Using Nature’s Notebook to track seasonal & long term environmental change

Nature’s rhythms:

LoriAnne BarnettEducation Coordinator

January 21, 2016

Objectives of today’s workshop: Define phenology and explain its

applicability to understanding changes in the natural world

Understand the importance of record-keeping.

Understand long-term phenology monitoring. Apply phenology as a service learning

project!

PHENOLOGY

Just to be clear…

phRenology – a pseudoscience focused on

measurements of the human skull and size of

the brain

phOnology – a branch of linguistics concerned with the

organization of sounds in language

What do I KNOW about PHENOLOGY?!What do I WANT TO KNOW?

THINK, PAIR, SHAREIn class worksheet - 5 minutes

Activity 1

What is phenology?

The science of the seasons• Blooms and buds• Hibernation, migration,

emergence• Easy to observe

Photo credit: L. Barnett

…it is the study of the timing of recurring plant and animal life-cycle stages, or phenophases, and their relationship to environmental conditions.

Photo credit: P. Warren

Who observes phenology?• Scientists

• Gardeners/Agriculturists• Land managers

• Educators• Youth

Photo credit: C. Enquist

Photo credit: P. Warren

Photo credit: S. Schaffer

Reproduction Development MethodActivity

ANIMAL >> Mammal, Bird, Snake, Insect

Flowers FruitsLeaves

PLANT

Observable life cycle events orPHENOPHASES

Ecology

& PHENOLOGY

WeatherDay-to-day changes in the

Earth’s atmosphere.

Climate is what you expect…

…weather is what you get.-Mark Twain

ClimateLong-term average

of dailyweather in a given

area.

It is about… …time

Vegetable Gardening

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Photo credit: E. Stemmy

• Feeding times• Following brackish

waters• Water

temperature• Spawning times

related to temp - 55° - 68° F in Chesapeake Bay. April peak?

Chesapeake Bay Spring Season for Striped Bass = May 16 – June 16

Understanding outdoor recreation schedules

Land management decisions

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Observations

RECORD KEEPING

Using nature as a guide

Tradition and Lore

http://www.farmersalmanac.com/full-moon-names/

“Tribes kept track of seasons by giving distinct names to each

recurring full moon.”

November -Beaver Moon

February – Full Worm Moon

May – Full Flower Moon

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Photo Credits: Wikimedia Commons unless otherwise noted Photo credit: L. Barnett

September – Harvest Moon

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Acer rubrum (red maple); Photo credit: D. Hartel

Observing the same individual through the seasons

Phenology

CLIMATE CHANGE

Earlier Bloom Times

Shrubs in the Sonoran Desert Bloomed10-41 days earlier between 1841 and 2004

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Bowers, J. E., Southwestern Naturalist. 2007.

Phenology and Climate ChangeResearch, spring timing and range

A three-way mismatch

English Oak

Winter Moth

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SAME TIME EACH YEAR

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Garden re-created

Photo credit: Monticello

Cloned lilac program

HISTORIC LILAC NETWORKESTABLISHED IN THE

1950S

SANTA RITA EXPERIMENTAL RANGE,

GREEN VALLEY, AZ

Photo credit: L. Barnett

Photo credit: L. Barnett

The Finger Rock Dataset

• Collected by a single individual• 1984-present• 1480+ round-trip hikes (10 miles), 4158’ elevation gain• Approximately weekly• 587 flowering plant taxa (group of species)• 155K+ records of plant flowering. • 73,000 vertebrate records

Photo credit: B. Wilder

Observations

SHARED FOR SCIENCE

UNDERSTAND HOW SPECIES AND LANDSCAPES ARE

RESPONDING TO CLIMATE CHANGE.

Primary goal• Create a standardized, long-term

dataset for use in multiple types of research.

Mission• Make phenology data, models

and related information available.

• Encourage people of all ages and backgrounds to observe and record phenology.

Photo credit: C. Enquist

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Citizen science … scientific research conducted, in whole or in part,

by amateurs or nonprofessionals public participation in scientific research (also known as) crowd science, crowd-sourced

science, or networked science

Quercus alba, Q. falcata, D. Hartel

• 6,415 active observers• 7,809 active sites• 5.9M+ records • Lilac data from 1956• 1016 taxa from 2009

Reproduction Development MethodActivity

ANIMAL

Active individuals

Feeding

Male combat Mating

Young individuals

Dead individuals

Individuals at a feeding station

Flowers FruitsLeaves

Young leaves Leaves Colored leaves

Flowers or flower buds

Open flowers

Ripe fruits Recent seed

or fruit drop

PLANT

PHENOPHASES

…How Many?

YES

NO

?

Leaves

Flowers

Fruits

Velvet mesquite, Prosopis velutina Imag

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One or more open, fresh flowers are visible on the plant. Flowers are considered "open" when the reproductive parts (male stamens or female pistils) are visible between or within unfolded or open flower parts (petals, floral tubes or sepals). Do not include wilted or dried flowers.

