Oak Grove Elementary School in Bloomington
Raya: “Hi, this is Raya, Mariya and Rylee reporting from Oak Grove Elementary in Bloomington, Minnesota.”
Rylee: “This week’s weather has turned from really cold to warm enough to melt the snow.”
Mariya: "We’ve been noticing a lot of foxes in the neighborhood, even injured foxes. Today we set up a wildlife camera by a shed on our grounds. We think foxes are living under the shed, so we want to get pictures or videos.
Raya: “We are seeing a lot more birds lately since it’s gotten warmer. We think they are chickadees looking for food, so we restocked our bird feeder.”
Mariya: “We are wondering if our camera will spot foxes or if we need to move it somewhere else to capture them.”
Rylee: "That’s all for today, stay tuned for the next OGE Phenology Club nature episode.”
All: “Until next time, bye!”
Little Falls Middle School
“This is Bennett and Nash reporting from Mr. Kaddatz’s class in Little Falls Middle School. This is our phenology report for the week of Feb. 2.
“We are still seeing deer in large groups when they come out to feed.
“A classmate had a close encounter with a Bald Eagle feeding on a roadkill deer on the side of the road.
“The cottony seeds of cattails are a common sight around ponds right now.
“Barred Owls are calling at night with their 'Who cooks for you' call.
“The seed pods and vines of wild cucumber are still clinging to tree branches.
“Mullein is still standing in roadsides and fields. The plants died in the fall but will be spreading seeds and feeding birds for several more months.
“We have been seeing Downy, Red-bellied, Pileated, and Hairy Woodpeckers.
“Some students spotted an American Robin in the school courtyard. We know not every robin migrates, so this is more than likely one that has been surviving here this winter.
“There have been some spectacular sunsets this past week. There have been oranges and pinks dominating the sky. We are not sure if there is a reason for this increase or not.
“Two bird feeder inferences we have made this week:
- Although cayenne pepper oil will deter squirrels, there are some individuals who are not bothered by the hot flavor and will continue eating the bird seed.
- There is an obvious difference in suet brands, as birds will devour some quickly, while others will sit for weeks.
“That is our report for this week, until next week, keep exploring, keep discovering, and keep connecting with the great outdoors.”
Long Lake Conservation Center near Palisade
This report is brought to you by Pat, Damien and the students from TrekNorth High School in Bemidji.
“We had a rare January thaw with a high temperature of 41 degrees and a low of 21.
“Signs of springs were everywhere, including chickadees singing their spring ‘Cheeseburger, cheeseburger’ song and woodpeckers drumming. Both of these are examples of early mating calls, also known as bird rizz. Our group sat patiently by the feeders until a chickadee ate seeds from our hands.
“We spent time following tracks and found lots of deer and fox scat, deer lay downs, Ruffed Grouse beds with scat, mouse tracks that led to a ‘mouse motel’ and vole tracks under the snow.
“One of the highlights of the trip was seeing a flying squirrel. The interesting thing about this squirrel was that it had a purple glow under a black light. This is called biofluorescence. That’s when animals absorb UV light and emit it as a different color. It can be seen in many animals, including fish, amphibians, and some mammals.
“It was a great week in nature, we want to remind everyone to unplug, get outside and LIVE CONNECTED!”
This report is brought to you by Leah, Lola and the students from Cannon River STEM in Faribault.
“During our trip from Jan. 29-31, the low temperature was 17 degrees and the high was a balmy 45 degrees, the warmest temperature since November 19th.
“The unseasonably warm weather seemed to wake up nature, with the birds especially enjoying the sunshine. Chickadees and woodpeckers were abundant and very active. Nuthatches have begun singing their spring songs, getting ready for mating season.
“Naturalist Katie found a bat that was on the move. There have been a few reports of moths in the area, so maybe the bat was able to find some food.
“There is only about 2-3 inches of crunchy snow left, but our group was still able to cross country ski to the other side of the lake. The ice depth was measured at 17 inches. A Pileated Woodpecker flew over the lake.
“In the woods, we saw grouse tracks, and at night we saw Jupiter while stargazing. At dinner, a group of nine deer came for a meal of bird seed. They are looking healthy. We were able to observe them for a few minutes before something spooked them, causing them to put up their white tails and run away.
