Using Nature’s Notebook and Phenology to teach about seasonal & long term environmental change Nature’s rhythms: LoriAnne Barnett Education Coordinator

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’s Phenology Phenology refers to recurring plant and animal life cycle stages, such as leafing and flowering, maturation of agricultural plants, emergence of insects, and migration of birds. It is also the study of these seasonal changes, especially their timing and relationships with weather and climate.

Reproduction Development Method Activity ANIMAL >> Mammal, Bird, Snake, Insect Flowers Fruits Leaves PLANT Observable life cycle events or PHENOPHASES

U NDERSTAND 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

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, Asclepias tuberosa; D. Hartel

Photo credit: L. Romano

RECORD KEEPING

Jefferson Powell Thoreau

Garden re-created Photo credit: Monticello

What content and skills might PHENOLOGY teach?

Acer rubrum (red maple); Photo credit: D. Hartel Observing the same individual through the seasons

PLANT LIFE CYCLE GREEN GROWTH Requires Optimum Conditions FLOWER SET SEED

American kestrel Falco sparverius ©Wikimedia Commons Active

Complete Pupa INSECT LARVA PUPA ADULT

Photo Credit: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Southeast Region, via Wikimedia Commons Photo credit: Wikimedia Commons Photo credit: L. Barnett

PHENOLOGY

What can PHENOLOGY teach:  English and Language Arts  Social Studies: History, Cultural Studies, and Geography  Healthy Living and Physical Education  Foreign and Native Languages Arts such as music, theater, and visual arts

ENHANCE

COLLABORATE

Have a PLAN

Make it LONG TERM Intro YEAR 1 YEAR 2YEAR 3 + Intro YEAR 4 Intro Monitoring Analysis Monitoring Analysis

Citizen science … Quercus alba, Q. falcata, Asclepias tuberosa; D. Hartel

Nature’s Notebook in our classroom

Important things we’ll discuss today: What is PHENOLOGY What are plant and animal life cycles? What do we know about seasonal changes? Why do we have certain plants and animals here? What can Nature’s Notebook help us understand?

What do I know about …

USA-NPN Education Publication Number: C

Photo credit: L. Barnett

-Mark Twain Climate Long-term average of daily weather in a given area. The average annual rainfall in Tucson, AZ is ~12.0 inches. The average June high temp is 100°F. December is the average coolest month at 65°F. Weather Day-to-day changes in the Earth’s atmosphere. It rained yesterday. Last Wednesday it was 110°F. Sunday will be sunny and 105°F. It is all about time …

Phenology and Climate Change Research, spring timing and range A three-way mismatch English Oak Winter Moth Pied Flycatcher Both et al Nature EARLIER SAME TIME EACH YEAR EARLIER

Why is climate important to phenology and ecology? and ecology? Climate drives what occurs where, what lives where, and how those species respond to their environment.

BIOMES –World’s Major Communities Classified by major vegetation, adaptations to environment Aquatic Grassland Desert Forest Tundra

Life Zones

Photo credit: L. Romano

Method Activity ANIMAL  Active individuals  Feeding  Individuals at a feeding station Flowers Fruits Leaves  Leaves  Colored leaves  Open flowers  Recent seed or fruit drop PLANT PHENOPHASES

Leaves Flowers Fruits Gambel Oak

Acorn Woodpecker Photo from All About Birds

Breaking leaf buds Leaves Increasing leaf size Colored leaves Flowers or Flower Buds Open Flowers FruitsRipe Fruits Recent fruit or seed drop DECIDUOUS PLANT PHENOPHASES

Intro to Observation and Journaling Species selection and ID Phenophase exploration

Select plants and animals on school property

①Saguaro ②Candy barrel cactus ③Buck-horn cholla ④Tree cholla ⑤Velvet Mesquite ⑥Yellow paloverde ⑦Desert ironwood ⑧Brittlebush ⑨Beavertail pricklypear

Photo credit: L. Barnett Create accounts in Nature’s Notebook

Plan a monitoring program

Interactive Webinar August 20 th, 2015 Just for teachers

Connect with USA-NPN… Sign up for a phenology quarterly e-newsletter Become an observer Discover new tools and resources LoriAnne Barnett