This week's phenology assignment was harder than I anticipated....I guess I never realized just how important my sense of sight was in my appreciation and understanding of my place.
The boardwalk is gorgeous- a feast for the eyes if you will. You have beautiful, blue Lake Champlain set to the literally breathtaking backdrop of the Adirondack Mountains, all set within the City of Burlington, which I find aesthetically appealing in itself. Sense of sight is beyond important to my perception of my place, so having to depend on my other senses for this assignment was definitely interesting.
Firstly, today is March 29th. Spring has begun and April is but just a day of two away. WHY in the world is it still snowing?! I asked myself this question as I looked out my bedroom window and nearly cried, knowing I would have to go bear the cold outdoors. With this being said, the temperature was something I clearly noted this fine morning as I walked the boardwalk. I was frigid! I guess my body just can't handle the constant fluctuation in temperature that seems to be happening daily and I was overwhelmed by the snowflakes falling overhead. The snow wasn't coming down in mass quantities, but even the little amount that was falling was too much for me.
I had a hard time tasting my place, as there isn't too much matter I would enjoy putting in my mouth down by the boardwalk. I did tilt my head back in the air to catch a snowflake or two in my mouth, but that was short lived as a result of my chilliness. As far as sounds as concerned, I heard a few bird chirps and maybe a few people down by the boardwalk, but I'm sure the weather was discouraging to most living things today.
Experiencing different textures at the boardwalk was probably one of the easier tasks of the day. Rough tree bark, wet railings at the overlook point, moist ground in the park area behind the boardwalk, and the perpetual cool, bumpy feeling the sitting rocks offer were all fun to experience. Doing this reminded me how much fun it is to touch stuff- I feel like I sometimes forget and get lost in this 'look, but don't touch mentality'. Next time I come back to my place, I'm going to make it point to touch as many things as possible!
The smells at my place were also interesting to focus on, because although I would say I have a good sense of smell, it mostly gets put to work at the times I am either smelling something very distinct, or am close in physical proximity to a person or thing. Dampness of soil was a smell I was able to pick up on, especially on the grassy park area behind the boardwalk. Also when I leaned close enough, I was able to notice the decaying elderberries from last season had a slight smell. Next time I visit, when it isn't snowing and making me crestfallen, I'm also going to focus on picking up on more smells.
Tuesday, March 29, 2011
Tuesday, March 22, 2011
Changes, Changes Everywhere!
This week while visiting my spot down by the boardwalk I noticed many changes in the environment! It looked completely different than when I visited last- before spring break!
*Walking around, the first thing I observed was that the snow had almost completely melted in all areas surrounding my place, even though it snowed a little bit yesterday! There were just a few patches of snow left scattered around on the sides of the boardwalk and the grassy park area behind it. For the first time this season, I was able to sit and swing on the benches that overlook Lake Champlain, as well as walk freely on the overlook point that projects out further over the lake from the boardwalk. Also, you could even walk along the rocks that line the boardwalk! I was really happy to see all these signs that the snow was steadily disappearing!
*As far as Lake Champlain is concerned, the intact ice that was previously covering the lake in a solid sheet was now very much broken! The ice flow was clearly breaking down and shifting with the change of the seasons. However, I did notice that none of the ice sheets were moving presently and that the water of Lake Champlain was placid and peaceful. Looking down at the parts of the lake where water was visible, the water had minimal movement, except for a few very small wavelike motions in some areas. For some reason, the lighthouse that sits to the right of Burlington's view of the lake seemed bigger and closer to me today, I have no idea why!
*Walking on the grassy park area that sits behind the boardwalk, my feet wore heavily on the saturated soil. My footsteps squished into the grass like no other! I did not enjoy that aspect of my walk by the boardwalk for the simple fact that my shoes got a tad wet, but it definitely showed me where the snowmelt was going! Also while down at my spot, it was flurrying snow, thus making the environment as well as myself even wetter.
