Greetings!

Plant and animal activity is really springing across the country! Nearly 2,000 observers have contributed phenology data so far this year, thanks in no small part to the efforts of partners like you.

The USA-NPN was recently recognized by Advancing Research Impact in Society with the Enduring Achievement Award. It is because of the great work of all of our partners that we received this honor. Thank you for being part of our Network!
Sincerely,
What's new at Nature's Notebook and USA-NPN
Phenology informs mosquito forecasting
Predicting the timing of seasonal events can be very useful for those working to manage nuisance species such as mosquitoes. A new blog post from the National Ecological Observatory Network (NEON) describes how NEON is working with the USA-NPN to develop mosquito activity forecasts.

A new framework for pest management
Structured decision-making is a method for describing a problem and the potential solutions. It can help decision-makers clearly see the consequences of each potential solution. A new info sheet describes one example of how we worked with partners to use the decision-making framework to inform forest pest management.

Recent happenings in the field of phenology
Patterns in leaf out and color change
We have a decade of data on over a thousand species – thanks to your efforts! We can start to answer big picture questions, as this study did, finding that leaf out in spring comes earlier in response to longer days and spring warmth, and is delayed by freezes and lack of winter cold. Delayed phenology can be a good thing, protecting plants from false springs – or have a negative effect, by limiting the time plants have to take advantage of the growing season.


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A new "normal" in the climate world
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration recently released new "climate normals" – 30-year averages for temperature, precipitation, and more. The updated normals for the period of 1991-2020 help to put today's weather into context and aid in planning activities. The New York Times explains how the new normals have changed from previous periods.

Butterfly decline linked to fall warming
Authors of a new article in Science found that western butterfly populations are decreasing at a rate of 1.6% per year. This study relied on data from several volunteer science projects, demonstrating the importance of data like those you submit to Nature's Notebook!

Especially for Local Phenology Leaders
Congratulations to our newly Certified Local Phenology Leaders!
Please join us in congratulating the most recent graduates from our Local Phenology Leader Certification Course: Brian Emerson, Crystal Denman, Dr. Christine Hallman, Elizabeth Spinney, Jan Schwartz, Julia Ospina, Kathy McGathery, Krystal Post, Marie Woodward, Rosemary Jann, Stephanie Paeg, Troy S. Dunn, and Wendy Love.

Well done! We look forward to seeing your programs grow!
You choose our next monthly call topic
Our Local Phenology Leader Monthly Calls allow you to connect with your fellow leaders and learn from their knowledge. We want to hear from you about what topics you would like to focus on in future calls! You can see the list of past call topics and watch video recordings of the calls on our LPL Community of Practice page.

Related resources
What does an earlier spring mean?
USA-NPN Director Theresa Crimmins breaks down what a warmer, earlier spring means for us on this video from AccuWeather.

The impact of the "anthropause"
The slowdown in human activity over the pandemic, called the "anthropause", was a mixed bag for wildlife. An article from Audubon discusses how some species benefitted while others were hindered by the decrease in human disturbance.

Natural buffers from climate change
A new article from Climate Solutions at the Washington Post explains how key ecosystems like giant kelp forests and mangroves can buffer the Earth from climate change impacts.

Contact
Erin Posthumus
Outreach Coordinator
520-621-1670