News
While many of us in the happy valley are still waiting for winter, there are a few inhabitants who are already preparing for spring. I'll give you a hint — it's not the skiers or snowmobilers, and in fact, they're not even human, as you might guess from the nature of this column. It's the trees and shrubs, especially the deciduous ones, who have spent the winter seeming to be asleep. They are among the earliest to mark the subtle changes in daylight. As the days grow longer and the sun's rays become more direct and more intense, trees like the aspen and willow are starting to show the first signs of springing back to life.
It's snowing in Avon as I write this, and the willows and aspens I checked yesterday weren't showing any new signs of life yet. Upon returning to Eagle, though, where we all know spring comes earlier, I found the aspen trees in my front yard had buds that were clearly swelling. This doesn't necessarily mean we will see leaves or flowers anytime soon, but it does tell us that when the time comes, they will be ready and spring will arrive.
Besides the joy of watching things turn green, the beginning of spring phenomena offers another unique opportunity. Across the globe, citizen scientists are observing and reporting data on the timing of when plants leaf out, flower, change color, and die back. This study is known as the science of phenology. The timing of plant lifecycles is impacted by a variety of factors, including rainfall amounts, temperature, elevation and latitude. By studying the patterns of when plants bloom in different locations and conditions, scientists can gain valuable insight into how changing climatic patterns are impacting the landscape.
The basics of plant phenology are relatively simple. They involve watching a local plant species over time and recording the dates of life cycle stages such as flower blooming and leaf maturation. Phenology originates from the Greek word “phaino,” which means to show or appear. It refers to the recurring stages of plant or animal development or the study of the timing of these events, particularly as they relate to weather and climate. Simply put, phenology is nature's calendar, recording the dates when cherry trees bloom and bluebirds build their nests. The vast data collection possible when citizens are properly equipped creates a tremendous resource of data that is available to empower scientists, resource managers, and the public.
Now, with the help of the Internet, ordinary citizens like you can become citizen scientists. Several different websites are available to facilitate this process. One program, Project Budburst (www.budburst.org), has great resources to help children and adults play an active role in the grand effort to monitor and understand plant life cycles and how they are changing. Project Budburst encourages participants to lend their voice to a plant and help them share their stories. Another network, the USA National Phenology Network (www.usanpn.org/home), has a vision to encourage “people of all ages and backgrounds to observe and record phenology as a way to discover and explore the nature and pace of our dynamic world.” Both networks provide access to their resources, including all of their data and resource models, free of charge.
The natural world provides us with everything we need. Whether it's the concrete sustenance from fruits and grains or the intangible fuel on our endless search for meaning, nature sustains us. For many of us, it is heart wrenching to hear reports of the earth warming and carbon levels rising. Joining in the effort to monitor and record the changes occurring in natural systems is a way to empower ourselves and our world. The data gathered from this effort allows scientists, policy makers, and the citizenry at large to make educated, informed decisions about the future of our planet. Participating in this network gives us all a way to be part of the solution instead of part of the problem.
Jaymee Squires is the director of graduate programs at Walking Mountains Science Center, and she avidly checks the progress of the aspen buds in her yard while watching the days grow longer.
It's snowing in Avon as I write this, and the willows and aspens I checked yesterday weren't showing any new signs of life yet. Upon returning to Eagle, though, where we all know spring comes earlier, I found the aspen trees in my front yard had buds that were clearly swelling. This doesn't necessarily mean we will see leaves or flowers anytime soon, but it does tell us that when the time comes, they will be ready and spring will arrive.
Besides the joy of watching things turn green, the beginning of spring phenomena offers another unique opportunity. Across the globe, citizen scientists are observing and reporting data on the timing of when plants leaf out, flower, change color, and die back. This study is known as the science of phenology. The timing of plant lifecycles is impacted by a variety of factors, including rainfall amounts, temperature, elevation and latitude. By studying the patterns of when plants bloom in different locations and conditions, scientists can gain valuable insight into how changing climatic patterns are impacting the landscape.
The basics of plant phenology are relatively simple. They involve watching a local plant species over time and recording the dates of life cycle stages such as flower blooming and leaf maturation. Phenology originates from the Greek word “phaino,” which means to show or appear. It refers to the recurring stages of plant or animal development or the study of the timing of these events, particularly as they relate to weather and climate. Simply put, phenology is nature's calendar, recording the dates when cherry trees bloom and bluebirds build their nests. The vast data collection possible when citizens are properly equipped creates a tremendous resource of data that is available to empower scientists, resource managers, and the public.
Now, with the help of the Internet, ordinary citizens like you can become citizen scientists. Several different websites are available to facilitate this process. One program, Project Budburst (www.budburst.org), has great resources to help children and adults play an active role in the grand effort to monitor and understand plant life cycles and how they are changing. Project Budburst encourages participants to lend their voice to a plant and help them share their stories. Another network, the USA National Phenology Network (www.usanpn.org/home), has a vision to encourage “people of all ages and backgrounds to observe and record phenology as a way to discover and explore the nature and pace of our dynamic world.” Both networks provide access to their resources, including all of their data and resource models, free of charge.
The natural world provides us with everything we need. Whether it's the concrete sustenance from fruits and grains or the intangible fuel on our endless search for meaning, nature sustains us. For many of us, it is heart wrenching to hear reports of the earth warming and carbon levels rising. Joining in the effort to monitor and record the changes occurring in natural systems is a way to empower ourselves and our world. The data gathered from this effort allows scientists, policy makers, and the citizenry at large to make educated, informed decisions about the future of our planet. Participating in this network gives us all a way to be part of the solution instead of part of the problem.
Jaymee Squires is the director of graduate programs at Walking Mountains Science Center, and she avidly checks the progress of the aspen buds in her yard while watching the days grow longer.
