Your tasks in 2026

Observing spring and autumn phenology and survival

In 2026, we ask you to survey your seedlings' spring and autumn phenology and survival.

In spring (1 April to 31 May), you can visit your garden once a week* to record the bud break phenology (8 observations in total). If you have no seedlings in your block, you can visit your garden only 3 times to observe the environment (ground vegetation and canopy).
In summer (1 June to 31 August), you can visit your garden monthly to record its survival.
In autumn (1 September to 31 October): you can visit your garden once every two weeks (4 observations in total) to record leaf coloring (for Fagus) and budset (for Abies).

*If you think it will be challenging to maintain regular observations, consider asking a colleague, friend, or family member for help to ensure consistency in monitoring.

The new PhenologySurvival form based on your feedback!

Based on your feedback, this spring we are introducing a simplified observation form that adapts dynamically to your previous observations and reduces unnecessary steps in the field. If you have only a few living seedlings, this new form will significantly speed up the monitoring process!

New to ODK or Enketo, please see more information here.

For Android phones

Open ODK Collect, upgrade it to the most recent version and scan the QR code.

For iPhones and those who wish to enter their observations on a computer

Fill in the form with your observations: https://enketo.ona.io/x/McyBVEaT

Download the phenological stages of Abies and Fagus in PDF

Before and in the field

When you go to your micro-garden for the first time this spring, we suggest you clean your garden from fallen branches after winter to help you move around and check the status of the infrastructure. Please report any issues to your local coordinator, such as damaged seed protectors or missing labels.
Make sure your mobile phone is fully charged. If you have a power bank, take it with you!
If you use Enketo, please ensure you open the webform while still at home, with a stable internet connection, before going to the field!
Enable the geolocation on your phone!
Take with you a kneeling pad; you will be on your knees a lot when making the observations!

Seed protectors removal and/or relocation

Seed protectors from all empty spots (where germination did not occur or mortality happened) can be removed. Do not proceed with removal earlier than May to ensure that Fagus seedlings have broken buds and are clearly recognizable.
Seed protectors containing living Fagus seedlings can be repositioned next to the seedling. Please fix the seed protector to the ground using the existing metal pegs to help relocate the seedlings during monitoring and protect the labels from potential damage.
All spots with living Abies seedlings must always remain covered by a seed protector.

If you prefer to keep all seed protectors in place you are welcome to do so. Keep in mind that locating living seedlings might require more time during monitoring.

Are you ready to do more?

Help us to compare the seedlings in your micro-garden with naturally regenerating seedlings

Many micro-gardens are in forests, where Abies and Fagus naturally grow. If your garden is one of these, you can also record the phenology of 5 local Abies and/or Fagus seedlings! It is an OPTIONAL question at the end of the PhenologySurvival form. We hope many of you will answer so that we can compare the timing of bud break and autumn leaf coloring of local vs introduced seedlings. You don’t have to choose the same 5 seedlings each time you go, but you could.

Help us to understand the effect of competition on seedling growth and survival

Some of you reported that the seed protectors were full of herbaceous plants and asked if you could remove them. Competition is extremely important in forest tree seedlings' early survival and growth. So, we would like to gather data about herbaceous plant species within the block. For this, we developed a different form called PlantDiversity. Its use is OPTIONAL and simple: any time you observe your micro-garden, you can also submit data on the herbaceous plants. Ideally, we need two observations per garden per year: one in May and one in August/September, to capture seasonal shifts in species composition.

Contribute to observing the phenology of adult trees

Seedlings and adult trees do not respond the same way to climate change. You can contribute to collecting data about adult trees' phenology close to your micro-garden. To do so, we would like to offer you the possibility to join the Phenoclim program. MyGardenOfTrees partnered with this program because they have protocols for several tree species and agreed to translate them to your language. Currently, protocols are available in English, French, Italian, and Spanish, but if you are interested in participating, please let us know, and we will translate the protocols to your language in priority.

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