Sample Master Naturalist
Project Form
Project Name: Nature’s Notebook Phenology Monitoring Program
Submitted By:
Phone or Email Contact:
Project Purpose and Value: (How will this project contribute to natural resource management, conservation, or
education?)
This project can be used as a tool for Master Naturalists to engage their communities in the scientific process,
engage youth in the outdoors, or to gather observations for a land management organization (such as a
National Wildlife Refuge; local, state, or national park; governmental agency, etc.). Observation data
can be used to ask and answer science and management questions, especially related to seasonal
(short-term) and (long-term) climate change.
The objectives of the project are to increase awareness of species response to seasonal and climatic change
through making observations in nature, recording observations in a national phenology database, and
using the scientific process to create a hypothesis and purpose for long-term observations.
Is there an established local science question that data will be used to answer?
YES or NO
If YES, what is the question you seek to answer? (Samples below, can be simple or complex questions)
 When do the leaves on the red maple begin to senesce at the end of the growing season?
 When are monarchs present as egg, larva, pupa on milkweed? When are adult monarchs present?
 Does the flowering of dogwood trees occur earlier or later than those found at higher elevations in our
region? Across the southern US?
Project Type: Citizen Science, Education, Stewardship
This will depend on your specific application of the project – if the Master Naturalist volunteer will simply be
collecting and analyzing their own data, it could be a Citizen Science project. If they are using Nature’s
Notebook as an outreach tool with youth or adults, then it could be an Education project. If they are
using local data collected to determine the best time for scheduling invasive pulls, then it could be
considered a Stewardship project.
Project Location: (Where will this project take place?)
Many Master Naturalist Programs require that the project take place on public property rather than only in one’s
backyard so that volunteers can participate in public education. But depending on chapter
requirements, it could also take place in the volunteer’s backyard.
The USA National Phenology Network | National Coordinating Office
1955 East 6th Street, Tucson, AZ 85721 | Phone: 520-622-0363
education@usanpn.org | www.usanpn.org/education
Project Description and Master Naturalist Responsibilities: (Describe what the project involves. What will
participants actually do?) Using the examples listed above under Project Type:




Citizen Science
Select an appropriate site
and species for monitoring.
Mark the individuals so you
can find them again.
Establish an account with
Nature’s Notebook
Create an online site to
contribute observations
Visit your site at least once a
week, especially during the
growing season, to make
and record observations on
paper or using a smartphone
app.


Education
Follow the same steps
outlined to the left in the
Citizen Science Section
Decide on an appropriate
education project – working
with youth at a school,
working with adults in the
community at a local garden
or public site, developing
outreach materials for
distribution about the project,
writing articles about findings
and results related to your
science or management
questions

Stewardship
Using data collected in
Nature’s Notebook by
volunteers (which you can
download at
www.usanpn.org/results/data
), develop phenology
calendars and schedules for
managing natural resource
agency lands
Time Commitment and Frame: (What is the time frame for this project? Be as specific as possible – what time
does the volunteer need to be there and how late are they expected to stay? If it is seasonal, what are
the approximate dates or appropriate weather conditions? Is this an on-going project or does it have a
fixed end date? About how many hours can a volunteer expect to put into this project?)
It usually takes approximately an hour to create a site outdoors, depending upon the size of the plot. Marking the
plants so one can return and perhaps drawing a map for others to find the individuals of the species
selected. It may take more or less time if volunteers need help properly identifying species using field
guides or dichotomous keys. Once established outdoors, creating an online account takes
approximately 10 minutes.
Volunteers should expect to make observations at least once a week during the growing season and enter their
observations in Nature’s Notebook in a timely fashion so data can be used by those interested in the
dataset. For each observation, we recommend spending at least 5-10 minutes observing each
individual plant on your list. This will get easier as you become more familiar with your plant species
and individual. If you use our mobile app, it could take even less time. We also recommend spending at
least 3 minutes searching for animals at a single site.
Depending upon how the Master Naturalist Volunteer proceeds with the project, as outlined above, it could take
more or less time to complete.
NOTE: USA-NPN encourages the long-term monitoring of plants and animals for their database (at least 2 years).
If volunteers are sharing the workload and taking turns going into the field to do the monitoring, then it
might not take as much time as described. We strongly encourage groups to plan to have observations
submitted to the database for at least two years, due to the learning curve of the volunteers and the
nature of the value of long-term data for seasonal and climate change species research.
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What prior experience or expertise is required or preferred?
No experience is required – all of the information to get started can be found on the website:
www.nn.usanpn.org/nn/guidelines . However, if Master Naturalist Coordinators are inclined, they may
choose to offer a training or include phenology as a module in the Master Naturalist Training Program
or as an advanced training. Resources for conducting such a workshop can be found here:
www.usanpn.org/MN.
What training will be provided and by whom?
Information can be found on our website to get started. Local chapters may choose to implement training in
different ways.
Partner Contact: (If phenology monitoring will take place at a partner site or organization, who at that
organization is the contact for this project?)
Name:
Organization:
Phone Number:
Email:
Resources Provided: (What equipment or other resources will be provided for the volunteers(s)?)
Resources Needed: (What will the volunteer(s) or chapter need to provide and how will these resources be
acquired?)
Is there funding needed? YES or NO
If YES, how much?
Safety Hazards and Protocols: (What hazards might the volunteers encounter and what safety protocols should
be followed?)
Target Audience: Youth? Adult?
Are minors involved? Be sure to follow any rules, regulations, or policy established by your Master Naturalist
Chapter
YES
NO
How will the project be evaluated during implementation and after completion?
Plan to develop a logic model for success and frequently check in to measure success as well as communicate
impacts to the community. Examples of program planning guides and logic models can be found on the
www.usanpn.org/education website.
How will the Master Naturalist Chapter be recognized?
Especially when working with partner groups, it is important to recognize volunteers for their efforts on a regular
basis. Be sure to share data and observation results as regularly as possible.
How will volunteers benefit from participation in the project?
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Volunteers will be better able to identify species and phenophases of plants and animals. They will enhance their
observation skills and learn about the scientific process. The will understand the rigor necessary when
contributing to a national-scale observation project. They will be more conscious of human impacts on
the natural world, especially as they relate to climate change.
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