Backyard Phenology is a participatory art and science project for people to share stories and forge new connections to place.
The project fosters an ongoing multilogue about the ecosystems we inhabit; and how we understand those ecosystems through art, science, and culture. Dip into the conversation by browsing documentation on Backyard Phenology's objects, events, ephemera, and audio recordings.
"The Climate Chaser is a classic boundary object because it draws together two different groups of people—environmentalists and camper enthusiasts—and provides a literal platform for dialog and learning."
- Lewis E. Gilbert, former Managing Director and Chief Operating Officer, Institute on the Environment at the University of Minnesota
The Climate Chaser joins people from different communities into a shared conversation and—potentially—collaboration.
Designed to catch the eye of passers-by, the Climate Chaser is the heart of the Backyard Phenology project. It is a versatile, mobile hub where the team connects with communities and together, consider the environment. Its silver surface is emblazoned with whimsical decals of plants and animals, suggesting a focus on the natural world. A nearby sandwich board invites you to enter, ask questions, and share a story.
Enter the Climate Chaser to discover a comfortable space hosted by the Backyard Phenology team. Browse the rotating display of books, art objects, natural history specimens, and other items that invite exploration. Booth seating beckons you to take a seat at the table and join the conversation.
This casual listening station puts a frame around climate, the backyard, and phenology. Conversations typically begin by defining phenology, an area of knowledge focused on the seasonal timing of biological activity of plants and animals. Though the word is new to many, phenology is a familiar idea. It's knowing about the timing of leaves unfolding, flowers opening, birds migrating, insects emerging from and returning to their winter homes, and other seasonal changes.
People inside the Climate Chaser think about phenology together, asking one another, what changes have you noticed lately in your environment? When paying attention to those changes, what kinds of memories, questions or connections come to mind? People inside the Climate Chaser explore many ways of knowing, grapple with change, forge new connections to place, and renew relationships with communities.
Goings-on from the camper are sometimes documented in photos, videos, sketches, audio recordings, and other media.
"Change happens inevitably, it is part of life and time. Humans have a disproportionate impact on how the system of our world works. My theory is that acknowledging humans' role of place in the world is really the driving hope for a future that we and our fellow species can live in together."
- Climate Chaser guest and interviewee
Perennial journal
More than a handy place to keep notes, a journal helps us remember how it feels to notice. Perhaps, a slight buffer from the daily rush, a shuffle in the flow of time. A phenology journal is for jotting down what you see (or hear) in your backyard, from one day to the next. When will that oak out my window green up? When will a robin's song herald this year's spring?
Trading Post Seed Archive by Chotsani Elaine Dean
Open the lidded box and gently flip through paper packets containing plant seeds. Each hand-made envelope has graceful embellishments and notes cataloging its contents.
Reframing Our Relations: A Community Meal and Conversation
October 2, 2022 at Franconia Sculpture Park
The Backyard Phenology collective designed this event to explore complicated narratives around invasive species, also referred to as non-local beings.
BioQuest
September 25, 2021 at Franconia Sculpture Park
BioQuest was envisioned to connect ecology, land stewardship, and the arts, a major thread of Franconia Sculpture Park's mission. The day's activities were the collaborative work of artists, scientists, students, naturalists, public historians, sculpture park staff, and the public.
