On the morning of Thanksgiving day, I walked with my dad and my dog, Rudy, to Coldbrook Creek on Aquinas College’s campus. Coldbrook Creek is an urban stream that flows through Grand Rapids, and is a short walk from my childhood home. It’s headwaters are at Fisk Lake and the creek eventually drains into the Grand River, which flows to Lake Michigan. I was fascinated when drawing my comparisons of ecology and phenology between the woods surrounding Coldbrook Creek versus that of the Salmon Hole back in Vermont. For one, I was immediately struck by the presence of common buckthorn in the understory, which I am all too familiar with by now. I also noticed that a lot of the tree species found in the overstory were common to both areas, such as American Beech, Northern Red Oak, and Sugar as well as Noway Maple. There was also withered Goldenrod found on the path along Coldbrook Creek just like what I pictured in my last blog post about the Salmon Hole.
Besides just vegetation, though, these two areas are also similar due to their location and land use. They are both urban natural areas with a body of water running through them, and they are both next to roads and college campuses. They also both have evidence of human impact on the waterway, with visible drainage pipes and/or water management facilities nearby. Because of their urbanized environments, both of these natural areas have, in my experience, had limited wildlife sightings. During my visit to Coldbrook Creek, I had some encounters with squirrels and heard occasional bird calls, but didn’t see much beyond that (though I’ve heard of Barred Owl sightings in the area). I was also surprised to see bark from a tree that was rubbed off in an area somewhat low to the ground. My dad suggested that it could’ve been the work of a buck, but that would be surprising since deer aren’t often seen here in this busy area. Another thing that was unique about my visit to Coldbrook Creek was the presence of English Ivy, which is an invasive species of ivy, in the understory and growing up trees. I also spotted a couple of bladdernut trees during my walk, which are native to Michigan. Overall, it was really amazing to visit a place that I have grown up next to through a new lens and be able to draw comparisons to my phenology spot back in Burlington.
Common Buckthorn in the understory of the woods near Coldbrook Creek
Pods of an American Bladdernut tree (left) and a leaf from an American Beech tree (right)
English ivy growing in the understory and up some trees (left) and a curious squirrel (Eastern fox squirrel?) who spotted me walking (right)
A curious sight of bark rubbed off of a tree (could be from a buck rub)
Google maps view of the area I was exploring