“We had a great time exploring nature and we want to remind everyone to unplug, get outside and LIVE CONNECTED!”
Pike Lake Elementary near Duluth
“Good morning, my name is Charlotte, and this is our report for the week of Jan. 26, 2025 from Pike Lake Elementary School. This week was a bit above average for this time of year. For the week we had an average temperature of 31 degrees and an average low of 12 degrees. Our high was about 10 degrees above the historic average. The fresh blanket of snow out in the school forest was a welcome addition.
“This is Harper, and last week I saw an owl on my way home from gymnastics practice. It was resting on a power line, and it was scanning the ground. I was wondering what it was doing up there. I am pretty sure it was hunting for small rodents. What I did learn was that this year there is a big population of owls in our area. Many owls are moving down from Canada in search of food.
“Good morning. I am Avery. Last Thursday I saw moss on a tree that was still green. That got me thinking, ‘Why was the moss still a vibrant green in the winter?’ My research told me that some scientists believe mosses contain a combination of sugars and sugar alcohols that become more concentrated in the fall and winter. This helps ice crystals from developing. Think how antifreeze keeps your car from freezing.
“I am Sonja. Last week my friend, Aubree, and I were observing our bird feeders during recess time. We observed 23 Black-capped Chickadees, 4 red squirrels, 9 Red-breasted Nuthatches, 3 White-breasted Nuthatches and several finches we believe to be goldfinches and House Finches.”
“This concludes our report from the outer reaches of the Proctor School District. Be Aware. Things are happening out there.”
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 Jan. 25, 2025. My name is Esther, and I am your phenologist for this week!
"Mrs. Rolfe noticed that on Monday, Jan. 27, the Old North Shore Road was almost completely covered in snow and ice, but due to the warmer weather, on Wednesday, Jan. 29, the Old North Shore Road was only 5% covered in snow and ice.
“On Jan. 24, Helen noticed that the clouds formed a ring around the Earth. On Tuesday, Jan. 28, Ski Club went skiing at Spirit Mountain and it was unusually warm. We thought that the conditions would be bad because it was so warm but we were wrong. Skiing turned out to be really good!
“On Thursday, Jan. 30, Ms. Urban checked the weather station at North Shore Community School and it was 34 degrees at 12:15. Due to the warm temperatures she spent the rest of the day teaching Environmental Education without her gloves or jacket.
“Colton saw a Boreal Owl in his yard in the oak tree, on the third branch, in his yard. On Monday, Jan. 27, Ms. Pierson Evans heard a Barred Owl hooting outside her house in Duluth. On Thursday, Jan, 30, Ms. Pierson Evans saw a Great Gray Owl on a road sign on her way to school.
"During the month of January, sky gazers will be able to see four planets in one view — and come February, the parade will only expand. NASA says after dark, throughout the month of January, you'll be able to see Venus, Saturn Jupiter and Mars. Venus and Saturn will appear in the southwest of the sky, Jupiter will appear overhead and Mars will rise in the east. Uranus and Neptune will also be there, but they won't be bright and visible without a telescope. So-called planetary parades are not super rare, according to NASA, but they don't happen every year.
“This concludes the phenology report. Have a great week, and be observant!”
North Star Elementary School in Virginia
“This is Emma, Adam, Vivi, Stella, Orion, and Lucy with a report from North Star Elementary on Jan. 29, 2025.”
“This is Emma. On Jan. 21, we saw –35 degrees. On Jan. 28, the temperature was 37 degrees. That's a difference of 72° in a week! We have had really wacky weeks this January.”
“This is Adam. The total snow depth at my house is approximately 12 inches.”
“This is Stella, I saw a juvenile deer on Jan. 21, and some wolf tracks in the woods. At my house there was roughly two and a half inches of snow gained.”
“This is Genevieve, and I saw four deer two on the road and two in my backyard.”
“This is Lucy, and I also saw a deer in the woods by the highway in Britt. I wonder if the deer have been more active lately or if we have been the ones more active.”
“This is Orion. I saw a fox. It was half grey and half red. It was on the trail cameras. I’ve never seen one like that before!”
“This has been a report from North Star Elementary in Virginia. Keep exploring the great outdoors!”
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).
