On this rainy April morning, I headed out to my beautiful Phenology site in Centennial Woods. Though there were no spring wildflowers beginning to poke through the leaf litter, there were ticks. The ticks were out and in full force. Several of the trees, however, have begun to flower, including Red Maple, boxelder, and American Beech. Below you can see my drawing of the bud of the Red Dogwood that had just begun to peak out at my sight. Since the snow has melted, my site felt Dewey and alive with springtime.

During Spring Break, I had the opportunity to compare my phenology site here in Burlington to the landscape near Mt. Mansfield. The most apparent difference between my Phenology site here in Burlington and the site I explored in Stowe was the influence of the elevation on the species. We were situated at an elevation of 2300-2500 ft. At this elevation, some of the Northern Hardwoods like American Beech had tapered off. We also saw a dramatic reduction of Sugar Maples. In comparison to my site in Centennial Woods in Burlington that was dramatically different because American Beech and Sugar Maples are abundant. I wasn’t able to see many birds or tracks in Stowe, as I was there during a snow storm, but I can assume that there would have been a higher abundance of tracks in Stowe, because I have had some struggles finding apparent tracks in Burlington due to the highly tracked nature of my site.

Going to Centennial woods, I wanted to classify my sites natural community, as done in Wetland, Woodland, Wildland.  When investigating my site, it was evident that it should be classified as a woodland. Though the site does have a brook running through the ecosystem, it is habitat to species that are more commonly found in woodland communities. A disticnt determination that lead to this conclusion was the implication that the water is running through the site, rather than pooling in one location. This makes the habitat not as suitable for many wetland species like ducks, frogs.

Since my last visit to the site, the hydrology of the site has changed. Primarily, the creek was almost completely frozen. Similarly, the site was downhill of a large incline. This lead an increase of dirty snow pooling at the plateau in the landscape. The site seemed much more settled into winter, on the chilly March morning.

Since my last visit to the crossing over Centennial Brook, there have been some dramatic changes. Last time I was there, a thin covering of snow blanketed the landscape. Now a thick layering of snow and ice have covered the entirety of the site. The Brook is partially frozen, however, it is still running at a faint pitter-patter.  In the photo to the left, you can see the water still running under the snow and ice.

The sight was lacking in terms of tracks. This can be partially attributed to the fact that I went exploring after a recent rain, so in many cases, there was evidence of past tracks, that was indistinguishable from the recent rain and snow. I found evidence that some animal had come through, based on the presence of urine on the path. Due to the location of the urine on the walking path, it was hard to find evidence tracks.

Using a winter tree identification guide, I was able to make an educated assessment of the possible deciduous tree species at my sight. I was able to identify the following species, including but not limited to

– American Beech (Fagus grandifolia) p

–  Common Buckthorn (Rhamnus)

– Honey Suckle (Lonicera)

– Green Ash (Fraxinus pennsylvanica)

–  Boxelder (Acer negundo)

– Striped Maple (Acer pensylvanicum) 

 

Of the following species that I was able to identify, I decided to draw the bud of a striped maple tree, as seen to the right. I was able to determine that it was a Striped Maple by using a Dichotomous twig key. I have listed and labeled in the diagram the key characteristics that indicated that it was a Sugar Maple. Some of those characteristics were the narrow tall and pointed end bud, there were three or fewer end buds, the bud had 2-4 valvate scars, the twig had opposite budding, the twig had over 5 bundle scars, and the twig maintained a straight shape. By using these key characteristics I was able to identify it as a Striped Maple.

As I tread through Centennial Woods, I wouldn’t naturally think that the land had been inhabited by humans for thousands of years. However, upon studying the land closer, it is evident that the land has been treaded by humans for many millennia. The first people who treaded the area were the indigenous people who lived here for thousands of years. Those people were likely the Abenaki, who originally learned the names of all the plants and animals of Centennial Woods. The next time the land was recorded using was with the Green Mountain Boys, a militia group led by Ethan Allen during the 1700s. In the 1800s – 1900s the land was purchased by the Ainsworth family, who used the land for farming. There is evidence of this near the hemlock forest on the way to my sight. In the hemlock grove, barb wire for cattle boundary can be seen on the left-hand side. Similarly, there are older trees on the left side indicating where the boundary ended. The land was owned by the Ainsworth family until 1908 when it was sold to UVM.

As I conclude on this phenological exploration for this year, I found myself very reflective on the land use history and the indigenous people who lived here for many years. Below you’ll find a poem I wrote about the people who lived here before us.

 

The Land we Tread on

 

The city

Burlington

A town amongst the green mountains

Filled with families, students, and stories

But whose story is being told?

I hear about getting creemees, days on church st, and summer nights at north beach

But no one tells the stories of the ancestors

The people who treaded on this land

The people who cared for, and died for this land.

