Sprung!

It has been an amazing last few weeks here at Whiterock Conservancy--the change of seasons has nearly completed, and while it isn't technically summer yet, it is sure starting to feel more like it. The shorebirds have mostly moved on, but the migratory warblers are still hanging around, the deafening frog chorus has lessened, but the tadpoles in our wetlands are growing by the day! The spring ephemeral wildflowers have mostly all gone to seed, but their foliage is still a little green. Finding all of the little clues about seasonal change is happening is one of my favorite things in life-when the little brown bats are breeding or when the wood betony is blooming-this is called understanding the phenology of a particular plant, animal, or fungi.

Phenology: the study of periodic plant and animal life cycle events and how these are influenced by seasonal and interannual variations in climate.

I've been keeping track of the phenology at Whiterock Conservancy lately, or as much as I can of it. It's been an amazing amount of information to collect--observing and recording all of the birds and plants and animals I see ever few days. A great excuse to get outside and have an adventure, keeping track of the phenology of the world around helps you to get to know the changes that take place on the landscape. Once you begin to engage and see all of the different happenings: Nest-making behavior of the Great blue heron (March 25) the first Red-sided garter snake sitting on a rock (April 6), the first American redstart flitting around in the canopy (May 12), the last snow trillium blooming on Whiterock Bluff (April 28), the last patch of big yellow morels (May 22)......the list goes on an on.
If you haven't tried keeping track of the activity in your neighborhood, give it a whirl. At minimum, it will help you to realize how VERY much is actually going on out in the natural world. And it will also help you to want to be a part of it, through active observation and general awe....
Enjoy!