Signs of Snowshoe hare is one of the most prominent examples of wildlife evidence here at Redstone Quarry. The hares’ tracks have a clear walking pattern that makes following their trails easy to follow; it is never difficult to identify the direction in which they’re hopping. The Quarry is dense in undergrowth, a favorite habitat of the hare. None of these animals were visibly seen during my most recent trip to the Quarry on February 23,2020, primarily because of their nocturnal feeding habits (Saunders D.A. 1988) however many trails were identified as was what could have been a hare’s burrow. The burrow was a relatively shallow pit in the ground, underneath some undergrowth. There were some broken branches and light leaf litter as well, all clues pointing towards the fact that the small pit in the snow was created by a Snowshoe hare.

The Snowshoe Hare enjoys a woody plants diet in the winter time which would explain the broken branches near the assumed burrow, found in the undergrowth. The hare is usually asleep during the daytime and is most often spotted at dawn and dusk. It’s main predator, formerly, was the lynx and today the hare is a favorite for foxes, coyotes and several birds of prey (animalcorner).

On a regular basis during the month of February the Snowshoe hare interacts with many species of trees: Eastern Hemlock, Red Spruce and White Pine are the most common. In the summertime, they enjoy raspberries as well as birch and maple twigs. The hare’s interaction with the undergrowth is also significant: Partridge Berry bushes and Lowbush Blueberry bushes are some examples of underbrush in New England that is considered a popular habitat preference for hares (animalcorner).

Since my last visit to Redstone Quarry there have been few changes to the phenology of the landscape. In January the weather was much colder and the ponds at the Quarry were completely frozen over. During this visit, the ice cover was thin and the snow, melting. There were birds calling the entire time and a few chickadees, cardinals and robins were spotted; during my January visit, I heard few if any bird calls.

Citations:

ESF Office of Communications. (n.d.). Snowshoe Hare (Lepus americanus Erxleben) From: Saunders, D. A. 1988. Adirondack Mammals. State University of New York, College of Environmental Science and Forestry. 216pp. Retrieved from https://www.esf.edu/aec/adks/mammals/snowshoe_hare.htm

Snowshoe Hare – Facts, Diet & Habitat Information. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://animalcorner.org/animals/snowshoe-hare/

I am from a small town called Northbridge in central Massachusetts. For years I have spent time visiting a small wild sanctuary along the border of my hometown and having explored this location further using my recently developed sense of place observational skills, I found Castle Hill to be even more enchanting. 

Originally called Castle Hill Farm around the 1870s, John Whitin, a major historical figure in my town, cleared the land and began using it as a dairy farm. Today, Castle Hill has little remaining components of what used to have been here. Stone walls are still intact, though graffitied and weathered with age. Deep in the now overgrown forest, there are remnants of past construction: rusty steel and nails, and furthermore there is still the ever so identifiable small pond at the center of the property.

White Oak and other deciduous trees comprise the area as do various amounts of small undergrowth. At this time of year there is no snow on the ground in Northbridge but the pond was delicately frozen over in a thin sheet of ice. There are a few Eastern White Pines in the area as well as Beech trees, now almost completely barren from the harsh winds. In the warmer months, turkey are abundant here and you can hear them at dusk flapping between the tallest trees. Gray squirrels and chipmunks are common as are several other kinds of small birds: robins, blue jays and chickadees. At this time of year, spotting these animals is not as easy, since many of the birds here fly south for the winter.

Today, Castle Hill is a hotspot for teenagers attending the High School which is only a few minutes down the road. At all times of year, students will pull up and park, listen to music, fish and explore the deep woods around the small pond. Not just high school students though, the location attracts residents from all over the town who are looking for peace and relaxation away from home. Being that Castle Hill is a much smaller property than it used to be, the site is now at the foot of a large hill of suburban sprawl. Kindly enough, one homeowner here takes the time every morning to pick up trash in the area and keep the site natural, clean and beautiful for all who attend. Castle Hill truly epitomizes my small towns’ generosity and connectedness, being vast enough for exploration and adventure and at the same time quaint enough to bring together people of all ages.

In terms of phenological changes, Salmon Hole looks quite different from the last time I visited. Water levels are substantially lower and ripples present in the sand are indicators of this fact. I was able to locate more wildlife this time and gray squirrels as well as crows were part of my experience this past trip. I was able to locate potential fox and deer tracks on the small beach as well as imprints from a large bird. Furthermore, the water in general had a significantly higher turbidity than past visits, evidence of the snow runoff which has been occuring as temperatures in Vermont decrease; there is significantly more debris washed ashore and strewn about, evidence of the strong winds that have been becoming more common this time of year. Different from my last visit, there is evidence of some oil spillage in the water which has caused slight discoloration in the lake and significantly more sand has washed up on the exposed bedrock. The leaves on almost all of the trees in the area have completely fallen off with the exception of some beech and maple leaves.

Salmon Hole is a natural sanctuary amidst the bustle of Burlington and Winooski life however this fact means that the rural space is not completely separate from human impact. There are several factories bordering Salmon Hole whose pollutants often cannot be helped from impacting the scenic space. Significant amounts of debris are evidence of close by industry as seen in steel beams and bricks, carried by wind and water and washed up on the rocks.

Knowing a good amount about the history of Salmon Hole definitely has an effect in terms of how connected I feel to the location. Evidence suggests glacial activity, which was once predominant in the northeast. Ingrained in the bedrock are ripples: evidence of strong currents which once consistently flowed over the exposed bedrock here. These ripples are probably the work of either Glacial Lake Vermont or the Champlain Sea: two water bodies which dissipated from northern Vermont over time. Regardless, knowing about the history here is a key part of why I feel so connected to this location. In the future I am positive that children and adults alike will use the spot recreationally for its beauty and convenience.

Almost all of the organisms I identified on my most recent visit to Salmon Hole are various types of plants. Prickly Gooseberry (Ribes cynosbati), American Asters (Symphyotrichum), Eastern Cottonwood (Populus deltoides), Red Oak (Quercus Rubra), Common Milkweed (Asclepias syriaca), Mountain Holly (Ilex mucronata), Beech Trees (Fagus grandifolia), Common Dogwood (Cornus sanguinea) and False Indigo (Amorpha fruticosa) are all types of flora that can be located around this particular location. I noted no bugs during my time on the Winooski and can only assume it is because of how cold temperatures are becoming in Northern Vermont. The only species from the phylum Chordata observed were a couple of trout in the Winooski river; only visible by looking closely into the running water, the trout continue to be apparent in the river even in these colder fall months.

Since my previous visit, water levels of the river have raised substantially. There has been significant rainfall whereas, around the time of my first two visits there was little rainfall within the span of weeks. The Winooski river now covers the path which could lead humans, dryly, to the grouping of deciduous trees straight ahead from where the walking path walks out. The tree grouping is completely surrounded by water at this point, and where the path once was, the water is rapid and daunting. In regards to the vegetation, many of the trees whose leaves were abundant and colorful just two weeks ago are now losing their color and almost all leaves have fallen to the ground.

There is little soil visible at Salmon Hole aside from the beach to the left of the footpath; the ground here contains a combination of sand and gritty soil, with very little dirt. Most all of the time visitors will spend at Salmon Hole, is spent standing on exposed bedrock above and below the water current, as opposed to soil.