UMaine Extension, Sea Grant to host citizen science trainings in April, May

A group of budding citizen scientists learn about rockweed phenology along the coast in Brunswick. University of Maine Cooperative Extensnion

University of Maine Cooperative Extension and Maine Sea Grant are hosting a series of workshops for individuals interested in participating in the Signs of the Seasons citizen science project.

The first training is scheduled for 12:30 to 2:30 p.m. Thursday, April 4, at Stimpson’s Point in Brunswick. Additional workshops will be held throughout April and May in Falmouth, Wells, Augusta, Camden and Boothbay.

For a full schedule, visit extension.umaine.edu/signs-of-the-seasons. A three-part webinar series is also available for those unable to attend.

Participants can expect to learn how to make scientific observations of phenology (the study of cyclic and seasonal changes of plants and animals), practice making observations, and leave with the tools and knowledge needed to set up their own site to observe and record changes in phenology.

Signs of the Seasons is a statewide effort to recruit volunteers to identify and record changes in more than 20 different indicator species like rockweed, milkweed, loons, butterflies and lilacs, that are important for understanding Maine’s changing climate. Data from this network of volunteers helps build a rich, detailed record of the region’s seasonal turns, which is made available to collaborating scientists and resource managers.

The workshops are free, but registration on the program website is required. For more information or to request a reasonable accommodation, contact Keri Kaczor at keri.kaczor@maine.edu or 207.974.9502, or Beth Bisson at beth.bisson@maine.edu.