Phenology
2026

This report is brought to you by Penelope, Winston, James and the students from Cuyuna Range Elementary School in Crosby-Ironton.

 It was sunny and 64 when we arrived and 15 and snowing on our last day. There’s something magical about the first snowfall of spring. One of the highlights of our trip was an up-close encounter with a muskrat. The little fellow was spotted 100 yards from shore in front of the Marcum House Lodge. It was digging in the grass looking for food.  Our entire group was only 25 feet away, but it didn’t seem scared at all. We watched him for a few minutes and left him to eat in peace. The insects liked the warm weather. We saw flies, mosquitos, spiders and a diving beetle on the trail that we named Timmy. Unfortunately, we encountered our first two ticks of the season. One was a wood tick and the other a deer tick. They are out, so beware. It’s tick check season. A deer was seen in the bog and two Trumpeter swans stopped by the lake and rested on the ice before moving on in search of open water. Our group saw a chipmunk. It was the first sighting of the season. Garter snakes were seen sunning themselves near their hibernaculum, but one snake was spotted deeper in the woods. Mr. Corbett went for a hike and found a deer bed. He said that fur was everywhere. He also found a $200 check that Dave from Long Lake may or may not have unintentionally released into the wild on an earlier trek around the lake…further proof that it pays to go on a nature hike. We would like to send a special shout out to Mr. Sipper. We had a great time exploring nature and we want to remind everyone to unplug, get outside and LIVE CONNECTED!

This report is brought to you by Sierra and the students from Highland Catholic School in St. Paul.

The spring temperatures melted most of what is left of the snow, but we were able to identify animal tracks in the mud. We found deer, turkey and canine tracks, most likely fox or coyote. There were unconfirmed reports of howling wolves at nighttime. It’s peak maple tapping season and the sap is flowing fast. We found one tree with a branch broken off at the trunk and sap was running out. We all got to taste it. American Robins returned last week and are now here in big numbers. The first flock of juncos arrived on campus this morning. The bird migration is underway. Eric saw a pileated woodpecker and we heard lots of fast drumming. We found a dead tree with lots and lots of woodpecker holes in it. It was nice hearing all of the spring bird songs. I found what we believe is a White Spring Moth. These are typically the first moths of the season because they can tolerate colder temperatures. Someone saw a caterpillar on the sidewalk, a few trees are starting to bud and there are green leaves on strawberry plants in the woods. We had a great time exploring nature and we want to remind everyone to unplug, get outside and LIVE CONNECTED!

This report is brought to you by Riley, Penny, Isabel and the students from Modern Montessori Charter School in Champlin.

Spring weather arrived during our trip with sunny high temperatures of 54 and a low of 27 - perfect conditions for maple tapping. The sap is flowing and we got to taste it. Pretty sweet. Nature is waking up, including a variety of insects. We spotted a fly, an unidentified moth-like insect, and the first mosquitos of the year.  A few spiders were seen as well. Declan found a ball of garter snakes. These are sometimes called mating balls. Lana saw three garter snakes on the way back from Wilderness Meal. One snake was more than 10 inches long. The snakes are definitely out and about again. The group spotted a Sandhill Crane on the bus ride to Long Lake as well as Trumpeter Swans and Canada Geese. We saw almost every Minnesota species of woodpecker, including getting a close up look at a male Red-bellied Woodpecker. Our group found an old “poofy” mushroom, Turkey Tail Mushrooms, and an orange lichen. Rabbits were enjoying the sun and Mason was able to get pretty close to one before it hid behind a tree. The sunrise on Friday was very pretty. The sun was big and bright red. We had a great time exploring nature and we want to remind everyone to unplug, get outside and LIVE CONNECTED!

This report is brought to you by Annora, Gunnar and Kiwi from St. Stephen's Catholic School in Anoka.

