Phenology of Redstone Pines A UVM blog: NR 1010

How has your site changed over time? 

If the school year lasted just a few more weeks, I would have seen the Redstone Pines come full circle. When I first visited the Pines, before the phenology project even began, it was a place full of joy, greenery, and connectedness. The towering trees were impressive and awe-inspiring among the brick and concrete campus buildings and dorms. There were always so many birds at the Pines, to the point where hammockers would have to swat them away. The area was sunny and full of mushrooms littering the grass. As fall came around, the Pines grew empty almost overnight. After that first cold snap, the ground became covered in pine needles and pine cones. The sparse shrubbery died, but the tall trees remained green. Snow covered the ground on the pines for a few months, and was always decorated with tracks from neighborhood dogs. I witnessed a dead squirrel at the base of a tree during one of my visits, illustrating the reality of wildlife in Vermont winter. Now, as the weather slowly but surely warms once again, the pines are muddy and wet, recovering from a season of snow cover. In the next few weeks, when I am back home in good ole 90-degree Carolina weather, I am sure the pines will begin to bloom and return to its summer glory.

What are the major and minor landmarks you’ve become familiar with? 

I have become incredibly familiar with the setup of the Pines. Being it is a relatively small plot of land, I could likely draw a map of it from memory now. One landmark I particularly like is the rock formation, because I haven’t seen anything similar on campus. I have also enjoyed observing the far boundary of the Pines that borders the private residences. Because this barrier is made up of deciduous maples, it perfectly blocks out the fence and houses during the summer, but is almost nonexistent during the fall. This makes for a very different landscape in summer vs winter privacy wise.

In what ways do nature and culture intertwine here? 

The Redstone Pines are an essential part of UVM culture for many students. It is no secret that Redstone campus is one of the more social places to live, and the Pines serve as the outdoor hub for social gatherings here. When weather allows, this location provides a relaxing place where students can take advantage of nature’s benefits. On warm days, every UVM student’s Instagram feed will be full of cute hammocking selfies from the Pines. It is a location we all know and love!

Do you consider yourself a part of your place? Why or why not?

This is a thought-provoking question for me. In general, I have never found myself feeling like a part of nature. Whenever I go hiking or camping, I always adopt the mindset of a visitor who has the privilege of visiting a beautiful place. This is something I was taught by Leave No Trace and outdoor ethics training. In the case of Redstone Pines, I honestly don’t feel like a part of the place, but I am certainly a frequent and respectful visitor.

Bye bye, Redstone Pines!

To start, I had issues with this logistically. My iNaturalist app allowed me to join the project, but would not let me add any observations to it. These were all logged, but weren’t added to the overall Greater Burlington BioBlitz. I think this is because they were not research grade observations.

During this BioBlitz, I explored the grassy area in front of my dorm that runs along the path to Redstone.

On this map, my area is the green on the very left. It is upkept by the University, but directly borders a residential area.

As I described earlier, I had issues with iNaturalist and definitely think it should be significantly more user-friendly. That being said, it is an excellent tool to have in my back pocket. I have found the identification suggestions very helpful and usually correct.

Shown above are my observations, excluding the pickerel frog and snowshoe hare. I identified six species. I did my best to only identify wild plants and natives and did not record obviously planted landscaping plants. I enjoyed identifying plants near my dorm because it makes me feel more connected with and in-the-know about the nature I reside in and around.

Following along with other cities’ BioBlitz pages was a great way to virtually travel! My favorite page is the Aotearoa, New Zealand page because of all of the biodiversity and unique species that I have never seen! I could have done without all the huge spiders, though. Here are a few of my favorite observations from Aotearoa:

After falling into the rabbit hole of New Zealand iNaturalist for far too long, I observed that I could find absolutely zero mammal observations. The page was mostly shells, birds, vegetation, and countless spiders. As a wildlife bio lover, I wonder why so few mammals were present in the BioBlitz.

This early spring visit the the Redstone Pines as snowy and pleasant! This past Saturday, the largest snow storm of the season hit Burlington, leaving us with a thick layer of snow. Despite the recent storm, today (Monday, March 25th) certainly felt like Springtime. Birds were flying overhead, dogs were out playing, and the sun was shining through a blue sky.

As far as phenological signs of Spring, Redstone Pines certainly had a few. Unfortunately, no new signs of amphibians or new wildlife were present. However, squirrel tracks could be seen in the snow. According to Naturally Curious page 11, “the red squirrel has a definite sweet tooth- in the spring, it commonly bites into maples, allowing sap to run.” After the squirrel bites the trees releasing sap, it dries and becomes high in sugar content, and the squirrel returns to lick it. Perhaps this explains the many evidences of squirrel activity in the area.

