LEO Network

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

Observations

Early Hay (Avena sativa) Cuttings
Early hay crop harvest
Palmer, Alaska, United States

Year of the Salmonberry (Rubus spectabilis)
Seldovia, Alaska, United States

Big Blueberries (Vaccinium ovalifolium), Lots of Them
Plants
Mountain Village, Alaska, United States

Early Fireweed (Chamerion angustifolium) Bloom
Early fireweed (Chamerion angustifolium) bloom
Palmer, Alaska, United States

Quite Early for Goatsbeard (Aruncus dioicus)
In Southcentral Alaska
Anchorage, Alaska, United States

Yellow Fungus (Phragmidium) on Wild Rose and other Plants
Anchorage, Alaska, United States

Early Breakup Causing Lots of Change
Early breakup brings early arrivals.
Lower Kalskag, Alaska, United States

Ripe Blueberries (Vaccinium ovalifolium) In June!
Ripe blueberries (Vaccinium ovalifolium) in early June?
Fort Wrangel, Alaska, United States

Unknown Purple Plant
Unknown purple plant species.
Kokhanok, Alaska, United States

Early Ripe Blueberries (Vaccinium ovalifolium)
Sitka, Alaska, United States

Very Early Crow Berries (Empetrum nigrum)
Very early berries this year.
Kokhanok, Alaska, United States

Early Blueberries (Vaccinium corymbosum)
Mountain Village, Alaska, United States

Salmon Berries (Rubus spectabilis) Early
Wrangell, Alaska, United States

Spruce Aphid (Elatobium abietinum) Damage
Nuka Passage, Kenai Peninsula, Alaska, United States

Early Growth Of Salmonberries (Rubus spectabilis - Highbush)
Early Growth of Salmonberries (Rubus spectabilis - Highbush)
King Cove, Alaska, United States

Early Salmonberry (Rubus spectabilis) Bloom
Early salmonberry (Rubus spectabilis) boom
Toksook Bay, Alaska, United States

Blooming Raspberry (Rubus arcticus) Plants
Blooming Raspberry plants
Bethel, Alaska, United States

Lots of Spruce (Picea glauca) Pollen and Early
Windows have been open during the record heat and the interior of the house is also full of pollen, a thin layer can be seen on the floor near windows. Everyone, even people like myself who rarely experience allergies, are feeling the effects, burning eyes, runny nose, and cough.
Anchorage, Alaska, United States

Early Rhubarb (Rheum rhabarbarum) Sprout
Mountain Village, Alaska, United States

Spruce aphid (Elatobium abietinum Wal)
Communities on the southern coastline of Kenai Peninsula have noticed changes to trees as a result of the aphid.
Kasitana Bay, Alaska, United States

Alaska birch pollen is getting so bad, even those without allergies might suffer
Spiking levels of birch pollen around much of the state are also being seen during an early spring in Anchorage this week, as doctors deal with an influx of allergy and asthma patients.
Anchorage Daily News

Early Allergy Season
Allergy season happening sooner
Unalakleet, Alaska, United States

Early Birch (Betula papyrifera) Tree Leaves
Early green up following a very mild winter with little snow.
Chuathbaluk, Alaska, United States

Increased Spread of Japanese Knotweed
Sechelt, British Columbia, Canada

Unusual Insect Observed On Willow
On the upper Klamath River
Tulley Creek

Early Bloom of Salmonberry (Rubus spectabilis Highbush) Bushes
Early bloom of salmonberry bushes.
Sand Point, Alaska, United States

Early leafing of trees this spring
Sherwood Park, Alberta, Canada

Early Birch (Betula neoalaskana) Sap
The birch trees are producing sap earlier. (baseline post)

Flora Blooming Early in the Valley
Birch leaves bud early.
Palmer, Alaska, United States

Second year of unusual seasonal temperatures: affects black bears and native plant growth?
Whistler, British Columbia, Canada

Salmonberry (Rubus spectabilis) Bloomers
More early bloomers in Southcentral Alaska.
Nanwalek, Alaska, United States

Dandelions (Taraxacum) in Bloom
First dandelions of spring
King Cove, Alaska, United States

March Pollen and Active Honey Bees (Apis)
Warm temperatures drive emergence of early willow buds, pollen and honey bee activity.

