Phenology - June 2008

• Watch for the evening flashes of fireflies in grassy meadows. The "code" of flashes helps them attract a mate. Fireflies prefer dark areas particularly near wetlands.
• Can you say "strawberry shortcake?" The season's first wild strawberries can be found. The more easily picked domestic strawberries are also ripening.
• Listen for the last of the spring breeding frogs, the green frog. Its banjo-like call can be heard in the vegetation along lakeshores.

What is phenology?

Phenology is the study and science of appearances and how they change over the seasons. The word itself is related to the word phenomenon. Think of phenology as recording and studying the natural phenomenon that occur around us every day.

Phenology can be as easy as recording what day you see birds returning to your feeders each year or when you see flowers blooming but make no mistake, phenology is serious science. By studying phenology we can better understand how the earth changes. Phenology records going back hundreds of years for the same location have even supported global warming research by showing that spring is arriving earlier than it used to historically.

At Warner Nature Center, groups help us fill out our phenology calendar each year and naturalists enter the data into a computer database. Naturalists also take turns writing phenology-based columns in two local newspapers. Here's some recent articles written by our staff. Each article includes phenology notes for the month at the end that can give you some fun ideas what to watch out for on your own.