On a cloudy morning after a long day of rain, I headed back to my spot in the woods. It was very muddy and I noticed that the water level of the creek had risen on my way there. What stood out to me the most was the vibrance of the bright green budding tree leaves. throughout the woods, nearly all of the trees have begun flowering. I could hear the calls of chickadees overlapping with dozens of other bird songs. But arriving at my phenology spot, I did a 15-minute sit-sketch where I mapped out the key components of my spot once again.
I noticed that compared to the beginning of the year, the depression underneath the fallen trees leading down the hill seemed to be a lot deeper – this time with water flowing down it like a small stream. I have grown accustomed to this little divot as a major landmark of my site. And in terms of landmarks, there seemed to be a growing collection of fallen trees and branches probably due to storms and the snow that we had this year. It’s fascinating to watch how these natural changes happen and what will result from them. I noticed that the ground was also covered in leaf litter rather than pine needles like at the beginning of the year. I am wondering how the trees within this space would benefit differently from the decomposition of leaves compared to needles. The forest floor species seem to be growing back as well, with patches of green in certain spots as you can see below. It has been largely eye-opening and gratifying to witness the change and growth happening in my area this year. On my way out of the woods, I ran into a few hikers as well as a class going birdwatching. I think that seeing that reaffirmed the cultural significance of Centennial Woods to the community of Burlington. People have always been connected to places and the land, and with mutual respect for each other’s existence, I would consider humans and nature to be intertwined. I believe that within the last year I have become a part of the story of my spot within Centennial.
