Discover and Document Changes in Nature Near You

Track changes in the timing of plant and animal seasonal activity with the Nature's Notebook program. See what it’s like to be a Nature’s Notebook observer in this video from our partners at Audubon Starr Ranch:

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Join a Data Collection Campaign

Nature's Notebook Campaings focus on species of particular interest to researchers and natural resource managers. Find a campaign near you to join!

Green Wave
Flowers for Bats
Nectar Connectors
Redbud Phenology Project
Quercus Quest
Cloned and Common Lilacs
 
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View Species

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Sugar Maple
Acer saccharum
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Common Milkweed
Asclepias syriaca
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Allen's hummingbird
Selasphorus sasin
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American Bullfrog
Lithobates catesbeianus
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Mayfly
Hexagenia spp.
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Creosote bush
Larrea tridentata
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Bring Phenology to your Classroom

Explore our phenology-focused lesson plans for grade levels from Kindergarten to Post-secondary, and learn how you can use Nature's Notebook with your students.

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Learn How Your Data Are Used

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2026 Heat Accumulation vs Rodent Prognostication

Mon, Feb 02, 2026
Seasonal Story

On February 2, 2026, Punxsutawney Phil made his annual prediction of what the next six weeks of weather will bring. According to Phil, more winter is on the way! But what does the science say?

Our maps of heat accumulation provide a more scientific look at how much heat has accumulated so far this year, and what's next. Our maps show that heat accumulation is ahead of schedule in much of the west, on time in the Midwest and upper Northeast, and behind schedule in the East.

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Spruce budworm affects more than just spruce trees

Fri, Jan 09, 2026
Publication Summary

Insect pests, like emerald ash borers and spongy moths, pose a significant threat to forests in North America. Management of these pests depends on information about which trees are at greatest risk and which treatments are likely to be most effective. Outbreaks of spruce budworm can devastate fir and spruce forests in the northeastern U.S. and Canada, but the risk to other tree species has not been well documented. Researchers in Maine used Nature’s Notebook observations and tree ring data to show that spruce budworms also feed on eastern hemlock trees, which leaf out at the same time as fir and spruce trees. Understanding the risk to eastern hemlock trees is important because the trees play a unique role in eastern forests and are also harvested commercially.

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Nature’s Notebook data reveal earlier spring activity under warmer conditions

Wed, Nov 05, 2025
Publication Summary

Results from many small-scale studies have shown that warming temperatures are causing plants to leaf-out and flower earlier than they have in the past. However, it has been difficult to know whether these patterns hold true for a wide variety of plant species at a continental scale. To answer this question, researchers used thousands of observations of plants in the eastern U.S. that were submitted to Nature’s Notebook, mainly by volunteers. They found that leaf-out and flowering occurred earlier with warmer temperatures, but the effects varied among species and locations. Invasive species, shrub species, and species at southern latitudes were more sensitive to warming temperatures than other species. These patterns were similar to results from analyses of data collected by professionals and consistent with results from previous scientific studies, demonstrating the value of Nature’s Notebook observations.

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Explore the Glossary

See definitions of terms used in descriptions of plant and animal phenophases.

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