Barnes Preserve - Phenology and thoughts for spring.

Those of you who know me, or who have read this blog for any length of time, know how interested I am in the phenology of things. Watching the cycles of plants, the intricate dance between temperature, precipitation, and sunlight, noting the ebb and flow of everything, it really helps put things in perspective for me.
We're at one of the big junctions in the ebb and flow of the forest, we're on the edge where you can still look behind you and see the traces of winter - the view through the trees, the brown blanket cast over the ground, and today the snow falling from the sky, but you can also look ahead and see the buds bursting with life on those same trees, sneaking up through the leaf litter the spring ephemerals are up and preparing for the next sunny day to show off their flowers, and if you listen the peepers can be heard in the vernal pools and the birds have changed their songs. 
Today, even with the snow, the wind, the dark sky, there's no mistaking spring is here. My current phenology study is of Barnes Preserve, starting in September I've photographed the changes up to this point and have tried to write a little something about what was found/happening/changing at that time. I want to pause right now and reflect on where we have been because if past projects have taught me anything, the next photo will be of a lush forest. 

The current project as well as other phenology studies of mine can be found under the "One Year Studies" tab or at the link HERE.