Apple Blossom School in Bemidji
North Star Elementary School in Virginia
"This is Walter, Aryana, Peytyn, Myah, and Caleb with a report from North Star Elementary on October 8, 2025.
"The low temperature this morning, on October 8, was 26 degrees. We noticed frost on the grass, and fog in the air, and we could see our breath. At 9:30, when we took a walk, the frost was still lingering in the shady areas of the playground but it had melted in the sunny areas. It is warming up quickly in the sun. Our high today is 57 degrees. As I rode my bike to school, I could barely see the lake through the fog. It was so cold I had to turn around and get a warmer jacket.
"Tamaracks in our school yard are still very green.
"We noticed some very calm wasps in some red pine branches. They must have been too cold to fly this morning.
"In a white pine, we noticed a small yellow and black insect that looked like a caterpillar. We took a picture and looked it up and determined that it was actually a sawfly larvae, which isn’t a true caterpillar and is an invasive species. After learning more about sawflies, we decided to go back out and collect them. They eat pine needles and generally won’t harm a mature tree, but all the trees in our schoolyard are very young and could be damaged by this invasive insect. We removed a total of 15 of the larvae from 4 trees.
"The trembling aspen leaves are still mostly green but we noticed that the edges of the leaves are turning yellow with some brown that is curling in. The leaves felt dry.
"The white oak is still mostly green but it has some leaves that have turned orangeish-brown.
"The silver maples across the street from our school still have about 25% yellow leaves and most leaves are hanging on.
"North saw some geese flying overhead.
"Later, some students took a walk to Silver Lake in Virginia. Here are some of their observations.
"They could see a robin in the tree branches along the shore, a solitary Mallard resting on the shore; and a bevy of 6 swans on the water across the lake.
"They could hear a large flock of about 30 geese honking as they landed on the water.
"They could feel a cool breeze with the warm sun.
"In our own neighborhoods Austin saw two Wild Turkeys walking around Parkville and Aiden saw a red fox in his yard in Gilbert. Porter’s dad saw a black bear on his trail cam. It was going through his garbage can at his cabin near Lake Vermilion on October 7. Zoe has been seeing a lot of Turkey Vultures soaring in the sky.
"This has been a report from North Star Elementary in Virginia. Keep exploring the great outdoors!"
Cherry School near Iron Junction
“Hi, this is Gavin, Jed, Izzy, and Kenna reporting from Cherry School in Iron Junction, Minnesota on October 9, 2025.
“We have been noticing that it’s been getting colder. We need to start wearing jackets and on Wednesday, we noticed the first killing frost. Everything looked white in the morning and the grass was crunchy. We could see our breath in the cold.
“On October 6, Scarlett saw a Blue Jay in her backyard near Cherry.
“On October 7, Jed heard coyotes from his backyard near Cherry.
“On October 4, Gavin saw two dead racoons on the road near Cherry. Later he saw eagles scavenging on the racoons.
“On October 5, Ms. Cari noticed Tamarack needles beginning to turn orange near Buhl.
“Today during our walk in the school forest, we noticed that speckled alder was about 70 to 80 percent bare. We did not see many frogs or bugs when we were outside.
“This concludes our phenology report. This has been Gavin, Jed, Izzy, and Kenna reporting from Cherry School. Nature Rules!”
Cohasset Elementary School
East Rapids Elementary in Grand Rapids
St. Joe’s in Grand Rapids
“Hi! My name is Avery-”
“And I am Claire.”
“We are students at St. Joseph’s Catholic School in Grand Rapids.
“This week we noticed that our Red maple is 25% colored with 30% of leaves fallen.
"The three-year-old needles of our pines are yellowing and falling.
“The seeds of the tamarack are falling, and the needles are turning yellow.
"Our bigtooth aspen is 10-20% yellow. We learned that aspen leaves are flat, not round. This is what makes them flutter in the wind. We were amazed to find out how much pollen [many seeds] a bigtooth aspen puts out - ONE BILLION!!!!”
