Journey North Tulip Garden and Climate Study

Tulip Test Gardens

Spring 2012	Posted Thursdays: Jan. 5, Feb. 2, 9, 16, 23, Mar. 1, 8, 15, 22, 29, April 5, 12, 19, 26, May 3
	May 24, 2012 Sunlight is long and strong up in the northern latitudes where our Alaskan gardens are waiting to proclaim spring's arrival. Keep watching as their reports come into Journey North this summer. Use an artistic word bank to tell the story of your Test garden. Share Field Notes from students at Nelson Rural School who have documented the year with observations and photographs. Don't forget to share your feedback in our Annual Evaluation.
	May 3, 2012 You have been following the life cycle of plants throughout the school year as the sunlight and seasons have changed. It's time to think about celebrating your achievements and discoveries. The Test garden map turned red over the month of April. What will we see in May? We're still waiting for the far northern gardens.
	April 26, 2012 We're still waiting for some Test Gardens to show green, or red. Can you find them? Observe tulip flowers open and close with the eyes of a scientist. Take a research challenge and fill in the blanks to learn more. Spotlight reveals great inquiry in the garden. Mary Meyer, the Tulip Expert reveals interesting answers to your questions.
	April 19, 2012 We found animals in the Test garden today! Our schoolyard habitat is an amazing place. Go outside and explore your habitat and start a long-term project. Our first Alaskan garden is up! Have you noticed? Take another look at the maps today and think like a scientist. Is there a pattern to their emergence?
	April 12, 2012 What is the reason for a flower? Is it for beauty, or does it have a function? Dig into your sources this week and learn more about flowers. Did you know that each part of a flower has a name and a function? Explore, then challenge yourself to try some scientific drawing. This week's Spotlight is on Putney, Vermont.
	April 5, 2012 One day in spring. The day your tulip garden blooms...what other signs of spring can you capture that day? Go exploring! Here is what one fifth grade class chose to photograph on one day in spring. Create a record of your findings. Don't forget to Ask the Expert this week. Photo: Teri Bickmore
	March 29, 2012 March is coming to a close and we can remember it for lots of weather surprises. In some gardens bare ground turned into red blossoms this month. What happened in your garden? Set aside the time to really look at your tulip plants. Borrow from Georgia O'Keeffe to exercise your artistic side! Don't forget to Ask the Expert this week. Photo: Mary Jean Johnston
	March 22, 2012 How does your garden grow? Get outside to observe and record this week. Conservationist Rachel Carson once said, "It is not half as important to know as to FEEL when experiencing the natural world." Get your questions ready for our Expert, Mary Meyer. Ask the Expert opens this Friday! Photo credit: Melissa Ansiel
	March 15, 2012 How does your garden grow? Get outside to observe and record this week. We have Journey North gardens in both continents. Study world temperature maps to look for patterns and ask questions. Does latitude make a difference in garden emergence? Which gardens are still under snow?
	March 8, 2012 ¡Una tulipa ha florecido! Students across the continent are proclaiming spring in their communities. Whether your gardens are up or buried under the snow, you can celebrate. Take a closer look at flowers. How are they different and the same? Practice looking at, and drawing flowers to sharpen your botanical skills.
	March 1, 2012 To celebrate 11 years of Test Garden data at one school, we will dig in to find out what all that data can bring. Thanks to Cape Cod Academy, you can sharpen your pencils and hone your research skills! Then get out your treasure trove of historical data. Study an isotherm map to see how bands of temperatures cross northern North America.
	February 23, 2012 Early spring weather is bringing cold and snow to parts of North America. Temperatures remain mild in the north. This is the season when anything can happen, weather wise. Roll back your sleeves to explore what happens to plants when freezing temperatures hit the garden. Then, think like a scientist with this week's experiments.
	February 16, 2012 A treasure hides under a huge pile of snow. Guess where this garden is. The answer may lie in a map. Explore a treasure trove of maps in today's slideshow. Discover clues for predicting when gardens will emerge this spring. Visit an ISD in Texas where all schools are participating. Find out how they use the garden for every grade level.
	February 9, 2012 This week we saw an explosion of green on the map. Gardens are emerging in an interesting pattern. Can you describe it? Read about students in Oregon. These Journey North students 'get it' about being citizen scientists. Compare springs to see if this warm winter weather is affecting the growth of plants across North America.
	February 2, 2012 Today is a special day to stop and think about predicting spring's arrival. That is because it's Groundhog's Day! Folklore passed down through the ages is one tool to look at predictions, but Journey North gardeners are excited about predicting spring using science and technology. Visit two garden experiments shared by citizen scientists.
	January 5, 2012 How cold is the air temperature today? What's the soil temperature where the tulip bulbs are nestled underground? This week, take a closer look at temperatures and locations. Consider how soil temperatures might affect tulip growth this spring.

Fall 2011	Posted Thursdays: Sept. 8, Oct. 6, Nov. 10, Dec. 8, and Jan. 5
	December 8, 2011 Get ready to think about the science and folklore of weather prediction with the new Test garden in Punxsutawney! Explore the difference between weather and climate. Expand your thinking to the global climate. How might the Earth's climates affect plant growth? Share some gardens in the "Spotlight." Study temperatures across the globe in the Map Handout.
	November 10, 2011 M is for microclimate! Explore the essential question, "How do climate conditions affect plant growth?" Use your school yard to study microclimates created by sunlight, humidity, moisture, and wind. Then try the Microclimate Challenge. Visit some Test Gardens. Study temperatures across the Northern Hemisphere in the Map Handout questions.
	October 6, 2011 Your bulbs have arrived and you are about to start digging...but wait! Use scientific skills to weigh, measure, and draw your tulip bulbs. Then explore and learn more about this unique plant structure. Planting your Test Garden can spur questions that lead to experiments this fall. Design and set up a experimental "what if..." garden.
	September 8, 2011 Welcome to the Journey North Tulip Test Garden Study! It’s time to plant your tulip test garden. The tulips in your test garden are tools to measure the climate of your region.Your garden results will provide scientific data about the timing of plant growth in springtime, and become part of a long-term database established in 1994. Dig in now to get ready to announce the arrival of spring 2012.
	Welcome and Orientation Beginning September 8, Tulip UPDATES will be posted here. Get ready to plant your bulbs for this year's tulip project. Find out how to report your planting and track the arrival of spring on real-time maps.