Buds had not yet grown on maple trees, but this bush (possibly a rhododendron) was blooming at the entrance of the pines directly across from the interfaith center.

Overhead, seagulls from the nearby lake were swooping and singing. It was difficult to hear many bird songs because of the urban noises of the area. There were countless vehicles plowing snow at the time of my visit, many with loud alarms and engine sounds.

I can’t wait for the Pines to return as a social hub once Spring fully arrives in Burlington! Despite the cold weather today, I can always appreciate a beautiful day in the Pines.

For my Burlington Wildlife Tracking trip, I visited the Burlington Waterfront. The Waterfront is a beautiful location close to campus that is easily accessible using the free public bus system. I explored the rock formations directly next to the water in front of the ECHO Center and around the dock. I primarily found signs of rodent and bird life.

Above is a cottontail rabbit track found directly next to the water on a rocky formation. These tracks were very fresh and untouched, making it clear to see exactly where the rabbit went for a few dozen feet until it reached pavement. I struggled a bit determining if this was a cottontail rabbit or a snowshoe hair, but I settled on cottontail as the best guess because the tracks are relatively small. The tracking guide book came in handy for this one!

Shown above are the tracks of a gray squirrel. These were not as fresh as the rabbit tracks, which made them a bit tougher to decipher, but a squirrel’s track pattern is so distinctive that I do feel confident in my identification. This was also found only a few feet from the water.

Despite cold temperatures, there was active wildlife on the lake during this sunny day. Shown above are two mallards swimming close to shore. Below is a photo showing whereabouts the birds were in relation to the shore.

This final track is a bit of a snow mystery for me! My best guess is a raccoon or squirrel, but the hoof-like shape is throwing me off. The track is much too small to be a deer, so I am not 100% confident on this identification.

Overall, I had a wonderful day exploring the beautiful waterfront area! I didn’t have any problems using the iNaturalist app. What a great way to spend an afternoon! Below are two photos capturing the beautiful day

Today’s visit to the Redstone Pines was a record dreary trip! The air was freezing and I hardly saw any students. There was less trash on the ground than usual as a result of students being unable to spend time outside. Compared to my last visit in early December, there was much more debris on the ground, including a large number of pine cones and needles.

There was also a small amount of snow in shadowed areas of the Pines. Most of the “snowy” patches were really just ice. Between visits, there was a large amount of snow that I didn’t get to see.

Being that there was little snow cover, there were only a few signs of animal life. First, I found dog tracks. I have noticed during my project that the pines are a very popular dog walking spot for older community members.

Unfortunately, I was able to observe quite an upsetting wildlife phenomenon during this visit. Just as I was leaving, I noticed a fat squirrel laid out underneath a tree. He was fluffy and large and looked as if he had only just died. He was untouched by predators. I am curious as to what happened to him being he looked so healthy. I did not take a photo for obvious reasons.

Overall, the Pines are similar to the way I left them, with the addition of icy patches and more pine needles. The dominating conifers make the space green even during this harsh season. A few rhododendrons add to the surviving greenery. I can’t wait for campus to warm up and to see the Pines in bloom!

During my final visit to Redstone Pines, the area was cold and gray. No students were gathered beneath the pine trees. Old trash from warmer days littered the grass and I wished I could gather all of it. The day after I visited, it snowed, so as I write this the Pines have a slight dusting of snow.

The namesake trees at the Redstone Pines, the Eastern White Pine, are hearty conifers that hardly falter due to weather. These towering trees have remained green through the changing of seasons.

The ground cover is mostly the same as it was during my most recent visit before Thanksgiving. There are no striking signs of decomposers, and certainly no signs of animal life besides a fleeting crow and nests high up in the pines. Even in warmer seasons, Redstone’s active central location means it isn’t a common home for wildlife besides squirrels and birds.

Pictured above is an unusual deciduous tree among the patch of conifers. This oak still retains a good amount of dead leaves, despite the cold and windy weather.

The edge of the Redstone Pines past the rock formation and away from the road is a fence that divides it from private property. Usually, this divide is tough to see because the fence is lined with lush deciduous growth, including sugar maple and oak. In the winter, though, the leaves are mostly gone from the trees, revealing the homes beyond the pines.

What aspects of your phenology place do you enjoy the most?

My favorite part of Redstone Pines is its status as a student gathering place. In the first few months at UVM, my new friends and I went to hammock at the Pines frequently. It is one of the few green areas on campus and serves as a perfect hammocking spot. I can’t wait until it is warm enough to hammock there again. The downside of the popular location is the amount of trash accumulation. Beer cans and cigarettes are all over the grass at Redstone Pines, even in the winter. I think we as a student body need to work on practicing what we preach when it comes to sustainability and conservation and keep our green areas clean.

