I have had the same spot in Centennial Woods since the first semester. I originally chose this spot because it had a bridge and many different types of trees and shrubs. I felt like this spot had a lot of natural variety. I really enjoyed visiting this spot because it allowed me to watch the changes throughout all of the different seasons. I think the prettiest season at my spot was fall. There were so many different colors and it was so vibrant. As it transitioned from fall to winter, more things started to die off. It started to become brown and drab. I think having a safe spot in the woods helped me feel more connected to the natural world in Vermont. I am excited to continue going back to this spot and observe the changes throughout my 4 years here.
My spot has changed a lot because of the storms. The cattails that surround the bridge have blown down and have started to die. They are slowly starting to collapse on each other. Some of the major landmarks I have become familiar with is the bridge and the path leading to my spot. The path gets thin on the way to my spot. This is a good indicator that we are approaching it. Another landmark is the fence that surrounds a body of water to the left of my spot. When I see that in the distance I am able to know that we are in the correct place. I feel that nature and culture intertwine here by allowing humans to cross the stream and also it is very close to the baseball field. The natural area of my spot surrounds the bridge. I feel very immersed in nature at my spot because of how tall the cattails are.
I do consider myself a part of my place. Since going back here at the beginning of the year, I have grown to feel very safe and comforted by my spot. This spot and blog have allowed me to grow my relationships with my friends. We would go on adventures to explore our spots and it brought us closer together. It was also the first place outdoors that I really got to know when I moved to Vermont. Moving to a new place can be very scary and this allowed me to have some sort of stability and familiarity. I am sad to not have a reason to visit my spot anymore but this will allow me to feel a connection to centennial woods.
