This week, the temperature reached 70 degrees where I live. People were outside in shorts, I had noticed my plants were beginning to bloom, and I heard spring birds calling. That is not typical for the Midwest in mid-February when historically, it is cold with a chance of snow. It is not spring yet but the climate is saying otherwise.
I know seeing the sun out and feeling spring in the air feels great. But because our climate is changing so rapidly, spring is occurring earlier. This is confusing for migrating wildlife and plant life. Typically, I won’t see buds on my plants until March but they are already budding. Some migrating birds like hummingbirds are at a loss because since plants are blooming earlier and earlier, by the time a hummingbird typically migrates in spring, the plants they normally feed from on their migration route have already bloomed. This is causing some species of hummingbirds to starve. What looks like a nice day outside is turning ecosystems and wildlife survival upside down.
We are not standalone beings. We are part of a larger macrocosm that includes all living beings and each one of us depends on the health of the planet. Since climate change is man-made, we are in control of the fate of our planet and the future. Each step we take in supporting the earth is in turn supporting ourselves.
To learn more about how to help make a positive impact for our earth, click here.
