Appointment with Nature

Georgia Spring: Appointment with Nature

music
ambience: Carolina Wren

As the dark night sky gives way to dawn in northern Georgia, this Carolina Wren is one of the first birds to greet the day. I’m Jim Metzner, and this is the Pulse of the Planet, presented by DuPont. We’re on an early morning walk in the Georgia foothills.

“Well, right now, I hear cardinals, I hear a wood peewee, I hear a wood thrush, those are the three that are kind of dominant right now.”

It’s May in these rolling hills of red clay, and here, like virtually everywhere on the planet, each bird has its time of day to sing its song, every flower has its moment to bloom.

“Now here’s something that, this is its time, just coming on. This is a persimmon and these are the flowers of the female persimmon. They come out just a few days later than the males.”

For Jeff Jackson, a wildlife expert at the University of Georgia, it’s important to stay in touch with nature’s calendar.

“Why be interested in all this seasonal change? Well the way I look it is, when you see something , that tells you that you have an appointment. Or when you notice something that’s changed in spring, it means it’s time to go see something else. So for people who were still living off the land, when they saw a certain flower bloom, they knew it was time to go to a certain place, because the fish would be there and it was time to catch them. And around here, the same thing is true when you see certain things, even in town. It lets you know that the fish might be running the Okone River and it’s time to go down and catch the white bass.”

To hear some of your favorite Pulse of the Planet programs again online, please visit nationalgeographic.com. The Pulse of the Planet presented by DuPont, bringing you the miracles of science, with additional support provided by the National Endowment for the Humanities. I’m Jim Metzner.

Appointment with Nature

Everything you notice in the natural world can point you toward another change happening at the same time of year. Think of it as keeping your appointments with nature. John Hawkins recorded the bird sound as part of interview.
Air Date:06/02/2022
Scientist:
Transcript:

Georgia Spring: Appointment with Nature music ambience: Carolina Wren As the dark night sky gives way to dawn in northern Georgia, this Carolina Wren is one of the first birds to greet the day. I'm Jim Metzner, and this is the Pulse of the Planet, presented by DuPont. We're on an early morning walk in the Georgia foothills. "Well, right now, I hear cardinals, I hear a wood peewee, I hear a wood thrush, those are the three that are kind of dominant right now." It's May in these rolling hills of red clay, and here, like virtually everywhere on the planet, each bird has its time of day to sing its song, every flower has its moment to bloom. "Now here's something that, this is its time, just coming on. This is a persimmon and these are the flowers of the female persimmon. They come out just a few days later than the males." For Jeff Jackson, a wildlife expert at the University of Georgia, it's important to stay in touch with nature's calendar. "Why be interested in all this seasonal change? Well the way I look it is, when you see something , that tells you that you have an appointment. Or when you notice something that's changed in spring, it means it's time to go see something else. So for people who were still living off the land, when they saw a certain flower bloom, they knew it was time to go to a certain place, because the fish would be there and it was time to catch them. And around here, the same thing is true when you see certain things, even in town. It lets you know that the fish might be running the Okone River and it's time to go down and catch the white bass." To hear some of your favorite Pulse of the Planet programs again online, please visit nationalgeographic.com. The Pulse of the Planet presented by DuPont, bringing you the miracles of science, with additional support provided by the National Endowment for the Humanities. I'm Jim Metzner.