From 1826-1872, a network of academics collected meteorological and phenological data from hundreds of sites by over 500 observers in the state of New York. These data were well recorded in summary reports, and the effort remained strong until the US Civil War began, when data collection significantly waned. These historical records were re-discovered in 2014 and compared to modern phenology data collected by the New York Phenology Program and NOAA Online weather data.

It is worth noting that both the historical and modern data sets were contributed primarily by non-professionals and follow similarly rigorous observation protocols. This study is such a wonderful reminder that as we go out to our sites each week to observe the plants and animals that we have gotten to know and care for, that the data we collect is a valuable snapshot of our planet in this moment in time, and that it can be used for current and future scientists to help us better understand our ever-changing world. 

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The fifth and final module of the Observer Certification Course is now available! The new module, Intensity Measures, teaches you how to answer questions such as "What percentage of the potential canopy space is full with leaves?" and "How many flowers or flower buds do you see?" Observers who complete all 5 modules will earn a Certified Observer tag in the database as well as a virtual badge and certificate.

A big thank you to Ellen Denny, our Monitoring Design and Data Coordinator, for creating the course! 

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Local Phenology Programs are an ideal option for instructors wishing to engage students in tracking phenology as part of a course. Do you need some guidance to get things set up and running? Enroll in our 10-week online Local Phenology Leader Certification Course running this Sept-Nov! Volunteer Engagement Coordinator Samantha Brewer will lead you through program planning activities, show you how to set up your sites, plants/animals in Nature's Notebook, and help you create tools for recruiting and training volunteers. 

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Do you ever wonder what happen to your Nature's Notebook phenology data when you hit the Submit button? In this webinar, NPN staff will share recent research that used your data!

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A new paper published in BioScience highlights the the breadth of studies and applied decisions that you have collected through Nature's Notebook. While the entire article is limited to those with access to the journal, you may be able to gain access through your local library by clicking "Sign in with a library card."

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Researchers in Belgium noticed that trees along the route of the Tour of Flanders, a Belgian bike race held every April, looked bare compared to recent years. They took a closer look at archival race footage from 1981-2016 and were able to quantify timing of leaf-out and flowering of 46 individual trees and shrubs along the bike route. They were able to detect surprisingly strong shifts in the phenology of leaf-out and flowering of trees in the historical video footage over four decades, and demonstrated that applying archived video footage to quantify tree phenology responses to global warming is possible.

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Natural history museum specimens and herbaria can provide valuable historical phenology data. A recent study looked at change in emergence of hoverflies in Denmark by comparing museum specimens that were collected as early as 1900 to data collected by modern citizen scientists. They found that northern temperate hoverflies generally react to warming temperatures by emerging earlier. Additionally, they noted that their most significant results occurred when they had access to long, detailed data series, which illustrated the importance of well-maintained and continuously expanded natural history museum collections, as well as solid citizen science data, particularly in periods of dramatic changes in both climate and biodiversity.

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As summer comes to an end, you will begin to observe colored leaves on your plants. When it comes to reporting on colored leaves, any amount of color (regardless of the reason) means a 'yes'. If reporting on intensity, consider the percent of color in the canopy respective to the canopy at 100% potential fullness—and it might take a year to know what this looks like for your plant.  

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Dr. Lala Hajibayova at Kent State University School of Information is providing an opportunity to US residents to participate in a voluntary research study about your participation in citizen science projects. 

This study examines how individuals collect and share science project related data, how they communicate with scientist(s), and how they contribute to scientific processes.  This survey is comprised of three parts and will take about 20 minutes to complete.

All participants who completed the survey will be part of a drawing to win $50 Target or Amazon Gift Cards. 

Take the survey »