Author: Anna Marie, Grade 5, Bemidji State University

Location: Bemidji MN - Lake Bemidji Shore

Weather: Sunny and mild

While walking along the shore of Lake Bemidji I noticed a beautiful Crab Apple Tree one day. It was nothing completely new to me, but today it looked exceptionally red and ripe. I took many photo's of the tree until I got the best one, or what I thought was the best one. Now I'm not much of a Crab Apple contisure myself, my but I remember going for a walk with my aunt one fall who did enjoy the taste. She picked one right off the tree and rinsed it off then ate it. I thought this was strange, and decided to try one myself, needless to say i found it disgusting. However this experience did make me remember that the crab apple trees ripen every fall, and I find myself noticing them when they are ready to be picked.

Author: Anna Marie, Grade 5, Bemidji State University

Location: Bemidji Minnesota

Weather: Over the course of a few days Warm, to Mildly cool

During any Fall season in Northern Minnesota one may find themselves walking across the lawn barefoot and stepping on something hard and pokey. This my friends may be a nut, that's hard to crack... Besides the great use of puns one could make on this topic I went into more depth on this. I have noticed each and every year that many chipmunks can be found roaming among Bemidji State University's campus each year in the great search for acorns. In my memory, however, I realized that there were a much numerous amount of chipmunks around campus versus the amount of squirrels. This boggled me a great deal, because I live only a couple miles from campus and there are reverse results right outside my apartment door.

In both situations there were a great abundance of acorns on the ground, then the animals took the acorns, leaving a great abundance of acorn shells remaining. But why would there be such a strange distortion of whom was taking the acorns from certain areas in the first place?

In my noticing, documented over several weeks of observation, the answer became clear to me, or at least I believe it did. In search of chipmunks I always found them near areas which contained more natural, and wildlife friendly surroundings. Not to say that the squirrels didn't like this area too, but i found the home of the squirrel to be more adventurous, and outgoing. Thus in conclusion the surrounding area of BSU contains much more wildlife habitat, then the area around my apartment, which is why I believe the chipmunk:squirrel ratio is so different, even when they are only a few miles apart.

Author: Anna Marie, Grade 5, Bemidji State University

Location: Bemidji Minnesota

Weather: Partly Cloudy, Mildly cool

The leaves are changing colors! This particular event, in my opinion, is the most spectacular event of the year. It is the key indicator to may people that, "fall is on its way." The leaves in change display a wide array of colors for everyone to enjoy. It is truly one of the most beautiful events mother nature has given us throughout Minnesota.

Author: Amy, Bemidji State University

Location: Heartland Trail, Walker, Mn

Weather: 54 degrees, Sunny (clear)

On my walk today I noticed some changes taking place in the trees. Leaves are beginning to fall and the needles on some pine trees are starting to yellow and also fall. The Minnesota DNR reports that the area has reached 25-50% of its fall color, but I think the process is being speeded up by the recent cool weather and strong gusts of wind. I observed three turtles basking in the sun on logs in a small pond. I researched the sunbathing habits of turtles and learned that turtles of several different species will sunbathe together, sometimes stacked on top of each other (as they were when I observed them). When one of the turtles decides to go back into the water, they all go - whether they are ready or not (information from the Smithsonian National Zoological Park website).

On October 22nd, Open World Learning Community students visited Fort Snelling State Park for a morning of doing phenology, and studying weather and climate.  Each student also engaged in a service project removing invasive buckthorn, improving the beauty and health of the park ecosystem.  

Their Phenology observations included:

• Leaves past peak color and falling
• Marks of male deer rubbing on trees ("buck rub")

They collected the following weather data:

• Temperature: 60-67 degrees (f)
• Historic HIGH temp: 55 degrees (f)
• Historic LOW temp: 38 degrees (f)
• Barometric pressure: 29.5 in/Hg
• Precipitation: 0" (on this day it was reported that 100% of MN was in drought)
• Wind speed: 0-7 mph
• Cloud Cover: 80-100% stratus clouds
• River level: 687 feet above sea level

The field trip was part of the Parks Climate Challenge, a national project to improve climate literacy through experiences in national parks.  Fort Snelling State Park qualifies as it is within part the Mississippi National River and Recreation Area (MNRRA).  The program is administered nationally by the National Parks Foundation and locally it is implemented through a partnership of the Will Steger Foundation, Mississippi River Fund, MNRRA and Fort Snelling State Park.

