March 2004 Week 3 Observations

Participants are listed by latitude and longitide, starting from the northernmost latitude. Participant map 54:52N-38:20S | Firsts | Map | Quest [54:52N 6:17W] UNITED KINGDOM Northern Ireland, Ballymena P6/7KS Ballymena Primary School, Ms. Simpson & Ms. Lee's fourth graders WEATHER/SKY/TEMPERATURE: At the beginning of the week, temperatures were 7 degrees Celsius. By the end of the week, temperatures had dropped down to 4 degrees Celsius. We had no rain until Thursday when there was 0.3 mm of rain. On Thursday it was also very windy. At the beginning of the week we saw cumulus (fluffy) clouds in the sky. On Monday morning we had quite thick fog. LAND & WATER: This week has been dry with no frost or ice, so we have been able to be outside every day at Break and lunch time. On Thursday at Break time, it was very windy and all the old leaves were being picked up and blown around. It looked almost like autumn instead of spring. PLANTS: We have seen daffodils, which are yellow spring flowers. Quite a lot of the shrubs in the school grounds are starting to flower although very few of them have leaves yet. The big horse chestnut tree is still bare and no buds have opened yet. ANIMALS: From the playground we can see some crows flying about and landing on the bare trees in the park. We also saw some old crows nesting in the trees. Amy saw two magpies, Marianne saw about three collared doves in her back garden and Ruth saw hares in a field near her house. Michelle saw a robin eating nuts in her garden. PEOPLE: People are still well wrapped up, as it is quite cold. Michelle has seen some people out cutting their grass, although this yearā s new grass has not really started to grow. They are just tidying up their lawns. OTHER: This week, we went out into the school grounds with the digital camera. We saw quite a lot of shrubs, which had started to flower, although there were no leaves yet. We took photos of a shrub with a pink flower which was well open, and one with a yellow flower, just ready to open. We also took a photo of a clump of bluebells, which was starting to push up through the ground, in our woodland area. [45:44N 4:52E] FRANCE Bourg-Argental College du Pilat, Claudie Ferret's sixth graders WEATHER/SKY/TEMPERATURE: There are some snow showers and the weather is colder. The sky is blue and more rarely grey. The temperature is from 0C to 5C in the morning and from 5C to 10C in the afternoon. There is snow on the mountains and it is melting in the valley. LAND & WATER: PLANTS: It was so cold the plants didn't change a lot.Anyway the tulips of Sylviane bloomed protected by a wall. The apricot-trees and the peach-trees have small flower-buds. Heather is blooming. The catkins fall and the daffodils begin to sprout. ANIMALS: The river are still cold and the trouts hide under the rocks (too cold for fishing!) The deers and wild boars come out of the forests. The birds are nesting. Blackbirds knock at the window. Hens start laying eggs again. PEOPLE: People go for walks. They ride their motorbike. Some people are cycling and jogging. [45:19N 75:40W] CANADA Ontario, Ottawa Elizabeth Park Public School, Ms. Chartrand's first graders WEATHER/SKY/TEMPERATURE: We have had another week with above normal temperatures on most days. There was some snow last Sunday evening and night but it had melted by the afternoon. Unfortunately, the sun did not shine until yesterday! The sky was grey most of the time. It may snow tonight but the weather forecaster said that there would not be any more that 2 cm. LAND & WATER: There is still lots of mud everywhere. The snow that remains is very dirty and not nice to look at or play in. It is hard and crusty. Some of the ponds are beginning to thaw so we are very careful not to play around them. We were supposed to have a horse drawn sleigh ride at school this week but it had to be cancelled because the field is so soft and muddy. The ground under our play structure has started to thaw but there are still lots of puddles so we can't play there yet. The Ottawa River is starting to thaw. In order to help this process, the ice is blasted into big chunks that melt more easily. This also helps reduce flooding along the banks. PLANTS: Still nothing to report here. We have not