Phenology

If you're a gardener, you're probably also a phenologist.  Since phenology is the study of plant and animal life cycle events, anytime you notice your daffodils are blooming earlier than the year previous, or jot down the date of the first crab apple appearance, you're participating in the science.  Use your natural skills to help out Project BudBurst, a citizen science activity that teaches people across the United States how to observe and record natural occurring phenomena in order to help scientists determine the effect climate and weather have on our back yards. Registration is free, and the homework is fairly simple: isolate a plant, shrub, or tree in your garden and then record its life-stages (leafing, budding, fruiting).  For more information, visit Project BudBurst's homepage, or to learn more about phenology check out the USA National Phenological Network.

Comments

[Jennifer]

Very interesting - I haven't heard the term "phenology".

[Barbra Bakker]

Interesting. It's true that gardeners are avidly keen on the study of plant and animal life cycle events. For instance, I know that deer mating season is around October/November - because that's when the bucks rut up against my trees (if I leave them unprotected). Read about my deer trials, tribulations and successes here: http://www.deerproofgardens.com