During this four-day urban BioBlitz, my friends and I went out around UVMs campus to explore what wildlife we could find right here in our backyards. We mostly explored the area of athletic campus and right outside of the Aiken Center. Especially as first-year students with no cars, being able to engage with the nature that we have right here on campus is so important.
The area of campus that we spent the most time exploring
Our experience using iNaturalist was great. It definitely helped us to identity a lot of species that we found that we would have otherwise left unidentified. Additionally, my phone was dead while we were looking around campus, but fortunately due to the upload feature of iNaturalist, I was able to get photos from my friends and upload them at a later time which was super helpful.
Most of the species that we found were plant species, specifically trees and flowers. If you’ve been walking around UVM lately, you will have noticed the many tulips planted and the trees in bloom. It really is a nice refreshing change from the drab colors of winter.
One of the observations that we made during the BioBlitz which was a tulip (Genus Tulipa)
The most interesting thing that I found out about other regions and how they posted was the per capita rates of posting. For example, Burlington had a ratio of 0.87 observations per person, whereas New York City was closer to about 0.001 observations per person. So, although Burlington is much smaller, we are certainly more engaged with our environment which is one of the reasons I love going to school here.
Today, April 10th I revisited my tree in Centennial Woods. From the information that I have gathered so far, I believe this tree is a red maple (Acer rubrum), and it’d current state still supports this idea. The tree’s buds and bark are consistent with that of a red maple.
Today, I was especially excited to go visit my tree. The past few days have been warm and sunny, and I suppose I imagined a big change would be present in my tree because of the recent warm spring weather. However, I did not notice any discernable changes. While this isn’t concerning in a phenological sense (in Vermont, red maples are known to bloom most often in late March into April), I was a little disappointed. BUT alas, I have something to look forward to the next time I go to visit my tree.
Today I revisited my tree in Centennial Woods. From my knowledge, I believe this tree is a red maple (Acer rubrum). The tree’s buds and bark are consistent with that of a red maple. Upon examining the tree, however, I did not notice any discernable changes. This is not surprising though. In colder climates, Vermont for example, red maples tend to bloom later in the season as opposed to those warmer more southern climates. In Vermont, red maples are known to bloom most often in late March into April.
Lastly, here is an upload of the screenshot of this tree in iNaturalist 🙂
This weekend, I visited Centennial Woods in order to find a species from the following list: red maple (Acer rubrum), Northern red oak (Quercus rubra), paper birch (Betula papyrifera), or American beech (Fagus grandifolia). I originally thought this would be an easy task, and I would be in and out; however, it proved to be much more difficult. In order to properly identify one of these species, I had to look for a relatively mature tree with low buds that were developed enough to be identifiable. Additionally, many of the trees that I had come across had not enough buds visible to properly identify them.
Eventually, I was able to find what I believe to be a red maple (Acer rubrum). It took me a little while to gain confidence in this identification as I was a little unsure that it was not a different variety of maple. The buds on the tree that I examined were shiny, red, and had smoother tips with only a few scales which allowed me to eliminate a sugar maple as a possibility since sugar maples have more scales that are pointier. Also, the bark was gray and smooth, with only a few ridges developed at the bottom, also consistent with a red maple.
This past Sunday, February 20th, I visited Centennial Woods in search of some wildlife signs. As I was driving to the Centennial Woods parking lot, I had imagined that the search for any discernable tracks would take me hours. There was little snow left on the ground and any mud that there was, was too sticky to leave behind solid track marks.
To my surprise, I found signs of wildlife almost immediately. As I was just entering the trail, I saw these teeny tiny little foot prints scattered to my left; each footprint was only about an inch and a half long. Because of the small size of the tracks, my immediate instinct was that they came from a squirrel or another small rodent, perhaps a mouse. However, after taking a closer look, I realized it couldn’t be any of the aforementioned animals; these tracks were not from a bounder. The tracks I had found were much closer to a waddle or a lope.
Close up image of tracksTracks as compared to the size of my pointer finger
My next hypothesis for the tracks was a racoon. In addition to representing a lope / waddling gait, the prints also had claws, both of which were consistent with a racoon. I felt quite confident with my hypothesis, but I wanted to be sure. I pulled out my tracking guide and compared the tracks I had found in Centennial to the racoon tracks in my guide. Not a match. The tracks I found had a much starker negative space and were much smaller than racoon tracks. Back to square one. I relisted the types of animals I knew in Vermont with a waddle or lope. Then, I made my next, and last, hypothesis. I believe the tracks came from a skunk, since I have a pretty good feeling they didn’t come from a bear.
I was quite impressed with myself during this experience. While my first guesses did not end up being even remotely close to my final assumption, looking back, I feel as though I did a pretty good job identifying the patterns of the tracks and recalling what we’ve learned so far about common Vermont wildlife.
I would really like to start tracking more often, just in everyday life. I feel like before this semester, I would have thought that animal tracking is an intense procedure which requires hours of dedication and searching, but tracks can be anywhere. I may be able to recognize tracks within a matter of minutes on my way to class or dinner.
“If you truly love nature, you will find beauty everywhere.”
Vincent Van Gogh
Today, I visited my phenology spot for the third time this semester. The first time I had been there was during our first lab. It is the spot in the woods where you’re able to cross the stream over these wooden blocks. You can hear the water trickling down the stream and see how it ebbs and flows. I really enjoyed this particular spot since it had so many different elements to it including the water, vegetation and various animals. Additionally, the proximity of Centennial Woods to UVM was a large factor. I figured that if I were to get accustomed with a particular spot, I would want to visit it frequently even after the project was done. Centennial Woods is only a 10-minute walk from my hall so I thought it would be a great spot. If you’re starting on the Athletic campus, you can head Southeast down Main Street, then make your way to Catamount Drive all the way down to the entrance to the woods. Once at the first entrance, you will continue through the path, following the wooden boards, and you will eventually make it to the spot.
