Find your flowers blooming earlier, or your trees leafing later? Become a citizen scientist and record your findings via Project BudBurst, a nationwide research program based on the findings of local gardeners. Tim De Chant at the Chicago Tribune describes Project BudBurst thusly (via 3qd):

Only a handful of researchers study plants to chronicle global warming, but millions of gardeners quietly keep watch on their plants. BudBurst seeks to tap that potential, asking “citizen scientists” to monitor plants alongside trained scholars….

Participants in BudBurst monitor one or more plants, native or non-native, throughout the growing season. Along the way, they record and report the dates of events such as the first flower or first seed….

Though some plant experts already have noticed certain species popping up unseasonably early, gardeners may be ideal for observing the subtle waxing of summers or waning of winters. They fill their plots with plants best suited to the weather, so for many, responding to climate change is simply a matter of common sense.

Participate by signing up or read up on the “913 phenological events reported from participants in 26 states” last year.

Screenshot from Project BudBurst

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