Help us check the health of nature by tracking signs of spring with your school.
Spring is on its way! So here's a timely challenge to get your pupils outdoors enjoying the health benefits of fresh air and green spaces while tracking spring's vital signs.
Climate change is already affecting our environment. Temperatures are rising, weather is more unpredictable and the seasons are shifting. We know that spring now arrives on average 8.4 days earlier than it did in the early 1990s. Are vital signs of spring changing too? We need your help to find out!
This spring, let us know whether your school has spotted any of spring's three vital signs – frogspawn, a singing song thrush or flowering blackthorn. Your observations are worth two points on the Green Tree Schools Award.
By completing this activity, your pupils will:
Submit your recording by 31 March 2025 to be eligible for points.
Important notes
Citizen science is where members of the public, like you, collect data and information for scientific research.
This activity is an opportunity for pupils to get involved in real-world science.
Earn two points for the Green Tree Schools Award by completing this activity as part of a class project or eco club initiative. Pupils can work together to observe spring’s vital signs on school grounds or in the local community. Recordings can be submitted using the form below.
No points will be awarded for individual submissions. However, completing this activity at home still offers valuable learning experiences.
Pupils can observe spring’s vital signs at home, in nearby parks or on the walk to school. Recordings can be submitted using a separate form for individual submissions.
Look for frog mating activity in ponds, ditches or slow-moving streams. The small black eggs are encased in a clear jelly and laid in clusters.
Record the first clumps of frogspawn you see.
Find out more about frogspawn
Slightly smaller than a blackbird with a dark-spotted underside and pale brown wings and back. The song thrush was once a common sight in UK woodland but is sadly in decline. Its song is varied, so listen out for short, repeated phrases.
Record the first time you hear a song thrush.
Find out more about the song thrush
Audio: Andrew McCafferty / xeno-canto.org
Early to flower in spring, blackthorn trees have clouds of snow-white, almond-scented blossom which grows more fragrant on sunny days.
Record blackthorn's first flowering when the petals of the first flower are open sufficiently for you to see inside the flower.
Find out more about blackthorn
Too early
Just right
Too late
Your school will need to complete the activity by 31 March 2025. There's no need to email us to claim your points – two points will be added to your account after 30 April 2025.
You must be signed up to the Green Tree Schools Award to get your points.
Support us
Join 14,000 schools taking part in our award scheme and complete environmental projects to earn certificates for your pupils.
Support us
Use the power of nature to boost the health of your students.
Support us
Take your pupils on a real adventure and explore the most exciting outdoor classroom of all.
Support us
Inspire students with a fun, hands-on project that helps the planet.
