Greetings everyone!

I don't know about you but I have really enjoyed being outside these past couple days. Even though I have a thick coat to keep me warm, I enjoy the warmer months the most. All my animal friends are coming out from their winter dens and burrows! I was looking around for the first signs of spring today.

Spring is a very important and busy time for me and my animal friends! The insects wake up and thaw out from sleeping in the ground all winter. That means loads of yummy insects for all the baby birds! My chipmunk friends are one of the first to come out. They come out in search for a mate as early as February. Not all animals mate in the spring, though. Deer and coyotes mate in the fall so their babies are born during spring.

The plants are busy, too! In the forest the wildflowers push their little shoots above ground in spring. This is before the leaves on trees start growing so the little wildflowers take advantage of all the sun! Here is a picture of me looking for the first sprout to come up.

Now that its spring I'm keeping track of the leaves starting to bud on the trees. If I climb a Sugar Maple tree really high up I can see the tiny red buds popping out all over the branches. The Sugar Maples are making a ton of sap right now! When the temperatures are very low at night and high during the day its the best time of year to collect sap. We've made some delicious Maple syrup last week at Eldridge!

Here is a picture of me climbing a Linden tree looking for its buds.  Linden trees have little pink buds. I don't see them yet, though. What signs of spring can you see in your neighborhood? I can't wait to keep watch while the natural world wakes up from winter!

Until next time my friends!

Eco.