Welcome everybody to Midday Magazine for this Thursday August 22nd, 2024.
Have your host James J. Mailoff here.
We're joined right now by our great friend Jen McNally,
Natural Resource Groundwater Educator with UW Medicine Division of Extension.
Jen, good to see you.
Hey, James, nice to be here today.
Thanks so much for being here today and hanging out with us.
We appreciate you and all the gang over at Extension.
And real quick, before we dive into the topic,
that is one of the cooler water bottles I have seen.
That is awesome.
Thank you so much.
It's very important to stay hydrated.
Let alone look cool while you're doing it.
That's pretty good.
Jen, we're going to talk about phenology today.
Yes.
And I can't believe I actually said that word right.
I pulled it off.
So points there.
You got it right on the first try.
Let's dive right in.
What in the world is end of phenology?
Right.
So people are probably asking, I've never heard of that word before.
But I thought we would take a little step away from water today
and talk about something a little bit different.
Probably, as most folks have noticed,
if you've been out and about outside,
you're starting to notice those seasonal changes, right?
A few different color leaves.
The animals are starting to act a little bit different
or we're starting to see different things.
So I thought phenology would be kind of a cool topic
to talk about today.
So phenology really is the relationship
between life cycles, the plants, and animals,
and environmental changes, especially
when we're looking at temperature and weather
and how those two things correlate to each other.
For most of us who live in the Midwest,
we probably notice these phenological changes
or the changes in seasons, just something that we observe,
even though you probably didn't know
that there was a technical study of it.
Yeah, you can actually give a name to it now.
Absolutely.
So really, it's just noticing those changes
that are happening with seasonal variations
or temperature changes, and really looking
at the relationships between those two things.
Is there an example we can give the audience?
Absolutely.
There's multiple examples.
Great one leaves turning color.
One is that happening during the year.
Is it happening earlier or later?
What month is that occurring in?
A big one for me in water resources is ice out.
When does the ice go out on a lake or a body of water?
When does it occur?
Or maybe even something called late turnover
that happens in a lake.
What is like turnover if you don't know?
So in a lake, in most lakes, not in all lakes,
but in most lakes, in the spring in the summer,
or in the spring in the fall,
we'll have something called late turnover.
And so typically in a lake,
you might notice when you jump in,
there's going to be warmer water at the surface,
colder water, down deep.
So temperature changes,
and then there's also different levels of oxygen.
And the fall in the spring,
what happens is that lake, the water in it,
actually turns over and everything mixes
from top to bottom.
And there's a period of time
where it is uniform in temperature and oxygen
all the way through,
and then it'll start to separate again.
But really important when our managing our water resources
to know when that happens,
because there's a lot of other things associated with it.
I love learning.
I love learning things like that.
Thank you, Jed.
Thank you so much.
That is awesome.
I appreciate that.
I went all the way off script there.
I appreciate that.
You're right.
You just do great.
So where does phonology come from?
So phonology is a pretty ancient thing.
I mean, people have been noticing these relationships
since probably the beginning of time.
You know, Japanese and Chinese culture
started recording the Chinese Bloss,
or cherry blossoms,
and when they bloomed as early as the 18th century.
You know, lots of different cultures
and traditions have kind of proverbs or sayings
that are related to phenology,
such as April showers,
Spring May flowers,
everybody's heard that one, right?
Really, the study of phenology
didn't start to be kind of use that term
until like the 1840s.
And that's when it really started
to become an actual study.
But if we look locally,
one of their early phenologists
was although Leopold from Wisconsin.
Wow.
It's all county.
How cool is that?
Yeah, right.
And Natalie is that cool
and brings it really home and closer,
but also kind of I hope reminds Wisconsinites
and Midwesterners alone how important
these subjects are in our land is to us
and in taking care of it and tied to,
you know, everyday life and what we do.
So is phenology important?
Yeah, so I don't, you know,
most people start to notice these changes
and you're like, you know,
the flowers are always going to bloom.
The birds are always going to migrate.
Is it important that I know when that happens?
And for most people,
it may not be,
but for the bigger picture,
phenology actually really is important
for a few different reasons.
