History of Centennial Woods
Centennial Woods was one home to the indigenous Abenaki tribe and was mostly taken over by white settlers for agricultural and living purposes. The Abenaki people were hunters and gatherers and used natural resources from the woods to sustain themselves. Once Europeans migrated to the East Coast, it was destroyed over time as they exploited the area to make a profit. Centennial Woods was owned by many wealthy families who used it as farmland to grow and sell crops, and to raise farm animals. Previous owners include C. Baxter Est., H. Stevens, Hickok Est., and the Ainsworth family. A vast majority of the vegetation was most likely cleared for large farms to be established, demolishing any natural ecosystems that existed prior to white settlement. It must have also been involved in some sort of battle since there is a concrete wall standing that was once a bunker. Fortunately, Centennial was bought by the University of Vermont in 1974 for students to explore and learn about the environment. This led to efforts being made to preserve the woods in their most natural state, allowing ecosystems to revive and be taken care of throughout the following years. Evidence of this can be seen by the groups of young trees, mostly including maples, birches from my own observation, that are present. Centennial Woods provides people a place to wander during their spare time, allowing them to be one with nature and develop an appreciation for it.