Spring 2012

Notes From Nanjemoy Creek

Nanjemoy Creek Environmental Education Center
Charles County Public Schools

Natures Clock
~ Meagan Keefe

This year it seems like spring started back in January. Nature is not bound by March 21st nor does the sun rising and setting an hour later speed anything up. Signs that spring is near vary from person to person. For some, its the usual robin singing on the lawn. For others, it might be a special plant or flower emerging in their gardens. For me, it has recently been the Wood Thrush that shows up on the last week in April every year. Its something to look forward to as the days count down on the calendar. I know its coming because I can look back in my notes and calendars from previous years where I keep track of whats going on outside. This isnt just something nature nerdy that I do, its real science. The science of phenology. Im not talking about the pseudoscience of phrenology and determining your personality by feeling for bumps on your head. Phenology is the study of the rhythmic biological nature of events as they relate to climate. In other words, whats going on outside and when. Humans have probably always studied phenology. When we lived more closely with our environment it was a necessity for survival to know when certain plants or animals would regularly appear. When we became an agricultural society, phenological information was used to govern when crops were planted and to help predict the weather for the coming growing season. Many famous naturalists and nature writers were phenologists. Englands Gilbert White kept an extensive daily journal of what went on during his walks in the mid to late 1700s. Closer to home, Aldo Leopold and his family have kept phenological records about their Wisconsin farm off and on since the 1930s. Today, phenology is used to help track climate changes. Temperature and weather data have only been accurately recorded in modern times. Historical records of crop harvests and festivals, such as the blossoming of cherry trees in Japan, have been used to help reconstruct temperature and weather data back to the 14th century fairly accurately. In looking at the pattern this data presents, Spring seems to have shifted earlier from one to three weeks. Birds are showing up sooner and plants are coming up earlier. I have noticed this even in my lifetime. Growing up in the DC area, I remember the Cherry Blossom Festival peaking right around my birthday and what a treat it was to see the trees. Now over thirty years later, the peak blooms happen a week before my yearly anniversary. A Smithsonian study confirms my personal observations. This year due to our non-winter, they peaked a week earlier still. Phenology doesnt take a lot of effort to practice, and the information you gather can be submitted to websites where it will be available to scientists who study shifts in climate and seasons. The first important requirement
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is a place. It could be your backyard, a local park or any outside location you visit on a regular basis. Next, all you have to do is observe. What birds or plants do you notice? What is the weather like that day? Finally, a place to record your observations a notebook, calendar or website tracking certain events. After youve started, dont stop. Phenological data is especially valuable if it is recorded for longer periods of time. Most of all, enjoy. For me, practicing phenology is another excuse to get outside. For more information about phenology and citizen science check out these websites: USA Phenology Network: www.usanpn.org, Natures Notebook is the citizen science page. Project Budburst: www.neoninc.org/budburst, for those focused on plants. Journey North: www.learner.org/jnorth, a great interactive site geared toward younger nature lovers. Cornell Lab of Ornithology: www.ebird.org, for those focused on our feathered friends. Project Noah: www.projectnoah.org, documenting biodiversity near you.

Our Year in Review

What a wonderful year it has been. Our first year with 5th graders coming for an extended day program rather than an overnight experience went well. Students, staff and chaperones continue to provide us with positive feedback and we always welcome suggestions. The new exploration area with an amphibian oasis was a very popular spot. Students had opportunities to explore this area in a less structured but supervised way. It was wonderful to watch them play in nature. Visit our website for images of their discoveries. http://www2.ccboe.com/nanjemoycreek/ Speaking of our website, have you visited lately? Besides a place to catch up on whats happening at NCEEC, you can also use the site as a terrific resource. You can access the weather camera image to see our current conditions and the Osprey nest thats located off our pier. Our page of favorite links is chock full of interesting sites. Whether your interests include the Chesapeake Bay, Citizen Science, online field guides for identifying your discoveries or nest cams to see birds develop from egg to fledgling, you will find connections to some great resources. Wed like to lighten our impact on the earth and reduce our use of paper. We would greatly appreciate hearing from those of you who can support us in this endeavor. Please email us at nceec@ccboe.com with your name and indicate that you are able and willing to access our future newsletters via our website. We will then remove your name from our mailing list. Our goal is to reduce our printed newsletters from approximately 400 copies to 200 in the upcoming year. We understand that not everyone has access to the internet and for you folks, we welcome the opportunity to continue mailing a newsletter to your home. For our fans who are online often, we hope to hear from you with a request that your name be removed from the home delivery mailing list. ~Paula

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In all things of nature, there is something of the marvelous. ~ Aristotle

