A Sam County Almanac

As the end of the semester is coming right around the corner, I can’t help but feel sad to leave my place. I have had a great semester getting to know the area, watch as winter animals pranced around, see the trees bud and finally bloom, watch as new plants rise up from the ground, and much more.

On this last visit, I was finally able to observe some phenological changes, as the tree buds finally bloomed into flowers, the grasses begun to turn green, and the wildflowers actually were able to show. I was even able to spot squirrels and chipmunks scurry about, while listening to and spotting the birds up above.

I think it is interesting to see the effects that this natural place has on the surrounding community. As it got warmer, I was especially able to see many people using Centennial woods as a place to run, walk their dogs, do schoolwork, etc. I think with the time I spent at my place, I would definitely consider the my place as a part of me, but I might not to far as to say that I am a part of it. Although it might have affected me, I don’t think I have done enough there to affect it, I didn’t add any ecological integrity.

I really appreciated posting these blogs, and I am happy with what I was able to do this year.

It has finally begun getting warmer, and although snow is coming and going as it pleases, I feel that spring has finally sprung. As I visited my place this afternoon I was sure that I would see some sign of wildlife, but either my eyes have not yet adjusted to the ground without snow on it, or they still are scared to come out and say hi. I walked over near to the brook to see if I could find any signs of amphibian life ready to start walking about, but I had no luck, this might be due to both the fluctuating air temperatures, and of course the frigid temperature of the brook full of fresh snow melt. My spot is in a grassy spot, so I looked for signs of wildflowers. I was able to find signs of some flowers poking up among the leaves, and grasses from last season.

There are not many trees in my area, but the few that exist seem to still have buds, but no flowers yet have bloomed. I wonder when this will happen, hopefully by the time I leave for home. My place is located not far from the forest edge, meaning that there is a large difference in biodiversity between my place, and the edge of centennial. I wonder how much this affects the wildlife of the area, do they feel threatened by the human population?

This year, I spent my week of vacation sea kayaking Little Tybee Island in coastal Georgia. This was quite the adventure, and I was surprised on how much beauty can be held in one place. Even in the city of Savannah we were able to see a barred owl, hanging out in one of the thousands of Live Oak trees drooping with Spanish moss.

Over the week I spent a few hours checking out the views, and watching birds on the island. I was accompanied by my friend, Michael McGuire, a sophomore in Rubenstein and a large lover of photography and birds. He helped me understand and identify the birds we saw, as I pointed out the woody plants, and fresh flowers. Many of the woody  plants I found were either Live Oak trees, with a few American beech trees, but the majority was the common palm tree (more related to a fern than any tree). All were in full bloom, showing signs of the year round growing conditions that they are given by the warm climate.

Some of the birds we were able to identify were Tricolored Herons, Snowy Egrets, American Oystercatchers, Common Terns, Sanderlings, a Red-Bellied Woodpecker, Pileated Woodpeckers, and many, many more. I added some pictures of the trip and the birds below…

Oh yeah there were dolphins, and wild boar too!!

It seems like this winter wants to stick around for a bit… As we move in to the month of March, snow still covers the ground, buds still are slow to flower, wildlife are still timid to come out and play! As I walk around my site this cold and windy afternoon, I’m excited for what is to come in the next couple of months that we will spend here at school.

To me, this field seems to resemble a floodplain. Its flat surrounded by hills and is right next to Centennial Brook, within the next month I guess that we will see plenty of fresh snowmelt pass through this area and down to the next spot. The willows and red maples tell me that this area is flood tolerant. There haven’t been any real visible changes in the phenology of my place, but I can suspect some big changes are to come!

Here is a picture of my place on a program called biofinder, the green shows that the area is a high priority landscape (meaning it should be preserved), the grayish-blue shows that this area is under high priority for wildlife species.

Click here for a link to my new phenology site

I decided to change my spot this semester for a variety of reasons, but one of them being the fact that I was drawn to this place when passing by. The new spot had a certain afternoon glow, a perfect winter glow from my perspective. You can get there pretty easily by following the Centennial trail off of Catamount Drive, and once you get to the first break in the trees, a small wetlands, you cross the brook and you have made it!

I found myself visiting my new place on a pretty cold, and windy day which might be the reason why I didn’t see a lot of tracks. Among the things I did notice, I could here some birds (mostly crows), I saw signs of a snowshoe hare (that had probably passed by recently), I saw tracks from a lot of small rodents (probably squirrels, and mice), I noticed a set of deer tracks imprinted deep in the snow. While walking I also came across a hole in the snow, possibly a habitat for a medium sized animal based on the size of the whole.

