Going home to Virginia for spring break, the new place I chose to visit was Potomac Overlook park, which is a local park near my house. At this time of year, the climates of Burlington, and Arlington, Va differ drastically, so it was a big change going from the still snow covered ground of Centennial Woods to the bare landscape of Virginia.
The park was still showing signs of winter, with most trees being leafless, but signs of spring were also appearing, as sprouts of green could be seen poking out of the ground. Woody plants, though had not started to bud out yet, they were still in their bare winter conditions. I don’t know the exact composition of the trees at Potomac Overlook, but from quick observation, it’s apparent that it differs from Burlington. Silver Maples are prominent, along with some varieties of oak, and there aren’t any coniferous trees. During my visit, I heard intermittent calling from birds. There were a few different species calling, but the one I was able to pick out was a Mourning Dove.
Potomac Overlook began the process of being designated as a park in the 1950s, and prior to that, it was owned as private land, and has Native history as well, with artifacts dating to 2500 BCE. The land was never clearcut like much of Burlington was, given its rocky and sloped terrain, but some farming did take place, and still does on some of the flat pieces of the land. Since it has been designated as a park, there is just a system of trails and a couple visitors centers managed by the couple rangers who live onsite.
