This week, I made my last visit to Cassavant this year. It was a bittersweet moment – I’m sad to be done with this project, but I know I’ll always be able to return next year. The biggest change I notice is that the river is higher than I’ve ever seen it – it’s pushing […]
Is it spring yet?
This mid-April visit to Casavant was not what I expected! “April” conjures up images of balmy, 60 degree and sunny days, perhaps with a few showers. However, today’s visit was amid a snow and hail covered ground, with temperatures hovering around freezing. However, the snow didn’t completely hide everything. Signs of spring were popping up […]
Sto(we)ked to be on Spring Break!
This spring break I took a break from a day of fantastic skiing at Stowe to make some observations in a secluded glade on Mt. Mansfield. This location is different from Cassavant in loads of ways. The alpine terrain means that my glade features a very different tree species composition. Cassavant was full of beeches […]
Time Marches On
I would identify Cassavant as a Silver Maple-Ostrich Fern Riverine Floodplain Forest, due especially to it’s proximity to the Winooski River and the abundance of silver maples. Cassavant is along a portion of the Winooski that moves at a moderate gradient, leading me to identify the natural community this was instead of as a Sensitive […]
First Visit of the New Year
Lots of phenological changes have occurred since my last visit to Cassavant. Firstly, the whole area is covered in a layer of ice below the latest snowfall. The brook is now coated in a thick layer of ice and is strong enough to walk across. All the deciduous trees have lost their leaves by these […]
A Little Bit of History
Like much of 19th Vermont, the area along the banks of the Winooski River was cleared of trees to be used as farmland. The area was only 20% forested during the pre-civil war era. Towards the end of the 19th century, the dairy industry dominated the farmland along the river. The area was a major […]
Thanksgiving Break
Over Thanksgiving Break I went to Arlington Great Meadows, a wooded conservation area down the street from my house! It contains beautiful trails and a boardwalk that is frequented by runners, dog walkers, and people eager to enjoy the natural landscape. Here’s what I have to say about my experiences, and a comparison of AGM […]
Some New Observations
Changes I have observed since my last visit include: trees, in general, are much more bare many more leaves on the ground as seen in pictures more fallen trees and branches from storm last weekend small woody plants are looking more shriveled up An event map of my last trip to Cassavant
Changing Scenery
There have been a few changes to my piece of the woods since I was last here. There are a lot more leaves on the ground, and the grasses are a lot yellower than they were. Some of the leaves of the small herbaceous plants have shriveled up and turned yellow-brown. This trip I explored […]
The First Adventure!
Hello there! Today I went on my first adventure to the Casavant Natural Area in Winooski! It is a nice forested area with trails along the Winooski River. This peaceful natural area is just a short bike ride from campus! If you follow Colchester Ave away toward Winooski it’s only about a 5-10 minute bike […]