Quackenbush in the Washington Post! Climate change research in northern Maine

posted by Caitlin McDonough MacKenzie

In the 1940s and 1950s, L.S. Quackenbush, a northern Maine hunting guide,  recorded dates of leaf out, first flower, and migratory bird arrivals around his home in Oxbow, not far from Presque Isle. In a recent article published in Northeastern Naturalist, titled Advancing Leaf-out and Flowering Phenology is not Matched by Migratory Bird Arrivals Recorded in Hunting Guide’s Journal in Aroostook County, Maine, we compared Quackenbush’s observation with modern observations and weather records.

Our results show that leaf out and flowering are correlated with spring temperatures, but migratory bird arrivals are not, pointing to potential phenological mismatches in coming years.  The results also suggest that the trees and wildflowers are not responding as rapidly to climate change as the plants in Concord, MA that were observed by Henry David Thoreau in the 1850s. 

Quackenbush enthusiasts Jason Johnson,  Richard Primack, and Caitlin McDonough MacKenzie in front of Quackenbush’s house. Co-authors Bob Pinnette, Abe Miller-Rushing, and William Sheehan are not shown. photo: Caitlin McDonough MacKenzie

Last week Quackenbush and our research article were highlighted in the Washington Post: How a mid-20th-century hunting guide may fill the gaps on climate change in Maine! We're so excited to see this research on a national stage!