Rock point has become such a special place to me over my first year at UVM. It was one of the first places I visited with my friends the first week of school to go cliff jumping. My first NR lab was at Rock point where I became friends with the girls I am working on my final project with. For the past almost 6 months since this assignment was assigned in the fall semester I have visited Rock Point every other weekend with my friend Becky. We would use this time to reflect on our week, debrief on our weekend activities, and relax in the beautiful scenery of rock point.
Rock Point over the Year
At the beginning of the first semester Rock Point was full of greenery. The deciduous trees all still had their leaves and there were mosses and flowers squeezed between the rocks. The water was a lot lower in the fall, creating a pebble beach for visitors to hike on. As the weather became colder the leaves turned to brilliant oranges, yellows, and reds, dropping from their branches gradually until only the American Beech held on to its leaves. As winter moved in the water gradually began to rise each week. The pebble beach shrank until there was just a sliver of stones for us to walk on. Soon the little beach was covered in snow and the trek to Rock Point became a lot more tedious as I had to trudge through a foot of snow. The lake was often much choppier in the winter, with stronger winds blowing across the lake. Large pieces of driftwood were pushed to shore and now rest along the pebble banks. The rocks all along the shore were covered in ice as the spray from waves froze over the rocks. Moving now into spring, the water is even higher, making it difficult to move down the shoreline. The water is still extremely cold but no more ice floats on the surface. And the rocks are no longer a hazard as all the ice has melted away. Greens are starting to pop up through the soil, as well as the occasional flower. Birds are chirping again and the water is calm and still. Trees are budding and soon the thick green canopy from the summer will be back.
Rock Points Nature and Culture
Rock point is an extremely diverse place both with its culture and ecosystems. It is a beautiful natural area that has changed and evolved over centuries to become the rock point we are familiar with today. Many years ago the Abanaki most likely hunted in the area. When European settlers moved in they cleared the land for logging and to open up the beautiful view of the lake. Bishop John Hopkins loved the land so much that he eventually bought it and built his home on top of Hemlock Hill. The rock point we know today was crafted by the Hopkins family who worked with the properties natural resources. They practiced subsistence farming and planted and apple orchard. They also allowed much of the forest to grow back in its natural state. John Hopkins eventually turned this place into a center for learning, building a school that was also used for military training. Eventually it burned down, but then was rebuilt into the school that is there today. The Rock Point School stands there now, working in harmony with the environment around it. Outdoor education and learning in nature is now a central part of the culture surrounding the rock point institute. A summer camp and retreat are run there during the summer, also focusing on building peoples connections with nature to help them in their everyday life.
My Relationship to Rock Point
As rock point has undergone many changes throughout the year and seasons, so have I. Just as I have experienced so many new things in college, I have also noticed all the new changes happening at Rock Point. So much in my life has changed since my first visit at rock point, as many of these changes occurred in my life rock point was always a place where I have been able to find solace and peace, even when my life was hectic.
I like to think of myself as welcomed visitor of Rock Point. Like the friend who is always welcomed to show up unannounced at your house. I think that the place is more a part of me than I am a part of it. I can’t say that my presence has changed rock point in any way, however i know that my visits to Rock Point have helped shape me this year. I would not consider myself a part of this place, simply because I don’t think I contributed enough to the ecosystem here to be. If I had collected trash, tested the water, or run observations of some sort then I would have considered myself part of Rock Point. Rock Point has definitely provided me more than I have it. I got there and just sit and observe, I can find peace at Rock Point, always feeling like a welcomed guest, but not a local. Maybe by the end of my senior year I will think differently, for now I am happy being a grateful visitor.