We've just reached the milestone of 15 million records submitted to the National Phenology Database! These data are freely available for download and exploration in the Phenology Visualization Tool.
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The USA-NPN, phenology, and our partners are often in the news. Follow some recent stories below.
News
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15 million records submitted to the National Phenology DatabaseMonday, December 17, 2018
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Phenology at AGU 2018Monday, December 10, 2018
Several staff members of the USA-NPN will attend the Fall Meeting of the American Geophysical Union this December.
The USA-NPN presentations include the following:
B44B-01 Forecasting Invasive Species Activity for Natural Resource Planning and Risk Assessment
Jake F Weltzin, USA National Phenology Network, Tucson, AZ, United States and Staff of the National Coordinating Office of the USA National Phenology Network
Thursday, 13 December 2018 16:00 - 16:15 Convention Ctr - 149AB
B41B-08 The USA National Phenology Network: Taking the Pulse of Our Planet
Jake F Weltzin, USA National Phenology Network, Tucson, AZ, United States and Staff of the National Coordinating Office of the USA National Phenology Network
Thursday, 13 December 2018 08:56 - 09:04 Walter E Washington Convention Center - 143A-C
PA31D-1156 The impacts of climate change on ecosystems, ecosystem services, and biodiversity in the United States.
Sarah R Weiskopf, Douglas Lipton, Madeleine Anne Rubenstein, Shawn L Carter, Jay Peterson, Lisa Crozier, Michael J. Fogarty, Sarah Gaichas, Kimberly Hyde, Toni Lyn Morelli, Jeffrey T Morisette, Hassan Moustahfid, Roldan Muñoz, Rajendra Poudel, Michelle D Staudinger, Charles A Stock, Laura Marie Thompson, Robin Waples and Jake F Weltzin
Wednesday, 12 December 2018 08:00 - 12:20 Walter E Washington Convention Center - Hall A-C (Poster Hall)
USA-NPN staff will also co-organize the following sessions:
B51H Understanding Phenological Responses and Feedbacks in Terrestrial Vegetation: Patterns, Mechanisms, and Consequences I Posters
Friday, 14 December 2018 08:00 - 12:20 Walter E Washington Convention Center - Hall A-C (Poster Hall)
B53C Understanding Phenological Responses and Feedbacks in Terrestrial Vegetation: Patterns, Mechanisms, and Consequences II
Friday, 14 December 2018 13:40 - 15:40 Convention Ctr - 147B
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B53C-01 10 years of scientific advancements made possible by the USA National Phenology Network - Katharine Gerst - Friday, 14 December 2018 13:40 - 13:55 Walter E Washington Convention Center - 147B
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B53C-03 Does an Early Spring Mean an Early Summer? Relationships in Intra-seasonal Growing Degree Day Thresholds Across Base Temperatures and Geography - Theresa M Crimmins - Friday, 14 December 2018 14:10 - 14:25 Walter E Washington Convention Center - 147B
B54C Understanding Phenological Responses and Feedbacks in Terrestrial Vegetation: Patterns, Mechanisms, and Consequences III
Friday, 14 December 2018 16:00 - 18:00 Walter E Washington Convention Center - 147B
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Phenology in the Fourth National Climate AssessmentThursday, November 29, 2018
Phenology is highlighted in the Fourth National Climate Assessment as a 'key indicator of the effects of climate change on ecological communities.' Also included are the USA-NPN's Spring Indices, which show a shift to earlier spring leaf-out and bloom across much of the country.
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When did observers report fall color this year?Tuesday, November 20, 2018
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USA-NPN's 10-year Anniversary EventMonday, October 22, 2018
In 2018, we are commemorating 10 years of the USA National Phenology Network and data collection with Nature's Notebook.
On October 19th, we brought together USA-NPN partners and Nature's Notebook leaders and observers at the home of the USA-NPN's National Coordinating Office in Tucson. There we reflected on the last 10 years of the USA-NPN and envisioned the next 10 years.
