Saturday, 16 February 2008

Be A Nature Investigator - Plants

You might look around and think that there isn't much nature to be seen during February - but look again, a little harder this time! The grass is barely growing, the hedgerows and trees are without their covering of leaves. Now is the time for you to look around, and see things that will soon be hidden by new spring growth. Find yourself a patch of ground to investigate. It might be a patch of your garden, or the verge of a quiet road. NEVER wander off to investigate an area without an adult being with you, unless they have given permission!

Looks for things that are happening or visible NOW. You could keep a nature diary, and use it through the year, or take notes.

Look first to see what plants you can see growing. Of course there will be evergreen plants, like holly and ivy, which are green all year. But look for plants that die down in the winter. Which are the first to begin growing again this spring? The stinging nettle is usually one of the first, so be careful! Here is one that I found on February 14th - the bright, warm weather had made it sprout very quickly.

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