News

The Story of Milkweed

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 […]

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Interview with Ivan Fernandez

UMaine researchers incorporate “chemical phenology” into their studies of the effects of climate change on forest ecosystems. In this interview, Ivan J. Fernandez, Professor of Soil Science, School of Forest Resources and Climate Change Institute, discusses research in which he and graduate student Erin Redding set out to discover if the chemical composition of forest foliage could […]

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Tips for Making Spring Plant Observations

Wondering why this year’s milkweed shoots are coming out in different places than last year’s? Uncertain which forsythia buds are flowers versus leaves? Is there a difference? Lois Stack helps answer typical questions Signs of the Seasons volunteers may have when setting out to observe plants in spring. Lois is a professor of sustainable agriculture […]

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Interview with Dr. Abe Miller-Rushing

Dr. Abe Miller-Rushing, Science Coordinator for Acadia National Park and Schoodic Education and Research Center, is a phenologist studying the biological impacts of climate change and the role of citizen science in observing changes over time.  Abe is the former Assistant Director, and one of the founding scientists, for the USA-National Phenology Network, which houses […]

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