A UVM blog NR1 Phenology Project Blog

Surprisingly, or not, we’re here at the last post to the phenology blog. This week we’ll be talking about my overall experience participating in the City Nature Challenge iNaturalist BioBlitz. The areas of Greater Burlington I explored were mostly downtown by the waterfront. I tried to get out to more areas, but it was always something… either work, the weather, or it just didn’t work with my schedule in general. My experience using iNaturalist was pretty good. I enjoyed how after you post your observations people can comment on them to either direct you towards the right identification or push you towards a research-grade identification. Out of the species I encountered, I only observed three; the common dandelion, some sort of pine tree, and an azalea. Overall, what I found interesting about reports coming in from other cities participating globally was the variety and diversity of species being observed. Also, I found it interesting how so many people took part in it globally. This was a great experience!

Over time my site has changed phenologically and also from what appears to be storm-caused changes. It went from being covered with vegetation in the under and overstory, to bare, filled with snow, and now bare again but with new life emerging. The trail to my site has changed with the ground torn up and trees fallen and displaced everywhere appearing to be caused by a storm or potentially even human actions. Major landmarks I’ve become familiar with are the stream that runs through my site with the sound of its trickling water and the tall, beautiful hemlock grove centered in the middle of my site. Nature and culture intertwined here because it was originally Abenaki land and then stolen by colonists. Also, the land was used as an ROTC camp and a medical waste dump for cadavers. Regarding feeling as a part of the place, I don’t feel I’m part of it, but I do feel that I have influence by going to it. I don’t consider myself a part of the site because I felt I didn’t heavily impact it and more was an observer for various occasions than an active part of the system as a whole. 

Last update on the Red Maple Tree sapling phenology! My visit today was beautiful, sunny, clear skies with a nice little breeze. The paths of Centennial were slightly muddy and bare like something had plowed through ripping up all the undergrowth. The Red Maple Tree appeared all about the same as it did the last time, although the buds on it looked more ready to flower compared to the last time. The buds also seemed to be more vibrant in color compared to my last visit. Other than that, there isn’t much to update on besides the change in nice weather… hopefully we’ll start seeing some flowering soon!

On my visit to the Red Maple sapling, I didn’t notice many differences in the budding compared to the last time I was in Centennial and first found the tree. The buds did appear to be starting to open up and potentially start flowering. Although the buds didn’t look much different on the tree, Centennial looked different. The snow has started to melt away, leaving a bare forest floor and muddy grounds. I barely recognize it from the last time. I feel with another week or two more differences will be able to be seen in the Maple Tree budding compared to my last visit. As always… until next time!

Today, my quest was to find one of four trees and identify its phenological phase; either flowering, budding, fruiting, or no evidence of any. I searched for one of the trees with my friend Amelia in Centennial Woods. We first tried looking for paper birch, but all the ones we found had grown too tall and we couldn’t reach any of their branches. Then, we looked for American Beech and Northern Red Oak and ended up finding that it was too hard to differentiate them from other lookalikes when they’re bare without leaves. Finally, we hunted for Red Maple hoping that this time we’d have some luck. Luck was ours; we found a few young Red Maple saplings. The trees were able to be identified and distinguished from their winter lookalikes by their distinctive red bark, pointed red buds, and opposite branching. After the mission was accomplished, we ran home and I took a nap to rest from the treacherous obstacles we had to face and overcome today… what a wonderful day.

Until our next journey…

My lovely friend Amelia and I decided to walk down to North Beach and explore the surrounding wooded areas for signs of winter wildlife. We encountered many dog tracks and scat at the beginning of our journey. Eventually, we came across some tracks that appeared to be a coyote and we also spotted some ducks swimming in Lake Champlain near the shore of the beach. Regarding my experience recording observations using the iNaturalist app, I felt that it was unclear as to whether or not my observations were recorded in the NR2 project; I couldn’t find any way to post them directly onto it. I was able to upload observations to my account on iNaturalist, but I don’t know if they’re visible on the project.

