Red Rocks Park

On Saturday, I made my last visit to Red Rocks Park for this phenology blog. It was a warm and sunny day so I was motivated to be the most observant of phenological changes in my spot thus far, and rightly so because there were some big ones. Firstly, all of the snow had melted and seemingly pooled up more to form an even larger pond a mere 20 feet away from my sit spot. Not only did it make for a nice little water feature in the spot, but it also provided a habitat for Mallards that swam as I was there! A very exciting phenological update since it was the first up close sighting of wildlife other than squirrels this year. After the Mallard sighting I then heard a bumble bee buzzing around me and was able to snap a photo (both species were recorded in iNaturalist for the City Nature Challenge, as mentioned in the previous post). The presence of bees made me really start to see the onset of spring conditions. Speaking of spring conditions, the swelling buds on the maple tree became very noticeable. Another change I noted was that the fallen trees have become more decayed. Now that the snow was gone and the ground was dry, I returned to sitting on the fallen log in between the two Northern Red Oaks that mark my spot. Only this time I noticed that they were more decayed than when I sat on them in the fall. The bird song picked up even more than last visit, as well.

I have really enjoyed visiting Red Rocks Park throughout the year and looked forward to all the days I got to visit. It has been very exciting to observe the spot change with the seasons and learn about these processes. I have become familiar with my spot and certain landmarks define this for me. Most notably, the two large Northern Red Oak trees with the fallen log in between that I sat on. I am familiar with the paper birch trees to the left of this sit spot as well as the small American Beech to the right of me. Through this gained familiarity, I have begun to consider myself a small part of this place. After watching the same small area change over the year and understand what is happening, I feel more connected to it. I left the spot entirely as I found it so I feel like a small, inconsequential piece in it’s large history. This understanding has also led me to think about the connection between nature and culture at Red Rocks Park. Here is a place for people to escape the constant commotion of downtown Burlington and experience nature as well as a piece of Lake Champlain. I think people, including myself, use this place as a way to connect with nature. Overall, Red Rocks Park has been a great place to return to every few weeks and I will miss the excuse to visit it regularly. I will be returning next year and checking in on my phenology spot seeing as the cycle repeats itself.

This weekend I got out to Red Rocks park in South Burlington, conveniently my phenology spot, and explored the plants and animals in the areas I encountered. I enjoyed recording these findings on iNaturalist because it was easy to use, I learned about new organisms, and I felt like I was able to contribute something even as a first year Environmental Science student. In this exploration, I recorded 6 species on iNaturalist (pictured below).

I first noticed the buds of an American Beech. Although they haven’t swelled yet and there are no leaves on the tree, the buds are very distinct so I was able to identify it quickly. To the right of the beech bud, is the bark of a paper birch tree, another distinct tree with a feature that I was able to identify with certainty. As I was making these observations, a bumble bee was buzzing around me and I was able to snap a photo. The next picture depicts polypody ferns followed by a spider I saw on the trail that iNaturalist helped me temporarily identify as “Subfamily Coelotinae.” Lastly, I saw two Mallards swimming together in a small pond.

Overall, it was interesting to track the data coming in on iNaturalist from others in NR 1020 as well as throughout the world. Seeing species that aren’t from around here as well as the different types of biodiversity from different countries being recorded in real time was a super cool way to expand my knowledge about nature.

I returned to my phenology spot days after the vernal equinox hoping to find signs that spring is approaching, but instead I found myself trekking through inches upon inches of snow. The snow may have proved that winter conditions are still present, but new occurrences within my spot prove that spring is approaching. The most notable sign of spring was the bird song that played in the background of my entire visit. The birds were loud, and it sounded as if there were many of them around, more than any other visit I have made this year. I was not able to identify the bird calls or see any birds to observe them, but I was able to record an audio clip of the bird song.

The buds of trees around me have not noticeably begun to swell. Pictured to the right are the buds of an American Beech tree that look the same as they have in the previous months. Looking up at the large trees, I thought I saw small red buds swelling from the Northern Red Oak branches above me. I tried to take a picture of the budding, but it is difficult to make out these small red ends.

