Spring Update follow up!

Thanks to everyone for a great turnout at yesterday’s OSU Phenology Network spring update! Visit our garden network website here.

I promised to follow up with several items, including how to register for the free Bees in Your Backyard session on June 1st at the NW library in Worthington with Olivia Carril, open to all active Network cooperators. The session will run from 9:30AM to 3PM, and will include indoor bee ID and biology, time spent under microscopes, and time in the field catching and releasing bees. Cooperators can register here.

If you haven’t already done so, you can create account with The Great Sunflower Project and learn more about monitoring for pollinators here.

I will clarify the “flower number” definitions for all our plants, and will post updates as soon as I can put materials together.

Yesterday’s powerpoint program is embedded on our website here.

A general phenology powerpoint program can be found here. You can download by clicking on the settings wheel, then customize on your computer.

Our session included information on the Ohio Pollinator Advocate program. Here’s a link to that website, which includes powerpoints and other resources.

The ‘Lemon Queen’ sunflower seeds handed out yesterday are for you, just for fun. Don’t feel like you have to include them in your phenology garden, and it’s up to you whether you want to monitor the sunflowers for pollinators through The Great Sunflower Project.

Similarly, the flat of native perennials is to enhance your phenology garden if appropriate. Don’t feel obligated to monitor these plants unless you have the time and cooperators to do so.

I’m checking into possibilities for ordering metal stakes, although most suppliers I know of are out of business. I have one lead to follow, and I’ll let everyone know what I learn.

Here’s the link to request engraved labels for your phenology plants.

Other links I wanted to share:

Special thanks to Jason Veil and Paul Snyder for leading arboretum walks, to Bob Filbrun and Jeni Filbrun for growing our plants, and to Karen Edgington for help with set up and clean up yesterday.

And thanks to all for your continued involvement with the Ohio Phenology Garden Network! We have an amazing group of cooperators, and I’m consistently proud to work with this project.

Denise

 

 

OSU Phenology: create an account with the Great Sunflower Project for pollinator data

As was shared at yesterday’s phenology update, here are details on our new pollinator data entry process:

Create an account with GSP here.

We will be collaborating with The Great Sunflower Project (GSP), a program coordinated by Dr. Gretchen LeBuhn from San Francisco State University. The Great Sunflower Project began in 2008, and now has about 100,000 citizen scientists collecting data on pollinator visitation across North America! GSP is in need of Ohio data, and Gretchen is excited about our addition of cooperators and our rich Ohio data!

The Ohio Phenology Garden Network’s data collection methods are very similar to GSP’s so hopefully the transition will be relatively painless! Many things remain the same: We will monitor pollinator visitation on each plant in our gardens for 3 minutes, once a week when in bloom. In this intro video, Gretchen describes the GSP flagship project monitoring ‘Lemon Queen’ sunflowers. This monitoring is for 15 minutes, but we’re sticking with 3 minutes.

Our plant phenology data collection site will not change for 2018.

This site describes the data collection process.

Here’s a short video that outlines the process described below:

Thanks in advance for your patience as we make this transition! Be sure to let me know what questions you have: ellsworth.2@osu.edu

Last call to register for 5/8 update

Last call to register for our spring update!

What: 2018 OSU Phenology Garden Network Update

When: May 8, 2018, 9:30AM to 3:00PM

Where: Miller Pavillion, Secrest Arboretum

Who: All Network cooperators (volunteer data collectors) are invited to attend, new and experienced alike.

Topics for the day:

  • Network data collection: Collaboration with The Great Sunflower Project for pollinator visitation data!
  • Using the Ohio Bee Atlas on iNaturalist
  • Phenology/Pollinator demonstration gardens: plants, signage and partnerships
  • Favorite native Ohio perennials
  • The Ohio Pollinator Advocate certification
  • An arboretum walk with Paul Snyder and new Secrest coordinator Jason Veil (for experienced cooperators), or
  • Intro to phenology, bee phenology and ID refresher (for new or newer cooperators)

What you’ll get: besides a chance to learn and network with fellow phenology fans, everyone will go home with seeds to grow and watch (‘Lemon Queen’ sunflowers), a native perennial plug for your own garden, and a copy of “Bees of the Great Lakes region and wildflowers to support them” from MSU Extension, as a thank you for your phenology work (limited to 100 registrants). If there’re done in time, you’ll also get a set (25 copies) of the new Common Wasps of Ohio ID card.