50°F in March!
Unseasonably warm in Chistochina.
Chistochina, Alaska, United States

Salmonberries (Rubus spectabilis) in Full Bloom
Salmonberries (Rubus spectabilis) are in full bloom on Baranof Island.
Sitka, Alaska, United States

Early Willow (Salix scouleriana) Bloom
Early Pussy Willows in Denali Park.
Denali Park, Alaska, United States

Early Salmonberry (Rubus spectabilis) and Blueberry (Vaccinium corymbosum) Bloom
Early blooming salmonberry (*was'x'aan tléiGu* and blueberry (*naanyaa kanat'aayi* - Tlingit language) blossoms.
Juneau, Alaska, United States
Jerry Hupp, LoriAnne Barnett, Sudie Hargis

Early Salmonberry (Rubus spectabilis) Blossoms
Early Salmonberry Blossoms in February on Kodiak Island
Ouzinkie, Alaska, United States

Local arborist works to fight desertification |
A resident of the 20th khoroo in Sukhbaatar District, D.Chuluunbaatar, has been planting fruit trees for 20 years.
Sühbaatar, Selenge, Mongolia
The UB Post

Willows (Salix scouleriana) Budding Along Chistochina River
Pussy willows (Salix scouleriana) - a sign of spring in Interior Alaska.
Chistochina, Alaska, United States

Salmonberries (Rubus spectabilis) Blooming In February
Salmonberries (Rubus spectabilis) Blooming in February
Sitka, Alaska, United States

Emerald Ash Borer (Agrilus planipennis)
Brampton, Ontario, Canada

Sargassum algae invades the coasts of the Great South of Haiti
For over one year the coasts of the Great South of Haiti, are invaded by an unusual species of algae known as Sargassum or Seaweed. The most affected communities are : St Jean du Sud, Les Cayes, St Louis du Sud, Côtes de fer, Jacmel, Cayes Jacmel...
Saint-Louis du Sud, Sud, Haiti
HaitiLibre.com

Roses blooming in December in Haida Gwaii

Periwinkle (Vinca minor) causes suppression of Sugar Maple (Acer Saccharum)
Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, Canada

Japanese Knotweed in Remote Area
Tipella, British Columbia, Canada

Spruce Tree (Picea glauca) Rapid Growth
Spruce trees growing fast.

Sierra Leone's stinking seaweed linked to Caribbean invasion
Proliferation of thick brown algae is affecting fishing, tourism and marine life on both sides of the Atlantic, say scientists
Tokeh, Western, Sierra Leone
the Guardian

Unusual Flora - Yellowdot Saxifrage (Saxifrage bronchialis)
Unusual Flora
Nelson Island, Alaska, United States
Ben Balivet, Gino Graziano, Matt Carlson

Global Warming Pushes Maple Trees, Syrup to the Brink
The polar bear is a powerful symbol of the effects of climate change in the Arctic.  Here in New England, our symbol may soon be the sugar maple tree.
Durham, New Hampshire, United States
National Geographic

Summer of Slime (Freshwater Algae)
Low water, warm temperatures and our seasonal waterfowl population are factors we think are contributing to the unprecedented algae and weed growth in the lake at the the Alaska Native Health Campus.

Slimy Beach
Slimy Algae on beach
Port Lions, Alaska, United States

Stinking mats of seaweed piling up on Caribbean beaches
Some tourists have canceled summer trips and lawmakers on Tobago have termed the sargassum invasion a “natural disaster.”
Cancún, Quintana Roo, Mexico
Miami Herald

Caribbean-bound tourists cancel holidays due to foul-smelling seaweed
Algal blooms threaten the economies of the globe’s most tourism dependent nations, scuttle holidays plans and give climate scientists more to worry about
Cancún, Quintana Roo, Mexico
the Guardian

Abundant Japanese Wireweed (Sargassum muticum)
A species of invasive seaweed is becoming very abundant and displacing native species.
Bamfield, British Columbia, Canada

Plant Has Red Gall
Unusual plant has red buds
Goodnews Bay, Alaska, United States

Invasive weed makes its way into world's largest floatplane base
Elodea, an aggressive invasive plant, was discovered this month in the lake used by hundreds of floatplanes, raising fears that it will be spread to multiple sites within flying reach.
Anchorage Daily News

Lightening and Wildfire
There were lightning strike-caused fires at Paul's Creek and Coffee Creek north of King Salmon, AK.
King Salmon, Alaska, United States

Wildfire
Sockeye wildfire at mile post 77 of the George Parks Highway near Willow.
Willow, Alaska, United States

Jeff Lowenfels: A bumper crop of spruce cones
There seems to be an unbelievable bumper crop of spruce cones both in trees and on lawns this spring. Their abundance has been quite a topic of conversation, at least in my circles. It is coneucopia!
Anchorage Daily News

Bittersweet Nightshade (Solanum Dulcamara)
Delta, British Columbia, Canada

Giant kelp (Macrocystis pyrifera) absent around Isla Todos Santos
Around Isla Todos Santos, a massive Giant Kelp (_Macrocystis pyrifera_) bed die-off was observed, which may be linked to the 2015-2016 El Niño event.
Ensenada, Baja California, Mexico

Early Salmonberry (Rubus spectabilis) Blossoms
Salmonberry blossom seem a little early this year.

