A UVM blog Crescent Woods Through the Seasons

For the four day inaturalist BioBlitz, I explored areas of Burlington that I am both familiar with, such as the downtown waterfront and UVM campus, and less familiar with, such as Rock Point and the Intervale. I really enjoyed using inaturalist because it was fun to challenge myself and see what wildlife I could identify. It was also helpful to get comments from other inaturalist users confirming or refuting my identification. Aditionally, it encouraged me to make a conscious effort to be more observant when using inaturalist, which led to me noticing more about the wildlife around me.

Species Encountered and Global Observations

During the BioBlitz, I encountered and recorded fifteen different species: a boxelder bug, forsythias, a chipping sparrow, a two spotted bumble bee, an American goldfinch, a Norway spruce, star magnolias, ostrich ferns, large flower bellwort, dicots, large white trillium, paper birches, house sparrows, green frogs, violets, European starlings, a painted turtle, lesser periwinkle, staghorn sumac, and American Robins.

Globally, I found it interesting that Washington DC was 7th on the leaderboard for the City nature challenge. I am from right outside DC and I had no idea there was such a strong citizen scientists community there! I also find it interesting that the most observed species in the City nature challenge all seemed to be commonly seen in Vermont as well, such as the red winged black bird, western honey bee, common dandelion, and garlic mustard.

Changes over Time

Over my first year at UVM, I have seen Crescent Woods change over time; both phenologically and due to the impact of outside forces. Phenologically, I have noticed the biggest changes in the understory., where understory flowers have started budding and blooming, saplings have grown taller and now have buds of their own, and in general, ground cover plants have grown denser and greener. The amount of bird calls that can be heard in the woods has also changed over time, going from a loud cacophony in the fall to a much quieter winter to a more timid but present bird song in the early spring. As far as storm changes present in the woods, I noticed many trees had broken and fallen to create a pointed triangle shape with a standing trunk and a fallen top half. Additionally, the consistent rising and falling of the creek water level based on the amount of precipitation has caused the stream bank to erode more and more. The stream bank is now more muddy and less steep as the water rises and the creek widens. Humans have also contributed to the changes I have documented in Crescent Woods. Many logs clearly cut by human hands lay in piles around the woods and standing stumps from cut trees can be found. Humans have contributed to changes in the amount of dead wood and live trees present in the woods.

Landmarks

I have grown to be quit familiar with landmarks present in Crescent Woods. Some of these include the stone walls surrounding the path closest to Shelburne Road, the various wooden bridges created as stream crossings, the stone steps that serve as an entry way into the woods, the creek itself, the dirt walking path through the woods, the huge culver at one end of the creek and the ginormous tree I once climbed that lies right next to it. These landmarks demonstrate the human uses of this wilderness landscape in efforts to both enjoy, preserve and benefit from what the woods has to offer.

Culture

Nature and culture intertwine is a few visible ways in Crescent Woods. I have seen people in the neighborhood adjacent to Crescent Woods use it as a place to walk their dog, run, meditate, or simply enjoy nature. The culture of appreciating nature in a more suburban space and using it to benefit human health is on display on this way. Since the people in this neighborhood have such a strong kinship with Crescent Woods, the culture of valuing and protecting nature is also apparent by looking at aspects of Crescent Woods. A little painted cardboard sign with a picture of a tree that states “Trees are Holy” is just one example of this sentiment. Another example is the presence of bridges and planks as measures to protect fragile ecosystems and allow people to easily transverse the woods without harming wildlife.

My Place in Crescent Woods

It is hard to say what type of relationship I have with Crescent Woods. I certainly feel very connected to the place. One time I went down there with a book of Jewish meditations I had recently acquired. I sat by the creek reading the book and felt completely at peace and fully a part of the ecosystem. It was a very spiritual experience for me and something that rarely happens in my life but when it does, its always in nature. However, I can not say I always feel a part of the Crescent woods ecosystem. Physically, I do not interact with the woods very often and when I do its usually for an assignment. This geographic distance and mental separation from the woods makes it hard to feel fully integrated in the ecosystem throughout my life. However, I have intentionally and thoroughly examined Crescent Woods more than I have most natural spaces in my life, making me feel closer and more connected to this place than many others.

My visit to Crescent Woods today to check on my good old American beech tree was incredibly restorative, necessary, relaxing, and tranquil. It was a gorgeous, sunny day; warm enough to wear shorts without a chill. The first thing I noticed when I entered the woods was the lack of wet, squelching mud that was present during my last visit just a few weeks ago. I did run into a few spots where the ground grew soft and slick with mud but last time, there was no avoiding the mud and this time, it was easy to find a solid dry path to follow. Tufted titmouse and black capped chickadees could be heard along with the soft sounds of the creek water flowing.

Beech Tree Observations

Despite the significantly warmer weather, not much has changed about the beech tree phenology wise. The biggest difference I noticed is the main tree had lost pretty much all of its pale dead leaves and had leaf buds on most of its branch tips. The sprout, ever persistent, is still holding on tightly to a small chunk of its leaves, but the majority of the branches without leaves have leaf buds. There is still no evidence of flowering, but new leaves should be expected soon.

