Greetings!
Registration is now open for the first ever
Local Phenology Leader Clinic and Rally
this October
! Join fellow phenology leaders in sharing resources and best practices to improve your Local Phenology Programs. The clinic is October 4-5, 2019 located at, and co-hosted by, the Grand Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve and National Wildlife Refuge in Moss Point, Mississippi. The Clinic will include presentations showcasing successful Local Phenology Programs, group sessions to create new resources, and training on program evaluation.
Register
early so that we can ensure this conference is a go!
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What's new at
Nature's Notebook
and USA-NPN
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New
Nature's Notebook
mobile app
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We have a brand new
Nature's Notebook
mobile application to help you record your observations of plant and animal phenology!
The new app features improved navigation, the ability to easily see the past observations you have entered on the app and edit them if needed, an animal checklist to quickly enter your observations of animals, and improved options for our Local Phenology Program members. Learn about these features and more in our
mobile app tip sheet
.
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Documenting change in nature
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Our new
Nature's Notebook
video documents how our friends at Audubon Starr Ranch in California are observing phenology and recording the changes they see around them. The video was produced by
Landmark Stories
at the University of Arizona's College of Agriculture and Life Sciences. Please share it with someone you know to spread the word about
Nature's Notebook
!
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Where is buffelgrass green right now?
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Our new
Buffelgrass Pheno Forecast
shows areas where enough rain has fallen to trigger green-up of buffelgrass, a problematic invasive grass in Southern Arizona. The maps will assist managers to locate sites with buffelgrass that is green enough to treat with herbicide. This forecast joins the 12 other forecasts that we produce to predict the
timing of tree pest activity
.
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Recent happenings in the field of phenology
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The early fish misses the phytoplankton
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The timing of phytoplankton blooms is critical to the survival of fish including haddock, herring, and salmon. The authors of a new study in
Global Change Biology
looked at the impact of a high-emissions climate warming scenario on two groups of fishes that live in the surface layer of the ocean and spawn in springtime. Fish species that rely on geographic features such as rivers are predicted to change their spawning timing twice as fast as phytoplankton bloom timing, resulting in spawning occurring earlier than phytoplankton bloom across 86% of the area studied. Mismatches in this ecosystem could cause population declines with cascading effects on global carbon cycles.
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Phytoplankton bloom,
Photo: Envisat
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Early spring disrupts flowers and bees
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Researchers who studied spring ephemerals and bumblebees in Japan for 19 years found that early snowmelt results in a mismatch in flowering and pollinator emergence. This study has implications for other cold regions where plants flower soon after snowmelt.
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More ways to get involved
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Anacortes volunteers track forest health
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Volunteers in Western Washington are studying forest health of the Anacortes Community Forest Lands, part of which was burned in a 2016 fire. Volunteers will use
Nature's Notebook
to track phenology in addition to measurements of species diversity and plant size.
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The Life Cycle of a Volunteer
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In this article in the
Journal of Extension
, authors from the University of Minnesota take a close look at the life cycle of volunteer programs such as Master Naturalists and Master Gardeners. They suggest ways that program managers can support volunteers and sustain their volunteer service.
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Especially for Local Phenology Leaders
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Join us at the LPL Clinic & Rally
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Join us for the first biennial
Local Phenology Leader Clinic
this October 4-5, 2019 located at, and co-hosted by, the Grand Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve and National Wildlife Refuge in Moss Point, Mississippi. The Clinic will include talks delivered by NCO staff,
Gulf Coast Phenology Trail
volunteers, a session on using
Nature's Notebook
data, program evaluation, and group-think sessions with deliverables.
Register
early so that we can ensure this conference is a go!
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The LPL Clinic will be held at Grand Bay NERR/NWR in Mississippi
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What industries do LPPs represent?
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A recent conversation on our
LPL listserv
got us thinking about what industries are most represented within our Local Phenology Programs. Education Coordinator LoriAnne Barnett found that of the 624 LPPs that have ever participated with
Nature's Notebook
, 109 are K-12 schools, 109 are Colleges and Universities, 56 are Nature Centers, 51 are National Park Unity, 46 are Conservation Organizations, and 28 are Land Trusts.
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Results from our 2018 Local Phenology Program Survey
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At the end of 2018, you might have received a survey asking you about your experience with your Local Phenology Program. We compiled your responses, and created the summary infographic below. We hope that you'll consider filling out the survey at the end of this year to ensure your voice is heard (and help us get above that 10% response rate :)!
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Erin Posthumus
Outreach Coordinator
erin@usanpn.org
520-621-1670
LoriAnne Barnett
Education Coordinator
lorianne@usanpn.org
520-621-1803
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