From where I often sit and write, I can see a woodpile between the yards of my two neighbors to the north.  For some time it has been there.  The miscellaneous weatherworn boards and logs partly concealed by the lower limbs of a large blue spruce.

But as I gazed absently in that direction the other day, a small furry creature and then a second, untangled themselves from the pile and frolicked on the adjacent lawn.  Rabbits, babies of no more than eight inches in length, they reminded me that we are into that season of youth and vulnerability when we can help wild creatures mature.

Above, in the branches of that blue spruce, is the hidden nest of a pair of cardinals, and twenty yards this way, in one of my balsams, a robin mother sits on a nest.  And in the front yard, a brood of sparrows has already hatched and begun its constant and raucous demands for food.  The hope of spring is everywhere.

Yesterday, on the way to the cottage, I saw my first fawn of the season.  While it’s mother grazed hungrily in the green meadow, the spindly-legged youngster nursed.  I was reminded of the spotted big-eyed baby my wife and I had stumbled upon two springs back while we looked for mushrooms.  Soon the woods will be full of whitetail fawns.

And along the secondary roads are the woodchucks, the raccoons, and the possums.  Watch for the chucks by the very visible and freshly dug out dens, usually on the north or east sides of these roads.  The ‘coons and possums are more likely to be seen at night, following mom is an uncoordinated mob, in the case of the former riding on mom’s back and clinging to her tail, in the case of the latter.  Watch for them and watch out for them.  They are no match for a speeding car.

And if you know the whereabouts for a fox den, sneak upwind to a place fifty yards or so away and with binoculars, watch the play of a litter of pups for one of the most unforgettable and enjoyable experiences of a spring.

Certainly this is the season to be slowly and quietly walking in the woods, to see its youthful citizens emerge and grow.  They are almost everywhere.

But there are two big “don’ts” to follow while the wild creatures are gaining their strength.  Don’t assume a baby animal or bird has been abandoned by its parents, and don’t let your dog or cat run free for the next month.  These “youth of the wild” have a low enough survival rate without us adding to their problems.  But by the same token, we can learn about them by observing them in their natural habitats.

The children of the woods are vulnerable now.  Weather and natural predators will take their toll.  But I have seen the neighbor’s cat sneaking toward the woodpile and that kind of menace can be avoided.

Let’s help the wild babies when and where we can.  Let’s be alert as drivers and let’s keep the dogs and cats home until the little ones grow strong enough to be able to fend for themselves.