seen anything starting to grow. ANIMALS: We still see the animals and birds that we saw all winter. However, some of the grade two students caught a ladybug today so maybe other insects will soon start to appear. Everybody with birdfeeders is still filling them up with seeds and most of us still put out nuts for the squirrels. PEOPLE: We would all like to get rid of our bulky snowsuits but we still have to wear them! They help to keep us dry. Some people are starting to skip a recess. There is no snow on the cement so it's a great place for it. Although it is a bit difficult to skip while wearing boots! OTHER: Unfortunately, our winter play day had to be cancelled because of lack of snow. Usually we have more snow at this time of year! [44:38N 22:39E] ROMANIA Mehedinti, Drobeta Turnu Severin Liceul Teoretic "Gheorghe Titeica", Ms. Rachitan & Ms. Rosu's students WEATHER/SKY/TEMPERATURE: The weather has been very changeable this week. On Monday it was sunny and worm. Then it started raining and the wind blew for two days. On Friday it didn't rain, but the sky was cloudy and we couldn't see the sun. The temperature was pretty low for this time of the year. LAND & WATER: The land was wet, and sometimes frozen in the morning. The river on whose left bank our town is situated was still cold and dirty. PLANTS: No flowers have appeared yet. The trees are still waiting for the sun in order to show their marvelous flowers. Few buds had the courage to turn up. ANIMALS: The animals are hibernating because it is too cold to get out of thier lairs. Only the sparrows twitter can be heared from time to time. PEOPLE: Everybody is waiting for the spring to come. People tried to change their thick clothes with thinner ones, but it isn't time yet. On Monday everyone was happy to see the sun, but the next day winter came back again. "She" doesn't want to leave us, and her sister, the spring is too weak. OTHER: On 8 March we celebrate "Woman's Day." Men give presents to women because they want to show their gratitude. It was a sunny day, and everybody was cheerful. Men carrying flowers and presents for their wives, girl friends, and mothers. Women dressed up,celebrating their day. Everything was wonderful on Monday. [43:07N 79:01W] USA New York, Grand Island Kaegebein Elementary School, Ms. Hartman's third graders WEATHER/SKY/TEMPERATURE: We've had a mixed bag of weather this week. It thought it was spring for a few days, but then winter returned. There were days of warm rain, freezing rain, and snow that did stick to the ground. Temperatures ranged from low 20sF to high 50sF. LAND & WATER: Lawns were covered with snow Friday, but were full of muddy puddles the rest of the week. PLANTS: The earliest bulbs have started to break through the soil, but nothing is flowering yet. Trees are still bare. ANIMALS: Canada geese have come back to Grand Island after migrating south in October. Winter birds are still coming to our birdfeeders, but a few of us think we saw the first robins of spring. We also continue to see deer, rabbits, and squirrels in our yards. PEOPLE: We are still wearing warm clothing and winter coats, but haven't needed our snow boots for a while. Outside we see more joggers, people walking dogs, some kids riding bikes, and some groups of kids playing street hockey whe it isn't raining or snowing. [42:44N 73:41W] USA New York, Green Island Heatly School, Ms. Kirch's second graders WEATHER/SKY/TEMPERATURE: It was cloudy in the beginning of the week. We had a snow storm Sunday night! The snow was very wet. On Tuesday it snowed when we left school. Then we has sunny days. The temperatures wer in the 30's and 40's F. LAND & WATER: The ground is muddy. The snow has melted and turned the grass to mush. PLANTS: Green shoots are coming up where flowers will grow! The shoots are getting bigger and we see more of them. ANIMALS: We have seen ants, worms chipmunks and a raccoon. PEOPLE: Some students are riding bikes to school! It is so warm we can wear short sleeves in the classroom but we still need to wear coats to school in the morning. After school we are going to play at the park even though it is muddy. [42:43N 71:11W] USA Massachusetts, Methuen Comprehensive Grammar School, Ms. Billings, Ms. Fichera, Ms. Fresco, Ms. O'Connor, Ms. Paolino, and