THOUGH THE CALENDAR says that spring started on March 20, the many clues that nature offers to those who watch and listen add up to a more complex and layered unfolding over time. Inspired by a new book called “Phenology,” a primer on the why and how of taking sharper notice of what happens when outside, I’m learning to read nature’s signals better and becoming what its author calls “an everyday phenologist,” which feels really good and also allows a gardener like me to share my observations with science. Today’s guest is Theresa Crimmins, author of the new book and Director of the USA National Phenology Network, which since 2009 through its community science app called Nature’s Notebook, has collected more than 40 million records of phenological data that can help in natural resource management and decision-making, especially critical in a time of a fast-changing climate. Theresa is a plant ecologist and an associate professor at the University of Arizona, where the network is based. (Above, a shadbush or Amelanchier flower bud starting to swell; photo by Ellen G. Denny.) Plus: Enter to win a copy of the new book by commenting in the box near the bottom of the […]
