LEO Network

About the LEO Network
The LEO Network is a worldwide network of observers and experts that share their observations of environmental change.
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Observations

Tree Rotten or Infested?
A close look at this fallen spruce tree raises questions underlying causes and tree health.
College, Alaska, United States

A Beautiful Menace: Invasive Orange Hawkweed Spreads Through Southeast Alaska
The invasive orange hawkweed, known for its striking appearance, is rapidly spreading across Southeast Alaska, threatening local ecosystems by outcompeting native plants.
Petersburg, Alaska, United States
KFSK

Disappearing sand dunes and plovers
Sand dunes disappear with more frequent and powerful storms in Western Alaska. These storms have impacted bird nesting grounds and tundra plants.
Hooper Bay, Alaska, United States

Climate Change Linked to Berry Declines
Observations and research across Alaska indicate shifting berry ripening times and unpredictable yields, with climate change as a key factor affecting these important subsistence and cultural resources.
Sitka, Alaska, United States
Gemini , Jerry Hupp, Jordan Tanguay , Katie Spellman

Strong pollen spread in Eastern Norway
Extreme pollen spread in Eastern Norway is causing significant discomfort for allergy sufferers due to a combination of a long winter, delayed spring, and sudden warm, dry weather.
Norway
NRK

Peak Bloom Is Here, the 2nd Earliest on Record
Peak bloom of the cherry blossoms in Washington, DC, happened on March 17, ahead of the National Cherry Blossom Festival.
Washington, D.C., Washington, D.C., United States
Northern Virginia Magazine

Fighting beach erosion on a mangrove island
Workers are using sargassum and sand to rebuild the beach, with shore retention and reef protection in mind.
Long Caye, Belize

Summer flowers blooming in January
Unseasonable blooming of goldenrod (Subphylum Angiospermae).
Bellaire, Texas, United States

Invasive Elodea in Piledriver Slough
Invasive Elodea has been observed since 2020.
Moose Creek, Alaska, United States

Invasive Elodea in 28 Mile Pit
Elodea found on and near Eielson Airforce Base
Eielson Air Force Base, Alaska, United States

Invasive Elodea in Chena Slough
Invasive elodea decade history in the Chena slough with mitigation and persistent infestation.
North Pole, Alaska, United States

Very Late Foliage
Autumn colors have been quite delayed this year, maybe ten days to two weeks later than "usual"
Fox, Alaska, United States

Dying Western Red Cedars
Western red cedars in South Langley, BC are dying, with browning starting at the tops during summer and progressing downward until the trees are completely dead.
Langley, British Columbia, British Columbia, Canada

Red or Black Currants?
Red and Black Currants are present on the property and the moose seem to be picky about what berry they like to consume.
Anchorage, Alaska, United States

Something is eating salmonberry leaves
"This season we have observed many salmonberry bushes that appear to be defoliated. It seems something is eating the leaves. We have also noticed the berries look sickly."
Seldovia, Alaska, United States
Jessie Moan, Mike Rasy , Katie Spellman, DeShana York, Stephen Payton

Strange orange deposit on beach and waters of Kotzebue Sound
Out commercial fishing on the water in the inter Kotzebue Sound the weather was calm and there were miles and miles of a strange floating orange layer on the surface.
Kotzebue, Alaska, United States
Dean Stockwell, Jacqualine Schaeffer, Dean Stockwell, Derek Sikes, Gay Sheffield, Sarah Yoder

Wildfire smoke, climate change affecting N.W.T. berry pickers and their harvest
Cathy Pope, a berry picker from Norman Wells, N.W.T., said there has been an abundance of blueberries this year, and that she's "never seen it like this." Despite the ample availability of fruit, thick wildfire smoke — some of the worst in the country, at times — has made it hard for Pope to go out and pick.
Norman Wells, Northwest Territories, Canada
CBC

Insect on cloud berries
Is the abundance of insects unusual? Updates from around the state with picking and weather impacts.
Trapper Creek, Alaska, United States

Salmonberries are a month late
"We usually pick salmon berries in early July."
Seldovia Village, Alaska, United States
Mike Brubaker, Katie Spellman, Stephen Payton

In the absence of fireweed
A 24-hour, 245 mile survey of fireweed plants from Anchorage to Seldovia revealed an almost complete absence of flowering.
Seldovia Village, Alaska, United States

Scientists say Tongass trees could bounce back from budworm infestation
Scientists with the U.S. Forest Service believe that the blackheaded budworm, whose numbers surged over the past three years, is now in decline.
Chichigof Islands
Alaska Public Media

Finland's bilberry harvests mediocre at best, nature institute forecasts
Frost exposure and poor pollination are behind expectations for a less than ideal season, according to research institute Luke. Bilberry patches at particular risk are in the regions of South Karelia, Kainuu, Keminmaa, Ylitornio, as well as certain areas of Central and South Ostrobothnia.
Lappeenranta, South Karelia, Finland
News