Students from Bloomington Lutheran explored weather and climate and how we can use phenology to observe changes in the climate on Friday October 12th at Fort Snelling State Park.  The field trip was organized as part of the Parks Climate Challenge to supplement the weather and climate science the 6th and 7th graders have been learning at school and using Minnesota's Changing Climate curriculum. 

Weather data collected by the students:

• The temperature changing from 49 - 66 degrees (F) throughout the day.  Historically, October average temperatures range from 40 - 58 degrees (F). 
• The barometric pressure was 29.7 in/Hg (which is pronounced "inches of Mercury"). 
• No precipitation was occurring or had occurred the night before. 
• Wind speed changed from 0 mph to 13 mph as the day went on.
• There were almost no clouds in the sky!

Phenology events collected by the students:

• Native trees changing colors and falling leaves
• Seagulls, geese and ducks were observed on the water

Weather data for Fort Snelling state park is available online: 

1. http://www.rangeroncall.com/misc/weather.html
2. or http://www.weatherlink.com/user/miss/

Author: Nickolas, Great River School

Location: Lauderdale

Weather: Cloudy, windy, cool. a very nice day overall

So this is my last time making one of these backyard observations in this location. When I look around where I live, I see many houses, many roads, and lots of trees in between. I live close to some golf courses so there is a lot nature around where i live because there are trees around the golf courses. Where I will be moving there will be even more, not as close but a lot more. I can look out my window and see trees. Not everybody is able to do that when they live in apartments. Tonight is kind of windy and cloudy but there is no rain, it is very nice. Im going to miss this place. Life goes on and the summer will make this place very nice.

Author: Lilli, Great River School

Location: St.Paul 

Weather: Cloudy. 70 degrees F. winds 5 mph.

It was pretty nice out today, cool winds in the morning but pretty nice, although mostly cloudy. It rained the past few days and so everything is very green and lush. All the trees now have leaves on them, and there are bunnies running around everywhere. There has been a lot of work on the street in front of my house for the sewer and gas lines and so the side walk and grass is torn up in a lot of places. Where there is grass though it is very green and nice to lay on. It has been very noisy around lately not only because of the machines digging and things but also the lawn mowers and dogs barking. But over all it has been very nice out, and today was a calm day with not much weather issues going on unlike yesterday when it was raining buckets!
The maple tree that I have been writing about for the past while has gotten a lot more leaves, and looks more filled out although it is still very small, it has grown a little bit in the last year. Also the hastas that I took a picture of a few weeks ago have grown to their almost full size already, it's impressive how fast plants grow even when there under a tree like that.

Author: Nickolas, Gt River School

Location: Lauderdale MN

Weather: Cloudy with a little bit of sunlight. Cool(61 degrees F. Slightly windy. Bright

Im looking outside and everywhere i look it is a sharp luscious green. It has been raining for the past 2 days on and off and now all of the plants look very good and healthy. The birds are chirping, there are squirrels running around, it smells wonderful and nature is just all in balance right now. Saint Paul is ready for the summer, and so am I. 

Author: Lilli, Great River School

Location: St.Paul

Weather: 68 degrees fahrenheit. A little windy. Cloudy.

It was really nice all day. It got up to 75 I think, and wasn't that windy. All the flowers are really starting to grow, and everything is very green and spring like. The lilac in the back yard are purple and smell really good and my neighbors crab apple tree is so pink and purple it looks like a cloud. My front yard doesn't have very many flowers or anything, but there are a few hostas and such growing around the house an such. The trees are starting to grow, there are little buds everywhere on the maple tree in my front yard. It's supposed to rain a lot tonight which will be good for all the plants, but it's supposed to snow later next week.
I've seen a few bunnies hopping around, and everyone is out with their dogs but no squirrels and I can only hear one bird.