USA National Phenology Network

What USA National Phenology Network does

USA National Phenology Network (USA-NPN) is a national-scale phenological monitoring and research initiative headquartered in Tucson, Arizona at the University of Arizona's School of Natural Resources and the Environment. Founded in 2008, the organization operates the Nature's Notebook program, a citizen-science platform where volunteer observers record standardized observations of plant and animal life-cycle stages (phenophases) through a mobile app (iOS/Android) and web interface. The platform supports a national database of 1,882 observable species and serves scientists, federal/state natural resource managers, agricultural managers, educators, and the general public with phenological data and decision-support tools.

The organization's product portfolio centers on a data collection pipeline (Nature's Notebook), visualization tools (Visualization Tool, Status of Spring Maps, Leaf/Bloom/Late Bloom Indices), and predictive analytics products (Pheno Forecasts, Thermal Calendars) that use growing degree day (GDD) thresholds to forecast pest and invasive species life-cycle stages up to two weeks in advance. Underlying technology combines mobile and web-based observation entry, validated statistical models derived from published scientific research, and integration with external datasets such as NEON (DP1.10055.001). A new version of the Nature's Notebook mobile app is in beta testing as of mid-2026, adding leveled protocols, GPS-precise plant locations, phenophase photo guides, social sharing, badges, and planned iNaturalist integration and Spanish-language support.

USA-NPN is structured as a nonprofit research network and does not generate revenue from user fees; Nature's Notebook and all observational data are openly available under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 (CC BY 4.0) license. Operating funding derives from federal grants and institutional sponsorships, with primary support from NSF (current grant No. 2404760), USGS, NASA, USDA (including USDA Climate Hubs), and the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation, alongside the University of Arizona as host institution. The organization's output is embedded in national climate assessments and EPA Climate Change Indicators, demonstrating public-good usage rather than commercial monetization.

Name

USA National Phenology Network

Legal name

USA National Phenology Network

Website

https://usanpn.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2008

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

USA National Phenology Network is a federally-funded nonprofit operating Nature's Notebook, a national citizen-science platform collecting standardized plant and animal phenology observations across the U.S. to support climate research, invasive species management, agriculture, and ecological decision-making.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Environmental Phenology Monitoring

SIC

Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731)

akta.pro primary industry

Biodiversity Baseline Studies & Long-Term Monitoring Programs (EUAHAHAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

Forest Pest & Pathogen Monitoring (AFAMAEAA), Crop Scouting & Pest/Disease Detection (Digital Scouting, Computer Vision, Alerts) (AFAGALAI), Remote Sensing & Imagery Analytics (Satellite, Drone, Aerial) (AFABAMAB), Nature & Biodiversity Reporting (TNFD, natural capital) (EUAHAJAM), Terrestrial Ecology & Habitat Surveys (EUAHAHAA)

Keywords

• Phenology monitoring
• Citizen science observations
• Ecological data visualization
• Climate change monitoring
• Species phenology data

Headquarters

HQ city

Tucson

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Software

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Federal and Institutional Funding: The USA-NPN is federally-funded and operated at the University of Arizona. Major funding sources include NSF grants, USGS, NASA, USDA, and foundation support (Moore Foundation).

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

The USA-NPN collects, curates, and disseminates standardized plant and animal phenology observations contributed by a national volunteer observer network through its flagship Nature's Notebook app and web platform. It packages these observations into derivative products including Pheno Forecasts, Status of Spring Maps, Spring Indices, the Visualization Tool, the Thermal Calendars Tool, the Species List Database, the Phenology Observation Portal, and the Observer Certification Course, all released under open Creative Commons CC BY 4.0 terms for use by researchers, resource managers, agricultural producers, educators, and the public.

Product overview

USA National Phenology Network operates as a national-scale monitoring and research initiative offering a unified citizen science platform centered on Nature's Notebook. The portfolio consists of a core mobile/web observation application (Nature's Notebook) for recording plant and animal phenological data, complemented by data visualization and mapping tools (Visualization Tool, Status of Spring Maps, Spring Indices) that process and display aggregated observations. Pheno Forecasts extend the platform into predictive analytics, forecasting pest and invasive species life cycle stages based on growing degree day models. Supporting offerings include a species database (1,882 species), phenophase photo guides, an Observer Certification Course, and the Thermal Calendars tool. All data is publicly available under a Creative Commons CC BY 4.0 license.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Nature's Notebook Citizen-science app and web platform that enables individual observers to record standardized plant and animal phenology observations (leaf-out, bloom, fruiting, animal behavior) and contribute to the USA-NPN national dataset; used by researchers, resource managers, educators, and the general public.
• Pheno Forecasts Interactive map-based forecasts predicting the timing of phenological events (such as grape bloom and other species-specific events) by combining species-specific growing degree day and chilling unit models with observed and forecast weather data; used by growers, researchers, and resource managers.
• Status of Spring Maps National-scale maps showing the geographic progression of spring based on USA-NPN observations and phenological models, providing a real-time indicator of spring onset across the contiguous United States.
• Spring Indices Model-based phenological indices that quantify the timing of spring onset (e.g., first leaf, first bloom) at national and regional scales, derived from temperature-driven plant development models.
• Visualization Tool Interactive web tool that lets users map, chart, and download USA-NPN phenology observations across geographic areas and time periods, supporting research, teaching, and communication.
• Thermal Calendars Tool Web-based tool that computes and visualizes thermal time (e.g., growing degree days) for user-selected locations, thresholds, and date ranges to support phenological analysis.
• Species List Database Curated, searchable database of plant and animal species that supports Nature's Notebook observers in selecting and configuring site-specific species lists for standardized phenology monitoring.
• Phenology Observation Portal Web portal for searching, filtering, and downloading standardized USA-NPN phenology observation records for use in research, management, and education.
• Observer Certification Course Online training course that certifies volunteers and partner observers in USA-NPN's standardized phenology observation protocols, methods, and species identification.