*While walking along the grass I couldn't help but notice that there was a lot of scat around this area. A lot of it clearly came from pet dogs that the locals bring down to the waterfront on walks, but a large portion of it seemed to be rabbit scat- there were droppings of it all over the grassy park area. In one part of the grassy area however, I found a track that was left in the remaining snow that appeared to be a deer hoof! I looked at it as close as I could get, and it had every indication of actually being a deer print. It had a horseshoe type shape, with raised snow at the heel of the print. Seeing this made me question whether or not I could possibly also be seeing deer scat, seeing as that of rabbit and deer look similar. It could be plausible that both deer and rabbit come down to this park area at night from the woody areas near the bike path. I'm definitely going to keep my eyes out for both species....
*Once I perked up my ears a little bit, I also began to notice how many birds I heard chirping down by the waterfront. There was a plethora of birdcalls to be heard, none of which I was able to easily identify. I heard a very cheery chirp though and it put my in a happy, springtime mood! I also saw birds in my area that I had not seen there before- like pigeons! I saw several pigeons, many gulls flying all over the lake and the city, and even one sparrow! I was excited to see about five birds with orange bellies and brown backs, all with orange beaks. They were flying between the trees that are planted along the waterfront, however I didn't see any nests in those trees. I thought these birds might be orioles, because those are the only birds I knew of with orange bellies. But when I got home and looked up birds with the same traits I observed, I found out that they were in fact American Robins. After more research, I found out that American Robins are known for their early arrival at the end of winter, so it made perfect sense that they are at my spot so early in the spring season! Also these birds are known for their song, which coincided with the fact that I was hearing such pleasant birdcalls!
*Lastly, I noticed tree species starting to bud! The elderberry trees that reside in my area were definitely getting new buds on their branches, although the old berries were still very present both on the ground surrounding the trees and on the branches themselves. There also also green moss coming back to life on these trees, which is something I had not noticed was there before.... Even more exciting than seeing buds on these trees was noticing flower buds coming out of the ground!! This was probably one of my favorite observations of the day! What appeared to be daffodil plants, that were previously covered completely in snow, sat in rows along the boardwalk. These plants were flattened by the snow that had sat there prior, and lots of the individual plant matter that was there was browned, but I noticed buds coming out of several plants. These buds were hard to miss, seeing as they were bright green! I cannot wait to see how fast these flowers grow and what they will look like when they bloom in full force.
I could not be more excited for spring to come at this point! There is so much more to be discovered and explored at my spot!
*Walking around, the first thing I observed was that the snow had almost completely melted in all areas surrounding my place, even though it snowed a little bit yesterday! There were just a few patches of snow left scattered around on the sides of the boardwalk and the grassy park area behind it. For the first time this season, I was able to sit and swing on the benches that overlook Lake Champlain, as well as walk freely on the overlook point that projects out further over the lake from the boardwalk. Also, you could even walk along the rocks that line the boardwalk! I was really happy to see all these signs that the snow was steadily disappearing!
*As far as Lake Champlain is concerned, the intact ice that was previously covering the lake in a solid sheet was now very much broken! The ice flow was clearly breaking down and shifting with the change of the seasons. However, I did notice that none of the ice sheets were moving presently and that the water of Lake Champlain was placid and peaceful. Looking down at the parts of the lake where water was visible, the water had minimal movement, except for a few very small wavelike motions in some areas. For some reason, the lighthouse that sits to the right of Burlington's view of the lake seemed bigger and closer to me today, I have no idea why!
*Walking on the grassy park area that sits behind the boardwalk, my feet wore heavily on the saturated soil. My footsteps squished into the grass like no other! I did not enjoy that aspect of my walk by the boardwalk for the simple fact that my shoes got a tad wet, but it definitely showed me where the snowmelt was going! Also while down at my spot, it was flurrying snow, thus making the environment as well as myself even wetter.
*While walking along the grass I couldn't help but notice that there was a lot of scat around this area. A lot of it clearly came from pet dogs that the locals bring down to the waterfront on walks, but a large portion of it seemed to be rabbit scat- there were droppings of it all over the grassy park area. In one part of the grassy area however, I found a track that was left in the remaining snow that appeared to be a deer hoof! I looked at it as close as I could get, and it had every indication of actually being a deer print. It had a horseshoe type shape, with raised snow at the heel of the print. Seeing this made me question whether or not I could possibly also be seeing deer scat, seeing as that of rabbit and deer look similar. It could be plausible that both deer and rabbit come down to this park area at night from the woody areas near the bike path. I'm definitely going to keep my eyes out for both species....