Fireweed blooms hindered by foam?
Foam or saliva-looking substance on seen on flowering plants like fireweed and yarrow.
Anchorage, Alaska, United States
Derek Sikes, Julia Salt, Brandie Radigan, Chyna Williams

Cold, wet weather delays lucrative peony harvest in Southcentral Alaska
Alaska is one of the only places in the world where peony flowers grow in the summer months. But the unusually cold, wet weather this year is delaying the blooms by weeks.
Willow, Alaska, United States
Alaska Public Media
Tim Rockey, Alaska Public Media - Anchorage

Douglas Fir and Ponderosa Pine Regeneration in a Changing Climate
Factors like reduced summer precipitation, extreme heat events, and ponderosa pine's superior drought resilience highlight the need to adapt reforestation practices to species more suited to changing environmental conditions.
Castlegar, British Columbia, Canada

Drought in the Saanich Peninsula
“We spent the weekend outdoors camping on the peninsula and notices shoreline grasses has dried and shriveled.”
North Saanich, British Columbia, Canada

Alaska fire season begins with almost two dozen human-caused blazes
Twenty-three of the 25 fires so far this year were ignited by human activity. While this year’s heavy snowpack and cold spring pushed back the start to fire season in many parts of the state, climate change is generally causing an earlier snowmelt, said climatologist Rick Thoman.
Alaska, United States
Alaska Public Media
Kavitha George, Alaska Public Media - Anchorage

Invasive Elodea in Harding Lake
Elodea was first observed in Harding Lake in 2020 growing in isolated patches and has since been assessed and managed by the Fairbanks Soil and Water Conservation District and its partners.
Salcha, Alaska, United States

Landslide over county road – 100 people isolated
Alf Åge Teigmo heard a huge crash: "First came a river, then forest and large boulders.
Småvika, Flatanger, Trøndelag
NRK

Several new avalanches hit roads in the north – E6 closed
A landslide has closed busy highway 80 between Fauske and Bodø. The Nordland Line has also been affected. The weather has been very bad with large amounts of rainfall in Nordland today. There have been snow and slush avalanches in several places in the county, and a number of road and train sections have been closed due to avalanches.
Finneidfjord, Hemnes, Nordland, Norway
NRK
Mette Kristensen, Barbro Andersen, Emma Fondenes Øvrebø, Andreas Nilsen Trygstad, Ola Helness

Blue sap on spruce tree
Blue sap was found on a spruce tree.
Koliganek, Alaska, United States
Lars Flora, Gino Graziano, Elizabeth Graham, Constantine Johnson, Robin Mulvey

Flowers bloom again in an unusually warm November
Kale is sprouting even though it's mid-November.  Eucalyptus, rock rose, and Lenten roses don’t seem to be in the mood for winter, as they still wear their summer colors of green and red. It has been warm over almost all of the country, and never in the history of the capital has been a hotter November than this year.
Akureyri, Northeast, Iceland
RÚV

Mouse Infestation “Unlike Anything” Exterminator Has Seen
In an interview with RÚV, a seasoned exterminator has stated that Iceland is currently experiencing a mouse infestation the likes of which he’s never seen. He encourages people to take the necessary precautions. A 43-year career in extermination Despite their small stature, mice can be an outsized pest for homeowners.
Reykjavík, Capital Region, Iceland
Iceland Review

Wild Rose October Bloom
We typically see them blooming in June and most of them have been without blooms for months.
Galena, Alaska, United States

An Influx in Taraxacum Officinale or the Common Dandelion in Iqaluit, Nunavut
Over the past five years, there has been a steady increase in the number of dandelions spread throughout the surrounding area of Iqaluit.
Crystal Two, Nunavut, Canada

Unusual tree fungus?
"I don’t recall seeing anything like this before."
Anchorage, Alaska, United States

Unknown plant or fungus observed in cottonwood log
Nobody I have asked has seen any plant like this. I touched it soon after the picture and it turned into a maroon colored powder.
Lower Yukon

Good, though late, berry picking season
The berry picking promises to be good all over Iceland this year, even though it is starting late, due to the cool, wet summer. Arna, the lactose-free dairy company based in Bolungarvík, has already received a tonne of wild bilberries, which will be used in yoghurt for sale in shops all over Iceland.
Iceland
RÚV

Strange eggs observed in grass
Unidentfied deposits or growth was observed covering plant in Larsen Bay.
Larsen Bay, Alaska, United States
Brandie Radigan, Teresa Carlson, Derek Sikes

The spruce beetle invasion’s exhausting toll on Southcentral Alaska property owners
For property owners, the beetles present a vexing scenario, as some scramble to keep their trees alive while others mourn the loss and embark on the oftentimes costly removal process.
Anchorage Daily News

