The picture to the left depicts a birds-eye view of what my phenology spot at Salmon Hole looks like. As previously described, my area in Salmon Hole is open with prominent features including the staircase and two bridges where the small stream flows towards the larger Winooski River.
OBSERVATIONS
While observing my phenology spot, I recognized the noise from traffic and downtown Winooski prevalent in the area. At points when the bustling noise settled, I could focus my attention on the sound of the rushing water from the river and the birds chirping. Without the constant distraction from the traffic above, the scenery was calming and I could really take in the environment around me. During the quietest points, I could even hear the slight running of water from the stream below the bridges. Taking the time to observe the different surroundings at Salmon Hole allowed me to appreciate the scenic pieces of the ecosystem and how much of an impact human interaction and actions indirectly affect the area.
CHANGES
While visiting Salmon Hole for the second time, there were a few noticeable changes. The trees had fully lost all of their leaves while a couple others just reached the peak of changing color. All of the leaves were dead on the ground, creating a lot of leaf litter in the area and causing little ground to be seen. However, the understory vegetation was still alive and green. Riverside Ave and the Winooski River was more visible from my spot now due to the bare and sparse trees as well. This demonstrates how road runoff and winter salting may be affecting the Winooski River in the upcoming seasons.