One, if we can make these observations over time,
more and more frequently,
we really start to notice those correlations
between when things are happening in the natural world.
And that can be important for us
in the timing of different things.
Say planting different crops
or managing different pests
and noticing when they're emerging.
Sometimes it's more important to have
that actual on-the-ground evidence
than, you know, an anticipated date.
Right.
So the more observations that we can actually make,
the better for us.
And more informed,
it can make, you know,
people who are trying to manage
for those type of things.
We also start to see trends over time.
You know, one of the things
that we've talked about in the past
is the change in climate.
Yeah.
That's a big one for phenology.
Most people have noticed, you know,
our springs are starting to get a little bit earlier.
Our faults are starting to get a little bit later.
And how does that affect the natural world?
Yeah.
And the things that are associated with it.
So really important when it comes to something like that.
And then believe it or not,
it's also used for a lot of different things,
like determining allergies
and allergencies.
You know, not something that we would typically think about,
but can be having an impact on a lot of people's lives.
Agriculture, of course,
when they're planning crops and pest management.
I mean, that's kind of a big one.
Yeah, that was, especially in this state
in Midwest or with our ag industry.
I imagine this is a big topic for them.
Absolutely.
And most people probably don't know the name associated with it,
but are making these observations
in their daily lives.
So, and certainly the management of natural resources.
This is important for people in that field and that world.
Absolutely.
You know, when we're talking about things like drought
and fire risk.
Phenology is associated with that.
You know, looking at different types of conservation.
How, what plants are there?
Is there a year where we're not seen as much of things?
For example, monarch butterflies.
That's a great one.
You know, we've noticed declines in their populations.
Does that have a phenological association with it or not?
So, yeah.
And if I can piggyback on this amazing list
that you have here, one other thing to add.
It's cool.
Like, this is cool to learn about.
This is cool and interesting that this happens
and how long this has been happening.
The history of this is fascinating.
It's just really interesting
and it happens all around us.
And nature is a, never nature has, doesn't every runs.
Right.
It's always something new.
It's always something interesting.
And that, that part of is really cool too
to be able to, certainly, I actually think it might,
we might have saved time by talking about the industries
that aren't not affected by phenology.
Because it feels like, it feels like it touches everything
in our lives.
It really does.
So, being able to take a step back and appreciate it.
See how cool this is in nature.
How cool nature is in general.
I think also will help you see how it applies
to your day-to-day life or your field, your job.
And how important it is that we not only understand these things
but that we have individuals like yourself
and other people out there really keeping an eye on these things.
Yeah, and I think that's maybe one of the things
that I geek out about this topic a little bit
is that it is so accessible for anyone, you know,
if somebody is like, well, well, how do I start
or how do I participate in this?
It is as simple as going for a walk
and just noticing the things around you.
You know, it doesn't take anything special to really participate.
It's really just taking the time to stop
and notice the world around you
and how that's changing from day to day
or from month to month.
You know, if people really want to get a little bit more serious
about phenology, it's just recording those observations
and writing them down.
Which is can be as simple as just using a notebook
and taking the time to go out there and notice what you see around you.
It doesn't matter if you live in the city or in the country.
Things change no matter where you are.
So...
Well, we're speaking with Jen McNally, Natural Resource Groundwater Editor,
with UW Medicine Division of Extension.
And Jen, one of the things that occurs to me
as we're talking about this too,
is kind of coming back to the observance of our world.
And I've always been really bad at stopping and being in the moment.
And just taking a pause and breathing
and appreciating the world around me.
I get busy and I get focused.
Like a lot of people and stuff.
One of the things that's really helped me later in life with this is animals.
Like my fur brother, Sam.
I'm running around like crazy.
Sam's just sitting there and I see him as I'm going past
and I got to stop and pet Sam.
I got to stop.
And it gets me to be in the moment for a second
and kind of stop and think about things
and observe the world around me.
Especially when I'm taking him for a walk.
And I see something like our geese flying south
or something like that.
And something that we see all the time.
But it gives me a moment to like appreciate it.
And I just see how beautiful it is.
Check out the blue sky that's above me.
And observe the world around me for a moment before I realize,
oh wow, this is beautiful.
Like I'm fortunate.
I get to live in this world, in this city, in this state, in these things.
And can make us really...
There's never...
You can't appreciate things too much.
There's no side effect to this or anything.
It's one of the positives that you can incorporate in your day.
But also understand the world around you a little bit better.
Exactly.
If you take the time to make these observations,
you'll really start to notice, you know,
when things are happening and how that's changing
and the differences in that, you know,
taking the time to write down, you know, today,
I saw the geese migrate south.
And that might be a whole month different
from when you saw it last year.
A really cool tool for people to use too
is the Aldo Lito Leopold Society.
It has a phenological calendar that they put out each year.
And so it's got rough dates for when these different natural events occur.
So that if you're not taking the time,
but you look on your calendar and be like,
oh, such and such flowers supposed to be outblooming,
I should go look for that.
So it works in reverse too, you know,
not only you taking the time,
but sometimes you need that physical reminder of like,
oh, I should step out and, you know,
see what's happening today.
If people are really, really interested in contributing
to the larger body of science related to phenology
and might be a little bit more tax savvy,
there's actually apps that people use.
There is an app, I want to get the name right.
There is an app called Nature's Notebook,
which is put out by the US National Phonology Network.
That you can download at your phone.
And your observations actually go into a national database
that's used by scientists all over the US
related to phenology.
And so it doesn't just have to be in your big backyard,
you can contribute to this larger body of science yourself
as what we like to call a citizen scientist.
Yeah, how cool is that?
Right.
That website sounded really awesome too
that has the calendar kind of of how this stuff...
Yeah.
And that has got to be something that's really unique to me,
but I imagine very helpful to you and others in the industry.
That's really cool to hear.
Absolutely.
Jen, now we've covered this a bit already
and touched on it a little, but I'm just to go a little bit deeper into it.
Phonology sounds really cool.
It sounds like a really interesting thing.
Sounds very good.
But how does it have to do with your everyday citizen?
How does it apply to them?
Sure.
Especially, you know, sometimes it can be a little bit harder
for those of us who don't live in the Midwest,
but for us who live in the Midwest.
We have some pretty big changes that happen from season to season
that impact us.
And phenology is really just taking the time to notice the correlation
between when those things are happening.
And they can have an impact on our everyday life,
like the things that we talked about with, like the allergens
or our agriculture or fire and drought risk.
Which really do have an impact on all of us in some way.
And it's really important to take note of that
and when those things are happening and how they change over time
because it gives us a better idea of how that world is changing
and how we should manage for it in the future.
It's certainly, I mean, just on the essence of we got one planet.
Right.
You know, I mean, if I could just go to that route real quick
because this is what we got everybody.
I haven't checked it out recently,
but I have not seen a lot of apartments on the moon or Mars
or anything like that.
The last I checked there is no real estate over there.
This is the world we got.
And order to take care of it and keep it around,
not just for us, but younger generations and everything.
This subject is also important, I would say, on that level.
And not necessarily that you take this information
and you immediately start a green fund or something like that.
But as I get older, I realize more and more
that we're all conservationists.
And we're all on the same page on the same planet
trying to keep this rock going and keep it moving
and making sure that it's around here for a long time.
Understanding this stuff, sharing these things,
whether it's in your own personal notebook or online,
can only help our scientists, our individuals like Jen
and different people in these industries have more and more data
and be able to understand the world that we're living in
and how it's changing.
Again, nature has no reruns.
You couldn't have said it any better, James.
That was perfect.
And I think that one of the things too that's cool about this again
is that we, not only can we observe these things,
but we can do something about it,
that we can affect these things, that we can make change,
that we can, this isn't one of those things where,
oh, well, I guess we did what we could here, everybody.
We had a good run.
That's all right. No, no, not at all.
In fact, the more we collect this data,
and the more we get it to you guys and scientists
and different people, then no, the stronger we are,
not only as a world and as a people,
but the stronger our planet can be.
Make no mistake about it.
