Returning to our Littleton farm after a ten-day absence, I initially saw nothing new; pockets of snow covered the brown "grass," a deep blue dome stretched overhead, the bright Colorado sun offered its warmth and reassurance and goose poop still littered the driveway. But there was a change in the trees, one that was even more evident at South Platte Park this morning.
Looking at the canopy of deciduous trees, I could see that the buds had enlarged significantly, a product of rising sap; after all, this is maple syrup season across the Northeastern U.S. and this February phenomenon occurs in many other trees as well. Awaiting warmer conditions before they burst into flower or leaf, the swollen buds are an early sign of the coming spring.
No doubt, most humans pay little attention to this annual process, focused as they are on the cold, snow and the weather gauntlet that still lies ahead. But naturalists know that nature's year is a continuum and that a host of natural events connect the classic seasons. The rise of tree sap is one that often goes unnoticed.
Looking at the canopy of deciduous trees, I could see that the buds had enlarged significantly, a product of rising sap; after all, this is maple syrup season across the Northeastern U.S. and this February phenomenon occurs in many other trees as well. Awaiting warmer conditions before they burst into flower or leaf, the swollen buds are an early sign of the coming spring.
No doubt, most humans pay little attention to this annual process, focused as they are on the cold, snow and the weather gauntlet that still lies ahead. But naturalists know that nature's year is a continuum and that a host of natural events connect the classic seasons. The rise of tree sap is one that often goes unnoticed.