Ms. Stone's second graders WEATHER/SKY/TEMPERATURE: This week the temperature ranged from 35 degrees F to 42 degrees F. The sky was a mix of sun and clouds. We even had some snow. LAND & WATER: The grass is still brown and the land is muddy. We are really into "mud season." There are still some patches of ice and snow on the water in the wetlands. Water from melting snow has also collected around the drainage pipes. PLANTS: We still have no leaves on the trees and bushes but we have seen a few tiny buds beginning to show. ANIMALS: The only animals we have seen are a few winter birds and squirrels. In the morning we are hearing more birds chirping. PEOPLE: Students are still wearing winter clothing. OTHER: In the leafless trees we can see empty birds' nests from last year. [41:46N 80:51W] USA Ohio, Austinburg Austinburg Elementary School, Ms. Gray's second graders PHOTO: The tree outside of our classroom on March 12, 2004. It was snowing when we took this photo. WEATHER/SKY/TEMPERATURE: The first four days of this week were mostly sunny with the highs in the upper 30's F. or lower 40's F., and the lows in the upper 20's F. or low 30's. F.. The snow was all gone and it was beginning to look like Spring. Then late Thursday, the temperature started to drop. We had high winds, snow flurries, and a high temperature of 29 degreees F. and a low of 19 degreees F.. We now have several inches of snow and ice with freezing temperatures. It now looks like Winter. LAND & WATER: The ground is covered with snow and ice. There are no areas of grass and mud. The ice on the ponds is very thin and cracking along the edges. PLANTS: We did not see any new plants. We did see a few buds on the pussy willow tree, but now they covered in snow and ice. The trees and bushes are covered with snow and ice. ANIMALS: ANIMALS: We were seeing more and more animal tracks every day and there were several dead animals on the road. On Friday we did not see any animals or animal tracks. PEOPLE: The first four days of the week peoiple were wearing Spring jackets and no boots. On Friday people were wearing snowpants, boots, winter coats, gloves, and winter hats. People are feeling better. We almost had perfect attendance this week. OTHER: The days are still getting longer. It is light by 6:45 a.m. and still light at 6:20 p.m. A few people have started to tap their maple trees. It was hard to return to Winter. We are hoping it will soon be warmer and more like Spring. [41:38N 87:36W] USA Illinois, Dolton Youth For Excellence Home School, Ms. Day's fifth graders , WEATHER/SKY/TEMPERATURE: This week it has been getting colder. It is now windy which makes it feel colder than. The temperature average around 34 degees F (2C). We have had rain, rain mixed with snow, and snow flurries. Some days were cloudy and dreary. A couple were sunny but not warm. LAND & WATER: This week shows little or no change in land and water. PLANTS: Trees have very small buds, no flower buds noticed, grass a little greener in spots. ANIMALS: We saw birds migrating back in Week2. Even though its cold, birds are singing and flying around more. [41:14N 84:07W] USA Ohio, Holgate Holgate Elementary School, Ms. Wagner & Ms. Burkhart's second graders WEATHER/SKY/TEMPERATURE: The end of last week looked as if spring were here. As you can see in the pictures, we were able to play outside without coats or jackets in the afternoon. At about 7pm it was still 62F. This week has been a different story. Each day the temperature is different. Sunday there was rain followed on Monday and Tuesday by light snow. Monday at 7pm it was only 34F. LAND & WATER: The wind has dried up most of the rain/snow puddles from last week. Mr. Verhoff, our custodian, also farms and has told us that now is the time of year farmers put nitrogen on the fields. This helps the wheat and corn grow, soybeans are also grown. But, the ground is still too damp for the heavy equipment. So, if it remains damp, around March 15th they will use airplanes and spray nitrogen on the fields. PLANTS: Each week the grass is getting greener and more flowers are beginning to bud. The daffodils have grown about an inch in the last week with the warmer weather. If you move the blanket of leaves away from the plants they are covering, you