When is the start of Spring?
Meteorological spring? Astronomical spring? Phenological spring? What’s the difference? Does spring happen at the same time across the country?
Pete from Nature Escapes answers all your spring questions.
Meteorological Spring?
Most of the northern hemisphere define meteorological spring as the months of March, April and May, therefore it starts on March 1st.
Astronomical Spring?
Defined as starting at the Vernal Equinox, when the length of the day and night are equal. This is on or close to March 20th.
Phenological Spring?
Phenology refers to the study of seasonal changes in plants and animals. A phenological calendar is used to record the changes such as the flowering of plants, emergence of insects and migration of birds. By comparing year on year we get information about climatic changes. Some phenological calendars suggest early spring is defined as when snowdrops first flower. See the Woodland’s Trust Calendar here. Why not help them with their research here.
How fast does Spring travel?
Daffodils appear in the South West around 2 weeks earlier than they do in the North East. Imagine a line travelling up the country at 1.9 mph and as it passes daffodils they burst into bloom. This happens (at slightly different speeds) for all nature’s events and by measuring where and when plants flower or insects appear etc we can work out how fast spring travels up the country.
Celebrate
Whenever you celebrate it, spring is a time of great hope, growth, colour, warmth and life. It is a time where all the winter planning and preparation in nature is now bursting forward. There are great metaphors we can apply to our own lives and we often make plans, have more energy and enthusiasm, and generally find a new sense of well-being. Nature is at it’s most creative and beautiful in spring and it’s so important to get out and immerse ourselves in it’s magic.
Our Water in Spring event is the perfect opportunity to harness Spring’s power to heal, revive, refill and rejuvenate. See more details here.