Syndicate Road Woods (Site #9)

Sunday, September 13^th, 2009

1:00 P.M.

Partly Cloudy/Rainy

 

I found the Syndicate Road Wood to be a small, serene forest tucked away between Syndicate Road and Cole Field.  The wood is centered around a trickling stream that runs parallel to the road.  At first I did not notice the stream, only the erosion and exposed roots it had left behind, but the constant presence of mosquitoes caused me to realize the running water.  Besides the miniature canyon that the stream has carved, the terrain is mostly flat with a slight hill leading up toward Cole Field.  There is much foliage: a mixture of short and tall trees, thin and thick trunks, and various types ranging from pine to maple.  A few of the leaves have changed to a brownish yellow color, but the majority creates a luscious green canopy over my head.  Some of the leaves I feel are smooth and fuzzy, while others are silky and bumpy.  There are also ferns covering the entire hill as well as a few interspersed around the stream.  There are no flowers in bloom, only a few white plants that appear to be Queen Anne’s Lace.  There are large, smooth rocks embedded in the stream, as well as many smaller stones that cause the few inches of water to trickle downhill.  I did not notice any life in the stream, but there was a bit of orange-colored foam collecting in a puddle of standing water.  The ground in the wood is dry mud, but closer to the stream it becomes moist gray clay.  The ground is also covered with a thin layer of old, brown, crunchy leaves and many fallen branches and trees that have begun to rot.  One large tree has lost all of its branches and is partially stripped of its bark that appears to be a result of lightning.  Many other trees have fallen to the ground; some with their leaves still attached which have now changed to a dark brown color.  I hear birds chirp and caw, but I only see a few; a blue jay, a crow, a chickadee and a large brown bird that bends weak branches with its weight.  I also see double-hoofed tracks in the mud that probably represent the presence of deer.  Looking downstream, the trees part in such a way so you can see the green mountains between their leaves.  There are a few traces of human interference in the wood.  A telephone line runs parallel to the stream and ruins the natural feeling of the roadside forest.  I also find an empty Gatorade bottle, a pair of men’s underwear soggy from the rain, an aluminum can and a cement pipe connecting to the stream.  Likewise, there is a tree that appears to have been cut down by human hands, as its cut is clean and straight. 

            After leaving the wood and beginning my journey back to campus, I begin to ponder the history of this site.  The stream has carved out a much larger rift from the terrain than it currently possesses, and despite the record-breaking rains in New England this summer, the water level remains very low.  The presence of the concrete pipe also points to a conclusion that the stream used to be much bigger, and the pipe was needed for the stream to pass under the road.  However, I found no evidence of any water on the opposite side of Syndicate Road.  How did the stream come into existence? Why is the water so depleted now? Is there or did there used to be animal life in the stream, or did the ecosystem of the small wood form due to a different cause?  It will definitely be interesting to continue study of this site over the course more seasons and weather conditions.