Phenology
Phenology is the study of recurring plant and animal life-cycle events—such as flowering, migration, and breeding—and how they relate to weather and climate.
On this page, you’ll find resources to help you:
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Get started with phenology observations
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Track seasonal changes in plants and animals
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Submit and share your data
Our phenology calendar is designed for Northern Virginia, but it can be adapted for other regions. Resources below the calendar help you to get started.
All materials are free to use for educational, non-profit purposes.
Interactive Phenology Calendar
Get outside and start noticing! Track seasonal changes all year long as you join activities and make observations.
When observing plants, look for:
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Seedlings popping up
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New leaves unfolding
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Buds and blooms
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Fruit forming and ripening
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Leaves changing color and falling
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Resting phases (dormancy)
When observing animals, watch for:
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Life stage
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Signs they’re around (tracks, scat, calls, feeding, nesting, denning)
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What they’re doing (mating, calling, migrating, hibernating)
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Sex (male, female, or unknown)
These small details add up to big insights—helping scientists track phenological changes, like earlier springs or plant–pollinator mismatches.
Along the way, you’ll slow down, tune in, and build a deeper connection with the natural world right where you live.
Start simple: choose a small spot—or even a single plant, like the tree outside your window—and observe it regularly. Check out the resources below to get going.
This calendar features Merrimac Farm Chapter activities, plus local events, sponsors, and partner programs. Every day of the year, there’s something to observe—so head outside and help document nature in motion!
How it works
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Click a date to see activities available for each day
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Track observations in your nature journal or with iNaturalist, eBird, or Nature’s Notebook
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Scroll down to learn more about phenology and these tools
Before you go
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Make sure you check the detail or RSVP page for each activity
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Look ahead! RSVP in advance if required
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Check back with the partner or sponsoring agency page for updates as details may change
Event Title
Event Date
Change the event description to include your own content. Adjust the settings to customize the style.
February 2026
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Resources
Full-page Phenology Calendar
Coming soon
TED-Ed video introducing the concept of phenology (under 5 min)
Discover the fascinating world of phenology and learn how citizen science tools like Nature's Notebook and iNaturalist empower everyday people to observe, record, and share these seasonal changes.
A national monitoring and research initiative focused on collecting, organizing, and delivering phenological data, information, and forecasts to support natural resource management and decision making.
Video explaining how to add phenology details to iNaturalist observations
Applications and sites to help identify, observe, and track data:
Record and organize nature findings, meet other nature enthusiasts, and learn about the natural world.
Upload observations from your phone or computer.
A citizen science app where you can submit observations and track changes in the environment.
Phone app and website where you can submit bird checklists, photos, and audio recordings.
Managed by Cornell Lab of Ornithology
Collection of curated citizen science projects. Search for "phenology" projects to see which ones are active near you
Track changes in the timing of plant and animal seasonal activity with the Nature's Notebook program. Phone app and website available from the National Phenology Network (NPN).
A community-focused, data driven approach to plant conservation. From the Chicago Botanic Garden.