Early Pussy Willows
Early pussy willows - Anchorage, Alaska, USA

Early Plants
1/27/15 Early plants - Klawock, Alaska, USA
Klawock, Alaska, United States

Squirrel Parka Tail Plants Early
Squirrel parka tail plants early
Togiak, Alaska, United States
Brian Abraham, Aeshia Upton, Gino Graziano

Summer heat, invasive insects take toll on Interior Alaska birch trees
Interior Alaska’s hot and dry summer of 2013, coupled with an invasion of insect pests, has taken a steep toll on the region’s birch trees, experts say.
Fairbanks, Alaska, United States

Berry Harvest Failure
A terrible year for berry harvest in the Upper Nushagak River.
Ekwok, Alaska, United States

Abundant Mossberries (Empetrum nigrum)
A great year for harvesting mossberries.
Cold Bay, Alaska, United States

Berry Harvest Change
Crooked Island, 25 Miles south of Togiak. Remnants of blackberries.
Togiak, Alaska, United States

Abundant Bees
08-17-14 Abundant bees - Eagle River, Alaska, USA
Eagle River, Alaska, United States

Abundance of Fireweed (Chamerion agustifolium) on Popof Island
Abundance of Fireweed on Popof Island
Sand Point, Alaska, United States

Yellow Flowers Genus Arnica
7-14-14 Yellow flowers genus Arnica - Togiak, Alaska, USA
Togiak, Alaska, United States

Abundant Bees and Berries
7-14-14 Abundant bees & berries - King Cove, Alaska, USA
King Cove, Alaska, United States

Early Blueberries (Vaccinium corymbosum)
Early blueberries in Jakolof Bay, Alaska
Seldovia, Alaska, United States

Moth invasions cause widespread damage in the sub-arctic birch forest
In just seven years, as much as one-third of the mountain-birch forest in the North Calotte region was severely defoliated by two moth species. Researchers now have a better understanding of what happened.
North Calotte Region, Northern Fennoscandia
ScienceNordic

Early Salmonberry (Rubus chamaemorus) Blossoms
5-27-14 Early salmon berry blossoms - Toksook Bay, Alaska, USA
Toksook Bay, Alaska, United States

High Spruce Pollen
5-25-14 High spruce pollen McDonald Spit, Alaska, USA
Seldovia, Alaska, United States

Pollen Makes for Poor Air Quality
5-19-14 Poor air quality - Anchorage Alaska, USA

Willows Budding in Winter
1-24-14 Winter plants blooming - Bethel, Alaska, USA
Bethel, Alaska, United States

With warm December winds, shaken faith in Arctic weather
Folks here are famous for being able to handle the cold, but anything wet in December has always made us nervous. Especially wet falling from the sky. Lately, weather, our favorite nemesis, has broken the rules. Our confidence in the most-trustworthy feature of the Arctic -- winter -- has been wounded.
Kotzebue, Alaska, United States

Weather Effects Caribou Migration and Season
11-11-13 Weather effects caribou migration and season - Barrow, Alaska, USA
Utqiaġvik, Alaska, United States

Abundant Berries
The blueberries are so ripe now that the best time to pick those are late morning while they are chilled down and the leaves are not so moist, otherwise they fall easily or squish in your fingers.
Kiana, Alaska, United States

Muddy River Raises Salmon Concerns
Thawing permafrost and river bank collapsed on the Cheenik Creek.
Golovin, Alaska, United States

Abundant Salmon Berries (Vaccinium ovalifolium)
The past couple of years there haven't been a lot to pick.
Unalakleet, Alaska, United States

Invasive Fall Dandelion
7-25-13 Invasive dandelion - Levelock, Alaska, USA
Levelock, Alaska, Unites States

More Salmonberries (Rubus chamaemorus)
7-24-13 More salmon berries - Nondalton, Alaska, USA
Nondalton, Alaska, United States

Unusual Lightning
Residents were amazed to see lightning actually arching down to the ground.
Atqasuk, Alaska, United States

High pollen levels
High spruce pollen levels causing eye, respiratory irrigation and nose bleeds.

Spruce Aphid (Elatobium abietinum) Infestation
5-15-13 Spruce aphid infestation Kake, Alaska, USA
Kake, Alaska, United States

Herders caught between cashmere and climate change
Batogoo Dorj is a nomad in southern Mongolia’s Bayankhongor Region who makes his living raising cashmere goats. Each spring, Dorj can shear about 300 grams of the valuable, downy wool from each of his 350 goats. Those voracious and sharp-hoofed animals are contributing to the desertification and climate change that is reducing Mongolia’s available grazing land.
Баянхонгор, Bayanhongor, Mongolia
The UB Post

Bloom Turns Beach Orange
A mystery bloom brightens up local beach.
Annette Islands, Alaska, United States

Spruce Bark Beetle
We are worried about the effects of large infestation and about wildlife.
Fort Yukon, Alaska, United States

Windfall Tree Devastation
The winds came east out of the Chugach Mountains and caused damage to forest, unlike anything we have seen in over 50 years. It is going to be expensive and time consuming to clear the windfall.

