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!
