It is the hottest year on record in the United States (USAToday). In Arkansas our winter lasted about 10 days then we began a cycle of above normal record breaking temperatures. The Cherry and Magnolia Trees began to bud and bloom in February and March. In DC they had to moved the Cherry Blossom Festival ahead several weeks. It is currently mid May and I discovered Asters blooming, usually they appear in Hot Springs National Park in late summer or after the first frost of autumn.
The light in the park feels different, the color of the leaves are not the deep rich green of years past. It is as if the new foliage was unable to fully open and complete the upper canopy. The overly bright heated Forest floor has created the perfect landscape for the park reptiles. I have seen more snakes, box turtles and lizards in the first 4 months of this year than in the past two years combined.
Although this is only one small eco-system it is obvious the Forest is undergoing a dramatic climate change. What have you noticed in your part of our precious planet?
Love to ALL!
Lee
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- HSNP Dead Chief Trail Male Cardinal
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- HSNP Dead Chief Trail Purple Aster
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- HSNP Dead Chief Trail Purple Aster
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- HSNP Dead Chief Trail Purple Aster
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- HSNP Dead Chief Trail Woodland Sunflower
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- HSNP Dead Chief Trail Spring
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- HSNP Dead Chief Trail Spring
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- HSNP Dead Chief Trail Ornate Box Turtle
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- HSNP Dead Chief Trail Ornate Box Turtle
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- HSNP Dead Chief Trail Ornate Box Turtle
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- HSNP Dead Chief Trail Ornate Box Turtle
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- HSNP Dead Chief Trail Ornate Box Turtle
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- HSNP Dead Chief Trail Ornate Box Turtle
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- HSNP Dead Chief Trail Ornate Box Turtle
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- HSNP Dead Chief Trail Spring
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- HSNP Dead Chief Trail Spring
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- HSNP Dead Chief Trail Spring
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- HSNP Gulpha Gorge Trail Spring
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- HSNP Gulpha Gorge Trail Spring
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- HSNP Gulpha Gorge Trail Spring
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- HSNP Gulpha Gorge Trail Male Prairie Lizard
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- HSNP Gulpha Gorge Trail Pregnant Prairie Lizard
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- HSNP Gulpha Gorge Trail Pregnant Prairie Lizard
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- HSNP Gulpha Gorge Trail Pregnant Prairie Lizard
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- HSNP Gulpha Gorge Trail Silver Spotted Skipper
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- HSNP Hot Springs Mountain Trail Black Eyed Susan
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- HSNP Hot Springs Mountain Road American Robin
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- HSNP Hot Springs Mountain Road American Robin
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- HSNP Hot Springs Mountain Road American Robin
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- HSNP Fountain Trail Squirrel in Motion
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- HSNP Fountain Street Lawn Male House Sparrow
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- HSNP Fountain Street Lawn Male House Sparrow
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- HSNP Fountain Street Lawn Male House Sparrow
Hike Our Planet - @HikeOurPlanet 
Anyone not living at a forest’s edge, and hiking through it often would probably just yawn and say too bad. I know I probably would have living in the city; but it is effecting us all. The tourists are holding off until June to come to Hot Springs to see the beautiful magnolias everywhere; they started blooming last month as they “thought” it was summer; and they’ll be gone by the time the tourists arrive. A person does not need to care a bit for Al Gore to know this is really going on. And it is a bit unnerving; The animals are confused; they are not going through their normal transitions, mating etc and the plants they normally eat this time of year are gone. The whole ecosystem gets out of whack due to the Global Warming. It is a nightmare for so many living in the forest; and for those of us trying to track “what is normal”. Beautiful pics tho!