Do you see…open flowers?

Velvet mesquite, Prosopis velutina Imag

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What percentage of all fresh flowers are open?

Select the most appropriate binWrite the bin number on the line

Less than 5%

5% - 24%

25% - 49%

50% - 74%

75% - 94%

95% or more

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Acorn Woodpecker

Photo from All About Birds

Breaking leaf buds

Leaves

Increasing leaf size Colored leaves

Flowers or Flower Buds

Open Flowers

Fruits

Ripe Fruits

Recent fruit or seed drop

DECIDUOUS PLANT PHENOPHASES

What ELSE do I need to know before I get started observing phenology for

Nature’s Notebook ?THINK, PAIR, SHARE

In class worksheet - 5 minutesHomework assignment – 45 minutes

Activity 2

One or more open, fresh flowers are visible on the plant. Flowers are considered "open" when the reproductive parts (male stamens or female pistils) are visible between or within unfolded or open flower parts (petals, floral tubes or sepals). Do not include wilted or dried flowers.

Do you see…open flowers?

Velvet mesquite, Prosopis velutina Imag

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Resources

www.usanpn.org/nn/guidelines

Next Steps

NATURE’S NOTEBOOK

Velvet mesquite, Prosopis velutina Imag

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Select a Species10 minutes

Activity 3

Objectives of today’s class: Define phenology and explain its

applicability to understanding changes in the natural world

Understand the importance of record-keeping.

Understand long-term phenology monitoring. Apply phenology as a service learning

project! Learn where to find resources to get started.

What did I LEARN about PHENOLOGY and Nature’s Notebook?

Reflection sheet – homework assignment – 5 minutes

Activity 4

INTRODUCTION TO OBSERVATIONHomework Assignment - 45 minutes

Activity 5

EXPLORE species in Krutch Garden, datasheets, and phenophase definitions

Homework Assignment - 45 minutes

Activity 6

Connect with USA-NPN…• Become an observer • Discover new tools and

resources• Visit a local phenology

trail

LoriAnne Barnettlorianne@usanpn.org

www.facebook.com/USANPN

www.pinterest.com/USANPN

www.twitter.com/@loriannebarnett

www.instagram/tucson_phenology_trail

Explore tagged plants and make observations outside

15 minutes

Join me on Monday, Jan. 25 @ 9:00 amAt the Krutch Garden for a “coffee walk”, to learn how to collect data. Office hours

out there every 4th FRIDAY of the semester.

Closing activity–

Why? Service Learning Project, Nature's Notebook 10/15 weeks of data collection; Bonus points available for

up to 2 extra collections over 2 additional weeks Minimum of 2, 1 page social media write-ups about

phenology; 50 points each Wrap up videos

Why? Service Learning Project, Nature's Notebook 10/15 weeks of data collection; Bonus points available for

up to 2 extra collections over 2 additional weeks Help USA-NPN gather data on campus and create a record of

observations to be used to better understand seasonal change

Why? Service Learning Project, Nature's Notebook 10/15 weeks of data collection; Bonus points available for

up to 2 extra collections over 2 additional weeks Help USA-NPN gather data on campus and create a record of

observations to be used to better understand seasonal change

Minimum of 2, 1 page social media write-ups about phenology; 50 points each Show/encourage others in Tucson to come to the garden,

participate in Nature’s Notebook, and contribute to science

Why? Service Learning Project, Nature's Notebook 10/15 weeks of data collection; Bonus points available for

up to 2 extra collections over 2 additional weeks Help USA-NPN gather data on campus and create a record of

observations to be used to better understand seasonal change

Minimum of 2, 1 page social media write-ups about phenology; 50 points each Show/encourage others in Tucson to come to the garden,

participate in Nature’s Notebook, and contribute to science Wrap up videos

Help the USA-NPN Education and Outreach Team collect useable video footage to share with national network

Why? Service Learning Project, Nature's Notebook 10/15 weeks of data collection; Bonus points available for

up to 2 extra collections over 2 additional weeks Help students understand the scientific process and how to

use citizen science to teach about the natural world

Why? Service Learning Project, Nature's Notebook 10/15 weeks of data collection; Bonus points available for

up to 2 extra collections over 2 additional weeks Help students understand the scientific process and how to

use citizen science to teach about the natural world Minimum of 2, 1 page social media write-ups about

phenology; 50 points each Help students learn technology and social media platforms

used in business and courses today

Why? Service Learning Project, Nature's Notebook 10/15 weeks of data collection; Bonus points available for

up to 2 extra collections over 2 additional weeks Help students understand the scientific process and how to

use citizen science to teach about the natural world Minimum of 2, 1 page social media write-ups about

phenology; 50 points each Help students learn technology and social media platforms

used in business and courses today Wrap up videos

Help students learn to present a short informational piece about their experience, teaching others how to do the same.