Final Visit to Salmon Hole
My final visit to Salmon Hole for this Phenology assignment was on a rainy, slightly chilly day. The water level was really high and the spot I normally go to was flooded over. Even the area I would go too was flooded and unable to get to. The current was also much stronger than it usually is. Normally, the current is weak and a minor flow, but today there were two currents flowing in two different directions at a pretty strong pace. I also noticed a lot of sand on higher rocks which caused me to think that maybe the sea level rose even more than it did today. The sea level may have rose so much that the whole little island my spot is on was once covered by water this year.
Major Landmarks
Im not sure if this can be considered a land mark, but there was this washed up log that I would sit on everytime during my phenology assignments. Even though I was unable to see it this last time I went, I would still consider that a major landmark on my place. Another major landmark would be the mill that sits right across from the river. It is crazy to think about how one day that mill worked and many people worked in there to produce textiles.
Sketch
Pictures
How Do Nature and Culture Intertwine at Salmon Hole?
The land that Salmon Hole sits on used to be Indigenous Land, buit now the Indigenous people are only allowed to use some of the falls. Aside from the land being previously owned by the Indigenous people, I am not sure how nature and culture intertwine here. People come together to fish at Salmon Hole, but whenever I go, usually there is no one there. If you look across the river you can see the old textile mills which at one point were the largest mill employer in the state of Vermont. This can intertwine nature and culture because it shows how humans once relied on the river as a source of energy to power their mill.
Do I Consider Myself a part of Salmon Hole?
I would say yes and no to this question. In some ways I would consider myself a part of Salmon Hole because when I went to do my phenology projects, as long as the weather was okay, I would sit and enjoy nature for an hour or two while I was there. This time was a good time for me to reflect on events going on in my life and also to relieve whatever stress I had running through me. In another sense I would not consider myself a part of Salmon Hole because I feel as though I haven’t spent enough time there. I also wouldn’t consider myself a part of it because I never gave back to the land in any way. I picked up trash a few times, but I never really did my part to help clean the land or clear the trails. So, in conclusion I would consider myelf half and half a part of Salmon Hole if that makes sense. Maybe in the upcoming years as I keep revisiting it, maybe I will consider myself a part of this place.