The fresh coat of snow did provide some opportunities for wildlife tracking, though. I was able to find a few separate tracks from what most likely was a squirrel. I guessed that they were running from tree to tree when they left the tracks that I was able to observe today.

The time came to put my tracking skills to the test in this winter wildlife tracking expedition. It proved itself to be quite the challenge, though, as all of the winter conditions have gone away. I was trying to find the prints of wildlife in 40° and sunny (finally) weather throughout the snowless waterfront path in downtown Burlington leading to North Beach. I spent my time here wandering throughout the path and into the woods in hopes to find the perfect wildlife tracks. The search for perfection soon became the search for anything at all. After two hours of exploration, I decided to call it quits on this expedition and go back out another time.

The next day, I set out to explore the depths of Centennial Woods still hoping to find the perfect signs of wildlife. It was only after 10 minutes of walking beyond the path that the first sign appeared. The scat left from a white-tailed deer was present under a layer of twigs and weeds. I questioned if it was rabbit scat, but the amount of it told me it was more likely from a deer than a smaller rabbit. Later, I found an area with some snow yet to be melted away, so I explored it hoping to find tracking marks. While I did not find any prints here, I found even more white-tailed deer scat!

The presence of the white-tailed deer scat gave me the confidence I needed to continue exploring in hopes to find my main goal: wildlife tracks. I found the stream that ran through Centennial Woods and walked along it with the idea that the mud lining of the stream would be the perfect host for the clear, crisp tracks I’d been searching for. I found a small beach of wet dirt that looked like the perfect area to hold tracks, and, upon closer viewing, I proved myself correct. The first thing I found looked like a small, stretched out handprint. Beyond that track I found three more of the same track walking in the direction of the water! I knew this was a racoon due to the five fingers, the way it looked like a hand, and the size of the tracks.

As I encountered these signs of wildlife, I used the iNaturalist app to record my findings. It was my first time documenting something on the app so I was a little bit confused at first, but it was very user-friendly and easy to figure out. As I made my observations and did my identifications on the app, I also looked through other documentations of wildlife in the area to confirm the species I found.

Winter has arrived and its effects are present in my first visit back to my phenology spot this new year. A layer of snow coats the ground and ice covers the path that brings me to my spot. The air has warmed up after a week of frigid temperatures, so I was able to enjoy observing new changes in my spot. I noticed the small pool of water that sat in front of my spot had grown since my last visit 7 weeks ago. Additionally, the ground cover has accumulated more sticks and a layer of wet snow.

Signs of wildlife were also very present in my phenology spot and were showcased in the tracks they left in the snow! Initially I was only able to find dog tracks and was beginning to feel discouraged about finding wildlife, but with further observation I was able to find lots of tracks around the area.

These wildlife tracks were the most common type I found throughout my area. I identified them to be made from squirrels. It follows the right shape and the paw prints fit the description.

I noticed many squirrels on my walk to my spot so they common presence of their tracks made sense.

I also saw these wildlife tracks near my phenology spot and guessed them to be tracks of a racoon. The paw marks and spacing share similar characteristics to standard racoon tracks.

Winter is approaching and Red Rocks Park is displaying more signs of phenological change. Trees have begun to drop their final leaves and undergrowth has become sparser. As I walk to my spot, I notice the leaves under me are frozen and the forest on both sides of me is dusted with a light covering of snow. An expansive layer of ice stretches from tree to tree far back from my phenology spot. I arrived at my spot at the same time as I usually do, but this time the sun has already begun to set so I start recording my observations quickly.

The foliage around me has changed. More leaves have fallen to the ground and all leaf colors have turned to shades of oranges and browns. The Northen Red Oak tree that stands tall above me still holds onto about 30% of its browned leaves and the few American Beeches next to me hold on to their orange leaves. The Eastern White Pines that stand in front of me hold onto pine needles and give the area some greenery in a landscape of browns and oranges.

The ground cover has remained consistently thick with leaves, but now the leaves are covered in a light coating of snow. The leaves are all frozen and any previous undergrowth has given into the winter conditions and gone away for the season.

