Season Watch Newsletter: 4/14/2023

Spring has arrived! Frogs are calling in St. Paul and the maple sap is finally running farther north. This week's newsletter is filled with good news, plus information on helping out native pollinators - enjoy!

Help a pheno-phriend out!

I dearly hope this newsletter is as much fun for you to read as it is for me to create. If it is, please consider supporting us! Folks who are able to make a financial donation will get our newly developed pocket phenology calendar as a thank you. (Who doesn't want even more watchlists?)

Additional ways to support us include sharing the newsletter with friends and family and writing us a note of support! Your testimonials are vital as we apply for outside funding to support the next phase of our phenology program.

Regardless of your ability to donate, thank you for making the first almost-a-year of the newsletter such a success. I am sincerely grateful to all of you for your encouragement, kindness, and interest- what a wonderful, wacky role I've landed in.

Sincerity over- here's a timberdoodle dancing to the phenology theme song

FEATURE: Creating a pollinator "garden restaurant"

Mark Jacobs struck gold for his Decline of Native Pollinators series! We scored an interview with Heather Holm, one of Minnesota's foremost pollinator experts and an award-winning author. In her interview, she discusses when she began noticing patterns between pollinator and plant species, how Minnesota is well-equipped so far to aid our native pollinators, and the species mix she recommends for feeding hungry pollinators. She also provided links to her plant lists and websites- she has a wealth of information available!

Listen in!

Visit our Season Watch Facebook page!

STUDENT AND LISTENER CONTRIBUTIONS

Peep peep peep! Spring peepers and chorus frogs have emerged in Central Minnesota and are making their voices heard. Some robins inspired Eagle View Elementary second graders to write adorable haikus, the Long Lake otters slept in this year, and Waubun students started harvesting maple sap. The dawn chorus of bird song began its seasonal crescendo!

Hear their voices!

JOHN LATIMER'S WEEKLY REPORT

Up until last week, phenology signs indicated 2023 would be among the five latest springs on record. After a few days of gloriously warm weather, things have drastically improved! The snow is melting, butterflies have emerged, and spring birds are flocking north for the summer. Check out John's report to learn how to ID early-emerging butterflies and how waterfowl investigate lake ice-out.

Listen to John's report!

Support Season Watch here!

Can't make the workshops? Send me an email, and we'll set up a Zoom meeting!

4/16/23: Studying Phenology using Nature's Notebook. Hosted by the Lakes Chapter of Minnesota Master Naturalists. Meeting at 1 PM, Hartley Nature Center, Duluth. More info.
4/19/23: Phenology at the Northland Arboretum. 5-7 PM. Free for members, $5 for non-members. Brainerd, MN. Register here.
5/21/23: Phenology in the Classroom and on the Radio. Gathering Partners Conference, Chaska MN. Register here.

SARAH'S RECOMMENDATION

The day has finally come: we're launching the Season Watch Podcast! In its current form, its focus is an extra-detailed, month-long version of the weekly watchlist. The first episode contains a bit of my backstory, a limerick about garter snake identification, and a note about the joys of watching human phenology in April.

To level with you, my beloved Season Watch readers, it's a bit intimidating creating a podcast when you have John Latimer's dulcet tones ringing in your ears all week. I could really use your help to make this a success! Please let me know what you think, and more importantly- what do you want to hear or learn? I'm definitely not in this for the sound of my own voice, so please help me ensure my efforts lead to content you find educational and entertaining.

Enjoy!

Spring Peeper (Pseudacris crucifer).

Anishinaabemowin: giziibwewed

The spring peeper can be identified by the dark 'X' or cross shape on its back. This is how it got its taxonomic species name, 'crucifer.'

Spring peepers call at a whopping 90 decibels- as loud as a leaf blower! For a critter weighing only 4 grams, that's an impressive 22.5 decibels per gram of body weight. (For comparison, a particularly clamorous human can produce just 0.0016 decibels/gram.)

Bonus fact: Sharks evolved before the rings of Saturn formed.

Get out to the bogs to listen for frogs!

Northern Community Radio

KAXE/KBXE

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Funding for this project was provided by the Minnesota Environment and Natural Resources Trust Fund as recommended by the Legislative-Citizen Commission on Minnesota Resources (LCCMR). The Trust Fund is a permanent fund constitutionally established by the citizens of Minnesota to assist in the protection, conservation, preservation, and enhancement of the state’s air, water, land, fish, wildlife, and other natural resources.