Observing the Outer World to Change Our Inner One

Climate change is a difficult topic, the cause of an epidemic of eco-anxiety and grief. Could documenting the seasonal changes in our natural surroundings — the blooming of a flower, the migration of a bird — both contribute to science and help to assuage this anxiety?

Theresa Crimmins is an Associate Professor in the School of Natural Resources and the Environment at the University of Arizona and the Director for the USA National Phenology Network. As a devotee to phenology – the timing of seasonal events in plants and animals – Theresa works enthusiastically to support a broader appreciation for the subject, recognizing the power of simply regularly pausing and looking at the living things in our midst. 

Theresa has published over 70 peer-reviewed articles and book chapters. She also frequently writes for non-academic outlets; her writing has appeared in Scientific American, The Hill, The Conversation, and the Arizona Daily Star. Her book, Phenology, a basic primer on the subject, will be available next March through The MIT Press.