In days gone by, recollecting the dates of certain natural occurrences might have made the difference between seeing wildflowers in thespring and becoming the dirt pushing those daisies up each May. Survival depended on being awareof food-related events -- when the wild rice was ready for harvest, or when the salmon wererunning.

Today, a variety of annually repeated natural phenomena are observed andmade note of byoutdoor enthusiasts with a less pressing but equally enthusiastic interest in nature'scycles.

Phenology deals with the relationship between climate or seasons and relatedperiods ofbiological activity. After mispronouncing the term for several years, I learned thatphenology is acompletely different from phrenology -- the practice of determining a person'scharacter andmental faculties from the shape of the skull. I now have my head bumps and seasonalhumpsstraightened out.

Phenologists concern themselves with the changes andmovements of animals and plants inrelation to weather and seasonal changes taking place in theirsurrounding environment. For example, the date of arrival of the first bluebird in spring might be atypical entry in a modern-day phenologist's notebook. Another might be the first observation of aflashing firefly in summer.

A time to reap, a time to sow

Farmers have applied phenological knowledge and folklore to their decisionmaking for ages. A farmer's decision on whento sow his grain or tend his crops often was based upon the observanceof natural phenomena likebird migrations, emerging native vegetation or the appearance of certain insects. One oldagricultural saying stated:

When elm leaves are as big as ashilling,
Plant kidney beans, if to plant 'em you're willing.
When elm leaves are big as apenny,
You must plant kidney beans if you mean to haveany.

Farmers noted the conditions of plants and trees from yearto year. Thick husks on ears ofcorn, grape leaves that turned yellow early, and unusually largecrops of nuts and acorns weresigns of a hard winter to come.

Morel mushroom huntersin my area of north central Wisconsin say that when developing oakleaves are the size of asquirrel's ear, it's time to sneak out to their favorite picking spots in searchof thefungus.

Following phenology

We moderns have "evolved" to the point thatmany of us track the changing seasons by noting whether or not reruns are playing on TV.Although most of us are at least vaguely aware of the first occurrence of certain events of nature,like hearing the first spring peeper call or seeing the first skein of geese heading south, we seldombother to compare notes from one year to the next.

Still, a growing number of people arestarting to keep track of nature's cycles as an enjoyable hobby. Perhaps in keeping tabs on nature,one gains a sense of security and reassurance that everything is as it should be; the cycles of life areproceeding on schedule. Plus, phenological pursuits can be enjoyed by people of all ages. Mywhole family participates in our recordkeeping, and we have a friendly competition to see who getsto enter various events on our ongoinglist.

I suspect that most hobby phenologists desireto be outdoors and in touch with nature morethan they want to make a concerted effort tofaithfully record natural events. For the casual observer it may be no more than remembering fromyear to year the arrival of the first robin of spring or the first ice of fall. But some sort ofrecordkeeping is an important part of the ritual, and for many enthusiasts collecting and compilingaccurate phenological data is a major part of thefun.

Phenological recordkeeping can be assimple as maintaining a notebook that lists a few favorite seasonal events or as involved as usingcomputer software to track a whole plethora of events. Imust admit that I've fallen into this lattergrouping. Using a computer program called "LifeCycles," I've compiled and computerized years ofdata that I can tally, tweak and compare at the push of a button.

Serious phenologistsfollow specific guidelines regarding the collection of data they will usefor detailed analysis. But forthose pursuing phenology as a hobby, any interesting subject or eventof a recurring nature isadmissible.

What to record?

Like the farmers of old, I use phenology to makedecisions. I'm an avid bird watcher and I don't like to miss the annual return of my favorite species.I observe and record the dates on which various bird species arrive in my area, register the dates ofcourtship and mating rituals, and make note of the dates that different species are singing, nesting,congregating for fall migration, etc. Then, when I plan birding outings, I refer to my previous years'phenology lists to decide when the prime time for a given event is likely to occur and scheduleaccordingly.

As a gardener, I like to keep track of things such as the last frost or theopening of the first tulip blossom for future reference. When the onions were planted or when Iharvest my first tomato are also useful bits of information.

What I can't grow, I gather. So Irecord the date that I find my first morel mushroom and notewhen the wild blueberries, raspberriesand blackberries have ripened. Bluegill and walleye spawning dates are also important in MYphenological listings!

As a photographer and nature enthusiast, I list a large variety ofphenological events that Iobserve from year to year and use my observations to help plan trips forvarious outdoor activities. Scanning previous years' lists, I know when to schedule a visit to anearby prairie chicken dancing ground or when to photograph the fall woodlands when they are attheir peak colors. I know when to start watching for new fawns of the year or expect to see foxpups romping around the entrances of their dens. I even keep track of the emergence of insects likeblack flies, deer flies,mosquitos and ticks. (These pesky species are some of the easiest on which toget accurate data, because they come to you when they are available for cataloging.)

