Test Garden Update | Journey North News

Tulip Test Gardens

Almost Final Update: May 3, 2012

Please Report
Your Sightings!

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.

This Week's Update Includes:

News: Garden Highlights
Year End: Celebrating Effort and Achievement
Test Gardens: Who's Yet to Show?
Annual Evaluation: Please Share Your Thoughts

Image of the Week

Showcase Discoveries

News: Garden Highlights

April Blooms
Tulips are blooming in Madoc, Ontario! Sam Conroy, a veteran Journey North teacher, planting test gardens since 1997 reported on April 29:

"Finally - the Journey North tulips are opening up today!!! We had such an early spring and everything came up- but then the weather reverted back to normal and it has taken until now for the blooming to occur."

Students from Breck School in Minneapolis measured, observed, counted, and dug up their tulips to take home this week. "The bulbs were kind of stinky and had white roots coming out of the bottom."

Kodiak, Alaska students are reporting the progress of their garden. Plants emerged April 13th are about 8" tall today. Find Kodiak on the map and predict when they'll see their tulips bloom.

Read the latest Test Garden Reports

Tulips Blooming
in Vermont

Year End: Celebrating Effort and Achievement

You have made a contribution as a citizen scientist to this global experiment involving gardeners across the Northern Hemisphere.

Think about ways you can showcase and celebrate your achievements.

Your participation as a Citizen Scientist in the year-long Test garden study should be celebrated! If you listed the skills you have sharpened during this study they would include: keen observation, graphing and documenting, data analysis, weather and climate analysis, communication, and working together.

Student Portfolio

Certificate of Excellence

Test Gardens: Who's Yet to Show?

There are four Test gardens in Alaska, and one in Alberta that are yet to emerge. If you have watched your tulips emerge and bloom—you may wonder why these gardens are soooo slooowww.

Our northern-most garden is in Shaguluk, Alaska. Find it, marked with a red "x" on the snow and ice map. On April 20, students in Shageluk reported something exciting—their first robin!

"We are SO EXCITED to be able to report our FIRST ROBIN was seen Friday, April 20, 2012! We have had nice warm temps (50s) the past two weeks despite the fact that we still have TWO FEET of snow and our lakes and rivers are still solidly frozen."

When will their garden emerge? On May 1st, Shageluk received almost 17 hours of daylight. The sun didn't set until 10:53PM! How long before the snow is gone and the tulips are up?

Come back at the end of May for the final Test Garden News update!


North America (map \| animation \| sightings)	Snow and Ice May 1, 2012	Eurasia (map \| animation \| sightings)

Annual Evaluation: Please Share Your Thoughts

Please take a few minutes to complete our Annual Evaluation. We welcome your feedback!

Please Help: Journey North Annual Evaluation

Come Back for the FINAL, Final Test Garden Update the End of May.