News & Publications

In 2018, we commemorated 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 know that the timing of spring is changing. What does that mean for migratory birds?

It is with heavy hearts that we tell you of a great loss to the USA National Phenology Network. In May 2018 we lost Patty Guertin, our staff botanist who had been with us since the start of the USA-NPN. Taken from the world by cancer far too soon, she is sorely missed by her family, friends, and the coworkers who consider her family. 

In most of the last ten years, the First Leaf Index has arrived days to weeks earlier than calendar spring in the Washington, DC area. This year, spring leaf out arrived 25 days earlier than the Spring Equinox in Washington, DC.

Punxsutawney Phil predicts six more weeks of winter. We agree - if we're talking about the eastern US. The southeast especially has been cool so far this year.  In the west, we are already seeing signs of early spring from trout to snowberries. A new forecast by collaborator Toby Ault also calls for a early spring in the west, late in the east. 

By Groundhog day in 2017, spring had arrived 3-4 weeks early across much of the Southeast. This year, it looks like we will not see a very early spring in the Southeast. However, we predict that by Groundhog day this year, spring will have spread even further into Southwest states this year than last.