Now that Earth Day (April 22, 2026) has passed, it’s worth considering how we can, as Americans and residents of Laurel, continue a collective effort to celebrate America 250 by caring for and monitoring our environment — starting in our own backyards. For instance, families can participate in phenology — a scientific study that tracks seasonal changes such as flowering trees, insect activity and bird arrivals — without the need for special equipment, just attention, curiosity and consistency.

Teaching nature journaling to my environmental science class this spring has trained me to pay close attention. I noticed a late winter freeze delayed the first buds of snowdrops by our mailbox by about a week. Picking a handful of Lenten roses, I missed a stash of daffodils I anticipated from last year’s blooms. Our backyard teemed with white and yellow varieties that my husband and son harvested into three flower baskets.

Coincidentally, at this time last year, a pair of mourning doves gathered twigs and prepared their nest in one of our flower boxes. Their absence this year is uncanny.

Why is there a delay? When one begins to ask a question — when one starts to be curious — one begins the process of science. While late blooms are not unusual in Laurel, the biological clock of plants is usually tied to temperature, moisture and sunlight.

Tracking seasonal patterns requires consistency. I have a habit of taking pictures, which, through the years, allows me to see constancy and change. Our front yard wisteria blooms later than much of the neighborhood’s. Purple azaleas that get more sun in our front yard bloomed earlier than the red ones at the side of the house. The white ones in our backyard are the last to bloom.

They may seem small and inconsequential, but following nature’s rhythms is scientifically valuable.

So how can families take part in Laurel’s phenology? One way is to start a family phenology journal. Each family member can bring a notebook, pencil and coloring instruments. Pick a favorite backyard tree, front garden flowers or a neighborhood park to visit on weekends. Note the first blooms of snowdrops, daffodils, dogwoods, azaleas or even dandelions. Track the greening of leaves. Are you amazed at how a burst of green seems to appear overnight in your backyard? Green-up’s exponential growth is a mathematical wonder. Observe early insect visits from bees and butterflies, and the nesting and feeding of robins, sparrows and cardinals. Make it a habit to record the observation date, time, location and weather. Include temperature and rainfall readings, if possible. Describe what you see, hear, smell and feel. Encourage family members to draw and sketch with color. Over time, your journal can become part of climate data.

Residents can also take part in citizen science projects. This year, SciStarter launched its “2.50 Million Acts of Science” to celebrate America’s 250th anniversary. Explore the Nature’s Notebook app from the USA National Phenology Network, which collects, shares and monitors phenology data online. This program also includes visualization tools to map data across the United States.

Planting a pollinator garden in your front yard is another way to engage. Spend a few minutes observing pollinators and count the number of visiting butterflies, bees or other insects. Native perennials such as milkweed attract monarch butterflies. Other favorites include asters, purple coneflowers, black-eyed Susans (Maryland’s state flower) and bee balm. Observe which flowers attract the most pollinators and track changes over time.

This excitement continues through the seasons as you track the first lightning bug, the first leaf to fall and the first snowfall. These moments are not only meaningful family experiences, but also help answer real scientific questions: Are springs arriving later in Maryland? Are pollinators arriving at the same time as flowers? How is climate variability affecting local ecosystems? Who knows — your family’s phenology journal could become valuable scientific data someday.