Centennial Woods – Phenology Project

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Major and Minor Landmarks:

Some of the major and minor landmarks I’ve become familiar with include the birch tree (shown above), the stream, and the first bridge. I’ve even made mental notes along the way, like how I always know I’m getting close to the bridge once I hit the stream. It’s funny how quickly these spots start to feel familiar.

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Nature and Cultural Intertwines:

Nature and culture intertwine at Centennial Woods because of the educational and human benefits it provides. Throughout the semester, it’s been a classroom, a quiet escape, and a place to recharge. And it’s not just for UVM students, anyone can enjoy what it has to offer. Whether you’re there to study the ecosystem or just take a walk, Centennial makes room for both.

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Do I feel like a part of Centennial?

When I first started visiting my phenology site I didn’t really feel any sort of connection to the area. However, over the past year making regular visits to Centennial Woods for this blog and for labs, I now feel like I am a part of it. I have seen it go through many changes within such a sort span of time. I have even found myself visiting outside of assignments, to run and just have somewhere quiet to be. Centennial will be a place I will continue to visit even after this semester. I’m forever thankful for having access to such great natural areas so close to me.

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Recap of my Spot!

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This week I visited places around and within Burlington collecting observations!

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Places that I Visited!

• Pease Mountain UVM Natural Area
• Jericho Research Forest
• Centennial Woods
• Trinity Campus

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What I Found!

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-you can easily find my observations linked in the tab to your left!

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Today was my first time visiting Camels Hump State Park. They have many different recreation options for those with varying levels of outdoor experience. We chose to hike the Monroe Trail to the summit. It was a beautiful day weatherwise, this was evident by the amount of others we saw along the way. Many snowshoers, but mostly cross-country skiers.

The second picture is my friend getting closer to the summit!

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Signs of Wildlife!

This place is busy with skiing and snowshoeing so wildlife wasn’t heavily prevalent. I did take some pictures of cool tracks I saw along the way. The visible tracks consisted mostly of small rodents and birds.

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Getting There!

The state park is located in Duxbury, Vt. It’s about a 45-minute drive from campus which doesn’t make it easily accessible unless you have a car. There are plenty of recreation options here so it’s easy to plan for a day trip or even a few!

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Today was quite gloomy and cold. Snow covered the trail but it’s evident that many people have been here recently from the countless footprints. This was the first time I visited and have seen other people there!

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Almost all the trees are bare except a few lingering beech. I did notice a change in one particular tree that I’ve been documenting. The buckthorn by the stream. It’s branches have lost all of their leaves and it’s berries have turned from a dark purple to an orangey red.

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I was hoping to see some animal tracks but unfortunately I didn’t find much more than an occasional dog print. This was what I was expecting anyway as I haven’t seen much of any animal presence in the past here.

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What I Love About This Place:

Centennial Woods is one of my favorite spots because of how conveniently close it is to Trinity campus. Just a short walk away, it’s a perfect place to relax after a stressful last week of the semester. I also enjoy that there are never too many people there. It always so quiet and calm. I’ve grown to love my trips here and look forward to coming back after winter break!

The Military Ridge State Trail is a 40-mile trail that connects the towns of Dodgeville and Madison in Wisconsin. It runs through various terrains like agricultural land, prairies, wetlands, and forests.  It was originally used as a Native American foot trail and then a wagon trail to connect pioneer forts. In 1880 the trail became a railroad which ran all the way until 1979 when the DNR purchased it.  

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The seasonal changes are hard to miss. The once green and luscious corridors have turned sad and barren. It’s pretty hard for me to tell what kind of plants are here as they are all dead!  

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It’s a place I often forgot I have such easy access to as a section opens right up the street from my house!

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The Salmon Hole!

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Getting There!

The first thing you see is the big bridge going over the river. I walked across it and snapped a few pictures, trying not to seem like a tourist. The blog I was following, name unknown, had a nice little description of how to get down for a closer view which I don’t think I would’ve found on my own! 

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Centennial Comparison!

The trees and other vegetation here are very similar to that of Centennial, but a few new ones I haven’t seen like American Bittersweet and Riverbank Grape. Most of the leaves have fallen now, leaving the trees quite sad and bare. Although I haven’t been to Centennial in a bit, I assume its the same there.

Unlike my spot, this place is pretty loud. You can still hear the bustle of outside life like traffic and the airplanes above. If you zone out enough you can start to just hear the rushing water and rustling leaves.

Today was very chilly and the wind made the cold much more unbearable. I think this is a place I will definitely want to explore more in the future on a warmer spring day!

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Birds Eye View Map!

A lot has changed since I last visited this spot. The trees, which were still mostly green the last time I was here, have now almost all changed colors. Except for a small patch of maples. The buckthorn by the river bend has lots of berries now, something I didn’t notice last time. 

For my phenology project I chose Centennial Woods. I mostly decided on it because of how easily accessible it is from Trinity campus. It’s only about a 10 min walk! I remember how exciting it was to go there for the first time on our self-guided assignment. Meeting up with new students to explore the woods so close to my new home as a grade was so cool. I’m excited to see how this place changes throughout the year! 

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Click to See iNaturalist Observations!

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