November 28, 2022

While I was home, I chose to go to the Big Rivers Trailhead as my phenology spot. There is a great overlook of the Twin Cities nearby that makes this spot special to me, but I could not make it there this time I visited. I like this particular trail and area because it is close to home and really nice to bike or walk on! It is also a very interesting natural space because you can see both the Mississippi and Minnesota rivers, as well as the spot that they meet at along the trail. I will admit, the spot is much more beautiful in the spring and summer than it is this time of year.

As you can see, the trees all around the area have become very gray and lost all of their leaves. This is often the case this time of year, with only the evergreens not completely transforming. The species composition is very different than my place is Burlington because much of the trees there are native to the Northeast. Being in a new region, we start to see coniferous species like the Eastern Larch, White Spruce, and Balsam Fir. In terms of deciduous trees, the area is dominated by ash, oak, and maple trees. I saw some new species like Bur Oaks and Silver Maples, but also species that I have seen all around Vermont like Sugar Maples and Red Oaks. Overall, I think a lot of the ecological components of the area are very similar to my phenology spot, but there were definitely new things to see.

November 7th, 2022

Exploring my Senses at Rock Point

I sat quietly in this area of Rock Point for 15 minutes, and there was definitely a lot for my senses to take in. The first thing that stood out to me while I sat here was the noise of the rushing waves. I came on a windy day, so they were louder than usual. I could have spent the entire 15 minutes just listening to the waters of Lake Champlain. I also watched the leaves blow around in the heavy gusts of wind, making their final fall off of the trees, or blowing around on the floor of the Earth. The leaves were very crunchy and mostly consisted of maple leaves, however there were also leaves of oaks, basswood, birch, beech, etc. One specific thing that I noticed was that a lot of the rocks were covered in moss. The moss was very soft and bright green, and it really stood out to me. It was very warm outside, the sun was on my face and the breeze was blowing. Under my hands and feet I felt moss, lots of jagged rocks, clovers, the leaves, tree roots, and the dirt and soil underneath.

Since visiting last, the most prominent change in the vegetation at Rock Point has been the trees losing their leaves. They are much more bare and gray, and obviously the landscape looks much different when the leaves are covering the ground. I noticed that some of the birch trees seemed like they were peeling. Also, only some plants in the understory really still have their leaves. The more I recognized this, the more I realized that the majority of the leaves that are still present and green are on buckthorn plants. The species has taken over in some areas throughout Rock Point.