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The LEO Network is a worldwide network of observers and experts that share their observations of environmental change.
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Observations

Australia bushfires trap thousands on east coast beaches
Residents fled toward the waterside as winds pushed an emergency-level wildfire towards their homes. The town was shrouded in darkness from the smoke before turning an unnerving shade of bright red.
Mallacoota, Victoria, Australia
The Globe and Mail

'Funky' weather brings late harvest
It was out of habit that Rachel Kukull carried foraging tools while hiking through Chilkat State Park. The custom paid off when she spotted on the forest floor a flash of gold that made her scream. Chanterelles in November!
Haines, Alaska, United States
Chilkat Valley News

Alders (genus Alnus) Budding Out of Season
Warm temperatures are likely causing alders and other woody Alaskan plants to bud in fall and early winter. As winter sets in, the buds are damaged and the plants will produce fewer buds come spring.
Seldovia, Alaska, United States

It’s November, and Southcentral Alaska’s unusually warm fall has some plants putting out spring buds
As much of the Lower 48 braces for frigid weather, Anchorage-area temperatures have run some 13 degrees above normal so far this month.
Anchorage, Alaska, United States
Anchorage Daily News

Big Year for Highbush Cranberries (Viburnum edule)
Highbush cranberries benefited from unusually warm, sunny conditions.
Seldovia Village, Alaska, United States

Black Currant (Ribes laxiflorum) and Willow (Salix scouleriana) Bushes Are Budding
Willow and currants are budding unusually late, during an unusually warm fall.
Seldovia Village, Alaska, United States

California fires see 200,000 evacuated while 3 million may lose power
For the third year in a row, an enormous wildfire is destroying homes and properties in California, with smaller fires raging elsewhere in the state.
Sonoma Valley, California, USA
New Scientist

Stoop Pumpkins Rotting Before Halloween
This stoop-pumpkin-rotting event is unusual compared with Dr. Johnson's long-term (lifetime) time series of annual October observations of stoop pumpkins in New York City.
New York City, New York, United States
Twitter

Unidentified Foam on Fallen Leaves
Unusual foam on autumn fallen leaves does not belong to a spittlebug, but may be a type of fungus.
Seldovia, Alaska, United States
Jessie Moan, Stephen Payton, Derek Sikes

Climate change thaws permafrost
Nils Thomas discovered "sinkhole" in the middle of Finnmarksvidda. Scientists have long warned against this, and now it happened.
Vuohcetjávri, Kautokeino
NRK

Tree apocalypse in Winnipeg
City deals with impact of early-season snowstorm on roads, energy grid, tree canopy.
Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
Winnipeg Free Press

Outbreak of tree-killing, allergy-inducing moths
An infestation of tussock moths, which have the ability to quickly kill healthy Douglas fir trees, is on the move in British Columbia and the Ministry of Forests says it has now been found further north than ever before.
Wycotte Flat, British Columbia, Canada
CBC

Late Budding Alder Tree (genus Alnus)
Late budding alder tree.
Chistochina, Alaska, United States

Scarlet Honeyeaters (Myzomela sanguinolenta) Unusually Abundant in Brisbane
Sherwood Arboretum, Queensland, Australia

An invasive algae is threatening the Strait of Gibraltar’s fishing grounds
Returning to port with tons of algae in their trammel nets, with hardly any fish, has become a common drama for the men fishing in Spain's Southern coast. The same “catastrophe” is also threatening the marine biodiversity of the area and piling up on beaches.
Spanish Mediterranean coast

Abundance of Hemlock Looper Moths (Lambdina fiscellaria)
Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada

Moth population takes flight in North Vancouver
The North Shore is discovering what life is like under moth rule. Eclipses of moths have been flitting, fluttering and generally wreaking havoc around any light source over the past week.
Lynn Canyon, British Columbia, Canada
North Shore News

Mass "Ballooning" Spider Event Responsible for Unusual Webs on Vegetation
Unusual webs spread across vegetation is likely related to a mass ballooning event, where spiders launched themselves in the air using the Earths magnetic charge and the wind.
St. Paul Island, Alaska, United States

Narcissus (Anemone narcissiflora) Blooming in Fall
*Anemone narcissiflora*, which typically blooms in June, is experiencing a second bloom in Hatcher Pass.
Hatcher Pass, Alaska

Late Bloomers - Highbush Cranberry (Viburnum edule) Blooming Late August
During a summer of unusually warm temperatures, highbush cranberries (*Viburnum edule*) are blooming, using buds that would have normally bloomed next spring.
College, Alaska, United States

