Phenology Site – San Francisco Edition

Back in December when it was dreary and dark seemingly all the time, I told my mom how much I wanted to see green trees again and have the sun feel warm on my skin. We planned a trip to San Francisco for spring break and I excitedly counted the days until I could see leaves on trees again. My brother and Dad heard about it and decided to tag along and my mom took the joy of planning the trip. So for spring break, I was not at home next to the Charles River but instead in an Airbnb in San Francisco. The town-house we rented had a backyard, which apparently is rare for San Fran. It was so different from being home because all the trees were green and alive! and the flowers were blooming! I have a tree identifying app on my phone and the species that it identified in the backyard were so different from anything that is able to grow in Massachusetts. There was an orange tree in one corner, next to a 7-foot wide aloe plant. There was a banana tree along one of the walls, next to a 6-foot tall cement Buddha. My favorite vegetation that could be found all around San Francisco was the variety of succulents that could be found naturally growing outside. This was so different from what I was used to because living in the Northeast I have only seen succulents growing inside due to the harsh weather conditions. San Francisco showed me a very different environment and ecosystem from Northern Vermont or Boston, MA and I am very grateful I got the opportunity to explore it… thanks, mom.

Phenology of CW

In my recent visit to my phenology site, the snow was melting due to the warmer temperatures and there was lots of mud forming in the natural valleys and the path running through the woods. Personally, I love mud, so this mad me excited for mud season and the new plants to grow back and to have greenness again. I think that the natural community of my phenology area is an Oak-Pine-Northern Hardwood Forest Formation due to the amount of oaks and pines that are found in the area.