Hello again! Today was my last day in Centennial Woods for the semester, and I can’t wait to get back out there in the fall. It was a gorgeous day. It was sunny and a comfortable 60 degrees—a perfect day to hike in the woods. The leaves were finally sprouting out of the buds of the deciduous trees in the area—Red oak, White oak, Red maple, and more. Though, they were not fully out yet. There were also a lot of organic materials (leaves, pine needles, and pinecones) littering the ground replenishing the “O” layer of the soil horizon. In addition, I noticed either some Ostrich ferns or Lady ferns growing. I had never really noticed them at my spot before, so that was a cool find. There were other saplings and ferns growing around as well. I noticed a Sugar maple sapling starting to grow.

There were many birds chirping in the area, and as I was walking around, a lovely American robin crossed my path. There were also some very adorable Black-capped Chickadees flying around and hanging out on the fallen trees. In the distance I also heard the distinct sounds of a woodpecker high up in the pines. As I walked near the brook, I noticed shapes moving around in the water, and as I got closer I realized that there were a bunch of minnows swimming around. They were both swimming in the faster, rocky parts, as well as the deeper, slow moving parts of the brook. I have to say…I was a little jealous because the water felt very refreshing and the sun was glimmering off of it.

It has really been a great experience getting to know Centennial Woods better. I see a lot of connections between nature and culture here. Everywhere I look, I see interactions with the land. As humans living in this area, we have a culture of being out in our environment and interacting with it through hiking, walking, observing, and more. I’ve learned more this semester about the Abenaki knowledge and interactions with nature. They support and appreciate the environment around them, and the environment supports the people. We are inherently connected with nature, and by realizing that we can learn to better support and appreciate the natural world. By taking time in the woods to observe everything that’s around me, I feel a sense of place here. I usually disconnect from my phone/other devices during these times and really get a chance to appreciate nature’s beauty. This makes me feel even more connected to nature than before because it’s just me and the natural world; nothing is distracting me.

I can’t wait to get back to Centennial Woods next semester and grow my connection with nature.