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Discover and Document Changes in Nature Near You
Track changes in the timing of plant and animal seasonal activity with the Nature's Notebook program. See what it’s like to be a Nature’s Notebook observer in this video from our partners at Audubon Starr Ranch:
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Nature's Notebook Campaigns focus on species of particular interest to researchers and natural resource managers. Find a campaign near you to join!
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Sugar Maple
Acer saccharum
Common Milkweed
Asclepias syriaca
Allen's hummingbird
Selasphorus sasin
American Bullfrog
Aquarana catesbeiana
Mayfly
Hexagenia spp.
Creosote bush
Larrea tridentata
Nature’s Notebook data reveal how climate impacts flowering in eastern redbud trees
Sat, Jul 25, 2026
The appearance of bright pink flowers on eastern redbud trees is a reliable indicator that spring has arrived in the eastern U.S. However, the timing varies across the species’ range and not much is understood about the climate conditions that trigger flowering. A team of researchers used Nature’s Notebook observations from more than 150 sites across the eastern U.S. to identify how temperatures and daylength influence flowering in eastern redbuds. They used a novel modeling approach to show that both the amount of cold in winter and warmth in spring are important. However, the relative amount of cold and warmth needed to trigger flowering differed among sites. Trees in the north needed more cold and less heat to flower than trees in the south. Using these results, researchers can make accurate predictions about redbud flowering given recent climate conditions and better understand the potential impacts of climate change.
Weather impacts autumn phenology differently in the eastern and western U.S.
Mon, May 04, 2026
The timing of phenological events in autumn like leaf color and leaf fall have important consequences for nutrient cycling, species interactions, and even tourism. However, there has been less research on autumn phenology than spring phenology and the effects of temperature, precipitation, and day length are not well understood. To fill this gap, researchers used Nature’s Notebook observations of autumn phenology from woody plant species across the U.S. They found strong regional differences. Leaf color in the eastern U.S. was driven primary by summer temperatures, whereas in the western U.S., leaf color change was influenced more strongly by precipitation that occurred more than six months prior. Given these differences, the effects of climate change are likely to be complex. Increased temperatures may extend the growing season for some plants and increased drought may shorten the growing season for others.
Nature’s Notebook observations reveal clear changes in New Jersey
Mon, Mar 09, 2026
Global temperatures are increasing and the impacts are numerous and wide ranging. Temperatures have been rising at a particularly fast rate in the northeastern U.S., including many densely populated areas like New Jersey. To document environmental changes and better understand the impacts of climate change in this region since the mid-1960s, researchers gathered data on sea and air temperatures, lake ice, and snowfall. They complimented the weather data with observations of spring leaf-out and flowering in local lilac plants. The researchers found clear evidence of climate change, with notable increases in both daytime and nighttime temperatures and earlier spring plant activity. These changes will have numerous economic, social, and ecological impacts. Among other effects, earlier spring onset has the potential to alter plant-pollinator interactions and the length of the pollen and growing seasons.