Veronica has a passion for science communication and looks for ways to connect community members with academic research resources to promote a more complete appreciation of nature in people of all backgrounds. She will be working with us over the next year while she completes a Master’s degree in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology at the University of Arizona. She is working to improve support materials related to Nature’s Notebook and help build programs which encourage greater community participation in phenology studies.

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Enthusiasm is Catching, and it's Definitely Blooming in Southern Arizona

In this Observer Story, written by UCLA student Jennifer Yang, we learn about Rita Silverberg and Steve Amesbury who are long time Nature's Notebook observers with the Pima County Master Gardeners Phenology Group in Tucson, Arizona.

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An Interview with Caryn Beiter

This Observer Story, written by UCLA student Audrey Wang, features Caryn Beiter, a long-time Local Phenology Leader at Wells National Estuarine Research Reserve. There, she seeks to provide opportunities for community members to contribute meaningful scientific data, grow their sense of place, and deepen their connections with the more than human world.

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We are excited to share an updated version of our Botany Primer, an in-depth guide to understanding botany for observing with Nature's Notebook. This version is compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and the Rehabilitation Act. We are grateful to USA-NPN undergraduate student Evan Dial for working diligently to make the Primer perceivable and navigable for people with disabilities.

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Temperature strongly influences when plants leaf out and lose their leaves, however, not all species respond to temperature in the same way. Species traits, like leaf size or root length, may affect how sensitive plants are to warming temperatures. To study the role of species traits, researchers compiled results from more than a hundred warming experiments that measured how temperature affected the timing of leaf out and leaf fall. They also analyzed observational data from Nature’s Notebook and a similar monitoring network in China. Both sets of analyses found that plants with thinner leaves and higher nutrient concentrations were more sensitive to climate change. Understanding these patterns can help scientists predict how entire plant communities will respond to climate change.

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Colored leaves can be tricky to observe! When does a leaf count as colored? What about color from drought or insect damage? What is the best way to estimate the percentage of colored leaves? Check out this Nature's Notebook Nugget for answers to these questions and more tips for observing these magnificent fall changes. 


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Do you take great phenophase photos that you're willing to share? USA-NPN Plant Specialist Oskar Anderson has been hard at work collecting phenophase photos for each Nature's Notebook plant species, but some species and phenophases are challenging to find photos for. We have created a wishlist of the photos we're currently missing. Check below to see if you can help us fill these gaps. We appreciate you!

See what's on the wishlist »

Join the Nature's Notebook Nest - bring your questions and observations and chat with USA-NPN staff, fellow observers, and Local Phenology Leaders! These are standing monthly meetings on the first Monday of the month at 12pm PT / 3pm ET. Mark your calendars, the next Nest is November 2nd.

Sign up for reminders about the Nest »

One of the easiest things you can do this fall to help the environment is less yard work! Fallen leaves provide valuable habitat for pollinators. Check out this article for five easy ways to protect wildlife in your yard this fall.

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