About

Appalachia’s Phenological Clock is a simple, local, visual tool for learning the seasonal rhythms of the natural world. This edition is centered on Galax, Virginia and is meant to be understandable at any educational level.

What this is

• A seasonal reference based on observable changes in plants, animals, soil, water, and weather patterns.
• A visual clock that shows where the year is “sitting” right now, and what changes tend to come next.
• A typical baseline for the Galax region. Timing can shift earlier or later each year.

What this is not

• Not a forecast site. Weather is used only to explain how current conditions can speed up or slow down what the land is already doing.
• Not a foraging guide. The focus is phenology (seasonal timing), not harvesting or use.
• Not a comprehensive species inventory. Only high‑value seasonal indicators are included.

How to use the clock

• Start on the main page and look at Galax’s current phenological phase.
• Use the species list to select a plant indicator and see its seasonal window highlighted on the wheel.
• Compare what you see outside to the signals listed on the page.

Data

Seasonal windows are stored in data/plants.json. The goal is clarity and local accuracy, not perfection. As observations accumulate, windows can be refined slowly over time.