Seasons in the Wild

SPRING
The air has lost its winter chill. For many animals it is the end of a long siesta. Torpor and hibernation are two of nature’s most ingenious ways to cope with changes in climate, food supply and energy. Groundhogs make their way through the last snows;  sleepy frogs execute their first careful moves and brown bears spring-clean, removing fallen branches from the entrances to their dens to clear the way for young and old.

It’s a giant leap back to life and spring time’s just the right time to welcome a new generation into the world.

FALL
Indian Summer in Canada, Momijigari in Japan and Europe’s Golden October days bring splashes of beauty to landscapes on the cusp of change – the last bursts of colour before long, dark days.
Most mammals gorge on dwindling supplies, storing fat to get them through the winter months as they settle in their dens for the big sleep. But how do they know when winter is over and it’s time to wake up?

Melting snows, the flush of spring, summer sun or darkening days; the world may change, but nature has devised ingenious ways to survive and thrive whatever the season.