Phenology: Nature's Cues Are All Around Us. What Do They Mean?
July 7 2023
As we adjust to summer and all the transitions that the season changing brings, the flora and fauna around us are also changing. Birds are migrating, berries are forming, and the days are getting longer. When we pay attention to these changes, assign meanings, and detect patterns, we engage in phenology.
This “science of appearance” helps predict behavior and prepare responses on both small and larger scale practices. For example, these cues help backyard gardening and climate change policy. One example of phenology is the W̱SÁNEĆ story about the W̱EW̱ELEŚ (Swainson’s Thrush) & ELILE¸IȽĆ (Salmonberry). The migration of the Thrush coincides with the Salmonberries ripening. W̱SÁNEĆ people are preparing for berry season when they start hearing the W̱EW̱ELEŚ distinct birdcall.
According to the Comox Valley Horticultural Society, phenology is derived from the Greek words phaino (to show or appear) and logos (to study). This directly translates to “the science of appearance”. When gardening, phenology refers to the study and observation of seasonal events and their correlation to plant, insect, and animal life. Events in nature, such as plant flowering, leafing, fruiting, bird migration, and first animal/bug sightings, can be used as a cue to start planting in our gardens and greenspaces. Culturally, Phenological cues are used to transition seasonal tasks and prepare for flora and fauna-dependent activities. Phenological signs come from intimate relationships with the natural world around oneself. While Indigenous peoples have relied on these cues since immemorial, Helmut Lieth defined Phenology for Western institutional academic studies in 1971. This field is guided by recurring biological events, the influence of biotic and abiotic forces on their timing, and the interrelation among phases of the same or different species. The timing of these cues and subsequent consequences are beginning to be affected by climate change. Phenology can be used to explain how species react to each other (humans included); it is becoming an essential part of climate change research. In-depth scientific articles can be read HERE.