Help scientists look for signs of global warming in the South Bay

Just in time for the first day of spring, a story in Thursday's Breeze details the effect of global warming on season's flora and fauna. A group of scientists is hoping to create a network of "citizen scientists" to help document the changes. You can help by tracking bud bursts in your own backyard. Here's how from The Associated Press:

The National Phenology Network is enlisting volunteers to help track early spring blooms and eventually changes in animals caused by global warming. It’s called Project BudBurst. When it debuted last year, thousands of people participated in 26 states.
“All people can contribute to it by tracking the timing of flowering events or leaf-out events for plants and animals in their back yard,” said phenology network director Jake Weltzin. He calls the volunteers “citizen-scientists.”
The idea is that tracking flowers blooming — especially lilacs which everyday people have helped track for decades — is fairly simple. The Web site gives directions on what to look for in different parts of the country.