Phenology
Word of the day: phenology:
Phenology is the study of periodic plant and animal life cycle events and how these are influenced by seasonal and interannual variations in climate.
It turns out that phenology rose to prominence amongst scientists in the early 1700s and then took off as a general pastime in the mid-1800s. What better way to show off your wealth (I’m not so busy that I must always work) and interest in science (I am recording numbers) than to help other scientists track the data underlying the seasons? But then:
The Phenological Reports ended suddenly in 1948 after 58 years, and Britain was without a national recording scheme for almost 50 years, just at a time when climate change was becoming evident. During this period, important contributions were made by individual dedicated observers. The naturalist and author Richard Fitter recorded the First Flowering Date (FFD) of 557 species British flowering plants in Oxfordshire between about 1954 and 1990.
Perhaps it sounds like the pastime simply fell out of fashion, but I think a sudden end to a 200 year tradition of phenology points to a deeper trend: we increasingly live at odds with nature. That is, we prefer to fight the trends of seasons than embrace them. I hear of far more trips to warmer climates in the winter than investments of similar amounts of disposable income on skiing equipment. Why would people stay and investigate the nuances of their own surroundings and seasonal rhythms when they could jet off elsewhere? Given our relatively recent gift of easy and safe global travel, the siren song of the unfamiliar (and warmer) triumphs over lashing yourself to the mast and recording winter’s course.