The National Climate Assessment (NCA) assesses current and future risks posed by climate change to the United States. In the 5th NCA, just released, the Ecosystems Chapter highlights changes in phenology as well as underscores the value of community-contributed data. The Assessment includes a map with Nature's Notebook sites. Can you find your site on this map?

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Many Nature's Notebook observers have noticed more seeds and nuts than usual on some of their trees this year. Years in which trees drop a bumper crop of seeds or nuts is called a "mast year." Much is still unknown about why trees do this and what prompts them to mast in a particular year. USA-NPN Director Theresa Crimmins recently shared findings from your data from Nature's Notebook on fruiting with NPR and the Brooklyn Botanical Garden.

Listen to the NPR story »

Read the blog from Brooklyn Botanical Garden »

Quercus Quest is a Nature's Notebook data collection campaign that is part of an NSF-funded project to better understand the role of oaks in their ecosystems. Two recent articles highlight the research of our project collaborators at the Morton Arboretum to understand phenology and other aspects of bur oak.

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Read the story from WBEZChicago »

Grasslands are among the most disturbed ecosystems globally. In the areas that remain, managers must balance practices such as mowing and burning that maintain natural systems while avoiding nesting periods for grassland birds. The authors of this study used information about nest survival from scientific literature as well as climate information and the USA-NPN’s Spring Bloom Index to develop models to predict the expected nest departure timing for 36 grassland bird species. This information can provide more localized information about nesting timing to better time management actions to avoid this critical period. 

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Protected areas are known to be important refuges for bird species under changing climate conditions, particularly for northern birds adapted to cooler climates. Authors of a recent study in Canada found the species composition inside protected areas was actually comprised of many southern-dwelling birds as well, and the species composition inside protected areas was changing much faster than outside.

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ABQ BioPark Botanic Garden's observer Karl Horak recently shared some wisdom on plant tagging. They have tried several methods for tagging individual plants at the Garden. At the high end are Lark labels, which are very durable and look nice but are expensive. In the mid-range, wire stakes that stick in the ground (like the one pictured at right and sold at many online retailers) are more affordable but require affixing a label and covering it with tape. These fade with time and will need to be replaced. The most affordable are impressable aluminum tags that you can either write on or affix a label to and cover with tape. These also need to be replaced every couple of years when they fade. Thank you, Karl, for sharing these tips!

Read more about Karl's plant tagging procedure »

A new resource from the Schoolyard SITES Project provides guidance for those looking to bring citizen science to the classroom. An included worksheet helps evaluate the goals, requirements, and resources associated with individual citizen science projects.

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Wild Hope is a new series of short films from PBS Nature that highlights the changemakers who are restoring our wild places and sparking new hope for the future of our planet. SciStarter, which is working with PBS on this series, is looking for more citizen science projects to feature. Email info@scistarter.org if you'd like to be spotlighted.

Learn more about Wild Hope »

The USDA has unveiled an updated Plant Hardiness Zones map. The zones can help determine which plants may be suitable for a particular location. In the updated map, about half of the country has moved into a warmer zone than a decade ago.

See the Plant Hardiness Zone Map »

The USGS Climate Adaptation Science Centers have released a set of illustrations that help explain climate change concepts. These illustrations are public domain images that are free to download and use without attribution.

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Do you have questions about the difference between El Niño and La Niña and what these conditions mean for your area? An article from NOAA's Climate.gov takes a deep dive into understanding these climate conditions.

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Bug Banter with the Xerces Society is a podcast that explores the world of invertebrates and talks about how to help these extraordinary animals.

Listen to the podcast »