Every week we hear from school kids and regular folks as they call or email us with their nature observations. We received several reports this week! We're thrilled so many people are jazzed about what is happening in the natural world!
Here's a sample of today's student report from Ely:
"Our days are continuing to get shorter and we are now at 11 hours and 30 minutes of daylight. The weather has been cool and rainy lately with the majority of temperatures during the last week 20s and 30s. Our high was 66 on October 18th and the low was 21 on the 20th. Caid and Anna D are noticing water is freezing outside and small ponds and puddles have a thin layer of ice on them. Lauren reported frost on the ground the morning of the 22nd. Jace commented that Basswood Lake has turned over.
We went outside Monday morning and looked at the pheno-phases of the deciduous trees outside the school. Students reported that the silver maple leaves have not changed much color yet but are drying and curling up. About half of them have fallen off. The groups that were watching the red maples noticed that 2 of the 3 trees had lost all of their leaves. There is still one red maple that has lost 90% of its leaves and is still holding on to a few..."
What are you noticing outside? We would love to hear from you whether you are in a classroom or your living room! Don't hesitate to email or give us a jingle and leave a message at 218.999.9876. You might also consider joining our KAXE-KBXE Season Watch Page on Facebook to connect with other nature-conscious folks in northern Minnesota!
If you are a teacher or someone who works with kids, we invite you to join the Phenology Network on KAXE/KBXE! John Latimer has created a curriculum spanning the whole school year and will connect with you on how to get students observing nature and sending in their phenology reports. Send an email of interest along to get you set up!
Phenology Talkbacks are made possible by the members of Northern Community Radio and a grant from the U of MN NE Regional Sustainable Development Partnership.
If you dig Phenology, give us a high five during our High Five Drive supporting Northern Community Radio by making a donation and becoming a member today!
