The group will be established as an assignment of the Ecology class in Virginia Tech. Every Spring semester, the students will visit an old-growth urban forest called “Stadium Woods” located on the University campus. The data collection will encourage students to get involved in research, and will provide them field work experience.

The Wakarusa Wetlands Phenology Trail at Haskell Indian Nation University is an effort of the Indigenous Phenology Network to connect students at tribal colleges with traditional plants and the tools of climate science.

In this model, students work with the tribal college and any related tribes to identify the plants to observe and then conduct frequent observations of the plants following the protocol of the USA National Phenology Network’s “Phenology Trails” and Nature’s Notebook program. Contact Dan Wildcat or Jeff Morisette for more information. 

Species of interest:

Willow:

• Muscogee
• "Akwanv"
• Building Material

Wild Strawberry:

• Lakota     
• "Waziskeca"   
• Traditional Food

The Pacific Crest Trail (PCT) is a spectacular place to observe and record plant phenology. This trail spans from Mexico to Canada, and traverses the Sierra Nevada and Cascade Mountain ranges at elevations up to 13,159ft. Importantly, the PCT spans the physiological limits of many species, allowing researchers to directly test how climate impacts species across their ranges. Our volunteers survey the flowering status of several species of plants in predetermined sites while hiking the PCT. Because of the number of hikers that pass these sites on a daily basis, a continual stream of phenology observations is generated that would be impossible for researchers to generate on their own. A pilot project version of Walking with Wildflowers is funded by the National Science Foundation.

This pilot project involves setting up sites along the PCT in Yosemite, Crater Lake and North Cascades National Park, as well as starting to recruit hikers and record initial phenology data. This work was funded as part of study determining how a widespread species (Mimulus guttatus) has adapted to use photoperiod cues to time flowering across its species range and potential implications for adaptation to future climates. Walking with Wildflowers is a collaboration between scientists at several research institution and the USA National Phenology Network.

Warren Wilson College Phenology Stewardship Program at Wayne State Campus in Detroit, MI are using Nature's Notebook to incorporate phenology and citizen science into lab exercises to give students a chance to participate and learn about "real world" science for undergraduate students, accompanied by lab instructors. They plan to develop a strong database of observations for use in classes but also for site planning and maintenance. They plan regular trips out to specified plants with lab classes, plus time on their own required as part of long-term assignment; class analysis of data from our site and possibly others; we hope to establish some demonstration gardens this fall, so they would be included in the monitoring and that would provide very good information about those sites; also work with our student group, the Detroit Biodiversity Network, to monitor various species, like peregrine falcons, year round.

Also there is a collaboration with colleagues at neighboring institutions (Appalachian State University, UNC Asheville, and East Tennessee State University) as part of a National Science Foundation project aimed at using course-based botanical research modules to study the responses of southern Appalachian plant communities to climate change. One of our projects involves developing a set of phenology-based curricular materials. Nature's Notebook will help students learn about citizen science and gain proficiency organizing and analyzing large data sets. They have established a phenology trail on campus and are currently establishing two phenology gardens (one garden for exposed species and another for forest understory species). They will be monitoring the same species at each institution in their network.

Western Carolina University in Cullowhee, NC is using Nature's Notebook our students to collect enough data to look for trends and we aim to answer "Are trees on our campus changing leaf color earlier each year?"

We are using Nature's Notebook to engage volunteers in citizen science efforts at the Reserve. We will also use this project to teach students about seasonal change and how it may vary due to climate change.

We are using Nature's Notebook to track seasonal changers and will use the data to help predict timing of seasonal events.

West Lambert Lane Park is using Nature's Notebook with the Tucson Phenology Trail to offer Oro Valley residents a safe outdoor activity in existing parks and hiking trails that will introduce them to citizen science activities that can be used to monitor the local environment.

This group supports the Pesky Plant Trackers campaign.