Thanks for reading!

Over the thanksgiving holiday, I have returned home to Greensboro, North Carolina. In my city of 300,000 residents, there are many parks and natural areas. Most can be described as “urban wilds,” as they fall within the large city and are usually found near bustling developed areas. One example of this is the Bog Garden, a natural area consisting of streams, a lake, a boardwalk system, and some of the best birding around. The Bog Garden is an urban wild area because it lies right next to Friendly Center, a very popular shopping complex.

Welcome to the Bog Garden!

At the entrance of the garden, visitors are welcomed by numerous important signs. After seeing the initial “BOG GARDEN ENTRANCE” sign, there is a large double-sided sign full of interesting ecological information. The signage includes a Bog Garden Bird List from the Piedmont Bird Club, a list of recent plantings, a list of invasive species found in the park, and an entire display celebrating North Carolina’s Native Plants.

As you venture into the Bog Garden, you will find a boardwalk that follows a stream to a small lake and loops around through a wooded area towards a waterfall. Along the boardwalk, geese, ducks, and mallards thrive in the stream. There was a sign at the garden that read “please do not feed the geese,” explaining that Canada Geese are an environmental hazard to the area because of the quantities of e. coli and other bacteria in their waste.

As compared to my Vermont phenology site, Redstone Pines, the Bog Garden is vastly different. The most noticeable difference is the weather. I went to the Bog Garden the day after Thanksgiving and it was still and 60 degrees. In addition, the Bog Garden has no coniferous trees, only deciduous, whereas the Pines are dominated by conifers. The Bog Garden, despite being nestled in a busy urban environment, has much more wildlife than the Pines. At the Garden, I saw geese, mallards, ducks, red cardinals (the NC state bird), grey squirrels, and finches. At the Pines, I only ever see the occasional crow. This is likely due to the size difference in my two locations, as the Pines are very small compared to the Bog Garden.

Reading “An Honorable Harvest” in Braiding Sweetgrass made me reflect on my relationship with nature as it relates to consumerism. The day I chose to visit the Bog Garden was also Black Friday, our country’s number-one day of overconsumption. After reading Kimmerer’s opinions on asking the plants for permission to take them and honoring your humanity, Black Friday seemed so vain and dystopian. I am glad I spent the day among the nature of my childhood and didn’t partake in the Black Friday frenzy.

Happy Thanksgiving from me and my pup, Liam!

Originally published November 3, 2023

Today (November 3, 2023), Redstone Pines is looking very different than it did a month ago. While spending some meditative time alone in the pines, it was not nearly as relaxing as usual. Today, though the temperature was around 50, the wind chill was extreme for me as a southerner. I mostly noticed the wind whistling across my skin and into my cold ears. I heard and saw a small class walking through the area and scribbling notes into their notebooks. I mostly noticed how barren this usually bustling spot was. I spent some time at my site in the middle of a sunny Friday, but it was virtually empty because of the chill. During my time exploring, I completed my birds-eye view map, pictured below.

To put the map into perspective, I have included a few photos of noted landmarks below.

This is the rock formation.

This is the shrub ditch.

While visiting the pines, I noticed a couple phenological changes. First, the ground was covered with significantly more pine cones and pine needles.

I also spotted a large fungus growth unlike anything I have ever seen at the pines.

Aside from a few select oaks and miscellaneous vegetation, the beauty of Redstone Pines is that it has remained green into the fall. Most of the trees here are conifers, so there isn’t much visual difference throughout the seasons. I can’t wait to see the pines covered in snow!

Originally published October 16, 2023

For my phenology blog site, I have chosen Redstone Pines. This small natural area is a pivotal social spot for UVM students to relax, recharge, and connect. It is loved by many students at UVM for its convenient proximity to residence halls, beautiful tall trees, and perfect hammocking spots.

For UVM students, getting to Redstone Pines is easy. First, there is a shuttle that is constantly running to Redstone from all parts of campus. There is a user-friendly online tracker that shares real-time locations of these shuttles. On foot, the path from the Athletic Campus exit of the Davis Center tunnel will take you directly to Redstone Campus. After you pass the Catholic and Interfaith Centers on the left of the path, the Pines will emerge on the right. Across the street from the Pines is the Redstone Green, another popular natural area in its own right. While the Pines are often flooded with hammockers and slackliners, the Green is more popular for sports such as frisbee and hackysack.

Redstone Pines is, of course, dominated by eastern white pine. In addition, there is a sampling of red oak, sugar maple, and basswood. The vegetation here is old; the trees tower over all of the surrounding buildings. As you move deeper into the Pines, there are rock formations further away from the road. Gray squirrels and various birds are very common sightings here.