Quantifiable outcome

• Data used in national climate indicators (USGCRP Start of Spring indicator)
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

AI capability1 record

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• University of Arizona - School of Natural Resources and the EnvironmentcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe host institution of the USA-NPN is the School of Natural Resources and the Environment, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences at the University of Arizona. The National Coordinating Office operates from this location.
• U.S. Geological Survey (USGS)coreOthersUSGS is listed as a sponsor of the USA-NPN along with NSF, NASA, and USDA. USGS provides scientific expertise and support for the network.
• National Ecological Observatory Network (NEON)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNEON plant phenology observations (DP1.10055.001) are available through the USA-NPN website and integrated into their phenology products.
• USDA Climate HubsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerWinter wheat development forecasts were created with support from the USDA Climate Hubs and the Office of the Chief Economist.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• iNaturalist: iNaturalist is a joint initiative of the California Academy of Sciences and National Geographic that runs the largest global citizen science biodiversity platform. It directly competes with Nature's Notebook for volunteer observers and is now integrating with USA-NPN via photo submission, making it the closest comparable peer.
• eBird (Cornell Lab of Ornithology): eBird is the world's largest citizen science bird-observation network, run by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology. It shares the same operating model — volunteer-driven structured observations feeding a public database used for research and conservation — making it a directly comparable peer for USA-NPN's approach.
• Project BudBurst: Project BudBurst is a citizen science phenology program (formerly at University of Arizona, now Chicago Botanic Garden) that collects plant phenology observations across the U.S. It is a direct peer focused on the same niche (plant phenology) and overlapping contributor pool.
• Nature's Calendar (Woodland Trust): Nature's Calendar is the UK's leading phenology recording scheme, run by the Woodland Trust with thousands of volunteer recorders tracking seasonal events. It is directly comparable to USA-NPN in mission and citizen-science methodology, though it operates in the UK rather than the U.S.
• Zooniverse: Zooniverse is the world's largest online citizen science platform, hosting projects across ecology, astronomy, and biology. It is comparable to USA-NPN as a peer platform for engaging volunteers in structured scientific observation, although USA-NPN operates its own dedicated app rather than using Zooniverse infrastructure.

Regional players

• Pan European Phenology Network (PEP725): PEP725 is the European open data network of phenological observations from meteorological services and research institutions. It is a regional peer to USA-NPN, operating the same national-scale phenology database concept but in Europe rather than the U.S.
• GloNAF (Global Naturalized Alien Flora): GloNAF is an international collaborative database of naturalized alien plant species distributions. It is a comparable peer in the biodiversity-data infrastructure space, with a focus that intersects with USA-NPN's invasive-species Pheno Forecasts use case.

Broad incumbents

• National Ecological Observatory Network (NEON): NEON is an NSF-funded continental-scale ecological observatory operated by Battelle that collects standardized ecological data including plant phenology (DP1.10055.001), which USA-NPN already integrates. It is a broader incumbent offering higher-frequency, sensor-based ecological data alongside citizen science approaches.
• iDigBio: iDigBio is the NSF-funded national center for digitized biodiversity specimen data, aggregating records from natural history collections. It is a broad-incumbent peer providing parallel biodiversity data infrastructure that researchers and resource managers could use alongside or instead of USA-NPN data.

Others

• GLOBE Observer (NASA): GLOBE Observer is NASA's citizen science app for Earth observations, including land cover and tree-height protocols. It is a thematic peer in the citizen-science-for-environmental-monitoring space and shares NASA as a common sponsor with USA-NPN.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks3 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/USANPN1
• Facebookfacebook.com/USANPN
• Instagraminstagram.com/usa_npn
• Xx.com/usanpn
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/usa-npn

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about USA National Phenology Network