There were a few ways that nature and culture intertwined at my place. The knowledge that Centennial Woods is a protected piece of land in Burlington has allowed my spot to flourish over the last few years. Unfortunately, the culture and practice of clear cutting trees throughout Vermont when it was first settled is making it difficult for hardwoods to grow in my location. Almost all of the trees are currently conifers. The forest is not mature enough to support hardwoods yet due to these old practices. Also, there are not a lot of dead trees in the area, showing that the forest is not mature enough for species to be dying off due to age. All of these old practices are still having an impact on what is considered a generally healthy forest.
I feel that in some ways I am a part of my place just because I understand it so well now that I have visited so often. In other senses I do not feel that I am as much of a part of my place because I tried to leave very minimal trace that I was there. The only indication that I would have left that I had visited were footprints in the snow and mud. Most of the animals traveling through my area left the same trace that they were there, though while they were just walking to the Brooke for water. All in all, I had minimal impact on my area, but I do feel a sense of connection to my area.
