Signs of Spring at BRDC
The Carolina Spring Beauty (Claytonia caroliniana) is often the first flower to emerge in very early spring.
March 20 marks the beginning of spring for the Northern hemisphere. It’s the vernal equinox; the day the sun rises on the North pole, we start having more than 12 hours of daylight, and the halfway point between the solstices. All the while, the weather is as temperamental as ever—we had a 60 degree and humid morning, cool rain showers in the afternoon, and a snow flurry overnight!
The name Equinox comes from the latin words “aequus” meaning equal and “nox” for night. In antiquity, the equinoxes were determined by measuring the length of daylight and night to find the two days in the year where they were equal. We have since learned that a trick of geometry due to the size difference between the Earth and Sun gives us a few extra minutes of sunlight throughout the year. Essentially, since the sun is so much larger than the Earth, one side of the sun is able to “peek over the horizon” and shine light on more of the Earth than it would be able to if they were the same size. The day of true “equal night” actually falls about 4 days before the spring equinox. Today, the equinox is defined as the moment the sun apparently crosses over the equator.
As the temperatures rise and the soil wets, new signs of life appear all around.
The first spring beauty blooms were seen around campus this week. In the Blue Ridge we have two varieties of spring beauty—Claytonia virginica and Claytonia caroliniana. Spring beauty is a perennial, meaning the roots survive year to year, while the above-ground plant dies in summer. Spring beauties have a very short growing season of about three months. The bravest buds on some spicebush shrubs are almost ready to burst, getting their head start before any trees begin to shade them out.
Robins hunt unsuspecting earthworms, who are drawn to the surface by thawing soil and saturated substrate. Although they are thought of as first appearing with the spring thaw, these birds actually stick around for most of the year. Through fall and winter, robins tend to be more inconspicuous; with more drab colors, spending their time huddled in trees, eating dried berries still on vines and bushes. Come spring, robins don their flashy red plumage, flit to the ground to forage worms and insects, and chirp out their cheery song.
Across the street, the spring peepers in the wetland have begun their nightly chorus, another tell-tale sign that the ecosystem is waking from the long winter rest.
The chirps of Spring Peepers, Pseudacris crucifer, are some of the first sounds of spring in wet areas. As the pools and wetlands fill with snowmelt and spring rains, the tiny frogs congregate to find a mate. Their young need a head start in these aquatic habitats so they can leave the water before predators become more active. Their other defense against predation is sheer numbers—several thousand individuals can be found in a suitable habitat, and each female may produce a clutch of over 1,000 additional young. Most of these will not survive to adulthood, but with numbers that high a few are bound to make it!
American Robins (Turdus migratorius) are another favorite sight in early spring.
The arrival of spring is more than just a date on the calendar—it's a vibrant, dynamic process of renewal and awakening. From the first delicate spring beauty blossoms to the chorus of spring peepers, nature reveals its remarkable resilience and cyclical rhythm each year. The spring equinox reminds us that change is constant, that life persists even after the stillest winter, and renewal and growth are part of the process. What signs of spring have you noticed this week?
