USA NPN National Phenology Network

Taking the Pulse of Our Planet

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The USA-NPN, phenology, and our partners are often in the news. Follow some recent stories below.

Image credit:
Sara N. Schaffer

News

  • “Start of Spring” among 14 indicators released by USGCRP
    Tuesday, May 5, 2015

    The US Global Change and Research Program released the first 14 indicators of climate change on Wednesday, May 5, 2015. Among these is the Start of Spring indicator, which reflects the accumulation of heat sufficient to initiate leafing and flowering in temperature-sensitive plants. The Start of Spring indicator is calculated and validated using data and models curated by the USA-NPN, including observations of plant leaf-out and flowering collected via Nature’s Notebook.

    The Indicator will aid resource managers with issues such as invasive species, migratory animals, pollinators and their resource plants, disease vectors, and fire seasons. This product is critical to understanding and forecasting landscape change, serves as a model framework for other national monitoring programs, and is already being used by both Refuges and National Parks. USA National Phenology Network partners and staff members provided significant input to the USGCRP to support the development of a start of spring indicator.

  • Nature's Notebook featured on PBS's SciGirls
    Thursday, April 23, 2015

    A brand-new season of the Emmy-winning show, SciGirls, debuts on PBS KIDS and online at pbskids.org/scigirls. In six episodes, middle school girls and their mentors participate in several citizen science projects, including Nature'sNotebook! Watch the Flower Power Episode

  • USA-NPN Awarded the Shoemaker Award for Communication Products Excellence
    Wednesday, March 25, 2015

    The USA-NPN website has been awarded the External Communications award in the "Internet Product Category" by the US Geological Survey. The award commends the design, layout and depth of information displayed by our website. We are honored to receive this award!

  • USA-NPN citizen science highlighted by the White House OSTP
    Wednesday, January 14, 2015
    White House's Office of Science and Technology Policy recently highlighted the USA-NPN for facilitating broader participation of the public in the scientific process. The article highlights some of our milestones from last year. 
  • USA-NPN Featured in White House Fact Sheet on Climate Education and Literacy Initiative
    Wednesday, December 3, 2014

    The White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) is launching a new Climate Eduation and Literacy Initiative to connect the public to the best-available, scienced based information about climate change. This new Fact Sheet explains the committments made by Federal agencies and other groups, and highlights the USA-NPN's Nature's Notebook program and the near-real-time phenology predictions we will provide our observers next year. 

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