From April 10 -12, the PhenoFeedBacks project international workshop brought together scientists at the scenic Berghotel Bastei. Organised by Alex Winker and Annu Panwar from the Max Planck Institute for Biogeochemistry in Jena, and Matthias Forkel and Johanna Kranz from the Environmental Remote Sensing Group at TU Dresden, the workshop welcomed participants from Germany, Italy, Belgium, Australia and the United States.

The workshop’s primary goal was to lay the foundations for a collaborative perspective paper on phenological impacts and feedbacks to the Earth’s system. This paper will address the impacts at various spatial and temporal scales using different observational and data analysis techniques. Firstly, we aim to summarise the current state of knowledge on phenological changes and their significance to physical processes on Earth. Additionally, the paper will point out research gaps and propose methods for quantifying the impacts of changing land surface phenology on the Earth’s energy balance.

Over two days, participants were highly engaged in talks and discussions to collect ideas and define the directions for the paper. The discussion also pointed out the potential for follow-up proposals for future joint projects.

In addition, they took a guided tour through the Saxon Switzerland National Park accompanied by a local ranger who provide the participants information on the park’s flora and fauna and how the sandstone mountains, so typical of this region, were formed.

Finally, the workshop ended with an excursion led by Matthias Mauder of the Chair of Meteorology (TUD) to the ICOS Level 1 Anchor Station in Tharandt which measures energy, water and greenhouse gas exchanges between forest and atmosphere.

The three-day event was full of enlightening talks and productive discussions featuring stunning views of the National Park with everybody taking home tasks and plans to finalise a first draft of the joint perspective paper.