What your garden could get: A flat of 32 native perennials to enhance the pollinator visitation of your network garden site (monitoring optional), as well as pollinator signage for some sites.

What to bring: Your lunch! We’ll have coffee and morning refreshments, but we ask that you bring your lunch. We have access to a refrigerator if needed.

What else? No fee to attend, but please register here so we can plan accordingly.

We hope to see you next week in Wooster!

~Denise

2018 Phenology Garden Network update on May 8th: time to register!

It’s time to register for our spring update!

What: 2018 OSU Phenology Garden Network Update

When: May 8, 2018, 9:30AM to 3:00PM

Where: Miller Pavillion, Secrest Arboretum

Who: All Network cooperators (volunteer data collectors) are invited to attend, new and experienced alike.

Topics for the day:

  • Network data collection: Collaboration with The Great Sunflower Project for pollinator visitation data!
  • Using the Ohio Bee Atlas on iNaturalist
  • Phenology/Pollinator demonstration gardens: plants, signage and partnerships
  • Favorite native Ohio perennials
  • The Ohio Pollinator Advocate certification
  • An arboretum walk with Paul Snyder and new Secrest coordinator Jason Veil (for experienced cooperators), or
  • Intro to phenology, bee phenology and ID refresher (for new or newer cooperators)

What you’ll get: besides a chance to learn and network with fellow phenology fans, everyone will go home with seeds to grow and watch (‘Lemon Queen’ sunflowers), a native perennial plug for your own garden, and a copy of “Bees of the Great Lakes region and wildflowers to support them” from MSU Extension, as a thank you for your phenology work (limited to 100 registrants). If there’re done in time, you’ll also get a set (25 copies) of the new Common Wasps of Ohio ID card.

What your garden could get: A flat of 32 native perennials to enhance the pollinator visitation of your network garden site (monitoring optional), as well as pollinator signage for some sites.

What to bring: Your lunch! We’ll have coffee and morning refreshments, but we ask that you bring your lunch. We have access to a refrigerator if needed.

What else? No fee to attend, but please register here so we can plan accordingly.

We hope to see you at Secrest Arboretum in Wooster!

~Denise

Now Recruiting: Volunteer Pollinator Specialists for 2018 class

In February, a new class of Volunteer Pollinator Specialists will begin training. Through 2018, approximately 35 participants will take part in at least 30 hours of educational training through our specialization programs across Ohio, or by attending workshops closer to home. Earn certification as a Volunteer Pollinator Specialist by completing 30 educational hours and 20 volunteer hours by September of 2019. Volunteer hours can be obtained through pollinator-related projects, gardens or outreach in your area.

Priority is given to Master Gardeners, OCVN volunteers, OSU Extension staff, Phenology Garden Network Cooperators and 4-H volunteers. Space is limited.

See this flier for details.

New for the 2018 class: bee collections (pinned, photo or hybrid), iNaturalist, and Olivia Carril just for our training class. Just like past classes, we’ll have great participants, instructors, locations and bees.

On the other hand, if you’re looking for a less-intensive program, we have space available in our Pollinator Short Course on 12/8/17 on the OARDC campus in Wooster. Participants in this class will leave with the brand new Pollinator Advocate Certification and some tools to help spread the word (handouts, access to PowerPoints, packets of bee ID cards) to protect pollinators. This one-day class is from 10AM to 3PM. Master Gardeners, Ohio Certified Volunteer Naturalists and others interested in helping pollinators are invited to attend this workshop. 

The Short Course will be held at OARDC’s Fisher Auditorium in Wooster, 1680 Madison Ave. Fee to attend: $25, including handouts. Lunch is not included (please bring your own). Register here by November 30th.

Lots to think about! But don’t think too hard/long….spaces are limited. Let me know what questions you have.

Thanks for your continued interest in pollinators!

Farewell to Our Phenology Hero!

Dan discussing tree removal for a program in Secrest Arboretum in 2006. Harvested trees were used to build the Discovery Pavilion, funded by Dan Herms and David Nielsen.

