As the seasons begin to change, so do the biotic components of nature. Birds fly south, squirrels make nests, and deciduous trees shed their leaves. In my spot I observed squirrels, wasps, chipmunks, eastern white pine, red oak, sugar maple, white oak, and wild berries. All the actions being taken by these species, except for the eastern white pine, tell the story of what the ecosystem is doing, preparing for winter. The red oak, sugar maple, white oak, and wild berries are losing their leaves and releasing the last of their seeds to endure the winter in a safer less vulnerable state. The squirrels and chipmunks are building fat for the winter to endure in their nests gathering whatever they can. Lastly the wasp, that was roaming the log I was sitting on, will most likely die with the rest of the hive, those that survive make their way into homes and buildings to bare the winter.
The biggest change that I can notice in the surrounding vegetation is the thinning and more visibility that I am gaining every week. The low-lying bushes and thickets are withering and losing their leaves that reveal more of a barren underbrush, still laden with plants but not their appendages. There are also piles of branches and leaves in a certain corner of my spot, I suppose this is from UVM landscaping or the golf course maintenance nearby.
In the recent weeks the soil of the spot has been turned into a muddy mess. The slight slope of the baby hill that the spot resides on causes all the water to flow westward and into the retention pond that runs along the entirety of the plot. There is also a little divot next to the path that channels some of the water allowing for easier flow and less erosion and disturbance.
After creating my map, then adding further detail, many things became clear in the area that I hadn’t thought of before. The ponds are fed from the water that runs off the hill, the golf course is right next to the campus, and the natural clearings in my area are caused by the seepage and poor drainage of water in the area.