Our trip to Long Lake Conservation Center from March 11-13 started with pleasant spring-like weather and ended in Snowmaggedon with six inches of snow and high winds. In between, we saw and heard lots of interesting things in nature. There were three first-of-the-season bird sightings. We heard, but didn’t see, a Red-winged Blackbird, and saw Trumpeter Swans and Canada Geese fly over the lake. On a hike around the lake, we found lots and lots of canine tracks. Most looked like coyotes, but a few were large enough to potentially be wolves. The most likely answer is that there is a coyote with big paws. We saw herds of as many as 15 deer at multiple times and locations. Deer tend to herd up in the late winter and early spring to feed together on emerging vegetation when other winter food sources become scarce. After a relatively mild winter, the deer seem healthy and the population is high. We saw numerous clumps of deer fur in the woods, so the shed has started. Before winter returned, a few snakes were spotted sunning themselves on the rocks outside of their hibernaculum. Despite the snow, spring is near. We had a great time exploring nature and we want to remind everyone to unplug, get outside and LIVE CONNECTED!

This report is brought to you by Moosay, Zoe and the students from Sejong Academy Korean Immersion School in St. Paul.

During our trip to Long Lake Conservation Center from March 3-6, the high temperature was 47 degrees Fahrenheit and the low was 22. Turkeys were in strut near campus and we saw garter snakes outside of their hibernaculum for the first time this year. They didn’t venture far, but this is a sign that the worst of winter is behind us. A Magpie was spotted and we had reports in the area of black bears out and about. The snow is melting quickly and there are areas of green grass. On the lake we noticed that the leaves were melting into leaf shapes in the ice. Lu saw a deer outside of his window, and a few ladybugs inside. During a hike, we found a clump of deer fur, and saw a fuzzy caterpillar, jelly mushrooms on a stick, tiny orange mushrooms, lots of tracks and scat, and an owl pellet that had hair in it. The mornings were foggy, but beautiful. The woodpeckers were very active at the feeders. We saw hairy, downy and red-bellied woodpeckers. We thought that the Red-bellied woodpecker’s song sounded like a Pokemon. We had a great time exploring nature and we want to remind everyone to unplug, get outside and LIVE CONNECTED!

This report is brought to you by Kash, Daylee and the students from Coulee Connections in LaCrosse, Wisconsin.

During our trip to Long Lake Conservation Center from February 25th through the 27th. The high temperature was 44 degrees Fahrenheit and the low was 7.  We saw large groups of crows, we also heard them cawing loudly, and saw their tracks down by the lake. Deer were seen both evenings at about 5pm by the bird feeders. The most we saw at one time was 13! Another animal we saw a lot of were squirrels; red, black and gray. They were very active; eating and chasing. We noticed several moth cocoons on the buildings and watched a few chickadees pick them off and eat them. Early spring tree buds were seen on the red maple and aspen. We had a great time exploring nature and we want to remind everyone to unplug, get outside and LIVE CONNECTED!

This report is brought to you by Blakely, Valentine, Stella and the students from Sacred Heart School in Freeport, St. Mary's in Melrose and St. John's and St. Andrews.

During our trip from February 18th through the 20th, we enjoyed a fresh blanket of snow and pleasant late-winter high temperatures in the low 30s. Our group enjoyed looking at the tracks in the fresh snow and even so saw a mouse run out of the snow. The Chickadees were heard singing their “cheeseburger” song - a sure sign that spring is on its way. At the feeders we saw a Red-bellied Woodpecker, Hairy Woodpeckers and the season’s first Common Redpolls. They didn’t stick around long, but it was nice to see them. The red and grey squirrels were fun to watch at the window feeders. They sure eat a lot of seeds. Naturalist Danny tracked a porcupine on the south side of the lake. That’s the first porcupine sighting in quite a long time. One of the highlights of the trip was seeing spiders in the snow in the woods. We think that one was a species of funnel weaver and the other is believed to be a type of fishing spider. It’s also possible that they were Wolf spiders. “Snow spiders” are specially adapted to cold with a natural antifreeze in their bodies. They move on top of the snow to hunt insects that can’t move because of the cold. Just like the spiders, we had fun in the snow and we want to remind everyone to unplug, get outside and LIVE CONNECTED!

This report is brought to you by Charlotte, Orion and the students from Our Lady of Victory Catholic School in Fergus Falls.