“The balm inside of the Balsum poplar smells like honey mustard! It can be used as medicine if you mix it with animal fat and rub it on like you would vapor rub.
“We learned how to identify birch trees - they have dark branches! Their branches don’t match their trunks.
"We found three ant mounds. Mr. John suggested we take a bite. (WHAT?? Eat ants???) Well, almost all of us tried them! They were sour. None of the ants had wings - so they must all be female.
"Do you know how to identify poison ivy?? One thing to know is that the teeth on their leaves are irregular.
"We have big blue stem grass growing in our school field. It is also known as turkey stem because it looks like a turkey foot.
"We saw a red, male, dragon fly!
“Claire saw a meadowhawk red dragon fly.
“On Oct. 8 Ella, Mable, and Avery saw a Monarch butterfly.
“Oct. 8 was also the first frost! Until next time be observant, responsible, and adventurous outside!!”
North Shore Community School near Duluth
“Hello from North Shore Community School on the North Shore of Lake Superior. This is the phenology report for the week of October 4, 2025. My name is Segovia, and I am your phenologist for this week!
“On Saturday, October 4, Duluth set a record for a high temperature of 84 degrees. There were 11 hours and 32 minutes of daylight, which was a loss of 22 minutes since the previous Saturday. On Sunday, October 5, Duluth had wind gusts up to 44 miles per hour.
“On Tuesday, October 7, Ms. Jackson’s class noticed our school nature trail beautifully carpeted with fallen leaves. It was only 41 degrees. Many students were cold because just the day before, it had been T-shirt weather. On the morning of October 8, Gavin saw frost all over in his yard and on their family car. Students reported this at school as well. That morning was our first deep freeze. Willis saw a few snowflakes at football practice that afternoon.
“On Sunday, October 5, Mrs. Rolfe saw that most of her milkweed had turned brown, the seed pods were dried, and several had burst open releasing the seeds. On Monday, October 6, the fall leaf colors were at peak color in our area. On Wednesday, October 8, Sadie saw that most leaves had turned color at her house. On October 8, Aurora noticed that all of the aspen trees turn only a yellow color in the fall due to xanthophyll.
“On Tuesday, October 7, Zander saw a blue jay drinking from the hummingbird feeder in his backyard. On Thursday, October 9, Ms. Urban saw large numbers of robins grouping up and by the ice rink behind the school. On October 9, Gavin saw 17 Canadian Geese flying overhead to the south.
“On Monday, October 6th, I saw a bunch of clusters of Asian beetles in the corners of her house seeking shelter. On Wednesday, October 8, Solvei saw a monarch butterfly land on a leaf on the ground on the school nature trail.
“Did you know that Monday, October 6, was called the Harvest Moon because the full moon's bright light traditionally provided farmers with enough illumination to work late and complete their harvests before the colder months? This year's Harvest Moon is also a supermoon, the first of four in a row, making it appear significantly larger and brighter than a typical full moon.
“This concludes the phenology report. Have a great week, and be observant!”
Long Lake Conservation Center near Palisade
This report is brought to you by Kate, Clara and the students from Waconia Middle School - Purple Group.
"During our trip to Long Lake Conservation Center from October 6-8, autumn finally arrived. The high temperature was 62 and the low was 22. That was the season’s first hard frost and the coldest temperature since March 8. During our phenology hike we made these observations:
- About half the trees have changed colors. There are red, orange, yellow, green and brown leaves.
- We found green, light blue and yellow lichen.
- Raspberry and blackberry bushes are still green.
- We found some dog scat. It could be a wolf, but more likely a coyote, and a deer bed. It looked cozy!
- Goldenrod has gone to seed.
- Woodpeckers have made lots of holes in a dead tree.
- Bracken fern has turned brown.
- There are lots of deer around and they look healthy. They are starting to develop their winter coats.