To everything there is a season

Parts of the country having sharply defined seasons are bestsuited for phenological pursuits because of the distinct periods of biological activity and dormancy.Dates of particular events varyfrom year to year due in part to inconsistent seasonal weatherpatterns.

Because of a phenomenon known as Hopkins' Law, they also vary fromlocation to location. Andrew Hopkins was an entomologist working for the U.S. Bureau ofEntomology in Washington D.C. in 1918. Based upon his observations, Hopkins concluded thatfrom place to place any givenphenological event differs by four days for every degree of latitude.Further, it differs one and one quarter day for each degree of longitude and one day for eachhundred feet of altitude.

According to Hopkins' Law, someone living on a high bluff inthe northeast corner of Wisconsin could expect that spring will arrive three or four weeks later thansomeone living in avalley in the southwestern part of the state. Not surprisingly, since they rely onseasonal vagaries aswell as the imperfections of human observation, the principles of Hopkins' Lawand phenology itself are not absolute. But the dates of many cyclical events are extraordinarilyconsistent. The swallows of San Juan Capistrano, Calif., and the vultures of Hinckley, Ohio areworld-renowned for their consistent return dates.

My own observations over the past yearsreveal a surprising consistency to the spring return dates of various species. Great-crestedflycatchers and rose-breasted grosbeaks have returned to my area for the last seven years with avariance of only nine days. The blossoms of hepatica have shown their lavender petals in ourwoodlot within a 13-day span over the last eight years.

Phenological records made at thesame general location from year to year are the best for making serious annual comparisons. Notonly are you comparing apples to apples (or at least theirflowering dates), but you are more likelyto know where to look within your area for particular events to occur. For example, if you knowthat migrating ducks first show up in the open waters below a local dam and you consistentlymonitor that area for new arrivals, your data is going to bemore accurate than if you keeprelocating from one town to the next.

Biology isn't the only legitimate subject ofphenological study. For instance, I note when my driveway culvert thaws in spring. That's part ofthe appeal of this venture: You can track whatever events interest you.

Although oursheltered and secure lifestyle doesn't require as close a synchronization with thepatterns of thebiosphere as did the uncertain existence of our ancestors, getting in touch withphenological eventsis still a worthwhile, healthy and enjoyable form of entertainment. Not onlywill you reap benefitsfrom being active and outdoors, but you'll be gathering useful information and learning somethingabout nature's life cycles as well.

About the author

Nature photographerGregory K. Scott, whose images regularly appear in Wisconsin Natural Resources, can befound watching the hepatica bloom (and the culverts thaw) from his home in Gilman, Wis. Reachhim at greg@sws-wis.com.

Phenology fanciers

Want to compare notes with other nature observers? The 300 membersof the Wisconsin Phenological Society faithfully collect phenological data over a three-state area.The data are compiled and used for study and the publication of scientific reports. For a $2 annualmembership fee, you'll receive a regular bulletin of past phenological events and have theopportunity to submitthe dates of everything from pussy willows in bud to your first mosquito biteof '95. To participate,write the Wisconsin Phenological Society, c/o Prof. Frank D. Bowers,Biology Department,College of Letters and Science, University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point,Stevens Point WI 54481-3897.

If your phenological interests extend beyond the Midwest,take a look at the International Phenological Network's listserve. To join, send an e-mail messageto:

LISTSERV@NIC.SURFNET.NL

In the body of your message type: SUBSCRIBE IPN-LS

You'll receive aresponse telling you what step to take next!

Computing the cycles

Tospeed his phenological recordkeeping, Greg Scott designed Life Cycles,a simple computersoftware program based on DBase IV, a well-known database management package. After thephenological information is enteredinto the computer, it can be manipulated alphabetically, bydate, by a singlespecies or by groups of species.

Here's what a Life Cycles "statisticsreport" on bloodroot looks like:

Bloodroot(flowering)

Earliest: April 7

Latest: April 28

Average:April 19

First recorded: 04/20/85

Last recorded:04/26/94

Frequency: 10

Translation: Greg has been observing the datesbloodroot flowers for 10 years. He made his first entry in April of 1985 and his most recent entryin April, 1994. During those 10 years, the earliest he's seen bloodroot flower was April 7; the latestwas April 28. The average gives a clue as to when he should start looking for bloodroot to flower inthe future.

If you'd like more information about Life Cycles software, write:

Justice Associates, "Life Cycles" Division
N3566 Grover Drive
Withee, WI54498
USA

Visit the Life Cycles World Wide Web site at http://sws-wis.com/lifecycles/

You can also fax Greg Scott at (715)785-7614 or send e-mail to greg@sws-wis.com