Eventful days of spring

This past few days lots of activity in the Woods. In preparation for Geog/ Zoo 4970 Phenology class I numbered 94 trees on the Tree Tutorial loop from the NE Gate. There were 15 spp. plus a couple of invasive sub trees/ shrubs. Once leaves are out, I hope to add a few more .. maybe a Sapindus soapberry, maybe a green ash, maybe a surprise or two. Tim and I went out Sunday and measured and mapped another 25 trees
In the SW corner at the end of the day I placed four more 22 inch short steel posts: two along the 2 Friends Trail and two along the W. Dune Trail. need one or two more for the SW corner. I placed six more posts from the north end of the new West Trail to near its end. Total trail length about 340 m.

In the Western Wash there was a dead raccoon about 50 feet above the Elm Bridge.. the sort of place where a rabid raccoon might die?
Today, Tuesday Kirsten, Pradeep and I assembled with a dozen phenology students at the NE Gate. Rain or severe weather had been forecast but it was fine after light .08 inch morning rain. Students quickly selected 30 trees per group and gathered first phenological observations for upload to National Phenology Network online. I was happy with the way that the Tree Loop meshed with the exercise.
Today the first of March temperatures were predicted to break 80 F. I think we made it to 77 or so. We all returned to the Tree Loop and second phenological observations were recorded in addition to nine more larger trees for each group from the broader open floodplain Woods.
At the end of the day Pradeep, Kirsten, Ryan, Megan and I drove to a tall sycamore on the northwest fence line. Pradeep climbed well up into the crown and Ryan hauled up a time lapse camera and battery for Pradeep to secure. Good location... great work. Hope for good hourly images of spring coming to the Woods from March 1 onward. Walking there, Pradeep observed around ten deer in the NW Woods split between two different groups.