Welcome to my magical spot along the brook in Centennial Woods. This location just off of the wooden footpath that winds along the brook and deeper into the forest. My place is charming yet it also reminds me of adventure and exploration. My place on the brook is in a special spot located between both the forested Centennial Woods and the wetlands behind Centennial Brook. I am able to observe two different ecosystems. The forest is dominated by trees like the white pine, sugar maple, and cedar trees while the wetlands are dominated by cattails. Since I sit on the side of the footpath when observing I am reminded of the popularity of this location every time someone walks passed me. During the hour time period I spent at Centennial Brook, much of it was spent in silence with little to no “action” just the faint chirps of birds in the distance. Although, after about 35 minutes a large group of about 10 small gray birds moved into the area I was observing and began to feed on the seeds on the brush. With the small birds came a couple of cardinals as well as a large blue jay. After around 5-10 minutes of them feeding in front of me, they moved on and were out of my sight. I also saw many people walk past me, most were alone but some were with a partner. The grass next to the wooden footbridges were also worn down and I am guessing this has to do with people walking next to the trail or slipping off the wet bridge. I am glad to see that there is still a steady influx of students and Vermonters using the trails and it isn’t one of the things changing with the seasons. However, there are many other aspects of my spot that are showing signs of the fall and incoming winter season. The most obvious change of the seasons is the changing of the leaves. During my first time at my phenology site on September 30th, 2019, only a few trees at the head of the trail had begun to change color. Then on October 10th, 2019 almost all of the trees have changed color to their bright red, yellow, and orange hues. During my most recent visit on October 22nd, 2019, most of the trees had dropped at least half of their leaves. This shows that the trees are becoming less productive as they approach the colder season to save energy and resources for the winter. A few remaining trees and bushes still have their summer/fall fruit which organisms like chipmunks and birds are feeding on. Another noticeable change was the lack of bugs. The fact that there are no bugs means that there has been a frost which killed them. I’m stoked to see how else my spot changes!

Below are photos of my spot and my notes.