Signs of the Seasons Community Science Training

Are you in tune with nature? Do you notice when the red maple flowers burst in the spring, when monarch caterpillars begin to munch on milkweed in late summer, or when the first leaves appear on the ground in autumn? Join us at our Signs of the Seasons Community Science Workshop and learn how to turn your nature observations into valuable data used by scientists to document the impacts of climate change.

Signs of the Seasons, is a University of Maine Cooperative Extension/Maine Sea Grant community science program that trains volunteers to observe and record phenology (seasonal changes) in plants and animals. Participants will learn about the why and how-to of collecting phenology data, practice making observations, and leave with the tools and knowledge to document changes in their own backyard or community.

This workshop will include a presentation as well as hands-on learning with plant specimens. While the majority of this in-person workshop will take place inside, we may head outside briefly to explore some of the plant species close by.