A five-minute walk from my house in New Paltz, NY, lays the beautiful, interconnected trails of the Millbrook Preserve. Years of work and protection have gone into preserving and protecting these 134 acres of natural beauty. On November 26th, my mom and I set out on a sunny morning to walk on these peaceful trails. I felt both the chill air and sweat from a long walk. We sat for a few minutes in silence and took in the natural wonder. Below are drawings from my experience:
Above is a fallen tree, chewed up from beavers. The preserve is made up of many living pieces- beavers, birds, swamp plants, crayfish, salamanders, turtles, Hemlocks, Birches, and more. There is a stream and watershed that turns into a swamp at one point, due to a dam created by beavers! I saw Birches and Red Maple closer to the swamp, because they do well in moist soils. I saw rock throughout the trail as well, some large and some small.
Compared to my Phenology spot in Vermont- Centennial Woods, I noticed less pines, more water (and swamps), moister soil, more understory, and more dead/fallen trees in the Millbrook Preserve natural community. The landscape was hilly in both Centennial and Millbrook, and I noticed similar Northeast tree species. It’s interesting how areas can be pretty similar, yet have a different variety of species as well as the same living there. For example, in Millbrook, there are turtles and beavers. I didn’t think there were any in Centennial Woods, because I do not know the area as well as the one back home, but upon my research they exist in both communities!
I did not leave anything, though I did consider the reading “Honorable Harvest” in Braiding Sweetgrass on my walk. I was not able to give back to the land that sustains me, though I tried to honor it by leaving no trace behind, and being grateful for the experience this land provided me.