Snake Mountain

Striped maple....notice the wide leaves.

The view from the summit!!!

Rock Point!!

     Wednesday, September 25th brought us to Rock Point to do our initial tree ID session......the lake was low as you can see in this picture that Kat St. Andrews took.  Look at the lines on the rocks....the water level from earlier times, likely this spring.  We investigated the differences between sugar and silver maples, pines and hemlocks, and simple and compound leaves.

Getting to know Centennial.....Day 2:

On a classic, gray early fall day we made our second visit to Centennial Woods, getting to know a little bit more about it's history, topography, and ecology.....

Wildflower soon to be identified! 

Ready for exploration! 

Goldenrod lets us know that fall in New England is on the way!

Centennial isn't as safe you think!!

Black Cherry's flaky bark!!

 Fungi!!

Brandon with a toad in each hand! 

 From old life comes new life!

Eastern Hemlock

Not much light on the forest floor

Eastern White Pine

Haley, Evie, and Scott

Aurora!

When we walked into the woods on the hot early September afternoon, we passed through a field of leaning yellow goldenrod that smelled of the ripeness of hay.  A patch of grasses lay flattened, a bed for some deer perhaps?  The sound of insects visiting flowers as efficiently as possible surrounded us and I ran my hands over the soft clusters of golden flowers that were at shoulder height on either side of the path.  As we entered the woods we left the light behind.  I felt my feet sink into the soft earth on the banks of centennial brook.  The scent of the pine grove reminded me what part of the country I was in, and the silence of the woods was broken only by the snapping of twigs underneath our feet.  Centennial!

Are we still in Burlington???  Is this guy awake??