Far North Phenology Network
Far North Phenology Network ("FanPhen") is the umbrella for a group of citizen science projects that focus on plant phenology (the timing of events such as flowering and fruit production) under rapid climate change in Alaska, northern Canada, and the circumpolar North. Participants include individuals, parents and children, K-12 classes, youth groups.... ANYONE can participate! By working with citizen scientists we are able to collect data that would otherwise be impossible to obtain in a large, mostly roadless state. Some of these projects have been completed, some are in progress, and some are in the planning stages.
Click on the headings or links below to find out more. We hope you will check our our programs.... and consider joining us!
Goal:To determine the overlap in flowering time between two berry-producing plants (Vaccinium uliginosum [blueberry], and Vaccinium vitis-idaea [cranberry or loganberry]) and an invasive plant (Melilotus albus, [sweetclover]) that shares many of their pollinators
Where: Alaska, Yukon (boreal forest, subarctic, and arctic habitats)
Number of participants: >240
Time of year for monitoring: summer
Status: Completed
Click here to find out more!
Exciting news: a paper that uses data collected by Melibee participants has now been published! Click on the link to Spellman and Mulder 2016 at the bottom of the page.
Goal: To determine whether native and non-native plants differ in the timing of leaf loss under extended growth seasons (earlier springs and later falls)
Where: Alaskan boreal forest
Number of participants: >800
Time of year for monitoring: fall
Status: Nearing completion (no new participants accepted)
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Goal: to determine whether the availability of berries in late fall, winter, and spring changes as our climate changes
Where: boreal, subarctic, and arctic habitat around the globe
Number of participants: 3 classrooms and two other sets of monitors are piloting the project
Time of year for monitoring: fall, winter and spring
Status: Under development. We are piloting the project in fall / winter of 2016 and expect to run the full version starting in late summer 2017.
Click here to find out more!