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Apr 28, 2008 5:28 pm US/Mountain
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Boulder Volunteer Waits For Buds To Burst
BOULDER, Colo. (CBS4) ―
Sharp-eyed gardeners have joined scientists to find out how climate change is affecting plants around the world. Thousands of volunteers from around the nation are participating in the "Bud Burst" project.
Marjorie Leggitt of Boulder is one of them. Every day her research takes her to her lilac bush in her backyard.
"We are starting to see some leaves but we need to see a lot more leaves covering the bush to say it's in full leaf," she explained.
Once Liggett makes her observations she logs into the Bud Burst Web site and records what she found. When the plants are in full leaf, that's considered a key stage in bud bursting.
The main focus of the project is to gather as much information as possible from across the United States. Researchers can then get a better picture about the status of plants throughout the nation.
Scientists with the University Corporation for Atmospheric Research in Boulder who are involved in the project want to track more than 60 species of plants and flowers in the months and years to come.
Project coordinate Sandra Henderson said that's why volunteers like Ligget are key.
"Scientists can't be everywhere. We need additional centennial eyes on the landscape. We need people to be out making these observations."
For Leggitt, volunteering for the project is a perfect way to spend her time.
"I'm outside in the yard every day as it is. It was a great opportunity to turn in my passion of being involved with plants into helping good science in a bigger way."
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