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Phenology Workshop at Oracle State Park.
Image credit:
L. Barnett
Host a Nature's Notebook Event
Ready to start training professional and citizen science volunteers to collect observational data? We have hosted many events, classes, and workshops that present phenology monitoring with Nature's Notebook in the context of climate change. We've also created many resources to help teach participants how to use the Nature's Notebook monitoring program.
All of the resources found below are designed to be editable and reused by our Partners. Most of these materials can be found on our Nature's Notebook Activities page. You may also find our Workshop Archive valuable, where they are copious PowerPoint Presentations available from our Education and Outreach Staff.
If you put together an awesome class or workshop, share the content with us and the evaluation data! On the right sidebard of this page you'll find two forms you can submit. Questions, concerns or other ideas? Contact our Education Coordinator for help: education@usanpn.org.
Workshop Materials
Tabling Activity Ideas and Handouts
Nature's Notebook Logos
Branded Materials
Share Content You Created
Workshop Materials
Pre-workshop Content
Deliver these to participants before your workshop, class, or course.
| Title/Link | Description |
| Nature's Notebook - A Tool for Recording the Timing of Seasonal Activity of Plants and Animals | A four-page fact sheet about the Nature's Notebook program including how organizations across the country are using the program, and how the data are being used by scientists and managers. |
| Nature's Notebook workshop registration brochure | Use this brochure to advertise your event, training, or workshop |
| Nature's Notebook Welcome Page | Send your registered participants pre-workshop materials so they can arrive ready to learn about your monitoring program and how to participate. |
| Nature's Notebook How to Observe Handbook | Give your participants background information on how to create an account with Nature's Notebook, how to set up a monitoring site in your backyard, and how to submit data. |
| Nature's Notebook Online Set Up Guide for Group members | Distribute this worksheet prior to a Nature's Notebook workshop or class where participants will be required to join your Nature's Notebook Group to complete observations. |
| Nature's Notebook Mobile App Tip sheet for iPhone and Android devices | Hand out this mobile app tip sheet to help participants set up their mobile apps before coming to your workshop or class. |
| Nature's Notebook General Volunteer Training Annotated Agenda | Take a look at this sample 3 or 6-hour agenda with hands-on activities used to train volunteers to use Nature's Notebook for observation. |
Indoor Presentations
Use any of these slide decks to enhance your existing presentations and include local information OR share the linked narrated videos with your participants directly.
| Presentation | Description | Time Estimate |
| Introduction to Phenology, Citizen Science, and Nature's Notebook | This is a full 3-hour classroom introduction to our programs, with an outdoor observation activity and in class discussion activities. Designed for Master Naturalists, it is applicable to any high school through adult audience. | 3 hours |
| USA-NPN Powerpoint Template | Slides or Google Slides | |
| Introduction to Citizen Science slides and video | What is citizen science? Who is a citizen scientist? And what is the value of citizen science? | 5 min |
| Introduction to Phenology slides and video | What is phenology? Why is it important? How do we observe it? And Who observes phenology anyway? | 5 min |
| Introduction to USA-NPN and Nature's Notebook slides and video | Describes USA National Phenology Network and our plant and animal phenology observation program, Nature's Notebook. | 5 min |
| Thoreau and Other Early Phenologists slides | Describes how early phenologists documented plant and animal life cycle events, and what their records have helped us learn today. | 5 min |
| Phenological changes in the Southwest US slides | Describes recent research on changes in plant and animal phenology across the Southwestern US. | 5 min |
Outdoor Activities
Use any of these activities with your group outdoors to help them learn how to observe and how to use Nature's Notebook.
| Title/Link | Description | Grade | Time Estimate |
| Introduction to Journaling & Phenology Observation | Use this activity to acclimate participants of any age to collecting careful observations in nature. The examples on this worksheet are designed to replicate some of the information contained within the Nature's Notebook monitoring protocol. | 5-Adult | 30 min |
| Nature's Notebook Species Research Worksheet | Students can explore their chosen species outdoors and describe its characteristics. After they explore outdoors, as a homework assignment, they can research the species to find more details. | 5-8 | 30-60 mins |
| Geocaching and Phenology | Students can geolocate species for monitoring and record the waypoints on this worksheet. Helpful if groups are unable to permanently mark plants for observation. | 9-Adult | 60 mins |
| Making Basic Phenology Observations | This official lesson plan describes the process of leading a group in making observations outdoors for Nature's Notebook. | 5-Adult | 90 mins |
| Sample 3-hour Field Lab Workshop | This outdoor lab was conducted at a Local Phenology Program location and followed a 3-hour classroom session on the basics of phenology and Nature's Notebook. | 9-Adult | 180 mins |
Post-workshop or course evaluation materials
Evaluate your work with these post-course evaluation materials.
| Title/Link | Description | Time Estimate |
| Workshop or Classroom Reflection Guide | Use this worksheet after conducting a session to determine what participants learned and if there are still outstanding questions. | 10 mins |
Tabling activity ideas and materials to hand out
Need to share Nature's Notebook with your local audiences? Want to promote Nature's Notebook and your local program? Attending an event where there will be youth looking for fun activities? Here are some examples of what we've taken on the road.
| Title/Link | Description |
| Track Plants and Animals with Nature's Notebook Info Sheet | A one-page info sheet with general information about the Nature's Notebook monitoring program. |
| About the USA-NPN | Website has printable one-page flyer describing the Network and Nature's Notebook |
| Tabling activities presented at a local Insect Festival. 2016 and 2017 event samples. | A list of materials used to engage youth at a local insect festival. |
| Nature's Notebook Phenology Activity Book for Children | The booklet contains phenology activities for youth ages 4-12. |
| Editable Infosheet about your Nature's Notebook Program | Customize this editable infosheet with details about your Local Phenology Program. A great handout for tabling events, recruitment, and to tell stakeholders about your efforts! |
| Nature's Notebook and USA-NPN Info Sheets | Our Info Sheets describe everything from regional phenological changes observed, the impacts of climate change, how to use our Nature's Notebook monitoring program and more. |
| USA-NPN Partnership Info Sheets | Learn about how phenology monitoring is helping USFWS Refuges make decisions and how they work with local partners and citizens to collect data. |
| USA-NPN Annual Reports | Each annual report provides highlights of our work in the areas of Advancing Science, Informing Decisions, and connecting observers to science. |
| USA-NPN Education and Engagement Series | You may wish to display a copy of our Botany Primer, a great teaching tool and resource for people interested in learning more about plants and monitoring using Nature's Notebook. |
| Getting started with Nature's Notebook in the Classroom | Will teachers be part of your audience? If so, provide this handout for guidance on how to get started with a Nature's Notebook project. |
| Nature's Notebook Professional Poster Template | If you need to present a professional poster about your Nature's Notebook work you can use this template designed by our NCO staff. |
Nature's Notebook Logos
Our logos are available for use on your materials, signs, brochures, posters, and more. Choose from a number of different file formats to meet your needs.
USA National Phenology Network and Nature's Notebook logos »
Branded Materials
| Title/Link | Description |
| 1/3-cut Nature's Notebook Flyers | Hand these flyers out to your audience so they have the Nature's Notebook program information to reference in the future. |
| Phenology Walk and Trail Resources | This page contains information about installing a phenology walk at your site, including templates for designing interpretive signs to place on your property. |
Share content you created
Did you host a successful event or workshop? Create a fantastic lesson plan? We'd love to see what you've created! Share your resources with us here!