Paper Birch are a less common tree species in Centennial woods but I managed to find one in the southeastern area of the reservation. The bark of the birch was my first indicator that the tree was specifically a Paper Birch. The tree had peeling, stark white bark, and showed no signs of grayness or yellowing like other Birch species. I was able to confirm it was a Paper Birch by observing the twig of the tree. The twig had spur-like shoots with thin hairs and a slight reddish color. There was no wintergreen odor either. These traits distinguished it from a Gray or Yellow birch because these other species have minimal to no hair, gray or yellow-brown buds, and often have wintergreen odors.