I am having such a good time discovering the animal, insect preserve and the botanical garden I call my backyard, I thought I should share. For me, I find it fascinating to find something I have never seen before and then try to identify. This week it was a Marbled Orb Weaver, a spider with a bright yellow body with symmetrical markings and reddish legs. I was going to post a picture of my newest discovery but decided to go with the lilac bush that got me started on this path. I have reconnected with the organization that I originally signed up for 4 1/2 years ago, The USA National Phenology Network which has grown into a premier citizen scientist organization with a wealth of information and learning modules to help anyone become a competent observer. Their definition of phenology is:
Phenology is the study of recurring plant and animal life cycle stages, such as leafing and flowering, the maturation of agricultural plants, the emergence of insects, and the migration of birds. It also involves understanding the relationship of these life cycle stages to weather and, in the long term, climate. So the short story is, there is something for everyone to observe and every reported observation helps in presenting a better big picture. There is a long list of plants and animals to choose from and I would be willing to bet there is something or two or three, you could observe in your own yard.
This is a great way to document and observe for yourself the effect weather and its variable patterns that affect and possible change the dates for the occurrence of natural events and in time whether there is a pattern in any changes. You can do this as an individual observer in your own backyard or as a group or organization at a designated site that you choose.
Presently, I am taking the Local Phenology Leader course with the intention of setting up sites, trails and having events in the Manchester area beginning in April/May 2020 to help others become competent observers while having fun learning about the natural world that lies just beyond our fingertips. Once trained you will be making a valuable contributions by recording the effects of weather and the phenophases that follow. I will be posting those sites, trails and event dates here at The Patch after the New Year. I am hoping to set-up a town wide group of individuals, organizations, associations and clubs joining in to make Manchester, one of the first towns in the state to be environmentally aware and starting to document it.
Here is the link to The USA NPN. https://www.usanpn.org/home
Please take a look and if this is something that you would be interested in or have further questions, don't be afraid to ask. My email: [email protected]