Other Funky Observations

As I was walking through Crescent, I ran into some Rubenstein students marking trees with pink material. I asked what they were doing and they explained that they were participating in a trail restoration project, particularly focusing on erosion. Thinking back on my conversation with them, I realize I do not know why they were marking particular trees: Were they trees to remove, trees that play an especially important role in reducing trail erosion or something else? I also thought about how the mud has impacted erosion caused by people walking on these muddy inclines right next to the creek. I also noticed many man made logs cut from trees lying around, and I wondered if this had anything to do with the restoration project.

For my Phenology assignment this week, I took another trip to Crescent Woods on a beautiful, sunny, forty degree day. Immediately I noticed that most of the snow in Crescent Woods melted leaving behind (surprise surprise) a lot of mud. Lets just say wearing white shoes was not the smartest move on my behalf. Despite this, I had a wonderful time exploring the woods, listening to the calls of tufted titmouse (thanks Merlin ID), finding pops of color indicating the coming spring, watching squirrels skitter up trees, and taking pictures of cool finds!

Beech Tree

As for my old friend, the beech tree with the sprout, this tree had not changed much from the last visit. Still no signs of flowering and still holding on to a few dead leaves (mostly on the sprout). I did take more notice of the bark of the tree this time and I recognized just how smooth beech tree bark is. It seemed slightly paler than before as well, maybe because the bark was drier this time around. Another thing I noticed was the presence of buds (not flower buds, leaf buds). Those iconic cigar looking buds were not as present during my last visit, indicating new leaf growth on the horizon

For my phenology project this week, I took a nice walk to Crescent woods in pursuit of a tree I could easily find again in order to measure how this tree changes as the winter progresses. I ended up finding and American Beech Tree that caught my eye because this particular tree had a thinner sprout growing out of the bottom of its trunk. Despite being smaller than the thick OG trunk, this sprout was quite tall and still held on to its golden brown,ribbed leaves.

Look Alikes

In Winter, when it is harder to identify trees, Beech trees can look like young maple trees: Both have smooth gray bark. However, I was able to easily distinguish my beech tree from a young maple because of its alternate branching, terminal buds, and leaves. Maples have opposite branching but Beech trees have alternate branching. Additionally, beech trees have very easily recognizable, long cigar like buds whereas maples have much shorter buds with three humps or points. Lastly, (and this is the easiest identifier) young beech trees are one of the few hardwoods that retain their leaves in winter. The tree I chose had very obvious beech leaves (oblong, serrated leaves) rather than the palmately lobed leaves of a maple tree. Using these identifying features, I was able to distinguish my chosen American Beech tree from a young maple.

This week, I took a journey to Centennial woods in pursuit of wildlife signs to contribute to the “Wildlife signs in Burlington Project” on inaturalist. Due to the icy conditions of the trail it was a challenging hike. I certainly wish I had brought spikes!

Despite the melting snow, I was able to record some signs of wildlife including White-tailed deer prints and potential coyote prints. I also recorded the song of a Black Capped Chickadee and saw the daily roosting of crows at dusk.

In order to Identify the tracks I saw, I used the gait patterns and size of the tracks and compared it to the photos present in my track and scat guide. For identifying bird calls, I used to merlin bird ID app.

I labeled the hoof tracks I saw as a white-tailed deer cause they were much too small to be moose tracks. The other tracks I saw were a bit trickier. When focusing on just size, I eliminated the possibility of a fox; they were much bigger. I decided the against feline tracks as well because I could not identify a leading toe. The very symmetrical look of the print, the forward pointing claws, and the x present in between the toe pads and main pad caused me to narrow down the options to coyote. Additionally, the prints following a relatively straight path led me to decide against domestic dog, since they tend to run around without a care for conserving energy. Also, domestic dogs have weaker, less symmetrical paws with claws pointing every which way. I am in no way confident that I identified these tracks correctly but as Walt once said “A good tracker is never one hundred precent certain!”

Phenological Changes

The first phenological difference I noticed during my January visit to Crescent Woods was of course…the snow! Despite the the lack of colorful foliage, the thick blanket of bright white snow covering the ground and resting heavily on bare tree branches brought a serene beauty to the woods. Pops of dark green appeared here and there from the tall and mighty pine trees and the stout hemlock tree. Besides these species, almost no trees held on to their leaves except for a few persistent Beeches and Norway Maples. The leaves remaining on these trees, however, have grown dry and golden brown. Very few shrubs poked through the layer of snow, but I did spy some thorny rose stems and a few Norway Maple saplings. Another difference I noticed was the creek being partially iced over. This resulted in a faster moving flow of water in some areas of the creek and a slow collection of water forming in others.

