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Here are some things watch for as spring progresses.
Butterfiles and Bugs, Birds, Amphibians, Fish, Celestial Happenings |
 Skunk cabbage |
Plants are the best barometers of spring. They respond to weather by blooming extra early in warm years, and extra late in cooler ones. Scientists can study the changes in bloom times (called phenology) and use it to research global warming. PlantWatch (www.rbg.ca/plantwatch) is a national program where you and your family can help track these changes.
Skunk cabbage: March
Watch for these blooms in swampy or marshy areas. They'll even melt the snow around them by burning stored food and absorbing the sun's rays. Their stinky smell (think burning rubber), dark red colour (think steak that's been sitting out for a few days) and the heat they give off, help attract pollinating beetles and flies, who think they're in for a real treat of something yummy like old roadkill.
Dogwood and willow twigs: early-March
As daylight lengthens in late winter, the red twigs of dogwood and the yellow twigs of willow become much brighter and more noticeable.
Pussywillows: March
What are these fuzzy balls that look like kitten's toes? They're flowers! Willows produce a special furry cluster of flowers called a catkin.
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Maple sapping: March
When days are warm and nights are cold, tree sap begins to rise through the tree to nourish the new buds. Watch for sap dripping from twig tips where squirrels have broken in to sip the sweet treat.
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Red maple flowers: April
These trees prefer damp ground, and their hard-to-see flowers turn the twigs crimson early in spring. Some people with spring allergies are sensitive to their pollen, which is spread on the wind.
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