Happy May Day! May 1 st marks the midpoint between the Spring Equinox and the Summer Solstice. Outside the hills are now being colored in a beautiful spectrum of green, ranging all the way from white through every shade of green imaginable. Balsam fir trees are the first conifers to open their buds and show bright, light green needles. The natural world, in the month of May, is literally blossoming all around us. Birds can be observed calling to each other, nesting, laying eggs, protecting them, and soon feeding their young. Animals - from small chipmunks (early May) to mighty Moose (late May) – are all being born. And hungry bears (whose young were born months ago) are venturing out looking for food. Mid May brings the dreaded black flies… again, for the 180 th millionth time. They’ve been around since the mid-Jurassic period. They are an important food source and are known to pollinate some plant species. You know spring has arrived when the purple trillium, with its beautiful coloring is in bloom. Flowering, it gives off a smell like rotten meat to attract the flies who will help with its pollination. Bright yellow dandelions are a sure sign of spring. They are one of the first food sources for bees and other pollinators. Dandelions are considered a valuable food source for us as well. Steamed, sautéed or simply the greens in your salad, dandelions are quite beneficial to human health. Harvest the yellow delight right out of your own yard and enjoy!


To read more about what’s going during this time of year check out https://northernwoodlands.org