2024 Signs of the Seasons Trainings

NOTE: We are still scheduling trainings for this season, so please check back for updates as we add more dates to the calendar!

In-Person Training:

Recorded Training Series: Three-Part Webinar Series

Friday, April 12, 2024: In-Person Training, Falmouth, Maine
Maine Audubon, 10:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m.

Co-hosted with the Maine Audubon

Maine Sea Grant will offer in-person volunteer training for the Signs of the Seasons program at Gilsland Farm Audubon Center, Falmouth, Maine, co-hosted by Maine Audubon. Participants will learn about the goals of the program, learn how to make scientific observations of phenology (the study of cyclic and seasonal changes of plants and animals), practice making phenology observations on the grounds of Gilsland Farm, and leave with the tools and knowledge needed to set up their own site to observe and record changes in phenology in their own yard or community.

Training Location: Gilsland Farm Audubon Center, 20 Gilsland Farm Road,
Falmouth, Maine 04105 (Directions: + Google Map)

Questions about this opportunity may be directed to Beth Bisson, at beth.bisson@maine.edu or Keri Kaczor, at keri.kaczor@maine.edu.

Registration is required for this free educational program.

Register Online: Signs of the Seasons In-Person Event Gilsland Farm (Maine Audubon)

Coastal Monitoring of Rockweed (Ascophyllum nodosum)
Wednesday, April 17, 2024: In-Person Training
Simpson’s Point, Brunswick, Maine, 1:00 p.m.-3:00 p.m.

Maine Sea Grant will offer in-person volunteer training for the Signs of the Seasons program at Simpson’s Point, Brunswick, Maine. Participants will learn about the goals of the program, learn how to make scientific observations of coastal phenology (the study of cyclic and seasonal changes of plants and animals), practice making phenology observations, and leave with the tools and knowledge needed to set up their own site to observe and record changes in rockweed phenology at locations along the coast.

Training Location: Simpson’s Point Landing, Brunswick, Maine (Directions: + Google Map)

Questions about this opportunity may be directed to Beth Bisson, at beth.bisson@maine.edu or Keri Kaczor, at keri.kaczor@maine.edu.

Registration is required for this free educational program.

Register Online: Signs of the Seasons Coastal Ascophyllum Volunteer Training (Google Forms)

Monday, April 22, 2024: In-Person Training, Augusta, Maine
University of Maine Augusta, 10:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m.

Co-hosted with the University of Maine Augusta

Maine Sea Grant will offer in-person volunteer training for the Signs of the Seasons program in Augusta, Maine, co-hosted by the UMA American Conservation Coalition. Participants will learn about the goals of the program, learn how to make scientific observations of phenology (the study of cyclic and seasonal changes of plants and animals), practice making phenology observations on the grounds of UMA, and leave with the tools and knowledge needed to set up their own site to observe and record changes in phenology in their own yard or community.

Training Location: University of Maine Augusta, Augusta, Maine. (Directions: + Google Map)

Questions about this opportunity may be directed to Beth Bisson, at beth.bisson@maine.edu or Keri Kaczor, at keri.kaczor@maine.edu.

Registration is required for this free educational program.

Register Online: Signs of the Seasons Volunteer Presentation and Training, UMA (Google Forms)

Monday, May 6, 2024: In-Person Training, Camden, Maine
Merryspring Nature Center, 4:00-6:00 p.m.

Co-hosted with Merryspring Nature Center

Maine Sea Grant will offer in-person volunteer training for the Signs of the Seasons program in Camden, Maine, co-hosted by Merryspring Nature Center. Participants will learn about the goals of the program, learn how to make scientific observations of phenology (the study of cyclic and seasonal changes of plants and animals), practice making phenology observations on the grounds of Merryspring, and leave with the tools and knowledge needed to set up their own site to observe and record changes in phenology in their own yard or community.

Training Location: Merryspring Nature Center, 30 Conway Road, Camden, Maine. (Google Maps)

Questions about this opportunity may be directed to Beth Bisson, at beth.bisson@maine.edu or Keri Kaczor, at keri.kaczor@maine.edu.

Registration is required for this free educational program.

Register Online: Signs of the Seasons Volunteer Presentation and Training, Merryspring (Google Forms)

Friday May 10, 2024: In-Person Training, Boothbay, Maine 
Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens, 10:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m.

Co-hosted with Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens

Maine Sea Grant will offer in-person volunteer training for the Signs of the Seasons program at the Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens, Boothbay, Maine, co-hosted by Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens. Participants will learn about the goals of the program, learn how to make scientific observations of phenology (the study of cyclic and seasonal changes of plants and animals), practice making phenology observations on the grounds of the Botanical Gardens and leave with the tools and knowledge needed to set up their own site to observe and record changes in phenology in their own yard or community.

Questions about this opportunity may be directed to Beth Bisson, at beth.bisson@maine.edu or Keri Kaczor, at keri.kaczor@maine.edu.

Training Location: Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens,105 Botanical Gardens Drive, Boothbay, ME 04537 (Directions: + Google Map)

Questions about this opportunity may be directed to Beth Bisson, at beth.bisson@maine.edu or Keri Kaczor, at keri.kaczor@maine.edu.

Registration is required for this free educational program.

Register Online: Signs of the Seasons Volunteer Presentation and Training, Boothbay (Google Forms)

To Learn Virtually or Refresh Your Skills: Watch our Recorded Training Series Online!

This 3-part webinar series provides the information typically provided in our in-person or virtual training workshops, including the importance of studying phenology in a changing climate, the relevance of indicator species to New England, and instructions for how to set up a site and start observing. Each session is less than one hour, and the three sessions build upon one another, so we recommend watching all three in order.

View the recordings

If you have questions, please do not hesitate to contact Beth Bisson at 207.832.0343 or beth.bisson@maine.edu.

Recorded Trainings

Session 1

Session 2

Session 3