Daily Archives: September 4, 2016

With nearly 4,000 different kinds of plants represented in the Arboretum’s living collections, every day presents rich opportunities to see something new. If you enjoy learning about plants and their unique characteristics, you can contribute to science as a participant in our Tree Spotters program. This citizen science project opens a window into the Arboretum’s phenology: the timing of natural events, such as the leafing out and flowering of trees in the spring and changing foliage colors in the fall. Your observations will assist Arboretum scientists in their studies of the effects of a changing climate on plants. Attend a free training session. All levels of experience are welcome.

Presenters at this Sunday, September 18 workshop in the Weld Hill Building at the Arnold Arboretum of Harvard University will be Catherine Chamberlain, Suzanne Mrozak, and Danny Schissler.

Once trained, Tree Spotters will participate in the program by visiting the Arboretum two or more times a month from March through November for a 1 to 2 hour tree-spotting session. You can do this on your own, with friends or family, or with other volunteers. You will enter your observations into your Nature’s Notebook Observation Deck (an online database created and supported by the US National Phenology Network) that allows you to see patterns across the season. Registered participants will receive an e-mail before the training with further information.  Free, but registration requested at http://my.arboretum.harvard.edu/Info.aspx?EventID=1

If you cannot attend this training but are still interested in the program, please contact  TreeSpotters@fas.harvard.edu.