find other plants beginning to bud, but it is still too early to remove the leaves completely. Some years we have snow the end of March. On some trees we are beginning to see buds! ANIMALS: Walking to school a big fat robin was spotted. She had yet to lay her eggs. We wonder if her nest is ready. The squirrels are still running from tree to tree. The white tailed deer, our stateās animal was spotted by one of our students. PEOPLE: Last Friday was the only day we didnāt have to wear jackets in the afternoon. It was very windy, but the sun was so warm. Most days coats or jackets and hats are still needed. People in our area are doing many different things. The kids are playing outside more, throwing and catching baseballs, riding bikes, playing on swing sets, playing kick ball, and helping their families pick up sticks that have fallen onto the yards. We are also beginning to see more mothers with strollers taking their small children for walks. The adults are walking in groups and just visiting outside more. OTHER: Spring is dropping many hints to the people of Northwest Ohio that it is on its way! [40:24N 80:11W] USA Pennsylvania, Oakdale Donaldson Elementary School, Ms. Huling's first graders WEATHER/SKY/TEMPERATURE: It has been very cold this week in southwestern Pennsylvania. Winter has returned with light snow daily and a low of 18 degrees F expected for tonight. LAND & WATER: The grass remains brown. We don't see any buds forming on the trees, yet. PLANTS: ANIMALS: The only animals in the schoolyard this week were some crows looking for food. PEOPLE: We are wearing our heavy winter coats and jackets this week. Some of us have even worn our gloves again. OTHER: We hope to have better spring weather to report next week. We will be having a severe weather drill on Wednesday. Actually, the whole state of Pennsylvania will be having it. We will tell you about it next week. [40:04N 74:12W] USA New Jersey, Brick Brick Community Primary Learning Center, Ms. MacDougall's students WEATHER/SKY/TEMPERATURE: It was cloudy all week until Thursday. It was cold, rainy, and it even snowed on Wednesday! It was so windy on Wednesday, too! We had a nor'easter. LAND & WATER: The snow and slush piles have all melted. The lakes are thawed. The garden is still a little muddy. PLANTS: Some of our purple and yellow crocuses have bloomed! Our tulips are up 2 inches and our daffodils are up one inch out of the ground. We have to be careful not to step on them. ANIMALS: The swans have returned to the local pond. They are beautiful and white. The squirrels are running all over the place. The geese are on the fields. PEOPLE: We are still wearing winter coats and hats and mittens. OTHER: Our picture shows that March comes in like a Lion! The lilac and forsythia have not bloomed yet. [39:32N 74:29W] USA New Jersey, Jackson Switlik Elementary School, Ms. Wardell's second graders WEATHER/SKY/TEMPERATURE: We had a mix of everything this week with snow, rain, fog, clouds and sun. The temperatures ranged from the 30's to the 50's. Our fourth graders report the weather everyday during the morning announcements and we are eagerly listening for warmer to days to come. The strong wind today made it feel much colder than it really was outside during recess. LAND & WATER: The snow melted quickly and the ground was wet and muddy. We saw puddles everywhere we walked. PLANTS: The crocus plants were covered in snow on Monday and were blooming later this week with beautiful purple and yellow colors. ANIMALS: Michael B. heard tree frogs in the woods. Sarah said the brood mares on her farm are having their foals. Ben saw moths and deer. PEOPLE: Garrett, Michael M., Anthony and Luke are practicing for baseball. People went from heavy coats to lighter coats this week as the weather changed. Breann P.'s family started a fire in their fireplace since it was colder. Kathy bought light colored shoes for Easter. OTHER: We wrote about a time when we were "Lucky" and colored our shamrocks for St. Patrick's Day. We hear the weather will be milder next week and maybe we can wear short sleeves when we wear our green. [39:18N 85:13W] USA Indiana, Batesville St. Louis School, Ms. Bornemann's fourth graders WEATHER/SKY/TEMPERATURE: This week the ground has been pretty soggy