{"id":15170,"date":"2021-02-08T06:30:00","date_gmt":"2021-02-08T11:30:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/?p=15170"},"modified":"2021-02-08T09:42:46","modified_gmt":"2021-02-08T14:42:46","slug":"take-5-groundhog-day","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/take-5-groundhog-day\/","title":{"rendered":"Take 5: Groundhog Day"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Let’s get real for a minute: living through a pandemic can sometimes feel a bit like the classic movie Groundhog Day\u2014reliving the same day over and over, never quite sure when we’ll escape a sort of perpetual limbo. But unlike the anti-hero of that fictional Hollywood reality, we know that there is a light at the end of the tunnel and that, while socially distant, we are not alone as we navigate this strange, challenging reality together.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And there’s even better news: Groundhog Day (a popular holiday observed on February 2 in the United States and Canada) traditionally marks the halfway point between the winter solstice and the spring equinox, meaning warmer days and even more outdoor adventures in nature<\/a> lie ahead. Whether you consider yourself “superstitious” or not, it may bring you some comfort to know that Drumlin Farm’s own Ms. G\u2014the official state groundhog of Massachusetts<\/a>\u2014made her annual appearance on February 2 and did NOT see her shadow, thereby predicting an early spring! You can watch a recording of the live event on Facebook<\/a>, which was held virtually this year due to COVID-19 and the heavy snowstorm the day before.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So while we may need to wait a bit longer for springtime, in the meantime you can enjoy these five photos of our native groundhogs<\/a> (also known as woodchucks) and look forward to brighter days\u2014both literally and figuratively\u2014in the near future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Groundhog
Groundhog \u00a9 Eric Roth<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"Groundhogs
Groundhogs \u00a9 John Coran<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"Groundhog
Groundhog \u00a9 Martha Akey<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"Groundhogs
Groundhogs inspecting a “fellow woodworker’s” craftsmanship \u00a9 Lois DiBlasi<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"Groundhog
Groundhog \u00a9 Debbie Lamb<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Let’s get real for a minute: living through a pandemic can sometimes feel a bit like the classic movie Groundhog Day\u2014reliving the same day over and over, never quite sure when we’ll escape a sort of perpetual limbo. But unlike the anti-hero of that fictional Hollywood reality, we know that there is a light at […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":68,"featured_media":15172,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[6,158],"tags":[295,273,83,84,294],"class_list":["post-15170","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-general","category-take-5","tag-groundhogs","tag-mammals","tag-photo-contest","tag-photography","tag-woodchucks"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2021\/02\/2233DebbieLamb7791-2.jpg","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p3t87A-3WG","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":1622,"url":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/a-closer-look-at-groundhog-day\/","url_meta":{"origin":15170,"position":0},"title":"A Closer Look at Groundhog Day","author":"Mass Audubon","date":"January 28, 2013","format":false,"excerpt":"Every year on February 2, Americans turn their attention to a small furry little animal. According to legend, if the groundhog sees his or her shadow there will be six more weeks of winter, but if not, spring is on the way. The peculiarity of this tradition has earned it\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Nature Notes"","block_context":{"text":"Nature Notes","link":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/category\/nature-notes\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2013\/01\/msg.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":10479,"url":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/ground-truthing-the-groundhog\/","url_meta":{"origin":15170,"position":1},"title":"Ground Truthing the Groundhog","author":"Daniel Brown","date":"February 2, 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"On February 2 at Drumlin Farm, the official groundhog of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, Ms. G, looks for her shadow. This year, Ms. G saw her shadow, which, according to the folklore, means we\u2019re in for 6 more weeks of winter. But any skepticism you have about her methodology is\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Climate"","block_context":{"text":"Climate","link":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/category\/climate\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2018\/02\/Groundhog_Drumlin600.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2018\/02\/Groundhog_Drumlin600.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2018\/02\/Groundhog_Drumlin600.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":3137,"url":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/7-reasons-to-appreciate-squirrels\/","url_meta":{"origin":15170,"position":2},"title":"7 Reasons to Appreciate Squirrels","author":"Rosemary","date":"January 21, 2014","format":false,"excerpt":"January 21\u00a0is National Squirrel Appreciation day. We know it can be hard to appreciate these creatures sometimes, especially when they\u2019re swinging acrobatically from a bird feeder. Here are seven interesting things you can observe about squirrels that might help you see them in a new light: They can be black\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Nature Notes"","block_context":{"text":"Nature Notes","link":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/category\/nature-notes\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2014\/05\/red_squirrel_rmosco_staff.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2014\/05\/red_squirrel_rmosco_staff.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2014\/05\/red_squirrel_rmosco_staff.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2014\/05\/red_squirrel_rmosco_staff.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":9415,"url":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/exciting-news-about-tidmarsh\/","url_meta":{"origin":15170,"position":3},"title":"Exciting News About Tidmarsh!","author":"Hillary T.","date":"July 5, 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"For the past year, we've been working hard to raise enough funds to acquire almost 479 acres of Tidmarsh Farms in Plymouth, land which encompasses restored freshwater wetlands and adjoining uplands. It's been a remarkable journey and a true community effort. 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When they arrived at camp, they were told there would be a special visitor and the crew quickly sprang into action creating welcome banners. Who was the visitor? None other than Governor Deval Patrick.\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Wildlife Sanctuaries"","block_context":{"text":"Wildlife Sanctuaries","link":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/category\/wildlife-sanctuaries\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2012\/07\/GovPatrickatBroadmoor_JoyMarzolf-5_small.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":11488,"url":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/switching-to-electric-landscape-equipment\/","url_meta":{"origin":15170,"position":5},"title":"Switching to Electric Landscape Equipment","author":"Daniel Brown","date":"August 22, 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"Imagine a summer without the growl of gasoline-powered motors, the whine of weed whackers, and the fumes of spent gasoline. Mass Audubon is taking steps to make this a reality by replacing gasoline-powered landscaping equipment with electric versions. 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