Phenology is the science of seasonal changes in the lives of plants and animals – bud burst on trees, flowering seasons, migration or nest-building by birds. By completing our ‘family phenology trail’ you can help do valuable work for the Botanic Gardens. The Environment Protection Agency (EPA) would like you to help by recording on what date the buds or flowers of certain trees and shrubs open, as well as the date when butterflies are on the wing. Research shows that climate change has already had a significant impact on the timing of these events in Ireland.
The trail will take you to a selection of trees to observe and record your findings. Come and meet the expert scientists who will be at The Botanic Gardens at 2.00pm and 4.00pm to launch the trail on Sunday 25th March. You can take this trail any time from the end of March and do it as many times as you like throughout the year. The information you record will be combined with everyone else’s and help us record the impact of climate change at the botanic gardens.