It's spring! Explore the season with your senses
- 5 hours ago
- 3 min read
Happy spring! March is the month when it finally starts to feel like a new season. And that makes sense, because the spring equinox, or the official start to the spring season, is on March 20.
The snow is gone, the temperature rises and seasonal animal migrations begin again. If you hunkered down inside for the winter, consider this your invitation to get outside and experience the rebirth of the earth with all your senses.
Smell
Maybe one of the best things about spring is that new, earthy smell. Pause for a minute and take a deep breath. What do you smell? Maybe a little moisture in the air, some new greenery and damp earth. Go outside after light spring shower. That smell of rain hitting dry earth is called petrichor.
Touch
Touch a tree. How does the bark feel? Is it smooth or does it have ridges? Is it peeling or thick? Are there moss, lichen or fungi growing on the tree? Is it fuzzy, soft or jelly-like?
Words to know
Hunker: To squat or crouch down low.
Vernal: Of or related to spring.
As spring draws closer to summer, the sun feels warmer. Go outside, whether that’s outside your home or in the preserves. Close your eyes, face the sun and soak up that sunshine.
If there are more clouds than sun, no worries! Put on a jacket and shoes you don't mind getting wet and go dance in the rain! Afterward, jump in a puddle or two. If you are visiting one of the preserves, don’t be afraid to take a closer look at large puddles from leftover snow (called vernal pools). Don’t jump in those puddles, though, because those pools are home to baby turtles, frogs and salamanders.
If water isn’t your thing, give mud a try. Stomp down and feel the squish of the earth underneath your feet. Grab a handful and make some mud art, using the pavement as your canvas and fingers as your paintbrushes.
Taste
Speaking of rain, don’t be afraid to stick your tongue out. Is it easier to catch raindrops than snowflakes? Does it taste the same or different from the water you usually drink?
Sight
What sorts of things can you see in spring? You might find trees beginning to bud, grass and plants beginning to sprout.
March is a little early still, but if you’re lucky you might see some of the earliest flowers blooming by the end of the month. Some of the first wildflowers to break through the soil are tiny pink and white flowers appropriately called spring beauty and our state flower, the violet.
Birds who visit for the winter, such as the dark-eyed juncos at bird feeders or snowy owls hidden from sight, return to their northern homes. Other birds, such as the sandhill cranes that fly south, start returning. More robins will appear. You’ll notice them as the early birds grabbing worms from the thawed ground.
And of course, once the temperature is consistently around 50 degrees to 60 degrees, you start to see some cool cold-blooded animals again, such as turtles, snakes and frogs.
Sound
Although many birds are year-round residents, you might hear more bird calls as males call out to find a mate. Some of the most recognizable are the northern cardinal’s “purdy, purdy, purdy, pew pew pew” call, or the robin echoing a feeling with its “cheer up, cheerily cheerily.” You might hear those sandhill cranes call out as they fly overhead. What other animals do you think start to make noise in the spring? (Hint: Some croak and others buzz!)
Spring into action this season and find out all the things can you see, touch, taste, smell and hear out in nature.