from all of last week's rain. The ponds and lakes are rising. Some yards have standing water in them. The Ohio River has risen 15 feet above normal. These are signs of spring. he temperature is significantly colder than last week. Last week it was 50¼F-65¼F. This week it is in the 30's. There is a possibility of snow tonight. One day this week I had to scrape Mom's car windshield because of the frost. Everyday it has been sunny. There are few clouds in the sky. A strong wind is causing a chill in the air. LAND & WATER: This week the ground has been pretty soggy from all of last week's rain. The ponds and lakes are rising. Some yards have standing water in them. The Ohio River has risen 15 feet above normal. These are signs of spring. PLANTS: Spring is finally coming to Batesville! There are a lot of signs to tell you that, such as flowers blooming in a lot of places. Also, the past few days I have been so happy to see in my yard that there are a couple of patches of green grass! Another big give away that Spring is coming are some buds on a few trees. There are also a few farmers that are getting ready to plant their crops in my community. ANIMALS: This week I have been seeing a lot of rabbits in the woods next to my house. There have been squirrels coming out of their hibernation. I have seen them looking for food. When I went to the creek next to my house, I saw frogs jumping in and out of the water. When I was by the creek, I also saw geese flying overhead. These are signs of spring. PEOPLE: Unlike last week, people this week have been wearing their coats when they go outside. They have also been outside less. When they are outside for recess, some people like to run around to stay warm. Others like to huddle close to their friends. I think that most people are ready for it to warm up again. [39:02N 95:41W] USA Kansas, Topeka Pleasant Hill Elementary School, Ms. Seeger's fifth graders WEATHER/SKY/TEMPERATURE: It was sunny and in the 70's on Monday, but then it cooled down. This morning it was 23 degrees F. It has been warm (50's-60's), but the wind has been blowing so it feels lots cooler. The sky has been bluish-gray. LAND & WATER: We haven't had any more rain. The rains we had last week caused erosion in some places. Kacie went and looked at some land, and she saw standing water. Devin noticed that the Kansas River is still high from last week's rains. Thayne can still see branches sticking up from the sand bars, though. PLANTS: Flowers are beginning to bloom: Mrs. Seeger has two, white crocuses blooming in her yard. The daffodil leaves are up, but no flowers yet. Allison has noticed that her houseplants are turning greener since there is longer sunlight. Kacie saw a garden with some very short sprouts. Everyone has noticed that the perennials in their yards are coming up. ANIMALS: We have been hearing birds chirping in the morning. Trevor saw a wasp at recess today. Several students have seen flies. We have noticed more skunks and squirrels. Whitney observed 5-6 white-tailed deer. PEOPLE: People are wearing lighter clothes. Some of us are wearing tank tops to school even though Mrs. Seeger thinks it's too early! More people are starting to wear shorts and capris. [34:13N 118:14W] USA California, La Crescenta Lincoln Elementary School, Ms. Goddard's second graders WEATHER/SKY/TEMPERATURE: The weather was great! We had temperatures in the high 70's and 80's the entire week. The sky was clear with a few scattered clouds. One day was windy and things were really blowing around. LAND & WATER: The land is getting greener and the water is getting warmer. PLANTS: The wildflowers in the mountains are blooming, the grass is getting greener and starting to grow. The trees are getting blossoms and the roses are getting buds. ANIMALS: The squirrels are playing everywhere. Birds are busy making nests for their new babies. The baby birds are starting to sing earlier in the day. PEOPLE: People are wearing cooler clothing such as shorts and short sleeves. They are not wearing jackets except at night. They are going outdoors more. People are having BBQs and eating outside. Some people are even swimming in their swimming pools. OTHER: We have noticed that the nights are taking longer to come and the mornings are coming earlier. The