Although, we had some snow last night, the temperature is rising in the Adirondacks, the snow is melting, and the sap has been flowing. The natural world around us is starting to wake up; spring is finally on its way.

In Schroon Lake, we have witnessed the increased activity of the wildlife and the beginning of ripening buds on trees. We have been visited by energetic red squirrels, a vole, shrew, and many birds, flocking to our backyard feeder. Although squirrels, voles and shrews don’t hibernate, their increased activity is a sign that breeding will take place soon.

As the ponds and lakes around the Adirondacks are still covered in winter’s icy embrace, life is stirring. Turtles are coming out of hibernation, slowly starting to move. Frogs will emerge, and plants will start to grow. Wildlife, such as the red squirrel are engaging in the frolicking game of tag that ends with a litter of young.

A real sign of spring will be when the wood frog, among the first amphibians to emerge, delights us with its chorus. They can be found in puddles, ponds, and protected areas of waterbodies, sometimes while the body of water is still half covered in ice.

While Adirondack wildlife have spent the winter surviving, we have been waiting patiently for spring.

To read more about spring in the Adirondacks, click here.

Photo of Loon Lake in spring by Shannon Houlihan.