*Once I perked up my ears a little bit, I also began to notice how many birds I heard chirping down by the waterfront. There was a plethora of birdcalls to be heard, none of which I was able to easily identify. I heard a very cheery chirp though and it put my in a happy, springtime mood! I also saw birds in my area that I had not seen there before- like pigeons! I saw several pigeons, many gulls flying all over the lake and the city, and even one sparrow! I was excited to see about five birds with orange bellies and brown backs, all with orange beaks. They were flying between the trees that are planted along the waterfront, however I didn't see any nests in those trees. I thought these birds might be orioles, because those are the only birds I knew of with orange bellies. But when I got home and looked up birds with the same traits I observed, I found out that they were in fact American Robins. After more research, I found out that American Robins are known for their early arrival at the end of winter, so it made perfect sense that they are at my spot so early in the spring season! Also these birds are known for their song, which coincided with the fact that I was hearing such pleasant birdcalls!
*Lastly, I noticed tree species starting to bud! The elderberry trees that reside in my area were definitely getting new buds on their branches, although the old berries were still very present both on the ground surrounding the trees and on the branches themselves. There also also green moss coming back to life on these trees, which is something I had not noticed was there before.... Even more exciting than seeing buds on these trees was noticing flower buds coming out of the ground!! This was probably one of my favorite observations of the day! What appeared to be daffodil plants, that were previously covered completely in snow, sat in rows along the boardwalk. These plants were flattened by the snow that had sat there prior, and lots of the individual plant matter that was there was browned, but I noticed buds coming out of several plants. These buds were hard to miss, seeing as they were bright green! I cannot wait to see how fast these flowers grow and what they will look like when they bloom in full force.
I could not be more excited for spring to come at this point! There is so much more to be discovered and explored at my spot!
Tuesday, March 15, 2011
"I'm a bird watcher.... my, my, my!"
This spring break I traveled to my home sweet home in New Britain, Connecticut. New Britain was my original 'place' that I cited in class as the place I feel intensely connected to. To see my map of my New Britain and the places I like to go there, see my link below....
http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?ie=UTF8&hl=en&t=h&msa=0&msid=213992490482446241525.00049aa1f16f0053b3c7b&z=15
When I was home, I did not notice too many birds! This is somewhat normal, because the weather is still too cold for many species to frequent my yard and the other areas I go around town during this time of March. In spring, the amount of birds in the area definitely picks up. However, while I was there I did see a few species I recognized....
---In my yard I saw American tree sparrows on several occasions. These birds are tiny, and have a sort of brown spotty coloring. My dad told me these birds are usually around during the cold months and like to sit in the many trees we have in our back and side yards.
These bird is one of my favorites because we have a ceramic sparrow tree ornament that sits on our Christmas tree and looks identical to the real bird! Seeing this bird brings me good feelings and memories of my family.
---I also noticed American crows in my backyard almost daily. They seem to really like the many trees we have in our backyard as well, and I always see them in groups- usually between 2 and 5. They make such an obnoxious cawing noise, but I appreciate them for what they are (just not in the morning hours!). These birds are around a lot, and I've seen them in many places around town in addition to my yard.
---In the shopping centers and more towards the inner city, I see seagulls everywhere! New Britain is not particularly close to the shore by any means so I've always been puzzled by their constant presence in these areas. I think of them as scavengers, sort of like the rats of the sky. If you can't tell, I'm not the biggest fan of seagulls. None the less, they have a constant presence in these areas of my town. Although, thankfully, not in my backyard!
---Driving on the highways and while driving to my friend's houses across town, I spotted a red-tailed hawk on several occasions. I see these hawks pretty frequently when I'm home in Connecticut. It is always fun to be driving on the highway and see one of these birds, especially because it reminds me of the great thrill my little brother got when he was younger and would identify one of these birds.
---Unfortunately, I didn't see my actual favorite bird while home- the northern cardinal!
I love cardinals for their beautiful color and coifed hair do! Or feather-do rather. Seeing these birds in my yard is always a treat, because although I get to see them in my yard occasionally, I never know when one might pop up! It is one bird even my mother, the bird hater, likes to see! I was disappointed to not have seen any cardinals while I was home- and even more disappointed to learn from my mother that she has not seen any in a while. I wonder why that may be.....