Cysts on tree at Kincaid Park
Interesting cysts covering a young choke cherry tree.
Anchorage
Neena Brubaker, Mike Brubaker, Gino Graziano, Jessie Moan, Derek Sikes

Southeast Alaska’s budworm infestation is still going, and they seem to be moving on to spruce trees
Last summer’s unusually warm weather fueled an explosion in the western blackheaded budworm, leaving masses of browning trees in many areas of Southeast. The worm, which is the larval stage of the budworm moth, is known to feed on the new growth of trees, leaving them with a brownish-red appearance.
Sitka, Alaska, United States
KCAW - Alaska Public Media

More orchids this year
The first observations of orchids in the area were in 2020. Now they are becoming more common.
Kotzebue, Alaska, United States
Brandie Radigan, Gino Graziano, Susan Tessier

Infestation of caterpillars
A resident of Seldovia reported an infestation of worms infesting an area of salmonberry brush and nettle.
Seldovia Village, Alaska, United States

Volunteers confront an invasion of black slugs near Whittier
Volunteers at the Whittier Slug-Out learned about Alaska’s invasive species and helped mitigate European black slugs near a popular cove on Prince William Sound.
Whittier, Alaska, United States
Anchorage Daily News

Spittle bug widespread in Clare, Ireland
I saw an extreme amount of spittle bugs not only on grasses and plants but on flowers.
Liscannor, Munster, Ireland

The worst of Anchorage’s allergy season may be over, two of Alaska’s only ‘pollen hunters’ say
This season the birch pollen has been particularly bad. Some people with asthma have had to leave the state. The peak was May 18 when pollen counts were 974 grains per cubic meter.
Anchorage Daily News

Peculiar orange fungus on juniper bushes
"Returning from a walk with the dog I was struck by a mass of bizarre fire orange fungus tentacles covering all the stems of some low lying juniper bushed in our driveway. This is the first time I have seen it in 21 years of living here with the same juniper bushes."
Valemount, British Columbia, Canada
Jessie Moan, Cody Thomas, Shona Thorne, David Oswald

Beetle-killed trees raise safety concerns at Kenai Peninsula campgrounds
Carmichael pointed to a tree that fell across one of the riverside campground spots, taking out a fence. There’s another on the opposite side of the path, branches strewn across an open patch of snow. They’re among the 1,000 high-priority trees the city wants to remove due to safety concerns.
Soldotna, Alaska, United States

First Tulips Bloom Ahead of Schedule
Tulips of the Korolkov variety (Tulipa korolkowii) have started to bloom a month early in the southern Zhambyl region. The air temperature has hovered around 16 degrees Celsius since mid-February.
Nur-Sultan, Kazakhstan
The Astana Times

Pussy Willows at Kotzebue during winter
Pussy willows sprouting on March 1st! This is the second time in Kotzebue that a March bloom has been documented in LEO Network., but this time it is much earlier.
Kotzebue, Alaska, United States
Katie Spellman, Jimmy Evak, Richard L Thoman Jr

Chaos after extreme precipitation – Never experienced anything like it
Several roads have been closed as a result of landslides and flooding.
Storås, Sør-Trøndelag, Norway
Hanne Bernhardsen Nordvåg, Hans Ivar Moss Kolseth, Kristin Agerlie, Morten Karlsen, Marius Andrè Jenssen Stenberg

Harmful algae colours the Oslo fjord green
Scientists now say that the harmful alga will survive the winter and that it will probably turn green in the Oslo fjord next year as well.
Oslofjord, Oslo, Norway
Lea Girolami Bråthen, Dag Aasdalen, Maren Nan Myrseth

Siberia up to 20C warmer than normal with huge temperature anomalies, predicts weather expert
The world’s coldest city is on course to be up to 20C milder than usual for this time of year, says the scientific director of Russia's Hydrometeorological Center, Roman Vilfand. The streams of warm air from the south and west determine this situation.
Yakutsk, Sakha, Russia
Siberian Times

Here winter has become two months shorter
Winter will never be the way it was, according to scientists. Towards the end of the century, the Norwegian Meteorological Institute predicts that the winter weather will gradually disappear from Oslo.
Bodø, Nordland, Norway

Rhododendrons blooming in late October
The rhododendron in my garden is now starting to bloom in late October. I researched this and it seems that it's not unheard of and may be related to higher temperatures in the daytime and colder temperatures at night.
Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada

Only two flamingos sighted on Sidi Boughaba Lake
On a hiking trip, observer sees a lone pair of Flamingos at Sidi Boughaba Lake National Park. This was not expected from a sociable bird species that travel in large flocks.
Kenitra, Gharb-Chrarda-Beni Hssen, Morocco
David Oswald, Chyna Williams, Salma Sayeh

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