Sense of Place
As the seasons have changed, my sense of place in Centennial Woods has changed. When I first went there, I saw it as a lush green place with lots of birds and other living things. Now, I see it more as a quiet place with lots of dead plant life and not many birds. It just does not seem as much of an “alive” place now.
In terms of the larger Burlington area, Centennial Woods is just a small part of it. When I first went to the forest, I did not really know where Centennial Woods was relative to the rest of the campus and surrounding Burlington. Now, I know exactly where it is and what surrounds it. Knowing the exact location makes the forest seem smaller. I also see it as a quieter place on campus and in Burlington. It’s an area to take a break from the urban community without having to travel very far.
Centennial Woods has gone through a lot of change over time. It began as being used as agricultural land, then it was used by the medical school. When the medical school used it, cadavers were buried on the property. After that period, ROTC at UVM used it as a firing range. Now it is used as a research forest and a recreation area. Throughout time, many different people have had very different senses of place at Centennial Woods. For example, I would have a very different sense of place of the forest (as a recreational area) from people who knew it as a burial place for cadavers in the early 20th century. Currently, people on campus and in Burlington most likely see Centennial Woods as a place to do research for school or a place to do activities like running or hiking.
The photo displayed below of the entrance of Centennial Woods shows how dead all of the plants are now. When I first visited the area, it was very lush and green.
Field notes: