Using Nature’s Notebook to track seasonal & long term environmental change Nature’s rhythms: LoriAnne Barnett Education 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, SHARE In 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 Method Activity ANIMAL >> Mammal, Bird, Snake, Insect Flowers Fruits Leaves PLANT Observable life cycle events or PHENOPHASES

Ecology & PHENOLOGY

Weather Day-to-day changes in the Earth’s atmosphere. -Mark Twain Climate Long-term average of daily weather in a given area. It is about… …time

Vegetable Gardening "Bagatelle potager02" by Spedona (Spedona) - Cliché personnel - own work. Licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons

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 Image credit: John McColgan –U.S. Department of Agriculture. Licensed under Public Domain via Wikimedia

Observations RECORD KEEPING

Using nature as a guide Tradition and Lore “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 Photo credit: B. Powell Photo Credits: Wikimedia Commons unless otherwise notedPhoto credit: L. Barnett September – Harvest Moon

Jefferson Powell Thoreau

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 Bloomed days earlier between 1841 and Bowers, J. E., Southwestern Naturalist

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

Garden re-created Photo credit: Monticello

Cloned lilac program H ISTORIC L ILAC N ETWORK E STABLISHED IN THE 1950 S S ANTA R ITA E XPERIMENTAL R ANGE, G REEN V ALLEY, AZ Photo credit: L. Barnett

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

Observations SHARED FOR SCIENCE

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

Photo credit: L. Romano

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 taxa from 2009

Reproduction Development Method Activity ANIMAL  Active individuals  Feeding  Male combat  Mating  Young individuals  Dead individuals  Individuals at a feeding station Flowers Fruits Leaves  Young leaves  Leaves  Colored leaves  Flowers or flower buds  Open flowers  Ripe fruits  Recent seed or fruit drop PLANT PHENOPHASES …How Many?

Leaves Flowers Fruits Velvet mesquite, Prosopis velutina Image credit: Patty Guertin

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 Image credit: Patty Guertin

What percentage of all fresh flowers are open? Select the most appropriate bin Write the bin number on the line Less than 5% 5% - 24% 25% - 49% 50% - 74% 75% - 94% 95% or more Image credit: Patty Guertin

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

What ELSE do I need to know before I get started observing phenology for Nature’s Notebook ? THINK, PAIR, SHARE In class worksheet - 5 minutes Homework 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 Image credit: Patty Guertin

Resources

Next Steps NATURE’S NOTEBOOK

Velvet mesquite, Prosopis velutina Image credit: Patty Guertin

Select a Species 10 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 OBSERVATION Homework 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 Barnett

Explore tagged plants and make observations outside 15 minutes Join me on Monday, Jan. 9:00 am At the Krutch Garden for a “coffee walk”, to learn how to collect data. Office hours out there every 4 th 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.