Fall is right around the corner—and speaking of seasonal events, the Aldo Leopold Foundation’s 2024 Wisconsin Phenology Calendar is here! Whether an established tradition or a resolution for the upcoming year, phenology is a fun way to get engaged with the natural world by keeping track of nature’s transitions throughout the seasons. Do you notice the arrival of eastern phoebes in late March, or the blooming of compass plants in early June? Interpreting these phenological events can give you a better understanding of what is happening in your biotic community.
Dr. Stan Temple, Professor Emeritus at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and inductee to the Wisconsin Conservation Hall of Fame, will lead you through 2024 with introductory text and monthly sidebar panels explaining iconic phenological events each month.
2024 is a particularly special year as we mark the 75th anniversary of A Sand County Almanac. In recognition and celebration of this beloved conservation classic, the theme of this year’s calendar is: What Did Aldo Observe? Starting in childhood, Leopold kept records of the earliest dates on which seasonal events occurred, such as when plants first bloomed and birds migrated. When he acquired the Shack in 1935, he began keeping track of over 300 natural events, and he meticulously recorded those observations in his journals until his death in 1948. Since 1976, the Aldo Leopold Foundation has carried on Leopold’s legacy of phenological record-keeping. In the 2024 Phenology Calendar we compare the dates on which Aldo observed events with the dates on which events have occurred recently.
Enjoy gorgeous photos of Wisconsin flora and fauna all year long—printed this year on thicker, glossier paper in a larger wall calendar size, with more space for you to write in your own nature observations and appointments and sidebar entries featuring excerpts from A Sand County Almanac and the recently transcribed Leopold Shack Journals! Our 2024 calendar also includes more secular and religious holidays.
Phenology is a hobby everyone can participate in—let the 2024 Wisconsin Phenology Calendar accompany your nature observations in the upcoming year!
Thank you to Smoky Lake Maple Products for sponsoring the 2024 Phenology Calendar.
Don’t wait to order yours today! Calendars are $16.95 and available only while supplies last, with special rates for bulk order purchases. Calendars start shipping out the week of October 2nd.
