Greetings!

Spring is in the news and change is upon us! The USA-NPN continues to grow in new directions thanks to the great collaborations and connections with this community. Read below about leadership changes, a new visualization tool and publications on the Spring Indices models, insect pest maps, and land surface phenology.

We have many opportunities for you to help shape the next chapter of the USA-NPN by providing impact statements, giving phenophase feedback , and joining a new community of practice .
Warmly,
What's new at the USA National Phenology Network
Leadership transition
We are pleased to announce that Theresa Crimmins, former Associate Director, is now the Director of the USA-NPN. After 12 years growing and leading the network, Jake Weltzin has taken a new role at the US Geological Survey as the Acting Senior Science Advisor for its Ecosystems Mission Area. Theresa is "honored and excited to serve as the new Director for the Network. It’s an exciting new role for me to play in this organization I’ve been a part of for over a decade. I look forward to working with the entire Network to support management, advance science, and communicate broadly and inclusively about the value of phenology!"

Congratulations to both Theresa and Jake on your accomplishments and new endeavors!
Early spring is in the news
We are seeing record breaking early spring leaf out across the Southeast, Mid-Atlantic, and West Coast and the media has taken note!

Read about how the USA-NPN data is showing that leafing and blooming is up to three weeks earlier than average in many locations, allergies are getting a head start , and cherry blossoms are blooming early in Washington DC. Finally, don't miss USA-NPN Director Theresa Crimmin's thought provoking piece in The Conversation highlighting the consequences of early spring.

Help us document our impact
We want to hear from YOU! Let us know how you or your team use and value USA-NPN tools and products in your work by sharing an impact statement . These statements will allow us to better evaluate the services we provide to our stakeholders.

A new video to inspire new collaborations
The USA-NPN is seeking new partners to collaborate on innovative research and develop new data products and tools in the fields of ecological prediction, environment and human health, invasive species management, and more. A new video by UA's  Landmark Stories  describes different ways to work with us, highlighting three examples of ongoing projects.

A special thank you to Mike Dietz, Cat Chamberlain, Ben Wilder for participating in this video. We invite you to share the video with colleagues who might be interested in partnering with USA-NPN!

Data and data products
New USA-NPN visualization tool
Check out the new phenology  Visualization Tool  which includes  Seasonal Stories to help you learn your way around the tool and a  Data Explorer  to dive deep into the observational plant and animal data and USA-NPN's phenology maps.

New features include grouping data by taxonomy (genus, family, and order), adding more than two years on Phenology Calendars and Activity Curves, and more flexibility in selecting locations.

Falling leaves and needles phenophase
The National Ecological Observatory Network ( NEON ) and the USA-NPN are currently assessing if the phenology monitoring protocol for falling leaves and needles needs to be adjusted for the Deciduous broadleaf, Drought deciduous broadleaf, Semi-evergreen broadleaf and Deciduous conifer functional groups.

We would greatly appreciate if you could please fill out a survey to let us know how and why you use or will use these data!

Research spotlight
Short-term insect pest forecasts
In 2018, the U.S. National Phenology Network (USA-NPN) released a suite of ‘Pheno Forecast’ map products relevant to science and management. A new paper by Crimmins and colleagues in a special issue of the Annals of the Entomological Society of America describes the utility of these products that were developed for 12 species of insect pests for improved decision-making efficiency.

Land surface phenology validated with USA and European observations
Bórnez and co-authors evaluated phenological metrics derived from the SPOT-VEGETATION and PROBA-V Copernicus global land products in a recent study published in the International Journal of Applied Earth Observation and Geoinformation . They used ground observation data from the Pan-European PEP725 network and the USA-NPN on five species of deciduous trees to determine best estimates of Start of Season and End of Season for these products.

Spring indices and deciduous species phenology
In a recent study published in International Journal of Biometeorology, Gerst and a team that included staff from the USA-NPN and Dr. Mark Schwartz from University of Wisconsin Madison evaluated how the Spring Indices could be used to predict activity across 19 deciduous species. The extent to which the models predicted phenology varied by species and with latitude, with stronger relationships revealed with the Bloom Index than the Leaf Index.

The relationships revealed by this study can serve as a yardstick to assess how future changes in the timing of spring will impact a broad array of trees and shrubs.

Opportunities
Join a phenology data and analysis community of practice
Would you be interested in being more connected to the current research community across the fields of phenology model development, data integration, remote sensing validation, and more? Please let us know your thoughts and interest in participating in a new community of practice!

Upcoming meetings


Contact
Kathy Gerst
Research Scientist
Data Product Coordinator
520-621-1740
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