Signs of the Seasons: A New England Phenology Program

Dr. Ailene Ettinger is a Putnam Fellow at the Arnold Arboretum in Boston. Her current research examines factors that may influence a tree’s response to warmer or colder years. Through an analysis of tree core samples and individual traits, she hopes to improve scientists’ ability to predict the climate sensitivity of plant species. Read more.

Natasha Krell is an undergraduate researcher, class of 2016, at College of the Atlantic. One of her current projects is a study of two plant species on Deer Isle. In this interview, Natasha explains how she got started into the field of phenology and where her path has lead. Read more.

When our snowpack finally melts away, plant species will awaken to color our landscape. Some species will risk the possibility of a spring frost and race to develop leaves and flowers, absorbing the sunlight and soil nutrients before the competition increases. Other species will delay the development of leaves until the days grow longer and […]

Atlantic puffin populations on several islands in the Gulf of Maine were decimated in the mid 1800s by hunters seeking meat, eggs, and feathers. In 1973, Dr. Stephen Kress began to restore these colonies by transplanting chicks to their former breeding grounds and emboldening them to return as adults and explore the island’s breeding habitat. […]

For generations of folks returning each summer, the varied habitats within Acadia National Park may appear stable. However, a closer look at the historical record shows changes in both species abundance and the timing of life cycle events. Researcher Caitlin McDonough is focused on the phenology at this local site. Read more.

Predictions for future climate change may be varied, but the data suggest that the maple tapping season is happening earlier each year. This, however, may be an oversimplification of the trend. UMaine graduate student Jenny Shrum is looking deeper to determine connections between weather conditions and the rate of sap flow. An understanding of these […]

Seth Benz, director of the Bird Ecology Lab at the Schoodic Education and Research Center of Acadia National Park, discusses the importance of bird observation as the seasons turn. He says detailed information on fall behaviors can help scientists puzzle out the effects of climate change on different species. Benz notes that while animal numbers […]

Tips for fall observation! Professor Lois Stack of UMaine offers Signs of the Seasons volunteers helpful pointers as we move into fall, a season of dramatic change that offers many opportunities to see phenology in action. In fact, detailing changes to plant life is every bit as crucial now as in the spring. See her tips […]

Dr. Orrin Shane’s lifelong interest in milkweed began when he was a boy in the 1940s. He and his childhood friends picked bushels of the plants for the war effort. The fluffy insides of pods were used to fill life preservers for soldiers overseas. “That was my introduction to milkweed,” Shane said. “It is a […]

Maine’s hearty pod-bearing milkweed is an essential part of seasonal change. The stalky perennial provides annual food and shelter to butterflies in all stages of metamorphosis. The insects depend on the safe haven provided by Maine’s three types of milkweed plants: the sun-loving butterfly and common types and the purple-flowered swamp variety. Maine gardeners also […]