The USA National Phenology Network’s Local Phenology Leader Certification Course is a hands-on, highly engaging opportunity that guides you through planning and implementing a long-term Nature's Notebook program.
The course is online and interactive; participants work with a cohort of others across the county and with USA-NPN Staff to gain the skills needed to develop a program plan, recruit volunteers, collect observations, visualize observation data, and collaborate with community partners.
What are the benefits of becoming a Certified Local Phenology Leader?
- You will learn how to plan and implement a sustainable long-term Nature's Notebook phenology monitoring program that lasts for more than 2 years. You will gain practical skills in program planning, sustainability planning, collecting high quality scientific data, summarizing and visualizing data, report writing, volunteer recruitment and retention strategies, and creating communications such as newsletters.
- You will be recognized as a “Certified Local Phenology Leader”, knowledgeable about the USA-NPN monitoring and programmatic protocols and able to train others. A flag in our database will indicate you are a "Certified" Local Phenology Leader enhancing Quality Assurance of the National Phenology Dataset. Your achievement will be publicly recognized on our website.
- You will join a community of other leaders, some of whom are just getting started and others who have been monitoring with volunteers for over 10 years. This Community includes monthly meetings where you can ask questions and get fresh ideas to help you with your programs.
Course learning outcomes:
- Define phenology and the importance of phenology to scientific research
- Use Nature’s Notebook platform to keep track of phenology observations in nature
- Create a Local Phenology Program in Nature’s Notebook
- Use program planning strategies to write an impact statement, short, medium, and long-term goals, an action plan, and a sustainability plan to guide your Program
- Identify solutions for common barriers to participation and the sustainability of a phenology program involving volunteer management
- Create content to engage new observers in phenology monitoring at your site
Course structure
This is an entirely online, interactive, 10-week (approximately 60 hour) course. Each week, participants work at their own pace to engage with course content including written lessons, videos, and exploration of the Nature’s Notebook website and associated resources. Participants will have several opportunities to engage with and learn from fellow cohort members and USA-NPN staff, including a weekly forum discussion and a one-hour Zoom session focused on topics of interest.
The cost of the course is a nonrefundable $400, which in addition to the Certification, includes a printed color copy of the Botany Primer and Phenophase Primer, a signed copy of Phenology, written by USA-NPN Director Dr. Theresa Crimmins, and a Nature's Notebook Certified Leader name tag (a value of $160). All four items will be mailed to you upon completion of the course.
Participants may also earn six Continuing Education Units for completion of the Course. There is an additional fee of $25 for CEU credit.
A limited number of course seats are available at a discounted rate for those who are unable to pay the course fee; contact [email protected] for details.
Course requirements
To receive a Certificate of Completion you must satisfy the following requirements:
- Complete the weekly lessons, including engaging in online forum discussion with your cohort members and course facilitators.
- Submit a completed Program Planning Workbook that will map out your goals, activities, and sustainability plan.
- Submit a usable portfolio of three resources:
- A resource that you can use for Recruitment of observers to your Program
- A resource that you can use for Training of observers in your Program
- A resource that you can use for Retention of your observers in your Program
Optional, but highly recommended:
- Attend weekly zoom meetings. These sessions will be recorded and made available to course participants.
- Schedule a one-hour private consultation call with USA-NPN staff (available upon request)
- Attend additional virtual sessions on topics of interest to the group, such as further exploration of the visualization tool, an orientation to the data files from Nature’s Notebook, creating pivot tables to summarize results, and more
What Certified Leaders are saying about the course:
Since we started running this course in 2016 it has evolved and expanded from the feedback of hundreds of past participants and wisdom gleaned from long-term Local Phenology Leaders. Past participants typically have very positive things to say about the experience:
“The LPL course has greatly helped me to build a framework for planning and building not merely a phenology program, but any program. My thinking has been enriched by interaction with my peers, and their diversity of ideas and experiences.” - Certified Local Phenology Leader from Fall 2021
“The collaboration was an excellent opportunity to brainstorm with others.” - Certified Local Phenology Leader from Spring 2022
“Project planning was not something I had implemented on this scale before, and it was the only reason I was able to get so much accomplished in one year!” - Certified Local Phenology Leader from Spring 2019
“I've discovered planning methods that I can apply to other projects at my organization.” - Certified Local Phenology Leader from Fall 2019
Application Information
The instructor-led course occurs during the Spring and Fall seasons.
Link to the application form will be posted here and shared with the Interest List on September 10th for the Fall Course.
Important Dates for the Fall 2025 Course:
The Fall 2025 course will run from September 29 - December 5, 2025.
Applications will open September 10 and close September 21.
Applicants will be notified of selection by September 22.
Payment will be due September 25.
Course facilitators for Fall 2025 include:
USA-NPN Staff Facilitator: Erin Posthumus, Partnerships and Projects Manager, USA-NPN
LPL Guest Facilitator: David Gwin, Time to Restore Texas Coordinator
Special sessions will be taught by other members of the USA-NPN staff including Dr. Theresa Crimmins, USA-NPN Director, and Ellen Denny, USA-NPN Monitoring Design and Data Coordinator.
Sign up for the LPL Certification Course Interest List
Sign up to be the first to hear when applications open. You can also sign up to hear about future courses.