SeasonWatch recently initiated the Campus Phenology Network (CPN) with the aim of documenting tree phenology from educational campuses across the country. Many educational institutions in India boast of tree-filled campuses with old-growth trees that can help us monitor climate change through their seasonality.
Trees and campuses of the SeasonWatch Campus Phenology Network
In April 2023, several campuses from across the country joined the Network and pledged to watch trees and contribute tree seasonality data to the SeasonWatch database for the duration of 1 year. In April 2024, this cohort of the CPN hopes to exchange notes on collating, analysing, and writing up citizen science data in an online workshop! Five months on, here are some exciting updates – 36 campuses have contributed over 5600 observations from 12 states!
Most observed species
A total of 104 species were observed between April and August 2023, with Gulmohur (Delonix regia), Flame-of-the-forest (Butea monosperma) and Copperpod (Peltophorum pterocarpum) being the top 3 most observed species, followed by Neem and Indian laburnum. A total of 18 species had more than 100 observations during the same time.
Top 3 tree species (number of observations)
Flowering in CPN trees between April and August 2023. The green triangles show tree locations and yellow dots indicate flowering trees
Top states
Members from Tamil Nadu gathered the most number of observations (>1400), followed by Gujarat (>1000) and Karnataka (>800) during April and August 2023. Other states that contributed more than 100 observations are Goa, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Odisha, Uttarakhand, and Maharashtra, during the same months.
Fruiting in CPN trees between April and August 2023. The green triangles show tree locations and orange dots indicate fruiting trees
Top campuses
Rajapalayam Rajus College (>1100 observations), Maharaja Siyajorao University of Baroda (>950 observations), and GSS College Belagavi (>750 observations) were the top campuses contributing most number of observations during April to August 2023.
Many other campuses and individuals contributed over 100 observations and deserve a special mention for their effort. They are:
BITS Pilani, K K Birla Goa Campus
Prapti Alva, Baroda
Pragati Yadav, Meerut
Jigyasa Yadav, Meerut
Jyoti Desai
NISER, Bhubaneshwar
Amity University, Noida
Wildlife Institute of India, Dehradun
Kumaraguru College of Liberal Arts and Science, Coimbatore
MIT World Peace University, Pune
Madurai Kamaraj University, Madurai
Indian Institute of Forest Management, Bhopal
Group interactions
The Campus Phenology Network is a bustling group on WhatsApp too, with 183 members! We had fun on the group doing activities that described colors and patterns most characteristic of the trees on various campuses. Below are some of the contributions from contributions from Roona Singha, Guarav Vadher, Muktayi Patil, Shivani, Aaarti Jadhav, Samrat Sengupta, and Aniket Mirashi giving us a peek into the lives of trees and the explosion of colours that they bring to campus life.
Member experience
What is it like to observe trees regularly? Hear from CPN members:
Prapti Alva shares “Surrounded by the busy streets of my university campus, I embarked on a journey of patient observation, tracing the intricate dance of seasons through tree phenology. Here, I found a tapestry of life’s interactions, weaving the very essence of nature’s secrets before my eyes. Amidst this urban ecosystem, a pair of spotted owlets emerged as my companions. Each encounter left me captivated, pondering their daily rituals and their mysterious world. I yearned to sit in a quite spot near that tree, the gentle breeze playing with my hair and feeling an intimate connection to nature’s hidden symphony.”
Kavish shah writes “Ever since I started monitoring trees for CPN, my perspective towards tree has undergone a dramatic shift. Until now I believed trees to be like sculptures of stone, eternal beauties to be marvelled at. But as I noticed them through the changing seasons, I realised that they too are expressive creatures, much alike to mankind, that respond quite conspicuously to the dynamic world around them. This revelation has made me feel more connected towards these gentle giants and implored me to listen to what they have to say.”
Vishnu Shankar and his team, members of the CPN, participated in the July Tree Festival organized by SeasonWatch. He says “First time I have attended tree festival so I tried to achieve maximum number of species in our college and surrounding area. I learned a lot and got to see many lifers. ( Most expected tree for me is devil tree ). I visited new locations to explore trees so i attained four challenges of season watch tree festival. I didn’t expect this huge output. We secured first place among schools and colleges. Our college management and season watch team as well as public encouraged us. It pushed us to do more.”
Gaurav Vadher shares on behalf of the IPSA campus team from Rajkot, “Watching tress was a new experience for us. We never thought it would be so peaceful and so beautiful. It made us aware of the transition that trees go through. This project also engages us to identify and know various species of trees on our campus. Eagerly waiting to see the observation results.”
Muktayi patil writes, “Tree observation make me walk among the trees and the smell of trees is so divine. Planting a tree is enriching our life. If we take care of trees, they will take care of us.”
Join the Campus Phenology Network
If you think your campus would like to be part of the CPN, drop us a word at sw@seasonwatch.in with the subject line: “Campus Phenology Network – 2024-25” and we’ll keep you posted about the next cohort of CPN!
(Featured image by Dinkun Chen via Wikimedia Commons)