In terms of a trees, there wasn’t to much variation in species but I was still pleasantly surprised by what I had found. It took me a while to find out how to take pictures of the buds, with the lighting being an issue, and the buds being too small to focus on. Eventually I found that if I used my hand as a backdrop, I would be able to focus on those buds correctly, so I apologize for my hand being in every shot. Respectively, In order of pictures I found a Red Maple tree, shown by the red bud, and shape, also when crushed it provided no odor. There were a large amount of willow, probably since my spot is very close to the brook. I found a twig that I assumed is a Box Elder, but after looking at the bud more closely I could not figure it out, it kind of resembles a Sassafras bud. And lastly I found a twig that surely resembles a Box Elder with the white bud, a fleece like texture, and a purple twig. Below I also attached my sketch of the Box Elder twig, labelled and all.

Overall I would say that it was a pretty successful visit, I can’t wait to explore it more in the soon to come spring!

Click here for a link to my thanksgiving place

I often wonder attracts people to certain places, since most people seem to weigh comfort over all other factors. But to those who seek adventure, what is it that drives us to be uncomfortable? What is it that wakes us up at the crack of dawn, for the simple purpose of seeing a view, or an animal. I have come to the conclusion that the only possible explanation for this sense of adventure is simply curiosity, the sense of seeking the unknown. The pure bliss of putting together the final piece of the puzzle, the adrenaline of watching a scary movie, or the calming capabilities of a roaring waterfall.

I was first brought to my place as a kid, it is somewhat of a landmark, and acts as one of the few year round tourist attractions in the Twin Cities. I remember feeling this sense of curiosity, one that I had always had, but this time I was conscious of the feeling. The pure beauty of the place perplexed me, and I was intrigued to figure out why. The roaring water, and lush green leaves in the summer. The beautiful mix of orange, yellow, and red colors in autumn. And most amazing of all the tower of ice that formed a cave, a waterfall that seems like it was just stopped in time.

Photo by Greg Lundgren, click here

Photo by Gordon Dietzman, click here

Photo by unknown, click here

*(I accidentally lost the photos I took, but thankfully it is a well photographed spot)*

I found that on this visit I saw no significant changes from the last. At this point all of the color has disappeared from the grasses and deciduous trees in the area. Although it was quieter in terms of fauna, I believe it was because I visited on a fairly windy day. On my way down to my place I must have taken a wrong turn, leading me into a completely new section of Centennial woods that I have not seen yet, I ended up bush-wacking through some of the prairie grasses until I found the creek, then following the creek north west until I found my place. Thankfully, I found that my experience with the backcountry had come in handy. I couldn’t stay for long as it was starting to get dark, but I found that I am becoming more and more connected to my place each time I return.

With the peak of fall behind us, I noticed that the largest change between this visit and my last was simply color. The leaves of nearby trees have started to fall showing a wide variety of colors; some red, some yellow, some brown.

The Buckthorn bushes that occurs in my area have nearly lost all of their leaves, this is most likely due to the fast winds that have been blowing through our area more recently. And the tall grasses have started to brown, as well as the wildflowers loosing their color, giving the whole place a more somber feeling.

I did not see any direct signs of wildlife, although I am sure there is plenty. There are plenty of birds still in an ears range, and I’m sure that the tall grasses are perfect for smaller ground animals and rodents. I believe that the reason I haven’t seen any wildlife yet in this area is probably because I choose a place that was directly on the Centennial Woods Trail, a place with a lot of human traffic is likely to scare away any nearby animals.

Here is a map to make you more familiar with my place:

After following the trail for a while you will eventually come across an opening in the forest, a field seemingly used for telephone and power lines to travel through, but a paradise none the less.

A well crafted bridge, simple but strong, sits over the Centennial Brook. This is the place that I have chosen, a prairie that reminds me of my summers back in Minnesota. Surrounding the tall grasses are predominately Eastern Hemlock and Eastern White Pine, with the occasional Paper Birch or Boxelder trees that define the perimeters of the two forests. Lining the brook are invasive Buckthorn surrounded by a wide variety of prairie grasses and wildflowers.

Although the power lines above, and the occasional plane passing over are disturbances in the natural landscape I still feel relaxed and “at home” in this place. It seems like I have found a place where my primitive side and my civilized side can coexist. Birds chirping, squirrels chattering, and quiet babble of the brook. This is truly a place to be revisited!

Click here for a link to my place