Phenology - May 2009

• First hummingbird to visit the feeders.
• Leatherleaf to start blooming in bogs.
• Jack-in-the-pulpit to start sprouting.
• Tree frogs and toads to start calling.
• Trees to start leafing out.
• Fern fiddle heads popping out of the ground.

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.