The beginning of April is beautiful in Washington DC. The weather is gorgeous, the flowers are blooming, and nature seems almost to be showing off to get our attention. The cherry blossoms by the Tidal Basin are an especially stunning show. Part of the beauty of Spring comes from knowing that it is ephemeral. Cool, sunny spring days will turn to hot and muggy summer ones soon and the cherry blossoms only bloom for a couple of weeks.
I recently learned about Dawn Chorus Day, celebrated the first Sunday in May. The “dawn chorus” is that time early in a Spring morning when birds start singing. The chorus starts with a few and grows to a symphony of birdsong. It happens between February and June, peaking around the end of April/beginning of May, when male birds call to females. According to this beautiful blog post by Tom Hibbert, Embrace the Dawn Chorus, “Just a snatch of birdsong is enough to rouse a smile and create a connection to the wild world around us, even in the heart of urban areas. During the dawn chorus, this soul-stirring sound washes over you from every direction.” There is plenty of research that shows that our well-being is enhanced by watching and listening to birds.
These days of cherry blossoms and the dawn chorus are sweeter because they are also finite. How many Springs will you be here to experience them? And now, for the first time in the history of humankind, we also have to ask, how long will these natural wonders continue? The cherry blossoms in Japan had their earliest peak in 1209 years on those on the National Mall are drowning in salty water because of climate change. The melodious dawn chorus is also at risk. We have lost 2.9 billion birds in North America alone since the 1970s, a decline of 30 percent.
It is not too late to turn the interconnected fate of nature, wildlife, and people around. Most of us are well aware of the climate and biodiversity crises we face. Most of us also know that biodiversity is critical to our very survival. We also know what actions we need to take to save it. Why haven’t we changed course? At OneNature we believe the missing piece is love and connection. When we truly feel the joy and sense of well-being that nature brings we will actually be compelled to act. When we connect and care deeply for nature and the animals all around us, we will not be able to stay on the path toward extinction and rising global temperatures.
So in this short, beautiful Spring, take a few moments to enjoy the beauty of nature’s show. Get up early and really listen to the birds singing in the dawn chorus, go out to see, smell, and really enjoy the flowers. Appreciate what is all around you and then join OneNature in a commitment to keeping spring blooming (and singing) for many generations to come.