Over spring break I went on a training trip to Richard B. Russel State Park in Elberton, Georgia. We were on a pretty strict practice schedule, so most of my pictures are from our sunrise hikes/runs from our cabins to the boathouse. The forest was made up largely of pine trees, and the accumulation and decomposition of their needles over such a long time had turned the soils red, as shown below.
There are pines at my Vermont phenology spot, but they have nowhere near the effect on that landscape as they do here in Georgia.
Unlike at my Vermont site, there was very little understory growth in the Georgia forest. I concluded that this must be due to the thick layer of organic matter that carpets the forest floor. The herb layer would likely be smothered by pine needles and oak leaves before it could establish itself.
Each morning I set out on a two and a half mile journey to the boathouse. I tried to leave before the rest of the group so that I could listen to the birds sing as the sun came up without disruption. Those hikes and runs were one of my favorite things about the entire experience. As soon as I got on the trail I turned my lights off, and let my eyes adjust to the starlight. I made my way up the path, and though I struggled a bit at the beginning, as I became more familiar with the area and the sun started to peek above the horizon, following the trail became second nature. I began to recognize distinct bird calls that I had never heard before. Though unfortunately it was too dark for me to see the birds, I distinctly remember that their calls sounded much more like songs than the chirps of the birds at my Vermont spot.
Finally, although this was on the dock near our cabin, and not exactly in my phenology spot, an account of spring break would not be complete without mentioning the two reptile friends we made. They did not stick around, but seeing these two critters brought us a lot of joy.
