109 - The Science of Noticing When Nature Happens

About this episode

This episode explores the science of phenology and the historical practices of observing seasonal changes in nature.

Spring doesn't arrive in a single moment — it arrives in layers, and phenology is the science of noticing the order. There's a name for what farmers, hunters, and naturalists have practiced for centuries: tracking when nature shows up. And it turns out you can start doing it right now, with nothing more than a notebook. What Phenology Is Phenology is the study of cyclic and seasonal natural events — when the first flower blooms, when the first frog calls, when ice leaves the lake. The word comes from the Greek for 'to appear.' It's one of the oldest sciences in the world, used long before it had a name, by communities who planted corn when the oak leaf was the size of a squirrel's ear and tracked walleye spawning by when the lilacs bloomed. A Long History of Careful Watchers In 1736, English naturalist Robert Marsham began recording the first dates of 27 natural events on his estate. He continued for 62 years. His family kept the records going after he died. Henry David Thoreau did the same in Concord, Massachusetts — noting flower dates, ice-out on Walden Pond, the arrival of specific birds. Those journals are still being studied today. Aldo Leopold's A Sand County Almanac…

People in this episode

Host: Jill McKinley

Topics covered

• phenology
• nature observation
• seasonal changes
• natural events
• historical naturalists
• spring

Keywords

• phenology
• nature
• seasonal events
• naturalists
• spring
• observation
• historical records

Mentioned in this episode

Books & works: A Sand County Almanac

Places: Concord, Massachusetts, Wisconsin

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