Early Spring in Ontario: Nature’s Most Eventful Time of Year
- Maya Davidson
- Apr 28
- 3 min read
Updated: May 8
What are you up to in early spring? By the end of April, most of us are eagerly anticipating warmer weather with our fingers crossed that winter has made its final departure.
Ecologically, spring is a jam-packed calendar of natural events. Some are obvious, like the return of birds and the melting of ice on lakes and ponds. But most changes are happening behind the scenes. So, what’s going on under our noses as we’re stopping to smell the tulips?
Let’s take a look. What would we be up to if we were one of these fascinating native species?
If you’re Eastern Skunk Cabbage...
You’ve already had quite the month. You were one of the first plants to emerge because you’re thermogenic (you can generate your own heat and melt the snow around you – you’re a superhero of the plant world). Because you created your own heat, you’ve bloomed early and attracted the attention of flies and beetles that pollinated you due to the irresistible scent of decaying meat you’ve been giving off.
Thanks to your unique adaptations, you’ve grown quickly and changed from a purple, odd-looking plant poking through the ground (you get a kick out of consistently confusing passing hikers) to a green-leaved plant growing in wet areas. In the following months, you will continue to spread your leaves across the forest floor. Though you’ve gone through an incredible transformation, don’t worry – you’ve kept your signature skunky scent.
If you’re a Red-Spotted Newt...
After spending winter hibernating under leaf litter and rotting logs (your favourite) you’re about to transform, depending on your stage of life. Because you have a remarkable three-phase life cycle (aquatic larvae to terrestrial eft to aquatic adult), you may be beginning the process of completely altering your body. If you’re ready, you’re saying goodbye to the rougher skin of your terrestrial eft phase and getting ready to mingle as an aquatic adult. Maybe it was just a phase after all.
As an adult, you’ve likely already spent time on warm spring nights (especially after a good rain) venturing out to mate. After exploring the dating pool, you’ve probably also started to scope out another appealing pool, a vernal one – which is your beloved, seasonally flooded wetland habitat. Most likely, it’s the same place you were born! What a full circle moment. Soon, eggs will be laid on submerged vegetation in these very pools, where aquatic larvae will grow up until they’re ready to leave the water in late summer. But, if you’re not an adult yet, you’re getting ready to enjoy another summer of being a forest-roaming, brightly-coloured insectivore.
If you’re a Tamarack...
It’s time to prove everyone wrong. After a brilliant display of yellow needles in the fall, you’ve probably spent the last few months hearing people say you’re a dead tree because you take your time showing signs of new growth. Yes, you dropped all your leaves – but don’t lots of other trees do that too? Being the only deciduous conifer in Ontario isn’t easy.
The observant passerby will soon start to notice that you weren’t lifeless after all – you’ve just been dormant, like your hardwood maple, oak, and beech neighbours. Small buds that will contain soft green needles are just starting to form on your branches. In a few more months, you’ll be back to your usual self, attracting attention due to your unique shape and needle texture. Enjoy your comeback in the moist soils you prefer and reuniting with one of your favourite companions, Black Spruce.
What else can you discover changing in nature around you right now? Look closely, and don’t miss your front row seat to natural events that only happen once a year.