Laurel wilt in camphor (Cinnamomum camphora) tree?
"Camphor Trees typically seem healthy in this region and are invasive. Massive simultaneous failure of most branches seems unusual."
North Sarasota, Florida, United States
Jeffrey Eickwort, Jono Miller, Jessie Moan

Sargassum hits Belize hard
For the fifth consecutive year, influxes of sargassum seaweed have begun piling up on beachfronts in major tourist destinations in Belize.
Placencia, Stann Creek, Belize
Breaking Belize News

Algal Bloom, Possibly Noctiluca, in Kizhuyak Bay
Ribbons of discolored water observed over Kizhuyak Bay that are likely related to a *Noctilica* bloom.
Chiniak, Alaska, United States
Brian Berube, Andie Wall , Kayla Schommer

Summer heat accelerates Alaska peony harvest
On another year, Christy might just now be finishing up the harvest. But today, the only flowers left from this season are stored in a walk-in cooler.
Wasilla, Alaska, United States
Alaska Public Media

Mixed fortunes for berry pickers this year
The south and west of the country are on course for a good harvest, as the sun has been a near-constant companion all season. Berry pickers in East Iceland are less optimistic.
Egilsstaðir, East, Iceland
RÚV

Late Birch Leaf Edge Miner Damage
Browning on birch leaves before time for the fall season transition.
Lazy Mountain, Alaska, United States

Spruce Bark Beetle and Wood Boring Insects
"The spruce bark beetle epidemic currently ravaging Southcentral AK's spruce trees is well-known, but I haven't heard mention of other pests occurring in conjunction."
Lazy Mountain, Alaska, United States

More than two million hectares on fire in Siberia, with tundra on fire destroying the permafrost
Some 784,931 hectares of wildfires are raging on permafrost zones including the Arctic in Yakutia - officially Sakha Republic - and the Khanty-Mansi autonomous region, causing possibly irreparable damage to the tundra. Other infernos are sweeping through boreal forests which are known as the lungs of the Northern Hemisphere.
Vanavara, Krasnoyarskiy, Russia
Siberia Times

Fasciated Fireweed (Chamerion angustifolium)
Fireweed observed with flat, curled stem and many buds, indicating fasciation.
Kenai, Alaska, United States
Kelly Matthews, Gino Graziano, Jessie Moan, Nathan Lojewski

Burying Beetle (Genus Nicrophorus) in Southwest Alaska
A burying beetle was seen for the first time by an observer in Tuntutuliak.
Tuntutuliak, Alaska, United States

Invasive poison hemlock a growing concern on Vancouver Island
The Capital Regional District recently issued an alert sheet for Poison Hemlock (Conium maculatum).
Capital Regional District, British Columbia, Canada
Vancouver Island

NASA satellites find biggest seaweed bloom in the world
An unprecedented belt of brown algae stretches from West Africa to the Gulf of Mexico. The largest bloom of macroalgae in the world, has been dubbed the Great Atlantic Sargassum Belt.
Great Atlantic Sargassum Belt (GASB)
EurekAlert!

Rusty Tussock Moth (Orgyia antiqua) Caterpillars in Nome
Unusually high abundance of rusty tussock moth caterpillars in the Nome area.
Nome, Alaska, United States
Elizabeth Graham, Jessie Moan, Robin Mulvey, Tammy Davis, John Lundquist, John Lundquist

Dragon Flies Reach the Colville Nigliq Channel
Nuiqsut, Alaska, United States

Infestation of Rusty Tussock Caterpillars (Orgyia antiqua) in Nome River Valley
Unusually high abundance of caterpillars in the Nome River Valley.

Alaska’s changing climate
Local residents debated whether a massive release of spruce pollen, which accumulated on every surface—including car bonnets, picnic tables and the nearby Kachemak Bay—amounted to a “golden sheen” or a “yellow scum”. The fine dust turned the surface of the sea the colour of butter and left a bright, lemony line on shore that marked the extent of high tide and gave off a sickly sweet smell. This huge release of pollen might be yet another symptom of a rapidly changing environment.
Homer, Alaska, United States
The Economist

Farmers concerned about heat, lack of rain
As lower Kenai Peninsula temperatures have soared recently, local farmers and gardeners have concerns about how June’s lack of rain and steady warm temperatures will affect their businesses in the weeks ahead.
Homer, Alaska, United States
Homer News

Scarlet Globemallow in suburban Calgary
Uncommon wildlfower species found in suburban Calgary.
Calgary, Alberta, Canada

