Signs of Spring at BRDC
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. As the temperatures rise and the soil wets, new signs of life appear all around! Keep reading for some early spring appearances we've noted on campus.
Spring Peeper (Hyla crucifer)
Most of us recognize the high shrills of our spring peeper as a significant harbinger of spring. These are our first frog breeders, sometimes beginning as early as late February, but most commonly mid-March. For this important event in the ongoing life of peepers, the tiny frogs migrate to vernal pools, and pond and stream edges in meadows and woodlands, where the competition for mates commences.