History of Centennial Woods
The History of Centennial Woods is more complex than what meets the eye. It originally started as an old growth forest before there were settlements. The forest was lush and full of diversity. Upon human settlement, the woods was logged for timber. It was then completely cleared for farmland. If you look closely at the woods while walking, there are remnants of wire fences used for farming sheep and other livestock. When the sheep market collapsed, the land was used for dairy farming. Many years later, it was bought by UVM. Shockingly, UVM originally used it as a landfill to dump all their waste in. It was only in 1974 that UVM designated Centennial Woods as a natural area. Finally in 1997, conservation began. This brings us to present day Centennial woods. The woods is used for recreation and eduction, including many different trails to navigate the natural area. There still is room for improvement when it comes to the preservation and conservation of the land. The trails are unclear, leaving it hard to follow “Leave No Trace” (LNT) principles. I hope to see UVM improve Centennial woods by placing an emphasis on these principles, including anything from adding Trail Blazers, to putting helpful reminders on signs to not go off trails. This will help with allowing the woods to continue growing since it is a fairly new forest, and it will also prevent erosion.
Hendrick. A, (9/9/2020)