Nature's Notebook Quarterly   Issue: Spring 2013
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Greetings!   

 
According to the calendar, spring is still weeks away, but I've already been hearing accounts of all sorts of phenological activity occurring across the country. Recently reports have included house finches singing in Chicago (@Living_Almanac), Virginia spring beauties blooming in Tennessee (@USWildflowers), California buttercups flowering in Sonoma (@the_wrangler), and juniper pollen release in Georgia (@treeobs). Of course, Twitter phenology reports don't end up archived in the USA-NPN's permanent database, so we still strongly endorse documenting plant and animal phenology via Nature's Notebook!

Twitter is a fun way to keep tabs on things around the country (and globe). You can now easily view tweets that mention phenology (#phenology), Nature's Notebook (#NaturesNotebook), or the USA-NPN (#USANPN) on our very recently launched new website! If you haven't seen it yet, please come check it out. We'd love to hear what you think!

If you need another good reason to visit our website, here you go: we have several really great campaigns that we're featuring this spring. Consider joining one of these special projects. You'll be provided with periodic updates from partnering researchers as well as an end-of-season summary. Plus, you'll be contributing directly to answering scientific questions!
 
As always, please don't hesitate to contact me with any questions or comments. And thank you for your support and participation in this valuable endeavor! Without you, we couldn't persist!
 

Sincerely,

 

What's in this issue:

  • New USA-NPN and Nature's Notebook website is live!
  • Spring 2013 Nature's Notebook campaigns
  

 

New USA-NPN website live!
And more features are forthcoming...

 

We're excited to unveil our new website, which was redesigned with you, the
Nature's Notebook observer, in mind. Content specific to the USA-NPN has been separated from the Nature's Notebook site to make your experience on the site much more informative, focused, and enjoyable.
 

Come check it out!

 

 

Thank you for your continued participation in Nature's Notebook! This spring, we're especially interested in tracking the following species. 

 

Cloned Lilacs and Dogwoods

Plant and monitor a cloned lilac or dogwood! Observations of cloned plants carry extra value, as differences seen among individuals can be attributed to variation in local environmental conditions, rather than to differences among the plants themselves.  

Learn more

 

Common Lilacs and Native Flowering Dogwoods

Your observations of common lilac (Syringa vulgaris) and native flowering dowgood (Cornus florida) life cycle events can enhance the decades of lilac phenology observations that have been collected across the United States. 

 

Maples, Oaks, and Poplars

Help scientists and natural resources managers track the "green wave" - the flush of green that accompanies leaf-out - over the course of the spring season, and the spread of seasonal color across the country in the autumn.

 

Learn More

 

PopClock

Researchers at the University of Maryland are working to identify genes that could ensure tree survival as the climate changes. You can assist by collecting observations of leaf phenology for balsam poplar (Populus balsamifera) and quaking aspen (Populus tremuloides). 

 

New England Leaf Out Project 

 

Are trees in New England leafing out earlier than they did in the past? Do tree species leaf out at different times? Assist researchers at Boston University by tracking the leaf-out of ten deciduous tree species.  

Learn More


Juniper Pollen Project

Your reports of when juniper pollen is airborne can help improve models of pollen spread. These reports inform allergy and asthma alerts. Help scientists to improve their models of pollen spread, so you can better anticipate bad allergy days! 

Learn More

  
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