Help Scientists Track Climate Change By Noting Bloom Times In Your Garden

There’s no doubt that climate change is happening, but what are its impacts on plants and wildlife?

In order to accurately predict the changes happening to our planet, scientists need reams of data to analyze. Obviously, they can’t walk into your backyard and stand around all day monitoring the flower buds on your Azaleas and tracking the mating habits of your rabbits. But you can share these details, and it’s as simple as entering the info on an iPhone app.

The bloom times of plants in your garden is important data

Phenology is the study of animal and plant life cycle events like flowering, emergence of insects, and migration of birds, and how these cycles are influenced by seasonal changes in climate and weather. This data is critical to understanding the impacts of climate change. The changes going on in your backyard and garden, combined with millions of other similar reports, are crucial to understanding this phenomenon, and this makes your observations very important. All you have to do is watch and record what happens in your landscape.

Why should you help? Because scientists need accurate data to predict climate change driven threats such as wildfires, drought, wildlife and plant disease, extended allergy seasons, floods, and when to harvest and irrigate land. You’ll also benefit by more deeply engaging with the plants and wildlife you share space with, helping you to recognize their subtle shifts and patterns that happen right under your nose.

How to record your garden info

The USA National Phenology Network has set up a website called Nature’s Notebook, where you can report when your local native flowers are blooming, when bees first emerge in your area, when you first spot certain birds in spring, and other events that happen in your backyard and garden. Anyone in the United States can join. I joined the program last year and I’ll be reporting on the bloom cycles of Lilacs, Milkweed, and other plants in my garden. You can join the program by visiting Nature’s Notebook.