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Volunteer reports of blooms predict allergy season

Tue, Jan 17, 2023
Publication Summary

The authors of a new study used over 4,000 Nature’s Notebook observations of oak (Quercus) trees in the eastern US to explore the relationship between flowering and air pollen. By finding a link between temperature and open flowers, they were able to predict peak in flowering timing at pollen monitoring stations. The peak flowering timing was strongly correlated with the observed peak airborne pollen at the stations. This article is the first to explore how volunteer-collected phenology data contributed to Nature’s Notebook can be used to support better predictions of the timing and severity of allergy season.

10-Step Program Planning Guide

LPP Planning Resource

This 10-step guide helps you to plan your Local Phenology Program, including defining your science questions, developing short-, medium-, and long-term goals, identifying stakeholders and resources, creating an action plan to realize your goals and a sustainability plan to maintain your program, and writing an annual report to document your progress and accomplishments. 

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Understory herbs are quicker to advance leaf-out than overstory trees

Thu, Nov 10, 2022
Publication Summary

Changing climate conditions may affect the timing of leaf-out among trees and forbs in different ways. A research team based at the University of Ottawa evaluated anticipated changes in leaf-out among these two groups of plants using data contributed to Nature’s Notebook from 965 sites across northeastern North America. The team found that understory herbs are advancing leaf-out at a greater rate than trees, especially at higher latitudes. This more rapid advancement in leaf-out could result in a longer growing season and increased carbon uptake for these plants as temperatures increase.

Annual Report Guide

LPP Planning Resource

This guide will help you with developing a report for your Local Phenology Program. A phenology report is a document that describes the status of your phenological monitoring program, including participant statistics, data volume statistics, and patterns in the data.  It can be produced for any time scale, such as quarterly on an annual or biannual basis.   

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It’s not just climate warming – artificial light is shifting phenology

Mon, Oct 24, 2022
Publication Summary

We know plants respond when the days get longer in the spring and shorter in the fall, but what happens when it’s still light after sunset? Using data on dozens of species and hundreds of sites in the Nature’s Notebook dataset, Lin Meng and colleagues found that the presence of artificial light advances breaking leaf buds and delays leaf color change. The ecological impact of artificial light at night has not been well-documented, and it’s a great opportunity to reflect on your local landscape at night and to think about how the plants you observe might be responding.

Editable Local Phenology Program Info Sheet

LPP Event Resource

You can use this editable info sheet to educate guests and volunteers about your Local Phenology Program. The first page include information about the USA-NPN and Nature's Notebook. The second page includes prompts where you can fill in information and visuals about your program. 

Phenology Snapshots

Lesson plan
Post Secondary
Indoor

Students conduct an investigation using historical photographic records to determine whether the timing of plant phenophases has changed in their own communities. They search for old photos (indicating dates) in their family’s or town’s records that show sites where plants are in specific phenological stages (i.e., peak flower, 90% leaf out [or 90% lack of leaf cover], fruiting, seasonal festivals, etc.), and that show dates of record. They then visit those sites when plants are experiencing those same phenophases and take pictures to compare the past and present timing of seasonal events.

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