Salmon Hole is an area on the Winooski River nearby the Winooski Dam and downtown Winooski. It is a famed fishing spot in Vermont due to the variety in species it holds. I chose Salmon Hole as a location for my phenology project because of its proximity to water and to campus. It is a short downhill walk in the northeast direction from UVM.
Location
Plot
Vegetation
The vegetation in my plot is a mix of lots of small shrubs and some larger trees–the canopy cover is not very dense. Some of the leaves have begun to turn yellow, but most of them are still green. There are many trees that are dead or dying and don’t have any leaves on them. Close to the ground there are many ferns, sticky shrubs, and young trees. Many of the taller trees are some type of maple species. Below are some of the woody plant species observed:
- Norway Maple
- Buckthorn
- Oak (unknown)
- Basswood
- American Elm
- Maple (unknown)
Experience: Friday, November 1
While sitting in my plot quietly for 15 minutes, I felt that I was in a fairly open and calm place. I could hear sounds of birds and the river at some points, but at other points traffic sounds overtook the sounds of nature. The car sounds made me feel like I was not fully immersed in nature, along with some trash that was left along the trail.
Birds-eye Map
3 Weeks Later–What Has Changed?
11/1: Since my last visit, not much has change other than the seasonal changes that you would expect. There are far less leaves on the trees now. The color change is also significant–there is now almost no green, as it has been replaced by mostly yellow. The area feels a bit more open due to the lack of leaves.