I really enjoyed reading Early Spring over my vacation. It opened up my eyes to the day-to-day changes in nature resulting from global warming. I especially enjoyed the chapters on birds and butterflies! The former had prevalence in my mind as I scouted my home for bird species this break, and I will keep it in mind as I scout my place in Burlington for the bird species that frequent it.
http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?ie=UTF8&hl=en&t=h&msa=0&msid=213992490482446241525.00049aa1f16f0053b3c7b&z=15
When I was home, I did not notice too many birds! This is somewhat normal, because the weather is still too cold for many species to frequent my yard and the other areas I go around town during this time of March. In spring, the amount of birds in the area definitely picks up. However, while I was there I did see a few species I recognized....
---In my yard I saw American tree sparrows on several occasions. These birds are tiny, and have a sort of brown spotty coloring. My dad told me these birds are usually around during the cold months and like to sit in the many trees we have in our back and side yards.
These bird is one of my favorites because we have a ceramic sparrow tree ornament that sits on our Christmas tree and looks identical to the real bird! Seeing this bird brings me good feelings and memories of my family.
---I also noticed American crows in my backyard almost daily. They seem to really like the many trees we have in our backyard as well, and I always see them in groups- usually between 2 and 5. They make such an obnoxious cawing noise, but I appreciate them for what they are (just not in the morning hours!). These birds are around a lot, and I've seen them in many places around town in addition to my yard.
---In the shopping centers and more towards the inner city, I see seagulls everywhere! New Britain is not particularly close to the shore by any means so I've always been puzzled by their constant presence in these areas. I think of them as scavengers, sort of like the rats of the sky. If you can't tell, I'm not the biggest fan of seagulls. None the less, they have a constant presence in these areas of my town. Although, thankfully, not in my backyard!
---Driving on the highways and while driving to my friend's houses across town, I spotted a red-tailed hawk on several occasions. I see these hawks pretty frequently when I'm home in Connecticut. It is always fun to be driving on the highway and see one of these birds, especially because it reminds me of the great thrill my little brother got when he was younger and would identify one of these birds.
---Unfortunately, I didn't see my actual favorite bird while home- the northern cardinal!
I love cardinals for their beautiful color and coifed hair do! Or feather-do rather. Seeing these birds in my yard is always a treat, because although I get to see them in my yard occasionally, I never know when one might pop up! It is one bird even my mother, the bird hater, likes to see! I was disappointed to not have seen any cardinals while I was home- and even more disappointed to learn from my mother that she has not seen any in a while. I wonder why that may be.....
I really enjoyed reading Early Spring over my vacation. It opened up my eyes to the day-to-day changes in nature resulting from global warming. I especially enjoyed the chapters on birds and butterflies! The former had prevalence in my mind as I scouted my home for bird species this break, and I will keep it in mind as I scout my place in Burlington for the bird species that frequent it.
Wednesday, March 2, 2011
Plant Life...
So it turns out that identifying plant life is far harder than one might imagine! The difficulty with doing this was magnified by the location of 'my place'. The boardwalk is lined with tree species that would not inhabit this location naturally and were clearly strategically planted, yet they all seem to thrive none the less.
Identifying tree species was also really hard within my place because none of the trees there (or very few) were contained on our identification guide! As a result, I had to do some research to find a guide to plant life on the waterfront that could help me identify these species. Like Alyssa, I used the website, http://www.branchoutburlington.org/events/treewalk/WaterfrontTreeWalk.pdf, to help me do this.
Using just my observation skills, my guesses as to the trees planted at my site were largely incorrect! I had inferred that there were red maple tress and shagbark hickory among a few others, but unfortunately these guesses were not spot on! However, using the map and description resource from Branch Out Burlington, I was able to identify what the trees I observed actually are.
--The first tree I observed upon walking to my spot was at the corner of the train tracks and the Burlington Bike Path. This tree is of the species Norway Maple. The Norway Maple is widely planted throughout North America, and is very popular in city settings as it grows well in compacted soils.
