This was my last visit to my spot and to Centennial for the rest of the school year (will be visiting again soon), and I loved just taking in and appreciating how much my spot has grown, shifted, and changed as the seasons interacted with its species. The maples and oaks that are scattered about my plot were covered in fresh, light green buds and leaves, bringing the baby growth of spring. The barks on the trees had a new color and tint to them from the new warmth and sunlight. The groundcover was no longer grey and dead but now covered in wildflowers, grass, and barberry bush covered in bright hues of lime green buds. The ferns were now sprouting into their fiddlehead stage, bright with promise, and the portion of ground that was the layer of fallen pine needles was now minimal and a deep and lovely shade of emerald green. The Eastern pines surrounding my plot were breathing the new spring air in, and I took in the view by lying completely down and staring straight up into the canopy (pictured below). Centennial is one of the only undeveloped natural areas of land on UVM’s campus, as well as the greater Burlington area, so it can receive heavier foot traffic, especially when the warmer weather starts approaching. These interactions can lead animals to be more stressed in their environment, but it is a factor that cannot be changed and most of the inhabitants seem unbothered. Culture in the natural sense has a deep connection to the nature in this place because of the array it holds. Biodiversity in Centennial alone is rich, but concentrating it to just my plot still offers quite the array of species interactions and a variety of stories to be observed that are whispered by the trees. I consider myself to be an appreciative guest of my phenological spot, as I have watched it change so much that I am only an observer of the place. Like the scientist I am, I still am that little kid in the forest and I love interacting and appreciating my place like I am part of it and that I know it well enough to understand the changes and shifts in its biological stages.