As I sat in my spot recording phenological changes, I observed two squirrels chasing each other on the ice and trees in front of me. I also noticed a snow-covered log lying next to me bearing the tracks of a small animal (pictured to the left). The tracks are a challenge to make out, but I assumed they were left by a squirrel considering the events that were occurring in front of me.

I heard no birdsong my entire visit and I was inclined to believe that many species of birds in the area had begun their migration south. Overall, I felt that the presence of life — both human and animal — had decreased since my last visit. The wintery conditions have made it harder and less enjoyable for some in this area.

Overall, I have really enjoyed visiting my phenology spot in Red Rocks Park. My favorite part about this location was having a natural area to escape to that was a little bit of a challenge to get to. When I visited, I truly felt like I was away from campus and was able to take a deep breath and enjoy my surroundings. This park has some very nice trails to explore and really beautiful points overlooking Lake Champlain. I’m very happy that I chose this spot, and I am excited to continue visiting it next semester!

I spent some of my Thanksgiving break in Weston, a small town in Southwestern Vermont. As the sun began to set, I went out to explore the woods surrounding the house where I stayed and found trails that lead me to some really nice natural areas. It was a clear and calm 37°F day, so I was happy to spend some time exploring and observing my surroundings. The ground below me was covered in a 1-inch layer of snow and I was next to a small pond that was frozen over. I was at 1,500-foot elevation, 1,300 feet higher than my phenology spot in Burlington. This elevation caused the snowy and icy conditions that I haven’t yet experienced in Red Rocks Park.

As I stood in silence, most of the noise I was met with was from passing cars on Route 100 which ran a mere 350 feet away from me. Listening beyond the cars, I heard the light babbling of a stream that flows from the pond next to where I stood. I heard a single distant birdsong in my time out, a sound I noted hearing in previous blog posts.

43°17’11.3″N 72°47’30.6″W – Google Maps

There weren’t as many signs of animal life in this area as there are in the warmer months. Bear, deer, and foxes can be found roaming around here almost every night throughout parts of the year. In my exploration, I noticed no tracks in the snow ahead of me that fell 3 days before.

Some focal species I observed in this area that are also present in my Phenology Spot in Burlington were Paper Birches lining the pond, Red Maples that were completely bare of leaves, and Eastern White Pines that provided some green background in a forest of sticks. I also noticed some Eastern Hemlocks, a species I did not record seeing in my previous visits to Red Rocks Park.

Today I visited Red Rocks Park for the second time to explore its phenology. I sat peacefully in the center of my spot for 15 minutes and took the time to observe my surroundings. There were a few distant birds as well as the rustling leaves of the trees. Most of the noise, though, was made by passing hikers and a group of children who seemed eager to get to the end of the trail. There was a persistent gust of wind that caused some leaves to fall around me. As I spent this time in my spot, I drew a birds-eye map of my surroundings. I recorded the trees I observed that surrounded me and where they are in relation to other species around them.

Since my previous visit I have noticed that many of the leaves have fallen off the trees surrounding my spot. The two Northern Red Oaks that I sat between had the most leaves left on them. The maple trees I observed at my last visit were now completely bare whereas some young American Beech trees near me still held onto many leaves that only had just begun turning color.

My location for the Phenology project is Red Rocks Park in South Burlington, VT. I choose this location because it seemed like a very naturally diverse area that I would be drawn to throughout the entirety of this project. After visiting the park and making observations, my beliefs were confirmed. To get to Red Rocks Park I took two GMT buses (the 2 from the Medical Center and the 5 from Pearl St) and then had a short walk to the entrance of the park. From there, I walked about 40 yards onto the right-hand trail and found my spot on the right side of the trail about 10 yards in. The center of my location is marked by two large Nothern Red Oaks.

The vegetation I observed in this location consisted of deciduous trees, mostly comprising the overstory. The few trees that made up the understory were young sugar maples. The most common woody plants in the area were: sugar maple, red maple, paper birch, and northern red oak. I also observed that the ground cover was composed of twigs, acorns, and about 30% leaves. Pine needles were not very present in the ground cover of this location.