Signs of Wildlife

For the first time, I truly noticed the many signs of animal activity present in Crescent Woods. I listened carefully and I could here the chirping call of the Tufted Titmouse (I used the Merlin bird app …I can’t identify bird calls on my own yet!) I noticed countless animal tracks and a couple holes in the snow that could be burrows. I saw nests of leaves created by squirrels and saw clumps of snow falling off branches as these squirrels skittered through the treetops. Here are some pictures of the tracks and potential burrows I encountered:

Foliage

Crescent has been through significant changes since I last visited the woods in mid-fall. Almost all of the deciduous trees in Crescent have lost their leaves entirely. However, some of the American beech trees and Norway Maples have stubbornly held on to their foliage. The leaves still remaining on these trees have become discolored, brown, and dry. Very few species have held on to their fruits and vegetation, and I saw clusters of nuts and berries littering the ground.

Decomposition

The leaf litter on the ground has also gone through changes; what used to be an extremely dense carpet of multi-colored leaves has now become a thin layer of rotting foliage. The decomposition of the leaf litter has exposed green, shrubby plants such as garlic mustard, ferns and ivy on the forest floor.

I also observed other instances of the decomposing process; fungus and mushrooms seemed a lot more prevalent than earlier in the year, polypores and moss in particular. I also noticed that the fallen trees have grown soft and damp and have many holes and tunnels created by decomposing insects.

Animal Activity

Since Crescent Woods is so close to an urban, developed area, animal activity has always been scarce. However, I have paid close attention to the bird calls in the woods and I noticed the calls had decreased in volume. One call that was noticeably absent was the honk of geese flying overhead. I hypothesized that I had heard the calls before because the Geese were passing over Crescent during their migration, but now that its later into the winter, they have already made their way down South and are no longer passing Crescent. Instead, I mostly heard a chirp heard and there of small songbirds. I also observed large holes in tree trunks that could have been created by pileated woodpeckers or other animals.

I also noticed multiple squirrels during my visit to Crescent this time, which was an animal I did not see as much in my previous visits. The increase in squirrel activity could be a result of squirrels preparing for the thick of winter by collecting and burying nuts and grabbing foliage to create warm nests with.

My Favorite Aspect of Crescent Woods

Since this is my last blog post about Crescent Woods, I want to reflect on my experience exploring this phenology spot. There are many aspects of Crescent woods I enjoy; the creek, the diversity of species, the manmade bridges and structures integrated into the landscape, and the mental peace and escape the woods brought me. If I were to pick one aspect that I enjoyed the most, it has to be that despite Crescents small size, I always noticed something new every time I visited. There are multiple trails that crisscross through Crescent Woods and each one leads you to a new undiscovered and magical area of the forest. In this way, Crescent kept me curious and excited to return again and again. Even though I was visiting the same neighborhood forest each time I came, it felt as if I was discovering an entirely new and unfamiliar place. I know this will not be my last time visiting Crescent Woods; I plan to return anytime I need a break from life stressors in order to pause and discover more about this beautiful space.

In honor of Thanksgiving and inspired by the Honorable Harvest chapter of Braiding Sweet Grass, I wanted to give a gift to the forest that I grew up exploring and that gave me so much. My Aunt had recently purchased some butterfly paper- biodegradable paper shaped like butterflies with wildflower seeds contained inside. I thought this would be a perfect gift to give Sligo Creek: if these wildflowers grew in the woods, it would attract pollinators, such as butterflies, that help sustain the health of the ecosystem.

It was very cathartic coming home and visiting the park I grew up spending time in. I was very luckily to live so close to such a beautiful natural area that truly fostered and encouraged my love for wildlife. It was also really amazing to see visit Sligo Creek with my newfound knowledge of ecological systems. Looking around, I could suddenly identify pieces, patterns and processes I had been exposed to my entire life but never truly understood.

Ecology of Sligo Creek

Just like Crescent Woods, Sligo Creek rests next to a more developed, neighborhood area and a densely travelled roadway. Additionally, as the name suggests, Sligo Creek has a creek running through the entirety of the park. Similarly, to Crescent Woods, the creek shore bed is sandy and contains large rock formations and exposed tree roots.

One difference I noticed between Sligo and Crescent is phenological progress. Sligo Creek has significantly more green leaves left on the trees and shrubs than Crescent currently does. However, Sligo does not have as many colors as Crescent Woods does; leaves are mostly green, not vibrantly red or orange. Another difference I noticed was the increased size and species diversity in Sligo Creek as opposed to Crescent Woods. Crescent does not have much of an understory, but Sligo has tons of trees and shrubs making up different levels of the forest. Even the overstory contains trees of a wide array of heights and thicknesses. Additionally, there also seems to be more species diversity in Sligo than Crescent. Species are also more widely dispersed here, whereas in Crescent, trees of the same species tended to clump together.

Both Crescent Woods and Sligo Creek Park have invasives, but Sligo Creek seems to have significantly more. Crescent woods mostly has buckthorn to worry about, but Sligo Creek’s list is extensive. Here is a list of invasive I saw during my time at the park:

• Norway Maple
• Wine Berry
• English Ivy
• Amur Honeysuckle

Also, Sligo Creek contains small pockets of Eastern white pines that remind me of areas of EWP in Crescent Woods

Common Native Species in Sligo Creek

• Red Maple
• River Birch
• American Beech
• Red Oak
• White Oak