During our trip to Long Lake Conservation Center from February 23rd through the 25th. The high temperature was 31 degrees Fahrenheit and the low was zero. At the bird feeders we saw downy woodpeckers, red-bellied woodpeckers, Pine grosbeaks, chickadees, nuthatches and squirrels. We heard reports of redpolls in the area but did not see any at Long Lake. The Long Lake naturalists said they also have not seen snow buntings this winter. We looked for thaw circles at the base of trees. Some trees still had deep snow all the way around and some had large thaw circles that showed the grass. Out on the lake the ice was making loud cracking noises. Deer trails are very easy to see in the snow. We talked about maybe using them to look for sheds and other ideas for how and when to find deer sheds. We saw many other kinds of tracks in the snow including squirrel, mouse or vole, and turkey. We had a great time exploring nature and we want to remind everyone to unplug, get outside and LIVE CONNECTED!

This report is brought to you by Brentley, Norah and the students from Paynesville Elementary.

During our trip to Long Lake Conservation Center from February 11th through the 13th the high temperature was 43 degrees Fahrenheit and the low was 5. The sun is getting stronger and there are spots where the snow has melted and the ground and is showing. The lichen was colorful and bright in the sun. One person saw a lichen that was a perfect circle. We learned that lichen are a symbiotic pairing of fungi and algae. We saw rabbit tracks, watched a vole scurry into a hole in the ground and saw an unidentified white animal run across the hill. It could have been an ermine. The warm temperatures brought a garter snake inside our dorm. It’s too early for them to venture outside, but it’s a sign of spring that they are moving around. We saw a flock of Pine Grosbeaks and a female Hairy Woodpecker at the feeder along with red and grey squirrels, but no chipmunks yet. Deer were on the move and spotted numerous times around campus. There were signs of wolves in the area, including large scat, and perhaps some howls were heard. One of our minions says he thinks he saw wolves on the far side of the lake. We had a great time exploring nature and we encourage everyone to unplug, get outside and LIVE CONNECTED!

This report is brought to you by Rose and Tommy from St. Elizabeth Ann Seton School in St. Cloud.

During our trip to Long Lake Conservation Center from February 9th through the 11th the high temperature was 38 degrees Fahrenheit and the low was 14. We saw and heard very early signs of spring, including Chickadees singing the “Cheeseburger” song. We also observed that birch trees are shedding their seeds. This signals that the trees are starting to wake up and get ready for new growth. We heard a great horned owl during our Wolfpack class and found coyote scat during Wilderness Meal. A fat squirrel was in the bird feeder, spilling seeds onto the ground. A flock of eight Pine Grosbeaks were on the ground eating the spilled seeds. Seven of the Grosbeaks were female and one was male. We also saw a Waxwing, but couldn’t tell whether it was a Cedar or Bohemian. Pileated, Downy and Hairy woodpeckers were seen, but we didn’t hear any drumming. One person saw a vole digging in the snow, another person saw four deer from their window, and one of the parents saw racoons at the bird feeders before sunrise. Rose and Mia saw the Big Dipper near the North Star on the night hike.  Winter is not over yet, but signs of spring are out there. We had a great time in nature and we encourage everyone to unplug, get outside and LIVE CONNECTED!

This report is brought to you by Cohan, Baron, Gus and the students from Bigfork, Cohasset and Grand Rapids East Elementary School.

During our trip to Long Lake Conservation Center from February 4th through the 6th. The high temperature was 36 degrees Fahrenheit and the low was 16. At the bird feeders we saw downy woodpeckers, red-bellied woodpeckers, Pine grosbeaks, chickadees, nuthatches and of course, squirrels and more squirrels. In the forest we noticed that there are trees that still have some leaves on them.  We also found deer, mouse and rabbit tracks. We heard a barred owl calling in the evening and Bohemian Waxwings singing from the treetops during the day. The woodpeckers were heard drumming, Mr. Latimer visited us for a phenology walk. Some of the things we talked about on the walk included;  

• Winter is a good time to find and investigate bird nests.

• When looking closely at evergreen needles, you know that if it has more than one needle in the bundle, it is from a pine tree.

• Squirrels make nests called dreys.

• You can tell an aspen from a birch tree by the color of the branches; aspen have white branches, and birch trees have black branches.

• Grouse like to hide in thickets because the close together trees protect them from hawks looking for a grouse meal. 

• Unlike in our teeth, cavities in trees are GOOD! The holes are homes for wildlife like songbirds, owls and bats.

• We ended the walk by following a deer trail into a frozen swamp where we found black spruce trees, tamarack trees, Labrador tea plants and sphagnum moss. Thanks for joining us on our field trip Mr. Latimer!

