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The Harsh Benefits of Winter

Nick J Nixon
/
Flickr

Plants die off, the ground freezes over, and animals go into hibernation. Although this description of winter may sound dreadful, these aspects are needed to keep our ecosystem in check. On this episode of "Nature of Things" from February 26, 1988, host John Weeks explains why sometimes a tough winter can be a good thing. 

John Weeks studied ornithology and wildlife management at Cornell University and earned a graduate degree in plant ecology from Syracuse University. He has served as Conservation Biologist for the NYS Conservation Department; Associate Professor of Biology at SUNY Oswego; