Harbingers of Spring
By Julie Thomas, PhD
Imagine my delight in coming upon this photo opportunity last spring! It was an early Sunday morning. My husband and I had just visited a patient at CHI St. Elizabeth’s hospital, and we were on our way to Mass. It was a bit overcast, but as we turned North on 70th Street my eyes caught a blur of movement at the street level. I grabbed my cell phone and urged my husband to slow down. There they were just ahead of us — Mother and Father Goose safely “herding” their young ones across the street (while seeming to follow the light change and the L Street Crosswalk).
Perhaps you notice some spring-season features depicted in this photo (clouds gathering, trees leafing out, and goslings gathered all in a row)? Scientists use the term phenology to note the relationship between seasonal changes (precipitation and temperature) and the timing of plant and animal life cycles. Observable patterns in these seasonal changes help us anticipate phase changes — such as when lilacs bloom, when birds build nests, when pollinating insects emerge, and when leaves change color. Phenology is nature’s calendar, and this calendar is changing. Scientists note we are experiencing a global climate shift (wherein flowers are blooming earlier than they used to) and wonder if pollinator phase changes will adjust accordingly.
With this article I hope to encourage you (and your nieces, nephews, and grandchildren) to be on the lookout for signs of spring in Lincoln — in
your yard, your neighborhood, or your city parks. You might snap a photo, start a journal, or get online to record and share your seasonal observations this year.
Whether you aspire to casual or serious observation, you might like to check out Budburst (budburst.org/the-program) a national network of community scientists (some professional, but mostly simple enthusiasts) dedicated to monitoring plants as the seasons change.
Another website, Journey North (journeynorth.org), will allow you to add sightings to a map of Nebraska (such as your first sighted earthworm or robin nesting behavior) — and compare the 2024 and 2025 data.
Julie Thomas, PhD, is a retired Science Educator and a Research Professor Emerita from the University of Nebraska and a contributing writer for 55+.