My at home phenology spot is a lake about five minutes from my house. Crescent Lake occupies a valley on the western side of Bradley Mountain, above the Quinnipiac River valley. It is a water reservoir for the town of Plainville and a well used recreation area. It has many hiking trails, a small dock for fishing, and is open for bow hunting September to December.
At this point in the season, the trees have lost almost if not all their leaves. This area is heavy in deciduous trees with various types of oak and birch seeming to be the most common. There are also a few sugar maples and some barberry closer to the water. I also saw a wreath goldenrod plant, which I had not seen in my Centennial Woods spot. The soil here is very rocky but is able to support many species. Similar to Centennial Woods, there were lots of chipmunks, squirrels, and many kinds of birds.
| Crescent Lake | Centennial Woods | |
| Ecology | – used for recreation (hiking, hunting, fishing) – used more heavily in winter for ice fishing, snowshoeing, and ice skating | – used for recreation (hiking) – used as an educational area – less widely used in colder months |
| Phenology | – mostly deciduous trees – flat, even area around lake – lake freezes over | -mix of deciduous and coniferous trees -differing in elevation throughout – river flows year-round |
References
Google Maps. [Google Maps location of Crescent Lake]. Crescent Lake – Google Maps
Holland, M., (2019). Naturally Curious. Trafalgar Square Books.