This is what I saw…

More specifically, we noticed and identified that the birds in the water were ducks based on their green heads and beak. We narrowed down the identification of the tracks to a coyote based on them being narrower than that of a dog and the toe prints having sharp nails that point straight out instead of curving in like that of a domestic dog. Albeit, we may be completely wrong about our identification and aren’t fully sure.

At the end of our venture, we enjoyed the sunset by a fire we constructed ourselves using wood scraps we found scattered along the beach. This was quite the adventure… until next time!

This semester I decided to choose a new phenology spot because it has gotten too cold and the commute to Rock Point is no longer worth it because of that. My new phenology spot is a beautiful spot in Centennial Woods. To get there, first arrive at the Centennial Woods entrance across from the police station. Walk straight throughout the trail for about 15 minutes. You should be crossing over little bridges over little streams and arrive at an area filled with older Eastern Hemlock trees. This is my spot. I chose this spot because initially coming across it, as I trekked through Centennial, I was awestruck by the serenity and beauty of it.

I tried using my animal track guide field book, but I was unfortunately not able to identify the tracks. I thought they could possibly some kind of hare or some other small mammal. I had an amazing time exploring Centennial. It looked like an absolute winter wonderland and it was very much enjoyed! Until next time…

Since the last time I visited my phenology spot, the foliage hasn’t changed much. All the deciduous trees still appeared to have lost all their leaves leaving only the coniferous trees not bare. The only persistent vegetation seen was various ferns and moss-covered rocks in the understory and of course the eastern white pines, eastern hemlocks, northern white cedars, and other coniferous trees in the overstory. The fall leaf litter looks like it’s starting to decompose and sequester back into the soil because there’s less abundance of leaves covering the forest floor. Traces of animals can be seen from nests in the trees. The nests are most likely abandoned now but they look like they were home to different species of birds and squirrels. Animal activity seems to have died back a little bit but is still present in the ecosystem.

Overall, one of the aspects of my phenology place that I enjoy the most is the sense of tranquility I receive from being there. I also enjoy how my spot is right next to Lake Champlain and how you can hear the sound of the water moving right below. Another aspect I enjoy is how you have to hike through the woods before getting to my spot because it gets me outside and feels like I’m completing a little workout. Lastly, I appreciate how my spot has two different ecosystems, the lake and the forest, it’s like a little natural laboratory.

Drawing of the overlook at Rock Point.

Drawing of a tree with a squirrel’s nest in it at Rock Point.

While I was home, I visited a new phenology place. The name of it is Thacher State Park, located in upstate New York in the capital region. Thacher was a place I always used to visit to clear my mind, relax, and enjoy the beauty of nature. Differentiating from my Rock Point phenology spot, Thacher is higher in elevation, does not have a lake surrounding it, contains no thrust fault, and has several streams running down through the woods. Because Thacher is distanced from a lake it holds a less diverse population of vegetation and wildlife compared to Rock Point. Similarly, both Thacher and Rock Point contain recreational hiking trails open to the public and have a combination of deciduous and coniferous trees. Phenology wise, both areas deciduous trees have shedded their leaves coating the forest floor and their understories have died back for the season. Thacher also contains similar trees as it has various pines, cedars, and maples.

Google map of the location for Thacher.

Pictures from Thacher State Park.

After sitting quietly, taking in all the sounds and feelings, I had quite a relaxing experience. I heard the sound of the water in Lake Champlain shifting around and splashing against the side of the rocks below. Also, I heard the sound of the wind blowing through the trees making the leaves rustle around as they got carried away by the wind. Another thing I noticed was the feeling of the crisp wind blowing against my face. Overall, using my senses to engage with my place helped to get a better understanding and feeling of my spot as a whole.

Birds-eye map of my place at Rock Point.

Since my previous visit, the only change I’ve noticed is the foliage disappearing and a decrease in temperature. The trees in my area are now bare, except for the coniferous trees, with the leaves covering the forest floor. There’s also less greenery in the forest as the vegetation and such is starting to die out for the season.