Birch trees and bird vetch prompt slew of questions in Interior Alaska
There has been an outbreak in Fairbanks of the amber-marked birch leaf miner (Profenusa thomsoni), an insect that came to North America in the early 1900s and arrived in Fairbanks by about 2002.
Fairbanks, Alaska, United States
Fairbanks Daily News-Miner
Steven Seefeldt / Cooperative Extension Fairbanks Daily News-Miner

Great Gardening
7-19-12 Great gardening - Anchorage, Alaska, USA

Non-stinging Wasp (Cynipoidea) Larva
Non-sting wasp (cynipoidea) larva
Slana, Alaska, United States

Changing Plant Conditions
More leaf miners this year, less blue berry blossoms, but more cranberry.
Evansville, Alaska, United States

Windfall trees an obstacle
Wind fall trees an obstacle
Gakona, Alaska, United States

The Mystery Rust of Kivalina, Alaska
Last month a mysterious orange film ("goo" in the media vernacular) washed up on the shores of a northwest Alaskan village called Kivalina. An orange powder seems an odd product for the drying of crustacean eggs, but could make perfect sense for fungi -- specifically, the rust fungi.
Kivalina, Alaska, United States
Scientific American Blog Network

Caterpillars gang up on berry bushes, native trees
The outlook for blueberries in Southcentral Alaska this year is bleak, scientists say. The reason: Two species of moth have damaged berry patches, as well as native deciduous trees, from the southern Kenai Peninsula to Mat-Su.

ALASKA: A havoc-wreaking beetle loose in the forest
STERLING, Alaska — Spent today tramping around the boggy depths of the Kenai National Wildlife Refuge, which is about a three-hour drive south of Anchorage. Berg The group went there to see h…
Sterling, Alaska, United States
SciGuy

Unusual species of kelp (Aureophycus) identified
Twenty-five students in the Pribilof Island Marine Science Camp have discovered the second-known population of a new species.
Saint George, Alaska, United States

This 'incredibly alien' fungus isn't as scary as you might think
CBC reporter Kaitie Fraser spotted this strange jelly-like substance in her aunt's backyard, growing on a cedar tree. In fact, her aunt said, when she first saw it, it looked like orange flowers at a distance. But when she started to approach it, it looked more like clumps of gummy bears.
Windsor, Ontario, Canada
CBC

Canada's AG warns Nunavut about dangers of not having a climate change action plan
Nunavut is not prepared to deal with the impacts of climate change and doesn't have a plan to deal with them, according to the latest report by Canada's auditor general.
Iqaluit, Nunavut, Canada
CBC News

Growing sense of dread among Swedish farmers as dry weather continues
I am sad to see the crops on my fields being just brown and yellow instead of green. All the hard work we did this spring, it's almost for nothing..." dairy farmer Filip Nilsson told Radio Sweden.
Sweden

Spruce beetles’ expansion into Denali National Park poses questions about forest changes
The aggressive infestation that took hold in the Matanuska-Susitna Borough north of Anchorage in 2016 has now spread north, covering hillsides in the communities outside the park with rustred dead trees and reaching into park boundaries.
Cantwell, Alaska, United States

Invasive slug species slimes into city
The European black slug was first introduced into Alaska in the 1980s in Cordova, Slowik said. It eventually made its way to Juneau and Ketchikan, likely hitching a ride on fishing gear, and is now prevalent across Southeast. A few years ago, people started seeing the slug in Whittier and Girdwood.

North Saskatchewan River Turns Blue
The river, which starts at the Saskatchewan Glacier in the Columbia Icefields and flows through to central Saskatchewan, is usually murky brown by the time it reaches Edmonton in summer. In recent weeks, however, the water has taken on the hues of Alberta's glacial lakes, thanks to dry, hot weather combined with maintenance at a major dam.
North Saskatchewan River, Alberta, Canada
CBC

Red Lily Beetle (Lilioceris lilii) settles in Edmonton, Alberta
Edmonton, Alberta, Canada

Tropical fish follow warmer waters south, devouring kelp forests
They are brightly coloured, beautiful and hungry — tropical fish and sea urchins are thriving in southern waters warmed by climate change. But now they are devastating kelp forests already knocked around by marine heatwaves.
southern Australia
ABC News

Seeing brown birch leaves? It’s not necessarily a sign of fall. Blame leaf-munching larvae
The birch leafminer ate its way through birches across Southcentral and Interior Alaska this summer. Hot and dry weather earlier in summer may have been optimal for them.

Support

Observation Template