Centennial Woods is a 65-acre natural space adjacent to the University of Vermont, yet many people don\u2019t realize its true value or existence. In the heart of Vermont\u2019s largest metropolitan area, Centennial Woods is almost tucked away from city chaos with only small green signs to signal its place, as it discretely coexists with the environment around it. This hidden oasis contains a variety of early succession plant species and wildlife, as well as several miles of hiking trails and small bridges across the hilly terrain. What once existed as private property, originally used as farmland for many years is now available for public recreation and research purposes. With a conservation easement placed by the Vermont land trust and now managed by UVM, it is important that people recognize the value and human impact of Centennial Woods which is prioritized in the land conservation of a new-growth forest and is continued to be safeguarded from outside environmental threats to maintain a sustainable future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I believe Centennial Woods represents Vermont\u2019s natural heritage as it provides incredible land use history and resources for UVM\u2019s field-based teachings. The area is a perfect place for students to conduct studies on biodiversity, soil acidity, and watershed deposits; In doing so, I think the land requires much more supervising and precautionary care to be put in place. For instance, the land itself needs to be better represented and made known with an input \u00adof proper signage. The small green signs can often go undetected, so properly labeling the area and making its importance as a research and recreational area known is important for local hikers or passer Byers. Centennial Woods is a crucial space for environmental research at UVM, but it is also a place where people can unwind and improve their mental health through recreational activities. Personally, when I find myself walking along the trails of Centennial Woods, I can\u2019t help but feel at peace with the calming sounds of trickling water from the brook, the dopamine-boosting colors from the vegetation, and the overall gentle charm that envelopes you as you\u2019re passing through. I find Centennial Woods to be a truly special place with almost therapeutic properties to heal you from the hustle and bustle of city life. Having access to a rich natural area in a dense urban setting is very important for the physical health and well-being of the people inhabiting those areas so it\u2019s imperative that the trails are consistently maintained throughout the season. This would require more funds to help improve the land to reach its full potential and for UVM to take charge by fully cleaning the area of any sort of trash. Throughout the land, there are also remnants of barbed wire fences from the old farmland borders so removing all barbed wire would keep any animals or hikers from being harmed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Establishing future stewardship for the natural area and implementing these measures would create a more welcoming and organized environment for the Centennial Woods as well as allow for a thriving ecosystem to exist. People need a place like Centennial Woods; it opens the doors to new methods of learning and teaching while also creating a space that connects humans to the rich environment that surrounds us. It\u2019s important that we continue to protect this area to return the favor for all the gifts that it has given us.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Centennial Woods is a 65-acre natural space adjacent to the University of Vermont, yet many people don\u2019t realize its true value or existence. In the heart of Vermont\u2019s largest metropolitan area, Centennial Woods is almost tucked away from city chaos with only small green signs to signal its place, as it discretely coexists with the environment around […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":8418,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-32","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"featured_image_src":null,"featured_image_src_square":null,"author_info":{"display_name":"mjhamel","author_link":"https:\/\/blog.uvm.edu\/mjhamel\/author\/mjhamel\/"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.uvm.edu\/mjhamel\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/32","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.uvm.edu\/mjhamel\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.uvm.edu\/mjhamel\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.uvm.edu\/mjhamel\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/8418"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.uvm.edu\/mjhamel\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=32"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/blog.uvm.edu\/mjhamel\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/32\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":36,"href":"https:\/\/blog.uvm.edu\/mjhamel\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/32\/revisions\/36"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.uvm.edu\/mjhamel\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=32"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.uvm.edu\/mjhamel\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=32"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.uvm.edu\/mjhamel\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=32"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}