I went out on the phenology walk on March 28, 2025. I noticed that on every tree there were buds but they had not broken yet. I believe that all of the trees were in the same phenophase. I was a little confused because the white oak, behind the Aiken Center, still had dead leaves on the branches. Is this due to the lack of wind behind the building? Or is there another phenological reason? I was surprised that the leaves were still there through snow and rain storms. Is this a trait of white oak? I personally really enjoyed this assignment. I was able to really test my tree ID while searching for the correct tree to observe.
While looking at the NPN website, I came across an article about research and observations made to help put the progression of spring into perspective. Spring is the season where plants are growing and beginning to thrive in the thawing from the cold months. It shows how plants are reacting and evolving. With changing climate the rate of spring is changing. Having these new indices from this research, will help with fully understanding spring now and in the future. (https://www.usanpn.org/news/article/more-complete-picture-timing-spring)