THE HIDDEN SEASONS

How nature keeps time.

British mountain climber, aviator, and founder of a natural navigation school, Gooley takes readers month by month through the year to closely observe how plants and animals respond to seasonal changes in temperature, rainfall, sunlight, and darkness. “We now know,” he reveals, “that changes in proteins called phytochromes are responsible for time measurement in plants, and that melatonin is secreted from the pineal gland in animals at night, which gives their brains a calendar.” Flora and fauna respond, as well, to lunar light, distance from the sea, latitude and altitude, and the particulars of their habitat: the canopy of trees, for example, or the tramping of paths by hikers. In the woods in spring, he observes that some flowers, requiring a mixture of sunlight and shade each day, bloom early, before the trees leaf out and occlude the sun. Gooley focuses on specific wildlife to investigate blossoming, mating, breeding, molting, and migration. He notes the habits of bees as they respond to temperature changes that affect their ability to fly. If the temperature drops too low, they disconnect their wings from their muscles and work their flying muscles until they get warm enough. “It’s a bit like when we jog on the spot to keep warm,” Gooley notes, “but it looks less ridiculous.” Gooley calls up research from fields such as ecology, phenology (the study of seasons), botany, and horticulture to examine phenomena such as birds’ dawn singing (“more complex and varied” than daytime singing), the height of plant growth, and the colors of insects—darker in cooler months to absorb more solar energy; brighter in hot summer, reflecting more of the sun’s radiation. A useful appendix details the moon’s phases.

An inviting journey with a generous guide.