Warner Parks' Nuthatch Notes: The Winter Solstice

The Winter Solstice

Shared by Vera Roberts

Naturalist and Nature Center Director

December 2020

It’s the eve of December and spitting snow outside, a dark and dreary day, the perfect end to November. Winter weather has been slow to arrive this year, and I’m relieved to see some freezing temperatures on the horizon. Tomorrow it will be winter, or, at least December.

We mark Winter’s beginning and herald it in, as a date on the calendar, December 21. The Winter Solstice, our longest night and shortest day, which I like to celebrate all month long. After this moment in time, the days begin getting longer, and the nights shorter, a seasonal shift celebrated for thousands of years by cultures across the Northern Hemisphere.

The Hill Forest at winter twilight

Winter Solstice means shifting gears into the solitude and quiet demonstrated by nature during this time. Taking a hike during the first snowfall. Stargazing on a cold, crisp, clear night. Curling up next to the woodstove with a cup of tea and a good book. Taking a night hike and listening for owls, flying squirrels, and coyotes.

Warner Park roadway hidden in winter's snow

The exact moment of the 2020 Winter Solstice will occur on Monday, December 21, at 4:02 Central Standard Time. That evening, after sunset, we will also be able to view a rare astronomical event, the Great Conjunction of Jupiter and Saturn. The two planets will be within 0.1 degrees of each other, causing them to appear as one single bright object. Don’t miss it, as these two planets won’t appear this close together again until 2080.

2020 has been a year for the history books, a year worth taking time to reflect on. As winter approaches, I hope you take time to enjoy the peaceful beauty of nature, and find solace in the rhythm and cycles of the seasons.