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All the best scientists have kept notebooks. One way you can think of this is as a journal, or diary of what you see and hear of natural events. The study of the timing of natural events is known as phenology and you will learn a lot about the natural world around you if you take notes.
Some of the events you can look for are the date of the first cicada you hear and when you hear the last one. You can watch for the first monarch butterfly, the first and last robins, and all manner of migratory animals.
I was born and raised in Cocoa Beach and one of the comments that I cringe when I hear is someone from the north saying “there are no seasons in Florida.” Of course this isn’t true. The sun is in a different place in the sky, various plants bloom or not, cicadas call or not, different kinds of birds are calling - or not. The weather changes. All of these events point to a change in the seasons.
When do you hear the first cicada? It will almost surely be within a few days of May 5th. Try it and see for yourself.
You can learn more about Phenology Here.
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