Phenology Project

March

I chose to look at an American Beech, fagus grandifolia. I know it was a beech because of the long, conical shape, staggered layers, and lighter color of the bud.

March 27th

There are no changes so far in the tree. The leaf buds are maybe a little bit bigger than last time, but other than that, no change.

April 10

The area around the tree has changed dramatically. All of the ice has melted, much of the mud has dried up, and there is more bird activity- spring is sprung! I wore shorts and a t-shirt today as well. The tree itself, however, had not seen much change. There are no leaves yet, and the buds are still closed up.

April 24

This little spot has gone from snowy and barren to earthy, muddy, and full of life in the span of a few weeks. I walked into the area yesterday to find a few larger fallen trees and my heart skipped a beat- I’ve grown quite attached to that area and to that tree. The last couple of times I visited this spot, the tree showed no signs of budding, but this time, a few leaves had started to unfurl from their buds. I was very pleasantly surprised at this new life, and the raindrops clinging to the leaves made for a lovely image. The tree itself has become a sort of landmark- just after I crest the hill, it’s right there. There’s also a fallen tree that sits directly up against another tree- I often sit there to draw.

Nature and culture have an interesting relationship here. The whole area is overrun with signs of human interference- bridges, worn pathways, bird feeders, and trash all make their presence known, but there’s also promising signs that nature is being left to do its own thing.

I consider myself a part of this place as much as I consider myself a part of anywhere in Vermont. I was born and raised here, so this state (even though it’s just lines on a map) feels like my own, in a sense, even though my ancestors are not from here and my family line is very new to the Americas.

Snow in Centennial! This is the first time I really got out into these woods with snow on the ground. All the deciduous trees except for a few beeches have lost their leaves, and the woods are quiet. Some wood ferns were still alive in the snow, and a few trees were downed across the main trail, maybe from a windstorm, or just from natural decay. Either way it was a morning well spent outside!

I spent some time over break at the Green Mountain Audubon Center in Huntington, Vermont. When I was younger, past when I can even remember, I attended their summer camps, and I’ve been working at Audubon on and off for the past 5 years. It’s been a safe space for me throughout my entire life, so I visited it over break a few times to say hi!

Audubon has a rich variety of ecological areas- I’ve included photos of some of my favorites (not recent, but from the past summer). It has fields, forests, rivers, ponds (including a beaver pond!), and marshy areas. Unlike Burlington, it’s located in a very rural area, and as such, has a lot less foot and car traffic. My spot in Centennial Woods has a lot less diversity and richness of life in the area- the only birds I hear there regularly are pileated woodpeckers, crows, and blue jays. Audubon is home to all kinds of birds. I’ve seen thirty-odd red-winged blackbirds take off in the dusk at once from Peeper Pond, owls fly overhead the same night, scarlet tanagers climb the branches over my head at the staff building, grouse scare me half to death as they fly out from under my feet- there’s so much life at Audubon! It always makes me feel at home when I visit. As I mentioned, it’s also been a vital safe space for me throughout my life, and I know that whenever I need to escape, it’s there for me. I never shut up about this place- it’s because I love it so much.

One of my favorite memories ever was working over this past summer as a junior conservation technician. One day it was 90 degrees, humid, and sunny (aka hellish), and our job was to monitor a forestry plot we had created in February. The woods we were in were so thick that you couldn’t see from one side of the plot to the other, and the thorns were vicious. I wore shorts that morning. Bad move. But I was working with my friends, and even as my legs got shredded, I had so much fun goofing around and discovering cool things. There were so many species in that little plot- my favorite that we found was the American Hophornbeam. Wacky name for a really cool tree.

Sugaring in the sugarbush! Audubon runs and supports a really cool program called Bird-Friendly Maple that ensures that bird habitat and safety is provided for even as we maintain and harvest from its active sugarbush.

Monday, Nov. 7: The hardwood trees have lost more leaves since I’ve been here last, and the air smells colder- less of decomposing leaves, and sharper. The sunlight isn’t as warm, but the ferns are still thriving. I come here to escape anxiety and life, and so far my friends the ferns are doing a good job of helping me out. Adding on- I want to express how grateful I am for this spot for somehow supporting me even when I felt alone. Nature is always there for us, if we can access it, and it’s a good friend if you know how to be one back.

Saturday, Dec. 10: The hardwood trees are barren, but the duff is still mostly pine needles. The fallen deciduous leaves have all started decomposing, but the needles remain. Much of the understory is dead or dying, but the intermediate wood ferns are still living their best lives. Rotting wood is brittle to the touch, and there’s frost on the leaves on the ground. There’s some catchweed bedstraw that’s pretty young in the area, which is strange because that plant usually starts growing in early spring- maybe because it’s been such a warm winter so far it’s coming up early. The mushrooms are entirely gone from the area, though- they know what’s up. I heard a blue jay call a few times, and saw a squirrel run up a tree, but other than that wildlife was really nowhere to be heard or found. I’ve seen a couple squirrel nests, but those have been there since summer.

What I enjoy most about my spot is how it allows me to just exist. College life (and life in general) is stressful, and coming to my spot represents the opposite of that stress- it allows me to really observe what’s going on around me, and helps me ground myself in nature. These woods are similar to the woods near my house, and so it reminds me a bit of home when I go to Centennial. I also love the creative opportunities that Centennial Woods gives me. Whenever I go there I bring a sketchbook- there’s always something cool to draw or observe. Oftentimes I take pictures just so I can draw them later.