The planet's going to be here, whether we are,
not as a whole other story.
So keeping us around and thriving on this planet
is just as integral as the planet itself.
This stuff, this is all data, it all helps with it.
And again, it's really cool.
It's really interesting to see this stuff all just happening around us.
I was going to say, it's fun too.
It's an opportunity to take a pause, to notice that world around us,
the beautiful state that we live in,
and just really be cognizant of how that is changing,
and between the seasons and what's happening,
and really just appreciating it.
I don't mean to put you on the spot, Jen,
but I'm curious because I gave you a little bit of
how this is for me, and the little bit that I've observed.
I imagine for you and your world,
and the brain that you got, which is amazing,
that you may see think it's a little more common for you,
but you're probably even taken back by some of these changes
and some of it, even for you, when it's in your head all the way already.
Absolutely. I think even as somebody
as a scientist who works in this world day to day,
we get so wrapped up in what we're doing,
that we don't take enough time to stop,
and appreciate it, and I just want to say,
we're really grateful to the people who do take the time
as scientists to note these changes,
and to input this information,
just because it can be so beneficial in helping us understand
how that natural world works.
You would think we would have to figure it out,
not even close.
So yeah, just to be able to take the time,
and do that, and step back, and it's always nice to come on
and take the opportunity to talk about things like this,
because it renews my own interest in it,
and my own passion, and it's being like,
yep, you know what, I do, I need to take the time to go on,
and just appreciate it.
That's very cool.
Jenna, I was curious, you guys at Extension,
you're some of our favorite guests.
I'm curious, how are things going over,
or how do you have any events coming up over there?
Sure. So yeah, we have a couple of them,
especially one that relates really well
to this kind of phenology topic.
October 5th, Saturday, October 5th,
we're hosting the annual Science by the River event.
This is a great chance for people to get outdoors
along the Wisconsin River, kind of notice the beauty
and those changes that are happening that we talked about,
but also a great way to experience some hands-on science.
There'll be lots of different community organizations
and booths along the entire Wisconsin River
for families to come out,
and just get hands-on, you know,
fun activities related to science.
So that's a great one.
We love that event.
I'll be wearing my shirt.
There you go.
I have one pink shirt I own, and that's the one that I love it.
So make sure to mark that Saturday, October 5th on your calendars.
The other one that probably relates really well to this topic too
is coming up Saturday, September 7th.
Extension is hosting the Clean Sweep event.
So, you know, if you have hazardous or chemicals
or household products that you need to dispose of,
that is a great place to do that free of charge.
So make sure to check that out today as well.
And we'll be certainly highlighting both of those events
as we get closer to them here on our morning show
and a midday here in our other shows.
We'll be highlighting them, making sure that we get good turnouts
for both of those event.
Appreciate everybody involved with Clean Sweep.
They do such great work about that.
And so many volunteers that help out with that one.
A same thing with Science by the River.
We love that event.
It's only getting bigger and stronger every year.
We're looking forward to that.
That is our hope.
Jen, we have talked about some really cool stuff today.
If people have follow up questions,
want to know more about some of what we touched on.
How can they get in touch with you?
Sure.
Extension is a great resource for a lot of different topics.
So I always encourage people to check out the website.
You know, the Wood County Extension Office
has a great website full of lots of different information.
So that's a great place.
Otherwise, you can always give us a call as well.
Extension's website is extension.wisk.edu.
Extension.wisk.edu.
Be sure to bookmark that page.
It's not just a great way to keep up to date on everything,
but also a good way to reach out to them
and follow up with follow up questions
and other things you might wonder and want to know.
And be sure to follow them on social media as well.
Not only is it a great way to keep up to date on things there,
but you can share a lot of their events on your pages.
And you just never know who might see them.
They wouldn't otherwise.
Right.
Absolutely.
Jen, always fun hanging out with you.
Looking forward to the next time already.
Thank you so much for being here today
and bringing this great topic to us.
Well, thanks for the time, James.
Say hi to the team over there for us.
We'll do.
We'll have more midday magazine coming up for you right here
at 97.5 FM 13.20 AM WFHR.
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