First Entry:
Hi, my name is Leif Bryan and I chose to do my phenology project in the Centennial Woods. Centennials Woods is a 65-acre forest adjacent to UVM in Burlington Vermont. The woods have passed through several hands over the years before it was acquired by the Vermont Land Trust. The stream that runs through it, the Cenntenial Brook, is particularly interesting for ecologists because of its water quality-related concerns. I choose to use this area for my phenology project because of its location at the university. I thought that It was really interesting to explore and learn about how the area where we currently live would be without all the human construction.
The area I chose to study is on the side of a moderate slope, pretty close to a wetland area. The majority of the trees in the spot are taller eastern white pine and maples. The canopy is pretty tall and the dense shade cover means that the floor doesn’t have too much vegetation. The plants I found most interesting were the flowers I found in and around the area next to the stream. Definitely the end of the season for them and I wanted to capture their current state to compare with how they look in a few weeks.
Swamp Aster Symphyotrichum puniceum (Right)
Joe-Pye Weeds Genus Eutrochium (Left)
Entry #2:
For this next part of the phenology assignment, we were tasked to spend 15 silent minutes in our selected spot.
During my 15 minutes, the main thing I noticed was the change in seasons since I had last visited. Severyly underdressed I certainly felt a difference in the environment. With most of the leaves on the ground, the space felt much more open and you could see much further into the other parts of the forest. Although in my immediate area, I was surprised to see so many leaves remaining on the surrounding trees. The amount of leaves on the forest floor was intense in our lab last week and on my walk into my spot. Many of the trees that I noticed still carried many leaves in my area I identified to be either oaks or maple.
Photo of the surrounding trees with all the leaves. 11/3/24
The other thing I noticed this week was the amount of fallen trees in the area. Many of them were ripped out of the ground roots all suggesting wind activity. The largest of which fell right across our walking path. It was interesting to notice that there were only a few trees that had fallen because usually if it was a wind-related incident it would clear many trees at once. Other issues such as an issue with the soil seem like it would affect more than just a few trees.
Photo of bird’s eye view map of my spot.
Lastly, the change in seasons and weather is clearly visible in the area’s plant life compared to the last time I visited. Many of the plants, including the flowers I documented in my original post are no longer present. The cooler temperatures have turned the area into a much more dormant environment.
Entry #4 Thanksgiving Break
In Boulder CO, the city’s surrounding area is called the green belt. Established in 1967, the green belt restricts the expansion of Boulder on all sides and means quick access to open space from anywhere in the city. While this restriction of new development has contributed to the housing issues faced in the city today, it preserved large pieces of the surrounding environment and made them accessible to all. My phenology spot over break was the nearest section of the green belt to my house. This area is special to me because of its stunning views of the mountains and access to an extensive network of hiking trails. It also has some of the best views of the Flatirons out of anywhere in Boulder. It also holds a special place in my heart for its proximity to my home. The place where I took these photos is a short 7-minute walk from my house.
My spot in Boulder is similar to my spot in Burlington because they are both located close to where I live. However, Centennial Woods in Burlington is surrounded by devolvement (Town of Winooski, Highway 89, and UVM) while the NCAR open space in Boulder is much larger and unrestricted. The ecosystem of the two spots is very different too. The area in Boulder is open, with very few surrounding trees. Centennial Woods has a lot of trees and less of the open natural grasses found in Boulder. I would guess that the biggest contributor to this difference in plant life is precipitation-related. Vermont on average receives 28 inches of rain annually while Boulder only receives 18. Boulder is at around 6,000 feet above sea level as well. Almost all the natural trees in the open space are Ponderosa pine and Douglas Fur. Centennial Woods has a much greater tree species diversity.
Dember Entry #5
My 4th and final trip into my Centennial Woods phenology spot was certainly unique. It was the first time I had gotten to explore the area in the snow. One of the most notable parts was that you could see where everyone else had walked because they left footprints. The trail to my log which had felt pretty deserted and untraveled in the dry was now full of track and evidence of other humans in the snow. The tracks made the area feel much less removed and unique. It almost made me wish I had been a little bit more adventurous when looking for a spot earlier in the year. Despite all the evidence of humans I still didn’t see another soul during the 40 minutes I spent in the woods this week. From the tracks that species were left in the snow, I was also able to see what kinds of wildlife came around the area since the snow. There were mainly tracks from people taking their dogs out for a walk, but I was also able to see evidence of where birds had landed and a skunk or maybe raccoon plotted by. In total it seemed that the animal activity in the area had decreased and most of the forest was very untracked It took a good bit of searching to find tracks side for the ones on the walking paths. Under the snow, many of the fallen leaves had decomposed since my last visit. However, those that remained had created a very slick layer beneath the snow. The wooden bridges and steps were especially treacherous in these conditions.
It was also interesting to observe how much further you could see in the forest when there were so few leaves on the trees. Earlier in the semester the dense leaves made it feel much more removed and remote. Today I was able to see from my spot all the way down to the brook and behind me back to the condos and homes at the edges of the woods. It was during this trip that I realized that the part of my phenology site that I enjoyed most was how it felt so removed from the rest of my life at UVM even though it was only a short walk away from the main campus. It didn’t feel as special during my visit in the snow due to all the evidence of human activity that surrounded me. It was still a nice way to escape all of the indoor work I had been doing for finals week.
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