Phenology is the study of the timing of the life-cycle events in living beings, such as leafing, flowering, migration, reproduction, and hibernation. The start of these events is typically triggered by certain environmental cues, such as temperature, day length, and precipitation. As a result, the life cycles of plants and animals are often synchronized with the various seasons and follow predictable patterns.

What is phenology?

Phenology Cycle Illustration by Emerald Otradovec

The below website resources provide more information about phenology.

• Why Phenology? by the USA National Phenology Network

• Understanding Conservation by the National Wildlife Federation

• Phenology by the Chicago Botanic Garden

• Out of Sync by the National Wildlife Federation

Climate change is disrupting the environmental cues that trigger the phenological patterns of plants and animals. These disruptions are altering the timing of life-cycle events: for example, many spring events are occurring earlier and fall events are happening later. Because not all changes are occurring at the same rate or direction, life events may become mistimed with optimal environmental conditions, called phenological mismatch. For example, many birds time their nesting so that eggs hatch when insects are available, but under climate change, the timing of hatching may no longer correspond with peak insect abundance. ​Changes in phenology are important to study because they are some of the most sensitive biological responses to climate change.

How is climate change affecting phenology?

The Menominee have used nature's calendar for hundreds of years due to the fact that many cultural practices, ceremonies, and rituals are centered around phenological events, such as the change of seasons, ripening of berries, and animal migrations or spawning times. For example, the time to harvest black ash bark for basket making usually coincides with the ripening of wild strawberries. Mismatches in the timing of these two events, attributed to climate change, have already been observed by black ash bark harvesters.

The Menominee have also named the monthly full moon cycles after certain phenological events. For example, April is the Sugar Making Moon, May is the Budding Moon, June is the Strawberry Moon, August is the Blueberry Moon, September is the Rice Threshing Moon, and October is the Falling Leaves Moon. Under climate change, these months may not correspond as closely with the indicated phenological events as they did in the past.

To learn more, read this master’s thesis by Thomas Kenote, Jr., (2020) on Indigenous Phenology.

Why is phenology important to the Menominee Nation?

CMN-SDI Project: Phenology Learning Path

At the College of Menominee Nation's Sustainable Development Institute (CMN-SDI) in Keshena, Wisconsin, a campus walking path crosses a northern hardwood forest, an old field forest succession, and a wetland edge. CMN-SDI staff developed this path into an interactive education tool known as the Phenology Learning Path. The goal is for visitors to follow the phenological stages of various plants and trees along the path and for their observations to document phenological responses to climate change over time.

Phenology Station signs along the path label plants and trees of interest. The signs include Menominee, scientific, and common names for the plants and a brief description. The signs also include phenological information, including photos and descriptions of the leaf, flower, and fruit stages.

Map image of the Phenology Learning Path on the Keshena Campus of the College of Menominee Nation.

Phenology Station Sign of yarrow

Path users may act as citizen scientists by recording phenological data using Nature's Notebook. Nature's Notebook is a project hosted by the USA National Phenology Network, and its corresponding app can be used to record plant phenological data. After creating an account, users can navigate to the "Partners" box, expand "Colleges and Universities," and select the "College of Menominee Nation Phenology Walk" to participate in data collection on the path.

Sign that indicates the beginning of the trail photo credit: Emerald otradovec

History of the Path

Previously known simply as the "Learning Path," CMN-SDI staff enhanced its existing educational materials about plant identification with an emphasis on phenology. As a result, path users could learn not only to recognize different types of plants, but also reflect on changes to their phenology through time. Subsequently, the path was renamed the "Phenology Learning Path" to better reflect this emphasis. Read more about the Phenology Learning Path in the news.

From Fall 2015 - Summer 2016, CMN-SDI Intern Cathy Munson, with funding from the Northeast CASC, coordinated the development of the Phenology Learning Path. This project included:

• Researching and learning from other phenological organizations. 

• Learning that the Wisconsin Phenological Society was the first phenological organization in the United States. Read more >>>

• Researching Aldo Leopold's contribution towards phenological research. This research revealed links to guides for starting a home phenology project as well as a helpful photo gallery for identifying various plants and animals.

• Organizing monthly plant identification hikes with various plant knowledge holders and botanists (Bonnie Mckiernan, Jennifer Gauthier, Dale Kakkak, Dean Fellman, Jeff Grignon, Richard Annamitta, Ron Bowan, Jr.) to identify plants growing along the Phenology Learning Path, which were tracked in an Excel spreadsheet.

• Creating a picture gallery of Phenology Learning Path plants in various phenophases. 

• Attending the CMN-SDI Pollination Ecology workshop series with Professor Retha Meier.

• Helping CMN-SDI plan a mini-Bioblitz in April 2016 which included 10 trees and 10 plants growing along the Phenology Learning Path.  Several invited representatives assisted in the Bioblitz, including individuals from the Menominee Tribe Environmental Services, Menominee Tribal Enterprises (MTE), and United Stated Department of Agriculture (USDA) Forest Service.

A group touring the Phenology Learning Path in 2021.

Photos from the Phenology Learning Path

Initial growth, flowering, and dried versions of Queen Anne's Lace (top row), Wild Bergamot (middle row) and Mullein (bottom row)

Queen Anne's Lace initial growth

One example comes from Haskell Indian Nations University in Lawrence, Kansas. The university has been collaborating with the North Central Climate Adaptation Science Center and the Indigenous Phenology Working Group of the USA National Phenology Network to develop Haskell's Phenological Trail. The process has included following Guidelines for Considering Traditional Knowledges in Climate Change Initiatives.

What are other Indigenous peoples doing related to phenological research?

How can I become involved in monitoring phenology?

To begin, we hope you'll visit the CMN-SDI Phenology Learning Path! Acting as a citizen scientist is another great way to learn about collecting phenological data. You may consider creating an account with Nature's Notebook, a program of the USA National Phenology Network, or Budburst, a project of the Chicago Botanic Garden. Both programs accept plant phenology observations from any location. Click the buttons below to get started.