Dead Ash Trees Across Western New York State
Churchville, New York, United States

Trees Devastated by Spruce Bark Beetles (Dendroctonus rufipennis)
"My family and I have been RV camping across Alaska for the last several years. This year, the mass amounts of dead spruce trees have been more apparent than any year prior."
Chase, Alaska, United States
Adrienne Fleek, Desirae Mack, Tricia Wurtz

Insects feast on willows after unusually warm, dry spring
The willow blotch leaf miner appears to be having a banner year in Whitehorse, likely because of hot, dry conditions in the city this spring.
Whitehorse, Yukon, Canada
CBC

Invasive elodea prompts closure of Susitna Valley lakes
Elodea was discovered in Alexander Lake in 2014 by researchers checking minnow traps. At the time, it covered 20 percent of the lake but now has spread to 90 percent.
Willow, Alaska, United States
Alaska Journal of Commerce

Arctic permafrost thawing 70 years early
A new study has found permafrost at outposts in the Canadian Arctic is thawing 70 years earlier than predicted.
Sachs Harbour, Northwest Territories, Canada
CBC News

Blue-green algae increasing in Finnish lakes
Potentially harmful blue-green algae has increased in lakes over the past week.
Vainikkala, South Karelia, Finland
Yle Uutiset

It’s spring, but B.C. is sounding the alarm on drought
Drought levels have been raised already for parts of the province and Dave Campbell, with the B.C. River Forecast Centre, says the current forecast points to drought conditions provincewide in the coming weeks.
British Columbia, Canada
Port Alberni Valley News

Fluff Flies Into Russia's Capital
Early summer in Moscow brings an onslaught of allergy-inducing, Instagram-ready fluff from poplar seeds.
Moscow, Moscow, Russia
The Moscow Times

If tree pollen has you wheezing, just wait for ragweed 'super bloom'
Dr. Antony Ham Pong, who's been treating allergy patients for about 35 years, warns the combination of a wet spring and heavy snow melt threaten to create a "super bloom of ragweed with lots of pollen."
Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
Yahoo News

May Day Trees (Prunus padus) Take Hold at Cheney Lake
The forest on the East side of Cheney Lake is changing and the biggest change is the proliferation of May Day trees.
Anchorage, Alaska, United States

Spruce pollen blooms look ominous but are nothing to sneeze at
For those who suffer from seasonal allergies, spring means red eyes, mucus and fits of sneezing. This year, the Lynn Canal has seen a remarkable spruce pollen bloom.
Juneau, Alaska, United States
Alaska Public Media

Storm Hannah exposes 'sunken kingdom'
It is believed that the area was once-fertile land and a township stretching for 20 miles.
Borth, Wales, United Kingdom
BBC News

Why does it look like it's snowing in Stockholm in late May?
Pia Östensson, a biologist and pollen expert at Stockholm's Natural History museum, explains why there is so much aspen fluff this year and why it is not related to recent wildfires.
Stockholm, Stockholm, Sweden
Radio Sweden

Salal (Gaultheria shallon) dying back in coastal BC and WA
Cape Disappointment, Washington, United States

Extreme weather sparks large die off of Cedar on Vancouver Island
A growing die off of native Western Red Cedar trees is becoming visible right across East Vancouver Island now. Experts say its a symptom of climate change and as Skye Ryan reports, its changing the forests we've come to know across this region.
East Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada
CHEK

Southcentral Alaska’s spruce bark beetle infestation is spreading in Anchorage. There’s only one defense.
The worst-hit areas appear to be established neighborhoods with older spruce trees, especially in Turnagain and Spenard.
Anchorage, Alaska, United States
Anchorage Daily News

Dead and dying salal plants ‘everywhere’ along the coast
Campbell River, British Columbia, Canada
My Campbell River Now

Disappearance of Tundra Ponds
Kettle ponds in Denali National Park contain less water this spring than in previous years, due to low snowfall and permafrost thaw. Shrubs are replacing grasses as the lakes dry.
McKinley Park, Alaska, United States
Scott Richardson, Katie Spellman, Richard L Thoman Jr

B.C.'s salal shrubs are dying and extreme weather could be the culprit
One of B.C.'s most abundant plants is in trouble: patches of hardy salal plants are turning up brown, crispy and dying.
coastal British Columbia, Canada
CBC

Salal plant dying across Vancouver Island
Hikers across Vancouver Island say they've been finding entire forests with dying salal. No one knows why it's dying but the ramifications could be serious.
Menzies Mountain, Vancouver Island, Canada
CHEK

