Using Nature’s Notebook as an educational engagement strategy Citizen Science & Engagement: LoriAnne Barnett Education Coordinator February 11, 2016

Objectives of today’s discussion:  Define phenology and explain its applicability to understanding changes in the natural world  Understand long-term phenology monitoring and the Nature’s Notebook Citizen Science Program  Apply citizen science and phenology as an engagement strategy  Learn where to find resources to get started

PHENOLOGY

Just to be clear… phRenology phOnology

What is phenology? Photo credit: L. Barnett …it is the study of the timing of recurring plant and animal life- cycle stages, or phenophases, and their relationship to environmental conditions. Photo credit: P. Warren Photo credit: B.F. Powell

Using nature as a guide Tradition and Lore “Tribes kept track of seasons by giving distinct names to each recurring full moon.” November -Beaver Moon February – Full Worm Moon May – Full Flower Moon Photo credit: B. Powell Photo Credits: Wikimedia Commons unless otherwise notedPhoto credit: L. Barnett September – Harvest Moon

Scientists

Land managers Image credit: John McColgan –U.S. Department of Agriculture. Licensed under Public Domain via Wikimedia

Home owners, nature enthusiasts "Bagatelle potager02" by Spedona (Spedona) - Cliché personnel - own work. Licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons

Weather Day-to-day changes in the Earth’s atmosphere. -Mark Twain Climate Long-term average of daily weather in a given area. It is about… …time

Reproduction Development Method Activity ANIMAL >> Mammal, Bird, Snake, Insect Flowers Fruits Leaves PLANT Observable life cycle events or PHENOPHASES

Observations RECORD KEEPING

Jefferson Powell Thoreau

U NDERSTAND HOW SPECIES AND LANDSCAPES ARE RESPONDING TO CLIMATE CHANGE. Primary goal Create a standardized, long-term dataset for use in multiple types of research. Mission Make phenology data, models and related information available. Encourage people of all ages and backgrounds to observe and record phenology. Photo credit: C. Enquist

Citizen science …  scientific research conducted, in whole or in part, by amateurs or nonprofessionals  public participation in scientific research  (also known as) crowd science, crowd-sourced science, or networked science Quercus alba, Q. falcata, D. Hartel

Dramatic growth between 1997 to 2014 in publications featuring citizen science Follet and Strezov, PLOS ONE Prevalence of citizen science data

Value of citizen science data Volunteers contribute ~$2.5B annually to biodiversity research

Photo credit: L. Romano

Phenology CLIMATE CHANGE

Earlier Bloom Times Shrubs in the Sonoran Desert Bloomed days earlier between 1841 and Bowers, J. E., Southwestern Naturalist

Phenology and Climate Change Research, spring timing and range A three-way mismatch

Observations SHARED FOR SCIENCE

Garden re-created Photo credit: Monticello

Cloned lilac program H ISTORIC L ILAC N ETWORK E STABLISHED IN THE 1950 S S ANTA R ITA E XPERIMENTAL R ANGE, G REEN V ALLEY, AZ Photo credit: L. Barnett

David Bertelsen, Naturalist

Collected by a single individual Collected by a single individual 1984-present 1984-present round-trip hikes (10 miles), 4158’ elevation gain round-trip hikes (10 miles), 4158’ elevation gain Approximately weekly Approximately weekly 587 flowering plant taxa (group of species) 587 flowering plant taxa (group of species) 155K+ records of plant flowering. 155K+ records of plant flowering. 73,000 vertebrate records 73,000 vertebrate records Photo credit: B. Wilder

Using NATURE’S NOTEBOOK

7,508 active observers 8,337 active sites 7.6M+ records Lilac data from taxa from 2009 Data as of 6/18/16

Leaves Flowers Fruits Velvet mesquite, Prosopis velutina Image credit: Patty Guertin

Image credit: Wikimedia commons and Pinterest Cardinal cardinalis active individual, feeding, raising young Activity Reproduction Development Method

Mobile app interface Image credit: Wikimedia commons "Cornus florida 02 by Line1

Data Analysis & VISUALIZATION

Breaking leaf buds Leaves Increasing leaf size Colored leaves Flowers or Flower Buds Open Flowers FruitsRipe Fruits Recent fruit or seed drop DECIDUOUS PLANT PHENOPHASES

Alliaria petiolata Photo credit: Jody Shimp, Illinois Department of Natural Resources from Invasive.org. Phenology calendar for controlling garlic mustad

Resources

Phenology calendars

Resources

Volunteer & Student ENGAGEMENT

People. Image credit: L. Barnett Clipart panda

Earlier Bloom Times Based on models and herbarium specimens, Shrubs in the Sonoran Desert Bloomed days earlier between 1841 and Bowers, J. E., Southwestern Naturalist Image credit: L. Barnett Image credit: P. Guertin

Invasive species that thrive in warmer and wetter environments could displace beneficial species and create pest control problems. Image credit: Bernard Dupont Cenchrus ciliaris via Wikimedia Commons

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People. Meaningful Exited to contribute to actual research Supported Use and share data collected Committed to long-term participation. Image credit: L. Barnett

Nature’s Notebook APPLICATIONS

What content and skills might PHENOLOGY teach?

PHENOLOGY

What can PHENOLOGY teach:  English and Language Arts  Social Studies: History, Cultural Studies, and Geography  Healthy Living and Physical Education  Foreign and Native Languages Arts such as music, theater, and visual arts

What content and skills might CITIZEN SCIENCE teach?

ENHANCE

COLLABORATE

Make it LONG TERM Intro YEAR 1 YEAR 2YEAR 3 + Intro YEAR 4 Intro Monitoring Analysis Monitoring Analysis

Join a local campaign

This spring, track Southwest shrubs and grasses!

Select plants and animals to observe Already being monitored Baseline, trends, existing datasets Regional interest

①Milkweed ②Red oak ③White oak ④White pine ⑤Tulip poplar ⑥Hickory ⑦Red maple ⑧Ash

①Honey bee ②Monarch ③Eastern bluebird ④Ruby-throated hummingbird ⑤Eastern tent caterpillar

Select plants and animals to observe Locally use Nature’s Notebook in outreach and education as well as management

Formal, non-formal, informal LEARNING ENVIORMENTS

Formal learning

6-8 week lesson

Service learning project

Informal learning Self-directed Outside of classroom

Interpretive materials

Non-formal learning

Phenology Networks

Golden Pinecone Award – Video!

Objectives of today’s workshop: Define phenology and explain its applicability to understanding changes in the natural world Understand the importance of record- keeping. Understand long-term phenology monitoring. Apply citizen science and phenology! Learn where to find resources to get started.

Connect with USA-NPN… Become an observer Discover new tools and resources Visit a local phenology trail LoriAnne Barnett