Today is the first day of Thanksgiving Break! That means I am back at home in Waterbury VT. I took a walk around the corn field behind my house that borders the Winooski River. This spot is special to me because it is where I used to take my dog Norah on walks. Every year on the 4th of July, fireworks are also set off from the field! While on my walk, I thought about how the farmer who owns the field spreads manure each spring on his crops. Farmers apply nutrients on their fields to provide crops with nitrogen and phosphorus necessary to help them grow. This phosphorus is easily lost from the fields and can negatively impact water quality. The excess nutrients is washed into waterways during the heavy spring rains. High levels of nitrogen and phosphorus can cause eutrophication downstream in the Winooski, killing fish and causing harmful algal blooms. There is a thin riparian buffer standing between the river and fields, which a some points disappears completely. There is also significant erosion along the riverside due to the lack of trees. A few months ago, I was blind to these processes that have been in front of me for years. After my learning in NR, I can see and understand far more of the human impacts on the land around me.

Since the last time I was home in August, the land has changed significantly. The thick green vegetation has been reduced to sticks. What once was grass, now has a patchy layer of white snow covering it. The temperature has also dropped. When I stepped onto the field, I immediately felt the presence of winter through the frigid gusts of wind. While on my walk I noted that the main tree species were Sugar Maples! Some other things noted were lots of dog tracks in the snow and some trees growing in an area flooded by the winooski. I imagine that this flooding is caused by a lack of trees surrounding the river. Trees take in water through their roots. Removing them causes flooding and reduces soil security which leads to erosion.

Being only 20 minutes away from Burlington, the ecology and phenology of my chosen spot at home is very similar to my spot in Centennial Woods. One main difference that I noticed was density of trees in the understory and canopy layer. My spot back in Centennial Woods felt far more natural and undisturbed than my spot by the field / Winnoski. This is because Centennial Woods is on protected land, whereas the field has been cleared for human development.