Weather!?
~ Laura Taylor

Its not unusual to hear folks say, Gee, this is crazy weather we are having and then global warming becomes a topic of discussion. The interesting thing is that we have been saying this for years. So, maybe crazy weather is our new normal. Most of us take weather for granted because it is a routine part of our lives, but weather has a huge impact on us. It affects what we do, what we wear and even our plans for any given day. Some people say they get blue or sad when the sun fails to shine. If you think about it, weather affects everything on this earth in a very dramatic way. Animals have cycles that often coincide with the seasons. When conditions are outside seasonal norms, these animals have to find ways to adjust and survive. Consider, for example, the honeybee. Bees lay down honey to feed on throughout the winter. As the weather turns cold, they vibrate in a big ball around their queen, keeping her warm until spring. Since they are mostly inactive they use very little food, but if the winter is mild then the bees will break their ball and travel outside to see if there is anything to feed on. More often than not, there isnt and this waste of energy results in the bees consuming more of their food stores than they would have in a typical winter. If this happens often enough, an entire hive can starve to death before the winter is over. Even tradition can be impacted because of changing weather. Locally, deer flies are nicknamed May flies because they usually emerge in May. They are appearing earlier and earlier these days, so perhaps we will have to change their name to April flies before too long. Farmers are planting and harvesting crops at times that no longer coincide with the moons cycles, which was a tradition that also provided moonlight for working. If they keep to this tradition, they might miss the optimal growing period. Scientists know that migrating animals are impacted by weather changes, too. Some plants and insects may emerge earlier than in past years because of warmer weather. Animals such as migratory birds and monarch butterflies may arrive at their summering grounds and find that the insects or plants that they depend on for food are already gone. Even animals that dont migrate are on the move. As average temperatures rise, many plants and animals are found farther north than their former typical home range. Like changing temperatures, changing amounts of precipitation have consequences, too. In the spring of 2010, as bluebirds were hatching, we had a long spell of unusually heavy rains. The adult bluebirds were unable to fly and find food for their young to eat and many starved in their boxes. Whether the weather changes are due to global climate changes or natural cycles, all life has to either adjust to the changes or die. It may be a very real possibility that within our lifetime some species unable to tolerate changing weather patterns will disappear. So, the next time you find yourself starting a conversation about the crazy weather, consider this instead: What have you noticed thats different because of our crazy weather?
Adapt or perish, now as ever, is natures inexorable imperative - H.G. Wells
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Nanjemoy Creek Environmental Education Center

5300 Turkey Tayac Place Nanjemoy, Maryland 20662 Phone: 301-743-3526 Fax: 301-246-9623 Email: nceec@ccboe.com

Were on the Web http://www.ccboe.com/nanjemoycreek

The mission of Charles County Public Schools is to provide an opportunity for all school-aged children to receive an academically challenging, quality education that builds character, equips for leadership, and prepares for life in an environment that is safe and conducive to learning.
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The Charles County Public School System does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, age or disability in its programs, activities or employment practices. For inquiries, please contact Dr. Patricia Vaira, Title IX Coordinator and Section 504 Coordinator (students) or Keith Hettel, Section 504 Coordinator (employees/adults), at Charles County Public Schools, Jesse L. Starkey Administration Building, PO Box 2770, La Plata, Maryland 20646 (301) 932-6610/870-3814. For special accommodations, call (301) 392-7587 or TDD 1-800-735-2258 two weeks prior to event.

Nature Fact or Fiction? Robins are a sign of spring and if seen in the winter something is wrong! Fiction; the American Robin can be found in Southern Maryland year round. Our nesting robins migrate south for the winter while some northern nesting robins migrate south to Maryland. These wintering birds spend much of their time in the forest eating holly berries and other fruits. When the ground thaws they can occasionally be seen on your winter lawn eating earthworms. Our returning robins are often one of the first birds people recognize singing in their nesting territories in spring. Citizen scientists across North America are invited to report their observations of the first robin of spring, waves of migrating robins, and the first robin song of spring to Journey Norths American Robin Migration Tracking Project at http://www.learner.org/jnorth/robin/. ~ Mike Callahan

Nanjemoy Creek Fan Club

Would you like to help support the programs and projects that take place throughout the year at Nanjemoy Creek Environmental Education Center? Become a member of Nanjemoy Creeks Fan Club by completing the attached form and include a small, tax deductible donation to our center. Your donation helps us keep our program up to date with the latest advances in environmental education and supports care for our raptors and bees. In return for your support, you will receive our newsletter to keep you informed about whats happening at the center.

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email: _____________________________________________ Please make checks payable to Charles County Public Schools
Mail to: Nanjemoy Creek Environmental Education Center 5300 Turkey Tayac Place, Nanjemoy, MD 20662

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