Sunlight & Seasons
Signs of Spring: Observations for March 2010

March is a time of dramatic change. Make a temperature timeline this month. Record each day's high, low, and average temperatures and add all the signs of spring you notice. Spring officially begins on March 20, but when does it begin unofficially for you? Think about it. Send us your sightings. Keep your eyes and ears open and follow along on spring's adventures with Journey North!

Milkweed
Each seasonal change paves the way for others. What clues can you find?
Photo: J. Gallion

What Do You See Now?

Cole's Phenology Report from Presque Isle Middle School:

Today is February 23, 2010. The length of day is 10 hours and 46 minutes. The tree that I have been observing still has no leaves, but there is new growth on the end of the branches. I was freezing even though I wore a jacket and boots. There are snow, patches of grass, and puddles on the ground.

What do you see today, on the first of March? Here's a sampling of recent reports:

What does spring "look" like in other places? Go to any spring event map or the Signs of Spring map. Click on a dot to read an observer's report.
What's Happening to the Sunlight?

Are you tracking sunrise and sunset times, daylength, or shadows in your hometown? What have you noticed? Some important things have changed since the last update. In Minnesota we have gained 57 minutes of sunlight since February 1. How is your daylength increasing?

We continue to follow the angle of the sun across the Earth as winter turns into spring in the Northern Hemisphere, and summer turns to fall in the Southern Hemisphere. Imagine you're in space looking at Earth on the morning of March 1. Here's what you'd see!

Spring Fever: Build a Temperature Timeline

March is a time of dramatic change. This spring watch the change with a temperature timeline. Record each day's high, low, and average temperatures and add all the signs of spring you notice. Build a visual record of spring's arrival on your classroom or hallway wall.

Think about cause and effect. How will the timing of one event affect another? Will earthworms surface and robins arrive at the same time; cherry blossoms and honey bees; milkweed plants and monarch butterflies? What other events in nature are interconnected? How do the temperatures outside influence spring’s awakening?

Think: Why is it important to study the timing of natural events (also known as phenology)? Add your ideas to this list.

  • To better manage allergies and hay fever
  • To know the best time to plant crops
  • For creating records to understand climate change


Photo: Wayne Kryduba
"Official Spring" and Your Spring!
For a long time, you've noticed signs that spring is brewing. But it's official this month: Spring begins on March 20. Why then? Scientists declare it "spring" in the Northern Hemisphere when the direct rays of the sun are above Earth's equator.

That's when the calendar says spring begins. But people have very different ideas. Some say that it's spring when the first robin appears or when they can finally go outside with no jacket. These dates will change depending where you live!

What signs tell you when spring has arrived?
Draw or write a list. Combine lists to add to your class chart.

 Equinox sun
On the equinox, the sun's direct rays are over the equator. 
Resources to Explore
Keep observations, drawings, and checklists in easy-to-print Signs of Spring journals.
Signs of Spring for April
A reminder will be posted on April 1, 2010


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