As spring unfolds, we celebrate the rebirth of life on our planet. Green shoots appear, flowers bloom, insects hatch, birds nest and the young of amphibians, reptiles and mammals are born. Only we humans, endowed with a large brain, have natural life cycles that are independent of the solar cycle.
Of course, the "newness of spring" occurs annually and has done so for hundreds of millions of years. Primitive plants and animals first colonized the land at least 400 million years ago (MYA). Fish evolved by 350 MYA while both ferns and flying insects appeared about 300 MYA. Amphibians date back at least 250 million years, followed "closely" by primitive conifers and reptiles. Flowering plants, ancestral birds and the first mammals arose during the Jurassic Period (some 150 MYA), sharing the planet with dinosaurs.
So, we must admit, there is nothing new about spring. Nevertheless, thanks to the negative impact of human civilization, this annual renewal of life is under assault. Following hundreds of millions of springs, the glorious explosion of life is waning by the year.