We started the day with a special appreciation event for our Local Phenology Leaders - partners who lead volunteer groups in place-based Nature's Notebook programs. We enjoyed a lovely brunch together at the Tucson Botanical Gardens, where Leaders had the chance to speak about their programs and share ideas with other Leaders conducting similar efforts. We also were treated to a tour of the Tucson Botanical Gardens Phenology Walk, led by Carol Anderson and Laurie Richards, certified Local Phenology Leaders, certified Master Naturalists, and Docents at the Gardens.
The Local Phenology Leaders attending the event included (front row from left to right) Laurie Richards (Tucson Botanical Garden), LoriAnne Barnett (USA-NPN NCO), Sue Wilder (Gulf Coast Phenology Trail), Ceanne Alvine (Watershed Management Group), Jessica Schuler (New York Botanical Garden), Bettina Eastman (Sea and Sage Audubon), Jean Linsner (The 606 Project Chicago), Sara Schaffer (USA-NPN NCO), Carol Anderson (Tucson Botanical Garden), Hilary Cox (Oracle State Park); (back row from left to right) Rebecca Montgomery (Minnesota Phenology Network), Liz Douglass-Gallagher (Rio Grande Phenology Trail), Christy Rollinson (The Morton Arboretum), Blue Baldwin (Manzo Elementary), Susan Mazer (California Phenology Project), Alyssa Rosemartin (USA-NPN NCO), Erin Posthumus (USA-NPN NCO) and Ellen Denny (not pictured, USA-NPN NCO).
An afternoon Symposium held at the University of Arizona's ENR2 building brought together USA-NPN partners, researchers, and friends and colleagues from the University and beyond.
The following presenter's slides were not captured in the recording: Shane Burgess, Susan Mazer
Special 10-year anniversary commemorative posters were presented to the USA-NPN's co-founders Mark Schwartz and Julio Betancourt.
Here are some highlighted quotes from our speakers:
"As we expected all along, the NPN data represent the gold standard for monitoring." Susan Mazer, Professor, University of California, Santa Barbara
"Refuge biologists are seeing a lot of the changes, but they're not necessarily able to document it. And through this work with the USA-NPN and our partnership with USA-NPN we're really able to start really documenting the changes that we're seeing." Sue Wilder, Retired Ecologist, Gulf Zone Inventory & Monitoring/Fire Ecology, US Fish & Wildlife Service
"The work that we do could not be accomplished without us being able to work underneath the National Phenology Network and utilize Nature's Notebook. We rely very heavily on the resources that are developed through NPN and then we tailor them to our specific regions." Elisabeth Maxwell, Assistant Coordinator, UMaine Signs of the Seasons
"The folks studying phenology, even on a citizen science level can really assist us by reaching out to us and working with us because we have a knowledge base that's different from Western thought." Teresa Romero, Environmental Specialist, Santa Ynez Band of Chumash Indians
"Because of the dedication, we've seen over the last 10 years that the USA National Phenology Network is going to be, it's going to continue to be important. And I would say and argue that even more so in the next 10 or 25 years. I think the foundation that's been established is amazing and we've yet to see the results of that." Jeff Morisette, Chief Scientist, National Invasive Species Council Secretariat
"And the other thing that really is needed to make this possible is a professional staff and the people coming together who have made it their career. And so I'm deeply appreciative of that and I really want to thank you for that." Mark Schwartz, Distinguished Professor of Geography, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee
"It's beautiful to see what has happened in the last 10 years since we hired Jake and opened the offices in 2007 here at the University." Julio Betancourt, USGS, Scientist Emeritus
A reception followed the Symposium event, giving our friends and partners a chance to form new collaborations and discuss ideas related to phenology and the next 10 years of the USA-NPN. The reception featured posters from Local Phenology Programs from across the country, as well as a photo slideshow showing our partners and observers in the field.
See the photo slideshow of observers in the field
We followed up the anniversary event with some special field trips for our out of town visitors - a trip to the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum and a hike in the Santa Catalina Mountains. Visitors to the Desert Museum had a chance to learn about the unique flora and fauna of the Sonoran Desert. Hikers walked in the steps of a local phenologist who has been recording flowering phenology data for over 30 years in the Santa Catalina mountains.