For this final phenology blog post, we were tasked with visiting our spots one last time and taking note of the changes that we are noticing as we approach summer.
Unfortunately, I ended up testing positive for COVID last week and was not able to make it to my spot for my final visit. So instead, here are some things I would expect to be happening at my site right now:
- As with many of the trees I’ve seen on campus recently, I would expect some of the maples and oaks at my site to be budding or blooming, finally bringing some color back to the canopy.
- I would also expect the warm weather to bring out some of the Ethan Allen Park critters who have been hibernating or conserving their energy to make it through the long winter.
- Lastly, I would expect the herbaceous species like ferns to be coming up through the ground after several months of hiding under snowfall.
Since I couldn’t observe any species interactions at my site in person, here is one inspired by some of the species mentioned in May’s section for Naturally Curious:
Looking back on this year’s time spent at Ethan Allen Park, there are several ways that nature and culture combine. For one, the Ethan Allen Tower is a main attraction of the park, providing views over the canopy for miles, and even a view of Lake Champlain. When I was doing some research for my first blog post, I discovered that this vantage point has always been culturally significant, and that the Abenaki tribes in the area used it as a lookout point. This historical significance goes hand in hand with the environmental significance of having such a large chunk of protected nature in such an urbanized area, and also the fact that Burlington residents utilize the park for recreational purposes and to spend time in nature.
As for whether or not I consider myself to be a part of this place, I’m have to admit that I don’t. As much as I’ve loved how familiar I’ve gotten with my journey to my sit-spot, and the specific dolostone overhang I’ve sat down on in drastically different weather conditions this year, I think I haven’t quite reached the status to call myself a part of this place. I feel a lot more like a visitor and an observer, someone who passes through from time to time. That being said, this project did make me feel a little connected to the small patch of the park that I designated as my observation space, and if I continue to be a visitor over the next three years, eventually I will consider myself as part of that place.