A UVM blog Phenology Project

Phenology #5

Since the start, this visit has been the biggest change. There was no more snow on the ground and it was very muddy. It being my first spring in Vermont every ecological observation and change in weather is intriguing. Surrounding the American Beech was various plants starting to poke out of the ground and other trees also had noticeably larger buds. I also listened to the birds of Vermont. The bud of my tree seemed to be slightly larger than before. There were very early stages of flowering happening!

Phenology #4

Revisiting my site in late March was quite interesting. The American Beech I am following throughout the semester had little changes. The bud was still the same as earlier in the month. Still snow on the ground, but the biggest difference between my last visit was the temperature being warmer.

Phenology #3

I identified a tree as an American Beech. This tree had an American Beech’s distinctive pointed buds and a few dead leaves that were attached. In March this tree had no evidence of flowering.

Phenology #2

From the UVM Campus, I headed toward the lake. I wasn’t exactly sure where I would end up or what I would find but I was looking for a somewhat secluded, natural area. I figured I would head in the direction of the forested areas surrounding the Red Rocks and the lake surface. Right away on my walk, I started to notice the existence of animals. From the birds chirping, to animal tracks in the snow. I found plenty of squirrel tracks that often led to a tree. The squirrels were probably looking for food, whether it be bark, buds on trees, or nuts and seeds.

Squirrel tracks:

To explore Burlington more and get to know more about the natural parts of the city I decided to visit a new Phenology spot. The spot I decided to visit was Salmon Hole, an interesting, and beautiful natural area by the Winooski River. Covered in snow Salmon Hole was a great area to look for tracks. While most of the tracks I saw were human, dog, and bird tracks it was still interesting to try to understand the story. I found it comforting to see that the people of Burlington were actively using the nature around them. Parking at the Salmon Hole lookout point I headed to the left down the paved bike path, and then took a right at the wooded path. I headed down this path, taking the icey stair case down to the rushing water. My first time seeing this rock face I was surprised by this landscape because I was no expecting it. I continued to walk around and explore the Pennisila like area listening to the water with the combination of cars and people around. The idea of City Beautiful I learned in my Parks and Protected Areas class made me think of this area. “City Beautiful” is the idea that urban features should benefit society, help form social good, and encourage public engagement. Visiting this site reminded me of the importance of natural areas close to cities for people to visit and get outdoors. Getting outdoors is so important for our society to improve overall mental health, and overall has strong healing powers.

November 27, 2022

Black Beach – Falmouth, Massachusetts

Comparison of Burlington and Falmouth:

Falmouth, Massachusetts is at 41° N in latitude while Burlington sits at 44° N. These few changes in latitude change the ecology of these two locations. My phenology spot in Falmouth was right on the beach. I sat by the shoreline and watched the waves ripple to the sand. I went to Black Beach on a warm, sunny day, with little wind. There were no clouds in the sky and the ocean was flat. Behind me were dunes followed by The Great Sippiwesset marsh. After these beautiful natural areas is a bike path, my house and neighborhood, a highway, and then an entire town. This is the progression from water inland. My phenology spot was at sea level while my phenology spot in Burlington sits at around 355 feet above sea level. I believe this is an important component when comparing both phenology spots because elevation affects weather, plant growth, and species’ life. Looking at elevation and latitude helps to further analyze how climate change is affecting natural areas.

November 7, 2022

I arrived at my phenology spot at around 1:30. It was windy, and the sun still felt warm but I could tell the sun retreating to a colder season. There are moments in the year when it seems as though I feel the season and this was one of those moments. I could clearly hear the running water near me, as well as the creak of hemlocks. A change that I noticed since my last visit was the effect the leaves had on the water. The multitude of leaves that fell in the stream was contributing to blockage and although I did not test the pH of the water I would predict this would cause a change in pH. Buckthorn a common invasive tree of Vermont still has many leaves unlike the Maples in the area. The flowers and fungi seem to be passed season and have died yet the ferns, mosses, and grasses are still green and growing. Due to the leaves falling I am now noticing and appreciating the eastern hemlocks more.

Located in Centennial Woods, Burlington Vermont

View from my seated location in Centennial Woods:

October 17th, 2022

About my phenology spot: For my phenology spot, I wanted to be in an area where I could find many different plants and mushrooms. I also wanted to pick a location with running water to observe the change in fish and natural dams created from fallen logs throughout the year. The spot that I chose was located in a part of Centennial Brook near a field within the woods. Rather than Centennial woods’ usual look, this area had fewer large overstory trees and more short plants. This stream had a multitude of different logs that had fallen affecting the stream discharge.

How to get to my phenology spot: After entering Centennial Woods from the main entrance you keep following the main trail. Once reaching a fork, take the trail that is lower of the two or the one to the left. Taking this path, proceeded downwards to reach the Brook and cross a log to get to the side of the stream that has the field.

Vegetation:

• Asters
• Goldenrods
• Joe-Pye Woods
• Red Maple
• Red Osier Dogwoods
• Mushrooms
  • Dacrymycetaceae
  • Agaricomycetes
  • Omphalotaceae
  • Amanita
• Ferns
• Eastern White Pine