BURTON PARK
Burton Park is my favorite place. The day after I got back home to Minnetonka, Minnesota, I hopped on my bike and went to greet him. It’s a 12-minute pedal away from my house along a beautiful public trail that’s full of people in the summer. But even during the busy months, I hardly ever find anyone in my favorite spot. It’s unassuming and I don’t think many people know it’s there. I like it that way. I like to think I’m his favorite.
Burton Park is actually a trail system that stretches out into the woods, but my spot is right at the front, through a short, semi-hidden path off the main trail. Walking out of the tree tunnel, there’s a sunny clearing with a big oak tree that I usually prop my bike against. To the left there’s a small community flower garden. When the flowers are in bloom, I often see butterflies and even hummingbirds flitting around. I like sitting on the lone bench and waiting to try and catch a picture of them. To the right is the lake. A few years ago, the old sunken dock was replaced with a beautiful new wooden one that’s great for sunbathing and fishwatching.
I usually start coming to visit Burton before the snow completely melts in the spring. I get to watch as the ground goes from brown to green and as the leaves unfold. Then the fish create their sandy nests, and the lily pads blossom white and pink. And then I get to see fall turn the trees yellow and orange. I was excited about this phenology blog because it’s been wonderful getting to know Burton Park over the last few years and doing that in an intentional way with a place in Burlington seemed like a great way to connect with Vermont. The Stream Ravine and Burton Park both have water as a central part of their ecology, one through a brook and one through a lake. They are both pieces of nature in urban environments, and they have also both been influenced by humans, but in different ways. The Stream Ravine has remnants of litter from its use as a hang out spot. It feels like people used it and then abandoned it without a lot of care for the environment. Burton Park, on the other hand, was turned into a human space, but is well cared for and cultivated. The garden’s birdfeeder is usually filled, and the flowers are always beautiful. When there is trash in Burton’s space, I pick it up, but I like to care for the place by visiting and learning from it. One could say that quality time is our love language. I sit on the dock and watch the fish and the bugs. This time when I went to visit, the decorative birdhouse in the garden was knocked over, so I hoisted it back into place and pushed its legs into the ground. I said goodbye to my friend and if it’s not too snowy in a month, I’ll visit him over winter break too.