I will say their names and learn their stories

The Abenaki, Missisquoi, and Pennacook

The people whose stories were once erased, but can be found through the soil

The trees whisper their tales

As do the people

The people are here, they are alive, and their story needs to be told

Burlington

A city that now stands where Indigenous people once stood

Land of the Abenaki, Missisquoi, and Pennacook

Say their names, Learn their stories, Read the soil

Though I did not have the opportunity to return home over break, I chose to explore the ecological aspects of my favorite beach access back home. The reason this exploration isn’t very Phenological is that Hawai’i is unique in which the seasons are characterized by the size of the surf, rather than the changing of leaves.

Pokole access at Lanikai Beach has been my favorite beach since I was a child. To start the exploration of this site, I must first explain to you its namesake. Pokole means short in Hawaiian. This is due to the access’s small and short nature in comparison to the main stretch of beach in Lanikai. The word to Pokole to me has special significance due to what it tells you about the land, and how humans have changed it. The sea level has risen immensely over the past 50 years in Lanikai. My teachers would show us pictures of Lanikai, you used to be able to walk from Kailua Bay all the way down to Wailea point at the end of Lanikai.  Now the shoreline of the beach is lined with seawalls, to protect the homes built perhaps too close to the water’s edge. The longest stretch of beach in Lanikai is just over a quarter mile long. Pokole access separates two stretches of the seawall, and the access is only a mere 15 ft in width. Lanikai is the modern term for once was called Ka’oaho beach. Though Lanikai means heavenly ocean, which is very fitting for the beautiful landscape, Ka’ohao has a deeper personal connection to the land use. Ka’ohao means to tie-together, or to join. The use of the land in present-day deeply ties together native Hawaiian culture with the modern present. The beaches in Lanikai are home to my paddling team, and the best traditional Hawaiian outrigger canoe paddling team in the state. Paddling is the state sport, and it asks as a vessel to teach and propagate Hawaiian culture. I learned most about native Hawaiian culture, history, and language through paddling, as do many people in Hawai’i.

The beach is characterized primarily by its beautiful view onto the Nā Mokulua islands, Moku Nui to the left and the smaller Moku Iki to the right. The Nā Mokulua islands are volcanic cones and made of lava rock – Pahoehoe and ʻAʻā. Pahoehoe forming long ropey masses, and Aʻā as the sharp, jagged rock. The islands are 0.75 miles out to sea from Pokole access. The islands are a bird sanctuary and act as a protected nesting ground for the Great Frigatebird. An incredible bird with a wingspan of over seven feet, that my team often saw from our canoe. Similarly, Ruddy Turnstones can be seen wading off the coast of the Mokes. My favorite aspect about the wildlife found on Nā Mokulua is the presence of Llio Holo I Ka Uaua, or the Native Hawaiian Monk Seal. A mother and her pups are often seen basking in the sun on the beach of Moku Nui.

From the islands to the shoreline, sand and coral reef stretches between the two. The sand is made of crushed coral and shells. The sand at Ka’ohao is unique, as it is so finely ground and soft. Lanikai beach is consistently ranked as one of the best beaches in the world, many people attribute this ranking to the beautiful white, soft and powdered sugar sand. Often seen in the water between the islands and the shore are Green Sea Turtle, commonly called their Hawaiian name of Honu.

On the shoreline, the main shrubs and large bushes lining the fences and seawalls are Naupaka Kahakai. Naupaka acts as a natural wind block, protecting the shoreline, and Ka’ohao specifically from the tradewinds that blow against the shores daily.

It’s hard to not draw comparisons between my sight in Centennial Woods in Burlington, and the beach I grew up at. The primary comparison I find myself making is the lack of a phenological change evident back home in Hawai’i Nei, and the immense phenological changes happening at my site in Burlington. It was easy for me to describe the current appearance of Pokole access, even without visiting the beach as they are limited. The main phenological changes seen in Hawai’i are the blooming seasons of different flora. For example, the Plumeria tree seen in the foreground on the right of the image is not currently in bloom, as Plumeria trees are in full bloom during May and June, right in time to make lei for graduation. In contrast, there’s no way I could make phenological assessments at my site in Centennial Woods due to my inexperience with phenological changes and an ever-growing knowledge base of the Vermont ecosystem.

I would like to attribute image credit to Myra Kohn and Kailua Sailboards and Kayaks.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This past Saturday, I headed out to Centennial Woods to observe the current status of my Phenology Site. The first observation I noticed was that now the Brook is significantly higher than earlier this month. That was likely due to the increase in the rain we have had these past several weeks. I noticed all of the beautiful wildflowers have now lost all of their beautiful petals, and have shriveled to a crisp. Similarly, the few trees in the area are starting to lose all of their leaves.

Centennial Woods is a beautiful open space with incredible proximity to UVM. To get there, I leave Harris Hall, and cross the intersection at Main St on East Ave, until turning right onto Catamount Dr. The trailhead lies to the left, which I follow until the crossing over Centennial Brook.

I chose this spot due to its beautiful contrast with the rest of the landscape. Rather than being fille dwith numerous large trees, the area is cleared, with low woody vegetation, a water source, and beautiful wild flowers.

Here are some pictures of wildflowers found at the site, including American Asters and Goldon Rod.

Other common woody plants found at the site include: Honey – suckle, Common Buckthorn, Green Ash, Boxelder, and Striped Maple.