Starting a Phenology Journal

What is Phenology?

Phenology is the study and observation of seasonal natural phenomena throughout the year. These natural phenomena may be influenced by a multitude of factors, but are largely influenced by seasonal changes such as climate and weather.

My personal practice of phenology was inspired by Aldo Leopold after reading his book A Sand County Almanac, which is a must read for any herbalist, ecologist, or naturalist.

Phenology is about honing our attention to notice (and record) the subtle shifts and flow of unfolding nature. Noticing when plants emerge from the soil or begin flower, migration patterns of different birds, drought phenomena and their impacts on plants, when seeds of a certain plant ripen and are ready to collect, and when plants go dormant.

When you begin, you may wonder what you should be writing down in your phenology journal. I encourage you to just write down what you notice, no matter how insignificant or subtle, and over time you will begin to notice more, and therefore record more of your noticings. You may even begin to refine your observations with more nuance and specificity, expanding the language you have for describing–and thus experiencing–natural phenomena (for example: flowers are beginning to bloom > a few early spring ephemerals like bloodroot, cutleaf toothwort, trillium, and trout lily are beginning to bloom!).

You can see why phenology might be an important practice for medicine gatherers and foragers, as the edibility or medicinal qualities of particular plants only occur at certain stages of growth during certain times of year. Having an idea of when to expect this will help you plan your food or medicine gathering efforts.

Additionally, phenology data collected over time becomes increasingly useful for restoration efforts like invasive species control (knowing when to apply certain control methods that are time sensitive), and seed collection & dispersal. See the Invasive Species Phenology Calendar drawn from the 'Management of Invasive Plants and Pests of Illinois' document below:

In short, this practice is about honing our attention to reinvest it in more natural phenomena than we are accustomed to noticing.