I visited my phenology spot for the last time yesterday, and it was definitely a bittersweet moment. I hope I can find time to go down and visit sometime next semester as well, because it’s been a nice place to decompress. Most of the leaves are now off the trees and on the floor of the woods, with the exception of sparse Eastern White Pines and Eastern Hemlocks.

I haven’t seen the presence of any animals since the first trip down to Trinity Woods, nor any scat or tracks to indicate their activity. Since a lot of the water has frozen over, I think animals have probably found better or more reliable sources for the winter, or maybe sources closer to their habitats as they endure the cold. I also haven’t noticed any further decomposition besides the one log that has had fungi on it since the first trip. Here’s a little comparison of how it’s changed:

Since the last visit, there has also been a small amount of snowfall. This, combined with the leaves scattered on the floor of the woods, made for a lot of silence besides the crunch of every step. I think my favorite part about my phenology spot was being able to listen to the sound of the water throughout the fall and winter, both above and below the thin ice sheets. The trickling streams down small waterfalls is always so blissful and serene!

Trinity Woods is so beautiful and I can’t wait to see how it changes over the next four years here!