There is only a small sign that indicates the trailhead of Centennial Woods. Though it sits less than a mile from UVM, stepping onto the trail and into this dense, lush patch of woodland is a truly surreal experience.
Just mere steps from a world of asphalt and pavement, concrete and order, lies this a rich forest that appears almost untouched, as though it belongs in an isolated stretch of the Green Mountains, rather than in the heart of Vermont’s largest metropolitan area.
It’s often hard to think Burlington was once home to lush old-growth forests, to towering white pines, moss-covered logs and the forest floor blanketed in beds of reddish-brown pine needles.
Yet nature still endures, even in urban areas. Plants grow through cracks in the sidewalk, birds build their nests in the nooks and crannies of buildings, in spite of the world we created for ourselves, the natural world remains.
Centennial Woods is a perfect example of this. Some 65 plus acres of hardwood forest, owned and maintained by UVM, allows nature not simply to endure, but flourish, as it once did all those years ago.
This series of 10 photos details my walk through Centennial Woods on Oct. 5, during golden hour, capturing the scenery, flora and fauna I found along the trailside.