sun is getting brighter. [32:51N 96:58W] USA Texas, Irving J. O. Schulze Elementary School, Ms. Butt's first graders WEATHER/SKY/TEMPERATURE: The sky has been blue and clear, or partly cloudy. We had a little rain one day. LAND & WATER: The land is warm and moist. PLANTS: Weeds are growing fast. More tulips in our tulip garden are blooming and many more have buds. Burford Pear trees have white blossoms all over them. Other trees are getting more and more buds and some have a few very small leaves. The grass looks greener every day. ANIMALS: Ladybugs are still eating aphids on the flowers in our school garden. Squirrels are running back and forth, birds are flying around and singing. We've even had some birds fly into our school when classes go in and out for recess. Bees and wasps are flying around in the garden. PEOPLE: People are wearing more shorts and T-shirts than last week. Because the weeds are beginning to grow quickly, more people are out mowing their yards than last week. More people are out at the parks walking or feeding the ducks. We had a picnic on our school cafeteria patio on Wednesday. [29:37N 81:49W] USA Florida, Hollister The Children's Academy, Ms. Cadwallader's first graders WEATHER/SKY/TEMPERATURE: Our weather got colder this week. Lows in the mid 30s and highs in the mid 60s. We have not had any rain for almost 2 weeks. It has been windy everyday. LAND & WATER: There were 2 brush fires in our area. The sandy soil here does not hold water well. It gets dry fast without rain. PLANTS: We put new plants in our garden and yard. We are pass our last frost and can plant our first flowers and vegetables. We are planting tomatoes, hot chile peppers, and sweet peppers. We put in dill, and parsley to attract butterflies. Some trees are starting to sprout their first bright green leaves. ANIMALS: We saw zebra and gulf fruitilary butterflies. We heard the noctural bird, Chuck-wills-widow, call on the full moon. It is a warm weather bird for us. There was a green garden snake out. PEOPLE: We are starting to wear shorts and t-shirts again, but we still need jackets in the morning and evening. If it is windy, we wear pants and sweatshirts on. Spring soccer has started. OTHER: It is light out in the evening after 6:30pm [31:50S 116:10E] WESTERN AUSTRALIA, Perth Hampton Park Primary School, Miss Anderson's third and fourth graders WEATHER/SKY/TEMPERATURE: We are having a greater range in our temperatures now than during our hottest summer months. Our mornings are a lot chillier - with our minimum temperatures around fifteen degrees celcius. The skies are a lovely bright blue with lots of fluffy white clouds around. By lunchtime the temperatures have risen to our maximum - around thirty degrees celcius. So while we seem to still be having lots of hot summery days - this week has shown a change to cooler weather - at least in the mornings as we get ready for school. LAND & WATER: Over the weekend seven families from our class went swimming at the beach and the swimming pools. The ocean water was still quite cold in the mornings and became warmer during the day. PLANTS: Flowers in our home gardens are still blooming well. This week we have attached a picture of our class standing by a tree outside our classroom. We have been talking about the changes in the colours of leaves in our home gardens and the school yards. Some of our class have promised to bring leaves in from home - and we have decided to scan the leaves so we can share them with you. We hope to see some changes in leaf colours soon. ANIMALS: There are a lot of birds that live in the trees outside our classrooms. (Our school emblem is the willy wagtail - a tiny black bird that flits around quickly shaking it's fan tail as it moves.) This week we heard some baby magpies making a LOT of noise outside our classroom while we were trying to get our school work done! PEOPLE: We can tell that cooler weather is setting in - by the amount of red jackets that our students are wearing. We especially notice how many red jackets there are during our school assembly times - and they provide an amazing colour contrast on our green oval lawns - when students forget to bring them in after lunch playtime ; ) 54:52N-38:20S | Firsts | Map | Quest | March index | Top of page