Red Rocks Park Ecosystem Phenology

Covered all over the park, the Prickly Wild Rose is one of Vermont’s rarest listed plants/flowers. With a deep pink and rose color, the flower is shaped into a saucer shaped petal. This flower is extremely beautiful and sadly dissapeared as winter crept on; I hope to see it back in full blossom in the spring!

Taking a video of the moon overlooking the bay, I was startled by a fast moving Cottontail right behind me. Cottontails dash in a zigzag pattern to escape from predators, at speeds which can reach 18 miles an hour.

Saved the best experience for my last post! This summer, me and my father were able to see a small mink scampering on the large rock formations in the inner forest. The mink are commonly found in coniferous and hardwood mixed forests, which makes sense why it would be inhabiting an extremely diverse area such as Red Rocks.

What was most interesting was as it got colder, the specialized cone of the Yew became more clear. It wraps around a single seed, ultimately former a highly toxic berry that birds digest without harm as they’re able to only break down the berry and not the seeds toxic attributes.

Beech Scale (Cryptococcus fagisuga) is a small yellow insect that feeds on the superficial, vulnerable layer of the bark, killing the tree and causing a huge issue for Vermont ecosystem’s near and far. As Environmentalists, we must think of ways to control these invasives not just here in Vermont, but as they spread and also damage and negatively affect other ecosystems.

And finally, the view and the park itself. I’m grateful to have chosen Red Rocks, for it was a unique location with a lot to experience. I saw immense wildlife as no other urban wild in Burlington Vermont, and I cherish the ability as a RSENR to have the ability to conduct an academic analysis of a place so impactful in connecting me with nature.