Outdoor air quality at seasonal low
Spring blossoms, dusty streets, distant fires and a lack of rain combine to create hazardous respiratory conditions.
Turku, Southwest Finland, Finland
Yle Uutiset

Salal (Gaultheria shallon) dying, tops showing dry brown leaves
Salal bushes observed to be very dry and dying in British Columbia.
Burnaby Mountain, Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada

Wind Carries European Birch Pollen to Iceland
Pollen from birch trees was carried along with dust from the Sahara Desert on strong winds that originated in Eastern Europe.
Garðabær, Capital Region, Iceland
Iceland Review

Trees Broken, Uprooted, Toppled by Wind
the Beaufort Picnic Area appears to consist of stream-origin alluvial cobbles, pebbles, and perhaps sand, and so not well consolidated, thus perhaps making these trees relatively vulnerable to wind. The snapped-off trees, however, indicate the unusually high intensity of this particular windstorm.
Beaufort Picnic Area, Cameron Lake, British Columbia

No Chestnut Trees, No Honey — Beekeeping at Risk in Russia's South
A sharp decline in chestnut trees caused by a parasitic fungus in Russia's southern Krasnodar region is threatening the area's honey production, according to local beekeepers and scientists.
Krasnodar, Krasnodarskiy, Russia
The Moscow Times

Spruce bark beetle damage shuts down 2 popular Alaska campgrounds
The closures of the campgrounds, facing the threat of falling trees, likely will last through summer, the state parks division said.
Fishhook, Alaska, United States
Anchorage Daily News

Record Temps in Goldstream
Warm temperatures are rapidly melting snow and creating ice, which creates difficult conditions for dog mushers. Migratory birds are arriving early, and a mosquito emerged months early. Small owls dead around the Goldstream Valley that looked unusually thin.
Fairbanks, Alaska, United States

Unusually heavy pollen season getting underway in Finland
Alder catkins (the pollen-rich flowers on alder trees) haven't reached their peak yet, but there are a lot of them. There can be four to five million pollen particles in a single catkin.
Turku, Southwest Finland, Finland
Yle Uutiset

Pussy Willows (genus Salix) Make Early Showing
Warmer than normal temperatures in Anchorage may be causing willows (genus *Salix*) to bud early.

Willows (genus Salix) Budding in March
Willows budding about a month early 30 miles above the Arctic Circle.
Kotzebue, Alaska, United States

Intrusion of Beach Stones and Saltwater into the Coastal Forest
French Beach Provincial Park

30 year temperature record broken
Warm temperatures break 30 year record.
Svelgen, Sogn og Fjordane, Norway
NRK Sogn- og Fjordane

Spring flowers bloom very early
The winter holiday offers 15 degrees (C) of heat and spring flowers.
Lavik, Sogn og Fjordane, Norway
NRK (Norwegian Broadcasting Company) Sogn og Fjordane

Weather and wildlife changes
Accra, Greater Accra, Ghana

Rising sea levels could kill off 500-year-old trees in New Jersey forest
Dark water formed an eddy around Steve Eisenhauer's boots as they sank into the muck at the base of a 90-foot black gum tree so old, its roots were deep in this ground when the Pilgrims landed.
Bear Swamp, Cedarville, New Jersey, United States
Phys.org

Another bad year for sargassum seaweed forecast for Quintana Roo
Large quantities of sargassum are likely to wash up on the beaches of Mexico’s Caribbean coast in 2019, according to a researcher.
Atlantic Ocean
Mexico News Daily

Windstorm and Widespread Forest Blowdown
Damage assessment underway due to fallen trees, hanging debris
Whisky Creek, British Columbia
Port Alberni Valley News

Amid environmental grief, finding hope in a graveyard of yellow cedar
One ecologist wonders, for the yellow cedar forests and the people who care about them, what comes after climate change and environmental loss in Southeast Alaska?
Juneau, Alaska, United States
Alaska Public Media
Elizabeth Jenkins, Alaska's Energy Desk - Juneau

Decline of mountain bird populations
Some species have experienced a much greater decline than average. For the snowflake in Scandinavia there is talk of approx. 35 percent, patchwork 25 percent.
Vadsø, Finnmark Fylke, Norway
NRK, Norwegian Broadcasting Company

First ever winter sighting of blue-green algae in Gulf of Finland
In the frigid waters of the Gulf of Finland, cyanobacteria has been observed for the first time during the winter months.
Pernå, Uusimaa, Finland

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