We are celebrating Phenology Week next week! The purpose of Phenology Week is to celebrate YOU, our Nature's Notebook observers, Local Phenology Programs, and partners! Join us March 18-22 for webinars, awards, daily challenges, observer stories, and more. Don't miss these events:

• Theresa's Plantside Chat: Uses of Your Nature's Notebook Data  (Mon, Mar 18, 2pm ET) - In this webinar, USA-NPN Director Dr. Theresa Crimmins will share recent research that used your Nature's Notebook data.
• How to use Nature's Notebook Webinar (Tues, Mar 19, 1pm ET)- If you're new to Nature's Notebook or would like a refresher on how to get started, then this is the webinar for you!
• Quercus Quest Webinar (Tues, Mar 19, 4pm ET)- Interested in finding out more about this Nature's Notebook campaign that is focused on oaks? Hear from researchers about how your data will be used.
• Local Phenology Leader Q&A Webinar (Thurs, Mar 21, 3pm ET) - Learn from past Pheno Champion winners about what makes their Local Phenology Programs thrive!
• Phenology Wheels Paint Along: Blending Art and Science - (Fri, Mar 22, 3pm ET) Bring your pencils, crayons, and paint and create a Phenology Wheel with us based on Nature's Notebook data.
• Phenology Meet up in Tucson (Sat, Mar 23, 9am AZ) - Join USA-NPN staff at the Audubon Mason Center to meet fellow observers, collect data, and play phenology bingo!

See these & other events on the Phenology Week webpage »

Sign up for Phenology Week emails »

Are you having issues with the Nature's Notebook app? Some users are reporting an issue where the app gets stuck on the syncing page, particularly for iPhone users. Another larger issue related to Apple updates means your app might not have automatically updated to the version that fixes this issue. If you are having difficulty, please delete and re-download the app. Reach out to support@usanpn.org with any questions.

Follow updates about the mobile app »

Did you know? We are constantly adding plant and animal species to Nature's Notebook to support local monitoring needs. This spring, we are adding 87 plants, three birds, two insects, and a toad, for a total of 1,850 taxa now available to track through the platform. Let us know if you have requests!

See the Nature's Notebook species list »

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' monthly Climate and Health Outlook is an effort to inform health professionals and the public on how our health may be affected in the coming months by climate events and provide resources to take proactive action. The USA-NPN's Spring Indices maps are now featured in the Outlooks to help the health professionals and the public understand the timing of allergy season.

See the Climate and Health Outlook »

Dioecy, defined as distinctly male or female individuals in a species, is uncommon in plants, occurring in only about 5% of species. Consequently, our understanding of how this group of plants is being affected by climate change is limited. a group of researchers based at Purdue University in Indiana, USA asked two questions: 1) is the synchronicity in flowering in male and female trees changing? and 2) is the timing of leaf-out and flowering changing at different rates? The researchers found that male trees are advancing their flowering time at a greater rate than female trees. This is potentially bad news for these species; this pattern could reduce pollen transfer from male to female trees and negatively impact reproductive success in these trees. The researchers also found that flowering, which occurs before leaf-out in the species evaluated in this study, is advancing more rapidly than leaf-out. This finding is good news; the increasing temporal gap between flowing and leaf-out means less interference for the transfer of pollen from male to female trees.

Read the Publication Summary »

Join in the fun of Phenology Week with us next week! We've put together a media kit for Local Phenology Programs and other organizations with daily activities, social media posts, and more to help you share phenology with your community.

Phenology Week Media Kit »

Media Kit Image Files »

USA NPN and Nature's Notebook Logos »

We learned a lot from your feedback. Your mostly frequently used resources were again the Visualization Tool, Phenology Observation Portal, and LPP Data Dashboard. Some of you are still having difficulty navigating the new website, but you appreciate the USA-NPN staff support and training resources we have available. Your most needed resources continue to be data analysis support (we have a project underway to assist with this!) and help with creating annual reports (see the resources below). You can see more results from the Survey on this lovely infographic created by Volunteer Engagement Coordinator Samantha Brewer.

See the infographic »

We love sharing the informative annual reports that Local Phenology Programs create. Check out the links below for some examples.

You can also check out the guidance we provide on creating your own annual report. We encourage you to use this as a guide - pick and choose the parts that are useful to you from the table of contents. You don't need to include all the components, just the ones that are of interest to your Program!

Tree Spotters »

ArlingtonRegionalMN »

University of Lynchburg »

Leslie Canyon NWR »

In an inspiring article in The American Biology Teacher, high school biology teachers in Ohio describe how they use tracking phenology as a way to engage students in discussions about climate change.

Check out the article »

Punxatawney Phil may not be the most dependable forecaster; his forecasts are incorrect more than half the time compared to U.S. National temperatures. And here at the USA-NPN, we would much rather look to temperature trends and observations from Nature's Notebook to know when spring is here! But an article from CNN takes a look at circumstances where animals can give an indication of local weather conditions.

Read the article »

Check out our Groundhog Day Seasonal Story »