--The next few trees on the bike path I identified as the Freeman Maple and the Serviceberry, respectively. The Freeman Maple is actually a hybrid cross between red and silver maples, so I was not too far off-base in guessing there were red maple trees in my spot. This tree is also well adapted to urban areas and is popular for its beautiful foliage in Summer and Fall months. The Serviceberry was a very interesting looking species! I was entirely uncertain as to what this species was, as it had small, whiteish colored berries at the end of its twigs, supported by multiple stems. This species does grow wild throughout Vermont, although it is definitely not native to the waterfront in particular. In early Spring this tree can be expected to sprout beautiful white flowers, which I really look forward to observing! The berries of some Serviceberry's can actually be cultivated and eaten by humans, but they are also widely popular with many insects, and animals such as rabbits.
--Closer to my actual spot, I found two other tree species. For one, I found the Chanticleer Callery Pear, which is an ornamental pear tree that is known for its sturdy form and beautiful colors and flowers, especially in Spring. This tree was actually voted Urban Tree of the Year in 2005 because it is so resistant to blight and limb breakage, which is especially important near the waterfront. The other species I observed is the Silver Linden. This tree is widely planted in urban areas as well due to its ability to withstand difficult urban conditions. This tree is pollution tolerant, and grows well in moist soil, which I'm sure the waterfront provides.
One commonality I notice among the tree species on my site is that many thrive in urban areas! They have qualities that make them resistant to extreme weather, which could be one main reason developers chose these species to plant near Lake Champlain. Another commonality I found was that all of the species I observed have ornamental value as one of their main characteristics! They all have bright, beautiful colors and many have flowers during the warmer months. I look forward to exploring these species further as the seasons change!
Identifying tree species was also really hard within my place because none of the trees there (or very few) were contained on our identification guide! As a result, I had to do some research to find a guide to plant life on the waterfront that could help me identify these species. Like Alyssa, I used the website, http://www.branchoutburlington.org/events/treewalk/WaterfrontTreeWalk.pdf, to help me do this.
Using just my observation skills, my guesses as to the trees planted at my site were largely incorrect! I had inferred that there were red maple tress and shagbark hickory among a few others, but unfortunately these guesses were not spot on! However, using the map and description resource from Branch Out Burlington, I was able to identify what the trees I observed actually are.
--The first tree I observed upon walking to my spot was at the corner of the train tracks and the Burlington Bike Path. This tree is of the species Norway Maple. The Norway Maple is widely planted throughout North America, and is very popular in city settings as it grows well in compacted soils.
--The next few trees on the bike path I identified as the Freeman Maple and the Serviceberry, respectively. The Freeman Maple is actually a hybrid cross between red and silver maples, so I was not too far off-base in guessing there were red maple trees in my spot. This tree is also well adapted to urban areas and is popular for its beautiful foliage in Summer and Fall months. The Serviceberry was a very interesting looking species! I was entirely uncertain as to what this species was, as it had small, whiteish colored berries at the end of its twigs, supported by multiple stems. This species does grow wild throughout Vermont, although it is definitely not native to the waterfront in particular. In early Spring this tree can be expected to sprout beautiful white flowers, which I really look forward to observing! The berries of some Serviceberry's can actually be cultivated and eaten by humans, but they are also widely popular with many insects, and animals such as rabbits.
--Closer to my actual spot, I found two other tree species. For one, I found the Chanticleer Callery Pear, which is an ornamental pear tree that is known for its sturdy form and beautiful colors and flowers, especially in Spring. This tree was actually voted Urban Tree of the Year in 2005 because it is so resistant to blight and limb breakage, which is especially important near the waterfront. The other species I observed is the Silver Linden. This tree is widely planted in urban areas as well due to its ability to withstand difficult urban conditions. This tree is pollution tolerant, and grows well in moist soil, which I'm sure the waterfront provides.
One commonality I notice among the tree species on my site is that many thrive in urban areas! They have qualities that make them resistant to extreme weather, which could be one main reason developers chose these species to plant near Lake Champlain. Another commonality I found was that all of the species I observed have ornamental value as one of their main characteristics! They all have bright, beautiful colors and many have flowers during the warmer months. I look forward to exploring these species further as the seasons change!
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