We had a great time exploring nature and we want to remind everyone to brush your teeth, unplug, get outside and LIVE CONNECTED!

PHENOLOGY SATURDAY

This week was dominated by frigid Arctic air with highs in the single digits and lows inching toward -20. Compared to last week, it didn't seem so bad. It's during the depth of winter when we are reminded of the lessons from those animals who don't flee for warmer weather, or take a winterlong siesta, but rather stay. We always marvel that the squirrels, Chickadees, Nuthatches, woodpeckers, deer, coyotes, wolves and other critters not only survive, but seem to have fun doing it. We watched squirrels chase each other, and Chickadees dance in mid air. There's a sense in their actions not of "we just have to make the most of it", but rather of the pure and simple joy of being alive. This lesson was not lost on the sixth grade students who came for a day trip from Rippleside Elementary. The kids had a blast cross country skiing, snowshoeing and playing snow snakes. It was pure joy and a raucous reminder that life and nature is a gift. We have choices to make. We can complain about the cold, curl up by a fire and stay inside, or we can bundle up, get outside and breathe the daily miracle of existence. If you opt for the latter, you'll get to enjoy glorious sunrises like this... As for us, we choose to unplug, get outside and live connected!

This report is brought to you by Tegan, Paycen and the students from Bertha-Hewitt Elementary who braved the cold for a fun outdoor adventure.

During our trip to Long Lake Conservation Center on January 22nd and 23rd, it was cold. Really, really, really cold with the high temperature of 7 below zero and a low of 30 below zero. It was the coldest temperature of the year. The last time it was this cold was February 13 , 2021, when it reached 31 below. Many schools in the state were closed, but it didn’t stop us from getting outside and exploring. In the “warmth of the day” we bundled up, played snow snakes on the lake, and went crosscountry skiing. We learned that when it gets really cold, trees that are holding lots of moisture can crack and explode. No trees exploded during our trip. We tested a theory that you can pound a nail with a frozen banana and it actually worked. We tested another theory to see if bubbles froze and they did. Although we went exploring, the mammals seemed to be bundled up. We only noticed a few Chickadees, Nuthatches, a Red-bellied Woodpecker and red and gray squirrels. They grabbed a quick meal of seeds and quickly went back to warm up. It’s always fun to explore nature, and we encourage everyone to unplug, bundle up, get outside and LIVE CONNECTED!

This report is brought to you by Ray, George, Jake and the new Minnesota Master Naturalists! Welcome to club nature!

Phenology Friday. Winter appreciation photo edition.

Deer bedding on LLCC campus at 4:40pm.

Track evidence of bunnies munching on a down maple branch.

Winter sunshine! Always a welcome sight.

This report is brought to you by Emma Kippley-Ogman and the other writers from the Legends and Lore Winter Writer's Retreat.

During our visit from January 4th to the 7th, the low temperature was 16 degrees Fahrenheit and the high was 35. This week we noticed many birds – a female hairy woodpecker pecking out a rhythm on an old birch tree, red-bellied woodpeckers on the trees near the dining hall, pileated woodpeckers calling and flying through the trees, a raven calling and another one picking up and flying off with a snowball in its beak, blue jays, white- and red-breasted nuthatches, a pine grosbeak and black-capped chickadees. We saw a vole scampering across the snow, and a red squirrel chasing a gray one away from the leftover pancakes. We saw deer tracks and scat. We noticed birch seeds on the snow, and bright green and orange lichens of many textures on the trees. We noticed thaw circles at the bases of trees. On our way here, despite temperatures in the 20s, rain fell in freezing pellets, coating car windshields and stinging our faces. One morning the rime frost from an overnight fog outlined every oak leaf like a crayon drawing and every twig and needle. We had a great time writing and sharing; hearing from remarkable local storytellers Beth Hautala, Hope Flanigan, and Michael Goldberg, and learning with the naturalists of Long Lake; hiking, skiing and making pine needle baskets, and we want to remind everyone to unplug, get outside, and LIVE CONNECTED!

PHENOLOGY REPORT - THE YEAR IN PHOTOS

This phenology report is a celebration of our favorite critters - the smart, curious, weird, funny and enthusiastic campers, students and friends who fill our days with laughter and joy! Thanks for the memories! Here's to another great year!