Monitor My Maple
Monitor My Maple is our flagship citizen science project.
Residents volunteer to observe and record seasonal changes (also called phenological changes) in local maple trees.
Here in the North Country, we benefit from maples in a variety of ways: they provide critical wildlife habitat, high-quality timber, gorgeous fall color displays, and, of course, the maple syrup we pour over our pancakes. However, recent research indicates that maple growth is declining in our region, and there is concern among scientists about how a warming and increasingly unpredictable climate will affect both maple health and maple syrup production. Through the Monitor My Maple Project, you can help contribute to our knowledge of how climate, habitat, and human activities are affecting these cherished local species.
Why Monitor Maples?
By creating a network of people observing and recording the dates of seasonal changes in sugar maples, we can learn a wealth of information about tree health across the North Country. This will help us plan to preserve maple trees and the traditions that surround them. Check out our Monitor My Maple tutorial video below.
How to Participate:
Monitoring maples is easy, and it’s a great way to get outdoors and observe the environment more closely. First, pick a maple (preferably a sugar maple) in your yard, near your workplace, or in a park you visit frequently. Then, create a free user account on natureupnorth.org so that you can share your maple observations online. The Monitor My Maple project is accessed by clicking the “Citizen Science” menu on our home page.
During the spring and fall, observe your maple tree regularly. In the spring, record the dates when maple buds break and when their leaves fully form. In the fall, collect and record data on when leaves begin to change color and drop off the tree. Record this information on either the Spring or Fall Maple Monitoring data page, depending on the season. The more observations you can record, the better, and we encourage you to enter data even if your tree hasn't changed since the last time you entered data. To date, local residents have contributed more than 2,400 maple observations on natureupnorth.org.
What You’ll Need:
Maple monitoring requires a couple of simple household items. You will need:
- A tape measure or cloth measuring tape to measure the circumference of your tree
- A string (if you are using a metal tape measure)
- A paper data sheet (download available at bottom of this page) or smartphone
- An internet connection (to log observations on natureupnorth.org)
- A keen eye
Ready to go?
To get started, follow these steps:
1. Create an account. Please create a free user account on www.natureupnorth.org by clicking the yellow box in the right-hand corner of your screen.
2. Sign up for Monitor My Maple. Next, sign up for the Monitor My Maple project using this registration form.
3. Add Your Tree(s). Visit our Maple Data Portal to create a new tree or add data to existing trees. Remember, you must be logged in and registered to view the portal and add data.
4. Print datasheets. We recommend printing data sheets to bring you when visiting your tree.
5. Continue monitoring through the season! In the fall, please monitor your tree until all leaves have dropped. In the spring, stop monitoring your tree after leaf out.