I feel especially lucky that my phenology location is Centennial Woods because we learn about that area specifically. The land that is now Centennial was once forested, albeit with a very different forest composition. As with most of Vermont, this was cleared for agriculture, specifically sheep grazing. Later, as agricultural trends shifted, sheep farms changed into dairy farms.
The land that is now Centennial was once split into five pieces of land that were eventually purchased by the University of Vermont. The consolidation of these plots began in 1891 and the final plot would be purchased in 1968. While the whole consolidation was originally 216 acres, the area would be chipped away at for various projects. The most relevant of these projects was when the federal government took part of the property in order to make I-89.
For a long time, Centennial was sort of in limbo. When concern for the environment grew in the 1970s UVM promised to set aside 9 natural areas. This included Centennial Woods. It was often used as a dump for the hospital morgue and even still some portions were being sold off and developed. Finally, in 1991 UVM entered an agreement with the city of Burlington that the university would get permission to develop some apartments if they make a plan for the protection of Centennial. UVM gave the rights to develop Centennial Woods to the Vermont Land Trust. Currently UVM is only allowed to dig educational soil pits, maintain trails, tap maples and divert stormwater, though the Vermont Land Trust did not want UVM to be able to divert stormwater.