You may have heard that Dan Herms (our amazing Pheerless (Peerless!)-Phenology-Leader) is leaving OSU at the end of September. Dan has accepted a fantastic position leading a major research program beginning in 2018.

For twenty years, I have had the pleasure of learning from and working with Dan on many projects, including our Phenology Garden Network. The first time I met Dan (I invited him to speak at a program at Stan Hywet Hall and Gardens in Akron), I was pregnant with my son Ian, who is now a sophomore at OSU. How time flies!

I know that many of our cooperators know and respect Dan and would like to wish him the best as he moves on from OSU. Please send Dan a card or e-mail with a memory or something you’ve learned from him over the years. Mail to:

Dan Herms, Department of Entomology

1680 Madison Ave., Wooster, OH 44691

Or e-mail: herms.2@osu.edu

And, y’all better send me a little love the next time you see me, because I’ll be missing my friend Dan!

Dan Herms inspects common milkweed for monarch larvae, 2006.

Pollinator Quick Guides (one-page PDF handouts) Now Available

Five new Pollinator Quick Guides are now available as single page (front and back) PDFs through the following individual links, or find them all at:

http://u.osu.edu/beelab/osu-factsheets-and-bulletins/

Pollinator Quick Guide: What You Can Do to Help Bumble Bees

Pollinator Quick Guide: What You Can Do to Help Honey Bees

Pollinator Quick Guide: What You Can Do to Help Monarchs

Pollinator Quick Guide: What You Can Do to Help Native Bees

Pollinator Quick Guide: What You Can Do to Help Pollinators

English ivy in bloom near Cincinnati

Connie Arnold of Hamilton, Ohio sent me these images of English ivy in bloom on August 9th. This puts the bloom at about 2427 GDD.

If you have access to an old English ivy plant and can inspect for bloom, please do so as the phenological wave moves north over the next few weeks. Send me a picture if you can, along with the date and zip code of the plant and whether the plant is at first bloom or full bloom (one out of 20 buds still closed).

You could also participate in the video monitoring project led by Fergus Chadwick in the UK:

https://www.dropbox.com/s/6vk2j614y3rempa/ThePollinatorsofIvyMonitoringProjectHowTo3.0.docx?dl=0

Thanks to Connie for observing the flowering and sending the images!

Attend Bees in Your Backyard on August 5th in Canfield: No Cost to active OSU Phenology Garden Network Volunteers

Learn from author and biologist Olivia Carril on August 5th at the Mill Creek MetroParks Farm in Canfield.
No fee for active OSU Phenology Garden Network cooperators  to attend! The OSU Bee Lab is covering your registration.
The workshop includes hands-on bee identification using microscopes as well as field experiences with plant and bee experts.
Saturday, August 5, 9AM to 3PM
Sponsored by the The Dawes Arboretum, Franklin Park Conservatory, Mill Creek MetroParks, The Ohio State University Bee Lab, Stratford Ecological Center, and University of Mount Union.
Questions? Please e-mail Denise
We hope to see you and the bees in two weeks in Canfield!
Denise
Denise Ellsworth
Ohio State Extension, Department of Entomology

Bees in Your Backyard: Olivia Carril Coming to Ohio in August!

Author and biologist Olivia Carril will travel to Ohio in August to teach four daylong native bee workshops. Each workshop includes hands-on bee identification using microscopes as well as field experiences with plant and bee experts.

Wednesday, August 2: University of Mount Union in Alliance

Thursday, August 3: Stratford Ecological Center in Delaware

Friday, August 4: The Dawes Arboretum in Newark 

Saturday, August 5: Mill Creek MetroParks Farm in Canfield

The cost is $65 per person, and includes lunch and handouts. Sessions run from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Olivia Carril will also give a free lecture and book signing at Franklin Park Conservatory in Columbus on August 3rd at 7 p.m.

Click here for more information on the workshops

Sponsored by the The Dawes Arboretum, Franklin Park Conservatory, Mill Creek MetroParks, The Ohio State University Bee Lab, Stratford Ecological Center, and University of Mount Union.
Questions? Please e-mail Denise
We hope to see you and the bees later this summer!