The United States National Phenology Network (US-NPN), supported in part by the National Biological Information Infrastructure (NBII), is pleased to announce the release of Nature's Notebook, a new plant and animal phenology observation program. Phenology is the study of the timing of plant and animal life cycle events. Using the new Nature's Notebook Web pages, observers can now collect data on animals as well as plants. Fifty-eight animal profiles, with photos, maps, and phenophases have been added (with more to come), to the 213 plants already included in the US-NPN's list of species for monitoring. Improvements to the online interface have also made it possible for participants to submit observations of more than one species at a time on the "Submit Observations" page. Visit the US-NPN Nature's Notebook Web pages to learn more.

Released: 3/2/2009 12:00:00 PM

Volunteers across the nation are being recruited to get outdoors and help track the effects of climate on seasonal changes in plant and animal behavior.

The USA-National Phenology Network (USA-NPN), a consortium of government, academic and citizen-scientists, is launching a new national program built on volunteer observations of flowering, fruiting and other seasonal events. Scientists and resource managers will use these observations to track effects of climate change on the Earth's life-support systems.

"This program is designed for people interested in participating in climate change science, not just reading about it," said USA-NPN Executive Director and U.S. Geological Survey scientist Jake Weltzin. "We encourage everyone to visit the USA National Phenology Network Web site and then go outside and observe the marvelous cycles of plant and animal life."

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