Before I even knew it, the end of the school year snuck up on me. Spring is here, the sun is shining, the flowers are blooming, and everything is starting to come back to life. As I walked back to my spot in Centennial Woods, I was reminded of how much it had changed over the many visits I had made to my phenology spot. Compared to last time, winter transitioned into spring, and many plants and animals were coming back as well. I saw new ferns growing on the forest floor, the return of bugs, (yay!), many different bird species, and new growth of woody shrubs too. I was able to identify a few of the bird calls I heard, namely chickadees, a crow, and another bird call I couldn’t identify. Some landmarks I’ve become familiar with at my spot are the creek down the hill, and mainly the fallen log pile, which helps me to identify my place. In Centennial Woods, nature and culture do intertwine directly, since Centennial Woods is a place owned and taken care of by UVM, for student and public use. People come to observe nature, take a walk, and just be in a natural environment. Since it is a heavily used space, I would say that Centennial is a union of both human culture and nature. Because of this, I would also consider myself to be a part of my phenology place. Human activity, although it seems separate from the natural world, is greatly connected to it. Humans, animals, and plants all occupy the same space, breathe the same air, eat, and survive through the seasons. I will always be connected to my phenology place.
