sign of spring is hearing bird activity, so I was glad to hear the chirping, whistling, and rustling of those animals. Much more peaceful than the honks and screeches I hear from the Seagulls and Geese that terrorize the parking lots and fields outside my dorm window.

This diagram can seem a bit unorganized, but this is the best I could do with the software I could find. It shows the Squirrel on trophic level 3 and how it is in slight competition with the woodpecker as they share some food sources but not all. The Squirrel benefits from the vegetation for food sources of nuts, seeds, and other edible parts of the flora. These plants are not benefited as these seeds are not spread and their resources are being exploited by the Squirrels and Birds. The plants are all in competition with each other due to their need for similar resources, like nutrients, water, sunlight, and space. The woodpecker benefits from the tree species due to their providing of shelter, some direct food sources, and indirect food sources like the insects who live on and inside them that the woodpeckers focus on as a main food source. These trees are mostly unharmed by the woodpeckers.

On the freezing cold day of March 5th, I headed down to the waterfront to observe the phenological changes of the area. One thing that made this day stand out was the hotter weather and rain earlier in the week. This had caused a large amount of the snow to melt, so spotting tracks was slightly harder than when the snow was fresh.

While I did not find any defined tracks or evidence of animal activity, there were several ducks swimming in the distance of the above photo. I cannot believe that ducks will still swim around in this freezing water! I also think this photo is super fascinating due to the ice formations on the water. The ice sheet along the coast was broken into large chunks floating on the water and waves. There was no snow left on the beach except where the water and shore met, and there was a large blue buoy that had washed up on the shore along with some large twigs. The buoy was really the only sign of human activity, as all of the parks and areas I visited were free of litter. The only evidence were the large bootprints in the almost melted snow.

When looking at the flora around the waterfront, a lot was pretty grey. Grass peeked through the frozen snow patches, but it varied in color from a muddled green to dark brown. These tree buds were all in very early stages of growth, with only small grey-colored bulbs on the end of the twigs. This was the case with the other trees and bushes in the area as well.

Overall, this trip really showed the city in almost a seasonal depression. The trees and landscape had become grey and muddy, and there was little life to be found anywhere. Although this time of the year can be cold and a bit dreary, it is exciting to see the first signs of spring in the growing buds and melting snow.

This semester I decided to switch things up and try out a new phenology spot. The new spot I chose was in Centennial Woods. To reach my spot, I crossed campus and traveled to the Centennial Woods trail head behind the medical center. In the woods I walked for about 15-20 minutes straight on the main path. When arrived at a spot with animal activity, I documented quite a few animal footprints. Unfortunately I think they’re mostly dog prints, but it’s better than nothing :).

To research the human history of Crescent Woods, I looked at the land-use history of Englesby Brook, which runs through the center of the natural area. It seems like this area had not been used for much other than urban and suburban development over the years. Several culverts of the brook reveal that there are many strange obstructions in the waterway. These include large pieces of metal and items like shopping carts, which indicate that this land has been used for a long time for construction and commercial purposes.

I found that in one area of Crescent Woods, there are remnants of an old stone bridge. Research states that this bridge is most likely an artifact of the Henry Holt property. Henry Holt was the founder of a popular publishing company that still exists today, called Henry Holt & Company. In 1809, he built a mansion that was near the Burlington Country Club property. Further research has indicated that Holt would visit Vermont in the summers, so this mansion was probably a vacation home.

Unfortunately, that was all I could find about the history of this place. I’m assuming that the area was always a little plot of forested land in the middle of a developed neighborhood, and locals wanted to preserve it as an urban wild. Although this spot doesn’t have the richest history, it’s interesting to see how this place has been affected by the property development that surrounds it and its proximity to the shopping district of South Burlington.

Citations:

Berrizbeitia, I. (n.d.). Englesby Brook: Human Land-Use. Retrieved December 05, 2020, from https://www.uvm.edu/place/burlingtongeographic/focalplaces/eb-landuse.php

The location I have chosen for my home phenology comparison is a spot of land inside Mine Falls Park of my hometown Nashua, NH. I have visited this site several times for recreational purposes, but it is so different to look at it in this new phenological perspective.

