The recent wintry weather means it may seem premature to look for signs of spring, but they are out there nonetheless. I recently spotted the year's first snowdrops, their flowers already well formed though not yet open. Snowdrop is our 'species of the month' in a new feature you'll find below..
The intense period of cold we've just experienced means some people are beginning to wonder about climate change. True, we've just been through the UK's coldest December for 13 years and January has been equally chilly. But what happens nationally from month to month, or even year to year, is not a fair reflection of what's happening globally.
Looking back over the decades, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change is in no doubt that the world is warming and we are responsible. We should not expect events each spring to be earlier than the last but long-term trends in the UK are still towards milder winters. This month's news includes results from Spring 2009 and explains more about 'climate variability'.
