The Nature of Maine in February
Dream of Green
I walk on air and water
three feet above the frozen ground.
Inside my boots, my toes
reach expectantly for sandy soil,
sensing the dormant vegetables
below.
Where is the garden?
Now hard as ledge beneath the snow.
Recollections of leaves pressed flat
draw me onward--
star-shaped biennials
and trailing vines,
the miracle of reincarnation
hidden in the ground.
Who is to say
summer vanished in the fall?
Beside me,
frosted apple-saplings
glisten in the morning light.
Snow, masquerading as whipped-cream,
covers the site of last year's amazing
blueberry harvest.
Inside my coat,
my body is as hot as summer.
The sky itself gives no hint
as to which season it is today--
soft clouds, blue air,
an endless stretch of stars
no more visible than the food beneath my feet.
Everywhere I look
is evidence
of the unseen.
~Mariana Tupper, Maine poet
Plants
The woods and fields may look stark and lifeless, quilted in snow, but look more closely at the bark of many trees and you can explore some ancient and wondrous symbiotic relationships at work. Lichens, often found on tree bark or rock surfaces, are a combination of algae (which provide food from sunlight) and fungi (which supply water and structure). Lichens take almost nothing from their host save a few minerals, deriving most of their sustenance from clean air (which is why you don't find them in polluted urban settings). Even in the crackling cold of midwinter, they can continue growth as long as temperatures remain above about 15 degrees F. (-10 degrees Celsius). A rich source of carbohydrates, they can help sustain white-tailed deer during difficult winters. But leave them for the wildlife to use as they are extremely slow-growing.
Wildlife
When snow accumulates, heavier wildlife like deer can have difficulty getting through the depths. But lighter species better equipped to walk over snow, like snowshoe hare, find it a boon as they can reach new shoots on bushes and trees. Snowshoe hares are the chameleons of the northern forests: turning from snow white in winter months to chocolate brown in summer (a transformation that usually extends over 2-3 months). Nocturnal feeders, they can and must move quickly-to escape predators such as fox, coyotes and owls. You may see their pellets atop the snow cover in woods and find branches neatly snipped at a 45-degree angle. (If you see ragged edges, the grazer was more likely a moose or deer who-having no upper teeth-rips off buds and twigs.).
Green Tip
Why do so many people still warm up their cars on frosty winter mornings before driving? GOOD question. The short answer is cars have changed in recent decades, but people haven't. That practice was helpful with cars 20 and more years ago but not today. Tom and Ray Magliozzi, better known as Click and Clack-the humorous hosts of the long-running "Car Talk" radio show, say: "all you're doing with a long warm-up is wasting gas, increasing pollution, raising the temperature of the planet and making yourself 10 minutes late for your… appointment." They advise starting the car, putting it in drive (or first) and driving gently for the first few minutes. What simpler way to save time, gas and air quality?! If the temperature is below 20 degrees Fahrenheit, you can let it idle for a minute or two (to thin out the oil) but that's the longest you need to idle before driving.
Notable February Dates
February 7: Full Moon (Snow Moon)
February 14: Last Quarter Moon
February 21: New Moon
February 29: First Quarter Moon
See downloadable tide charts and times of sunrise/sunset in February.