Most of the land is made up of hardwoods, which is consistent with the tree species located in my Burlington phenology site. These hardwoods include maples and oaks, and it seems as if there are more oaks here than at the Burlington site. White Oaks seem to be the dominant species. There are also pine trees at Mine Falls, which are not found at the spot I chose in crescent woods. The biggest difference between the two spots for me is the size of area. Mine Falls is 325 aces, while crescent woods is just a small patch of woods in a residential area. This allows Mine Falls to be richer in diversity of tree species, animal activity, and geographical features. The only wildlife seen were squirrels, which is very similar to Crescent Woods.

Mine Falls is also a heavily trafficked area, which differs slightly to Crescent Woods. During my several trips to Crescent Woods, I have never encountered any others walking though the forest. At any given trip to Mine Falls I have taken over the years, I have encountered runners, families, fishers, cyclists, plain-old walkers, and people walking their pets. Mine Falls also differs from Crescent Woods due to water sources. The lengthy Nashua River runs through Mine Falls and Mill Pond is also contained inside of the park. The weather is slightly warmer here at the moment being a few hours southeast of Burlington, but the climate is still typically New England-y.

The reason I chose this spot is due to its personal history to me, as well as it being a great example of how nature and people coexist. The entrance of the park I prefer is located in the parking lot of Stellos Stadium, which hosts the sports games of my city’s three high schools. Additionally, every year, my school would take us to Mine Falls for a walk during spirit week which was always a fun day. So many other events have taken me to this place, and it holds quite a sentimental value to me.

For it being a great example of the interconnectedness of humans and nature, its central location and easy access is so special for this place. When people want a slice of New Hampshire wilderness, that typically entails a trip up to the mountains or lakes, which are both a pretty lengthy drive from a city so southern as Nashua. Mine Falls is right in the center of the city, and is a short drive for residents of neighboring towns.

Since it is located in a large patch of land in a city, it also is intertwined with the man-made landscape. Bridges of roads pass over the trails, spots of the trails go below power lines, and there are sports fields on the outskirts of the land. It really shows an interesting “urban” (it’s hard referring to a New Hampshire city as an urban place when most people from larger states would consider it almost rural haha) wild and I am so excited to chronicle its natural landscape over these next few months!

On the fourth trip to the site, fall has finally come to an end. Most deciduous trees were barren, and the trees that weren’t naked bore brown and dead yellow leaves. Unfortunately on the event map, there was quite a bit of human influence, but it does make sense as the site is so close to a residential area. Evidence of species was much easier to view on this trip. On many Norway Maple leaves, there were several spots that just showed the brown veins on the leaf. To me, this indicates that a bug might have snacked on these leaves. Regarding the waste found on the rock, I did some research (I know 🤢) and it seems closest to the droppings of a squirrel or chipmunk, which were pretty much expected to live in this area.

Citations:

HUDSON RIVER & NEW ENGLAND BRICK COLLECTION AND IDENTIFIER: A–L. (n.d.). Retrieved December 05, 2020, from https://brickcollecting.com/collection.htm

*photos are mine*

During the third visit to the site, not much had changed. The biggest change was in the colors of the foliage. Leaves on the deciduous trees are beginning to turn from bright green to yellows and browns. No obvious signs of animal habitats, but there are several notches in the bases of the larger trees that could easily house small mammals.

Today I visited the lovely Crescent Woods for the first time :). Before I get into explaining the vegetation, I’ll detail a bit about the trip there.

The Journey

To briefly explain how I got there; I walked around the back of the redstone apartments, walked down past the country club, and then through a residential neighborhood until I arrived at Crescent St. This was a very peaceful walk on this sunny high 40s day, and I found out that I missed seeing suburbs more than I thought I would.

The Exploration

When entering Crescent Woods, you descend down some cute wooden stairs down to the bay of Englesby Brook. Along the walking path the dominant tree species are Sugar Maples, Norway Maples, and Ashes. There were also some American Beeches, and farther into the forest were Eastern Hemlocks. Although I did not encounter any of the trees themselves, I did find dead White Oak leaves scattered across the ground. Most of these trees are very young and make up the understory. There are not many large overstory trees, and most of them are Maples and Ashes. For small plants, there are ferns throughout and some sprouts of grass along the walking path. Along the river bank I noticed two species of small plants, but I was not able to identify them. The soil in this area was moist and dark brown in color, and was absolutely covered in leaf litter. There were also many fallen branches and logs throughout the woods.

*photos are mine*