- We found lots of goldenrod galls and saw a frog jump into the water. It’s almost time for their winter-long mud nap.
"On the lake, a Trumpeter Swan and two Canada Geese were spotted on their way south. At the feeders, we’re seeing chickadees, nuthatches, lots and lots of Blue Jays, and, of course, squirrels and chipmunks. Garter snakes are on the move, getting closer to their hibernacula each day. It was a great time exploring nature and we want to remind everyone to unplug, get outside and LIVE CONNECTED!"
This report is brought to you by Connor, Charlie and the students from Waconia Middle School - Gold Group.
"During our trip to Long Lake Conservation Center from October 8-10, we enjoyed PERFECT autumn weather. The high temperature was 68 and the low was 39. During our phenology hike we made these observations:
- The tamaracks in the bog have begun to turn and are now a hue of yellowish gold.
- We found false turkeytail mushrooms
- Raspberry and Blackberry bushes are still green.
- Garter snakes were found peeking their heads out of their hibernacula (hyber - knack- you - la)
- We found lots of worms, a centipede and a blue spotted salamander hiding under logs
- The temperature of the lake water was described as “very cold”
- We smelled a skunk, and saw deer, squirrels, frogs, a slug, a beetle and a paper wasp
- There are still a few dragonflies around and a gray tree frog was soaking up the sun on the side of a building.
- We found a grasshopper on a tree and five stickbugs
"It was a great time exploring nature and we want to remind everyone to unplug, get outside and LIVE CONNECTED!"
Little Falls Middle School
“This is Brielle and Grace reporting from Little Falls Middle School. This is our phenology report for the week of Oct. 12.
“We have still seen a few single monarch butterflies here in Little Falls.
“We have had multiple sightings of bluebirds this week, as well as robins joining up in larger flocks.
“There was a green darner that was spotted, but most of our dragonflies have been the red colored meadowhawks.
“We had our first significant frost on Oct. 7, but we are still seeing a lot of small flying insects in our yards and fields.
“Although the flowers are long gone, you can find the leaves of wild ginger, large leaf aster, and hepatica in the woods.
“We have had our first sighting of milkweed seed pods opening up and releasing their seeds with the wind.
“Most dark-colored cloth surfaces that are outside are covered with a variety of windblown seeds.
“We have been seeing the fruit of mountain ash, virginia creeper, wild grape, nightshade, and of course, buckthorn this week.
“Almost all of our goldenrod have gone to seed, but there is still some yellow color from the tansy flowers in ditches and fields.
“On damp mornings we are still finding slugs on our decks and driveways.
“Classmates have spotted Pileated Woodpeckers, Red-tailed Hawks, and Turkey Vultures this week.
“We have seen garter and red-bellied snakes, along with salamanders and gray tree frogs.
“Raccoons, skunks, and red foxes seem to be more active right now based on our observations.
“That is our report for this week, until next week, keep exploring, keep discovering, and keep connecting with the great outdoors.”
Rockford Middle School
"Hi, this is Keira, Charlotte, Griffin, Chris, Danny and Elijah from Mrs. Korzendorfer’s sixth-grade classes at Rockford Middle School - Center For Environmental Studies. We are reporting on the week of October 8-10 during our class trip to Deep Portage Environmental Learning Center in Hackensack.
"The temperatures ranged from highs in the 60’s to lows in the 40’s. We had partly sunny and cloudy days with a quick rain shower before our campfire night.
"On our last morning some wind blew in making for a chilly start to the day. It was a welcomed relief for some of us after all of our warmer weather. The Minnesota DNR fall color map listed this area was 75 - 100% color change but this surprised us. Many of the deciduous trees were still hanging onto their leaves. We saw a lot of yellow and green with sprinkles of orange and red on the trees and a lot of brown on the ground. It was maybe more like 50 - 75% color change, but plenty to still hear the crunching of leaves beneath our feet on the ground.
