Project BudBurst!
Here’s another opportunity for you Citizen Scientists out there. Project Budburst is a national effort that collects and analyzes the observations of gardeners on the timing of leafing out, flowering, and fruiting. It was started in 2007 to document the effects of climate change on plants, and is currently coordinated by the Chicago Botanic Garden.
You can enter as much or as little data as you want, so the commitment is completely flexible. There’s a list of trees, flowers, and grasses being monitored for every state.
This is also an easy way to keep a garden journal, which is a resolution I make every year but always fail to keep. Also, you can check on the data in real time in order to see what’s blooming for other gardeners in your city or across the country.
Plus, it’s an opportunity to develop kids’ interest in plants and science. Kind of makes me wish we still had little kids around the house.
Click here for more information on Project Budburst.
And speaking of Citizen Science, it’s still not too late to participate in the 2016-2017 Project FeederWatch. Data is being collected through April 6th. For details, click this link.
Carry on, Citizen Scientists!
gardeninacity 
Oooh! More lists! Actually, it’s a great idea and thanks for this post.
You’re welcome!
This is so cool. Yes, I’m interested.
I thought you might be.
A worthy cause.
Agreed.
Definitely interested. Thanks Jason for the heads up. Unlike much of the rest of the country, the maritime Pacific Northwest is, on average, colder this winter. My crocus and hellebores are finally blooming right now, rather than in January, which was the case in the last few years.
I have some Crocus blooming, but the Hellebores are really suffering from the freezing weather that has settled in.
I’ve never heard about this, but what a nice idea..I think ‘Budburst’ is a favorite season for most gardeners no matter the climate zone.
True, it is a happy time.
A good idea as it seems to change every year.
That’s what they want to document.
I’m interested, Jason, good idea.
Judy, Happy Women’s Day!
Thanks, Nadezda.
This is a great idea; I do hope the funding doesn’t get cut!
I believe this is privately funded, so there’s that.
Very good! I signed up!
Excellent!
That is a great idea – not only for the information it provides but also that it gets you outside, purposefully looking at your garden. We are so busy doing this and that all the time, that we end up missing so many transient garden wonders.
Very true. I’m often so harassed by my to do list that I miss the tranquility of the garden.
Great idea!
Agreed!
I wasn’t aware of this one–thanks for the information! Most of my spring bloomers are ready to bloom–just in time for this weekend’s bitter weather! The only thing that has bloomed so far is a patch of snowdrops, but I’m guessing we’ll have quite a show of blooms next week. Thanks, again, for sharing this.
You’re welcome. This is something gardeners can participate in throughout the growing season.
Thanks for the shout-out! Come visit Project BudBurst at our website (www.budburst.org) to submit your observations; and at our Facebook page to create a citizen science, BudBurst, community: https://www.facebook.com/ProjectBudBurst/. J. Bryan, Project BudBurst director
You’re welcome! Thanks for the work you do.
That’s a great idea, each year, here, plants develop at different times.xxx
Right, and we need to start documenting the trends.
Thanks for the link, Jason!
You’re welcome!