View of the stream in the phenology spot.
It is characterized by the stream that rushes underneath, as well as several different tree species along the path. Most often I saw Norway Maples and Red Oaks. The farther I got from the stream, the denser and larger the trees became. Closer to the stream were various flowers, bushes and grass. As I was leaving the spot, I saw a few robins and a large group of chickadees (a childhood favorite of mine). It was really lovely to just sit and exist in such a beautiful space, giving me the ability to really take in and admire my surroundings.
10/31/22
Yesterday, I revisited my phenology spot in Centennial Woods. Luckily, it was a beautiful day with lots of sun. As per the assignment’s instructions, I sat in the center of my spot for 15 minutes with no distractions and just absorbed my surroundings. I cannot begin to describe how peaceful this was. After a long weekend, a nice moment in nature was exactly what I needed for a Sunday reset.
The peaceful sounds of the babbling brook and the birds chirping and fluttering around were so calming. The air smelled like fallen leaves and that fresh, crisp, cool smell of autumn. Around me, I saw a multitude of chickadees, one of my favorite birds. They flew through the brush and the trees, dancing around each other. The area was certainly barer than before, with the majority of the deciduous trees having all their leaves fallen, but the green colors of the pines and the orange leaves covering the ground still made it a very pretty sight. You can see a comparison of the same spot from my previous visit, October 17th, to yesterday, October 30th.
October 17thOctober 30th
Overall, it was an amazing experience being able to enjoy a nice moment outside. Here are some final pictures, as well as my map of the spot. 🙂
11/27/2022
Over break, I decided to visit a spot in the neighborhood that I grew up in. Through the neighborhood, runs a stream that originates in Irondequoit bay. Funnily enough, a separate stream runs through my current neighborhood that originates from the same bay. The spot in my old neighborhood has a tree that fell over the stream about 20 years ago which was never taken care of. It just sat as a little bridge over the water. As a child, I remember coming to this spot and just sitting on the fallen tree trunk listening to the stream. Being able to experience this once again after living in a different place for about 7 years was magical. It really brought me back to my childhood. While the tree trunk no longer had any leaves to examine, I imagine it was a red maple based on its bark.
I picked this particular spot as my Burlington phenology location is also right next to a stream. I love incorporating water into my natural experiences as I have always found it to be a comforting thing. The sounds of the babbling water just brings me peace. This spot is also in upstate / western New York, quite similar to Vermont so I saw a lot of similar species. Like I mentioned in previous posts, I always see chickadees fluttering about at my Burlington spot and I was lucky enough to see some at the spot at home. The wooded species were also similar with lots of oaks and maples.
The trip I took to my old neighborhood was pretty spontaneous so I didn’t leave a gift, but I’m extremely grateful to the gift of serenity it provided to me
1/29/2023
Back at my spot once again! Despite the cold weather today, I certainly enjoyed my walk around Centennial woods today to visit my Phenology site. The landscape looks completely changed, covered in a blanket of snow. All the remaining foliage that I saw in December is likely hidden under that snow, decomposing and getting the soils ready to host the beauty of spring.
Here, you can see the difference of my sit from a visit I made last December to the visit I made this morning.
December 8thJanuary 29thDifferences between December and January
The spot was nearly silent with the exception of the babbling stream that runs through the woods. Apart from the scattered footprints of people, there was little signs of life in the vicinity. Unlike my previous visits, I couldn’t hear or see any chickadees flying about, nor any other birds for that matter.
I was also met with the sadness of finding no discernable animal tracks. I was quite looking forward to searching around the blanket of snow for any remaining signs of creatures muddling about but was met with nothing.
Hopefully in the coming months, I will have more luck engaging with the trails of our furry friends.
Signing off!
-Sadie
3/18/2023
Today, I visited Channing H. Philbrick Park, a park in Penfield, New York which is where I’m from. I used to come here quite often as a kid, and it was so wonderful to revisit the spot. It’s located right near the central area of the town.
Channing H Philbrick Park in Penfield, NY
I was very happy to hear and see many more birds than there have been in the past few months. Though I am not an expert in backyard birds, I can confidently say that I saw many geese, sparrows, chickadees and crows during my time at the park. While many of these birds are year round residents of New York, they have been much more dormant in over the winter and are finally coming around again to say hello.
In regards to the trees, I saw many of the same species as we have in Burlington: red and white oaks, pines, American beech, and various maples like sugar maples and red maples. I was hoping to see some more buds on the trees, but there were not as many as I would have liked. Granted, it is only March. We still have not even come out of the winter season, but I hope to see more in the future. In years past, it has felt like spring has come overnight, so, who knows what may happen in the coming weeks!
Lastly, I did some research on the history of the park. It is a relatively small area, only about 19 acres, so, I was a little worried that I wouldn’t be able to find much. Fortunately, I found a very helpful webpage that includes a detailed history of the area. I will link it at the bottom of this post, but for those that may not want to read a whole article about a random park, I’m going to give a quick summary:
As an important preface, the area of Channing Park was originally inhabited by the Iroquois, an indigenous group in the Rochester region.
The town of Penfield was actually first owned by a Vermonter! He didn’t see much value in the area though and sold it to Daniel Penfield. Daniel saw great potential in the Irondequoit Creek which runs through Channing Park. After about 10 years, Penfield had encouraged the erection of several mills that were powered by the creek in what is now the park area. Flour was the primary export of the area often transported by the nearby Erie Canal. Then agriculture became more popular in other nearby regions and the mills became of less use in this area. Then after years of waning agriculture, the park area was inhabited by a waste treatment facility which was later removed in order to make trails and create a town park!