"While hiking at Deep Portage Crosby and Callum surprised some deer that took off into the woods and saw several squirrels gathering provisions for winter. Some classmates heard frogs croaking while in their water canaries class down at Bass Pond. They think it was a green frog because Danny was able to catch one in the mud along with Beckett, Grant, and Ian who discovered a few tadpoles.
"Mario and I found some minnows. Many of us found dragonfly larvae, also known as nymphs, in various sizes. We learned that they can live in Minnesota waters for up to five years before becoming flying adults. They are a bioindicator species because they are sensitive to water quality and can be used to monitor the health of Bass pond. Mario and Jay saw a couple deer down at the pond; it looked like they were eating the lily pads.
"Many of us got to visit a bog for the first time. There was a lot of sphagnum moss throughout the bog. It was spongy and pinkish-red in color. Keira recognized the presence of pitcher plants, a carnivorous plant, that preys on insects from her visit to Big Bog State Park last year. The tamarack trees still held on to their green needles and have yet to turn yellow.
"Sunset is slowly creeping earlier each night and is currently around 6:36 pm a sign that we are in the fall season. This was just right for our game of nocturnal hunters and after dinner campfire.
"Ms. Honza and Mrs. Korzendorfer were up early on our last day for a sunrise hike around Bass pond when they heard a Barred Owl hooting, “Who cooks for you?” repeatedly just before dawn.
"We enjoyed our time outdoors at Deep Portage. Some of us hope to return with our families in the future. That’s all for this week. Thank you for listening. We will be back in a couple weeks after our fall break. Bye….."
Prairie Creek Community School in Northfield
Oscar: “Hi, this is Oscar-”
Henry: “And this is Henry, and we’re from Prairie Creek Community School, way down south in Northfield, Minnesota.”
Oscar: “We had our first frost this past week! We have a tradition of lying down face first in the grass when it’s the first frost. It’s refreshing!”
Henry: “Despite the frost, we still saw monarchs and dragonflies. There are still dandelions and we even saw violets blooming.”
Oscar: “There were multiple reports of deer, including some fawns and I saw a 10-point buck.”
Henry: “There were also multiple reports of squirrels chasing each other and wrestling. We suspected it might be ‘love wrestling,’ but we wonder why they’d have babies right before winter.”
Oscar: “We did a little research and found out squirrels are born in August. Maybe the squirrels we saw were young squirrels who were playing.”
Henry: “Let’s move on from ‘love wrestling.’”
Oscar: “Indeed.”
Henry: “We also have had a ton of bird sightings: Turkey Vultures, bluebirds, and egrets were all seen this week. There are a ton of geese migrating and we’ve been hearing Cedar Waxwings, and Yellow-rumped Warblers.”
Oscar: “There are seagulls and Killdeer and we’re still hearing Red-winged Blackbirds. We also saw a huge flock of over fifty robins.”
Henry: “We have seen cardinals, chickadees, Chipping Sparrows, a swan, White-throated Sparrows, Black-eyed Juncos, a Red-tailed Hawk and two eagles.”
Oscar: “The Blue Jays are also in big flocks and they are NOISY!”
Henry: “Caroline saw a Mourning Dove and a small greenish yellow bird hit her window. We think it might have been migrating.”
Oscar: “Ellen reported hearing a Great Horned Owl. Ellen also saw crows chasing and catching a rat.”
Henry: “Yikes! We’ll end on that exciting note. This has been Prairie Creek-”
Oscar: “One more step along the phenology journey.”
What have you seen out there? Let us know: email us at comments@kaxe.org or text us at 218-326-1234.
That does it for this week! For more phenology, subscribe to our Season Watch Newsletter or visit the Season Watch Facebook page.
Funding for this project was provided by the Minnesota Environment and Natural Resources Trust Fund as recommended by the Legislative-Citizen Commission on Minnesota Resources (LCCMR).
