{"id":5,"date":"2020-10-11T22:23:21","date_gmt":"2020-10-12T02:23:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blog.uvm.edu\/salmonholeparkphenology\/?p=5"},"modified":"2020-10-11T22:23:21","modified_gmt":"2020-10-12T02:23:21","slug":"salmon-hole-park-preliminary-viewing-and-reflections","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blog.uvm.edu\/salmonholeparkphenology\/2020\/10\/11\/salmon-hole-park-preliminary-viewing-and-reflections\/","title":{"rendered":"Salmon Hole Park- Preliminary Viewing and Reflections"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Welcome to Salmon Hole Park, a gorgeous natural site along the Winooski River! This lush ecosystem provides habitat and resources for several plant and animal species and is located just northeast of Trinity Campus. Being just a 20-minute walk away from campus, this phenology site drew my attention because of its unique setting and fascinating wildlife, especially the ornithological aspect.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

While the site is largely dominated by deciduous tree species, there are the occasional conifers as well. Of the deciduous varieties, Cottonwoods and Northern Red Oaks are the most populous species present. Since the site is close to the road, stormwater runoff and erosion clearly affect the vegetation growth. Knowing this, it is logical that the area is well-drained, and the soil is likely high in pH and moist, resulting in the higher density of deciduous species that thrive in such conditions. The density of specific species in a certain region, however, varies along the riverside of the site. For example, at one location, cottonwoods and oaks are dominant, whereas, further down the riverbed, staghorn sumacs become more dominant. These little ecological niches could be random, or something else may be responsible for this phenomenon. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The following list is comprised of the common woody plants seen at Salmon Hole Park-<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Cottonwood<\/p>\n\n\n\n

White\/Northern Red Oak<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Paper Birch<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Yellow Birch<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Eastern White Pine<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Red Maple<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sugar Maple<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Norway Maple<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Box Elder<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Stag-horn Sumac<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Green Ash<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Glossy Buckthorn (invasive)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Honeysuckle (invasive)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Barberry (invasive)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Some of the Fascinating Wildlife seen on site<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Salmon Hole Park is home to some of the most interesting animals in the Northeast, including birds, fish, and mammals. Here are some pictures (taken from the internet) of animals I saw on my first trip to the natural area.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Great Blue Heron<\/h2>

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The great blue heron is a large wading bird, common near the shores of open water and in wetlands over most of North America and Central America, as well as the Caribbean and the Gal\u00e1pagos Islands.\u00a0<\/p><\/div>