Final visit May 4
Yesterday I made my last visit to Redstone quarry. It was a warm day and it was clear the spring had fully come. The neighborhoods I walked through were full of colorful flowers. When I reached the top of the hill the large willow tree at the front leaves had popped out. It was interesting to see how much of a marsh land this spot really is, because this was the first time I had visited when everything wasn’t frozen
First I climbed to the top of the rock shelving and looked across lake for a while. While I was up there I noticed a ton of coyote scat in large piles. Walking through the tiny trails that go parallel to the marsh land I spotted a turtle and a few frogs. There were a bunch of birds in the bushes that grow from the rocks.
This is a spot in Burlington where you can see the history of how human culture and nature have interacted. Redstone quarry only exists where it is now because of its use for quarrying stone in the past. If this area wasn’t used for this historical use, I’m sure it would be another strip of houses here. Instead we have a small nature area with ponds and wetlands that provides habitat for many amphibians. We can see the type of stone if not the exact stone taken from here on the Redstone campus here at uvm.
Do I consider myself a part of this spot? Honestly, no. The first semester salmon hole was my phenology spot but I changed it for ease of access in the winter. Yesterday was only I think my second, maybe third trip to this spot. I do enjoy this spot and its proximity to my dorm.
Here are some of the species interactions I infer occur here. Species I saw here include painted turtle, redwing blackbird, grass, and frog. The other species are thing they commonly feed on and are usually present here in Vermont.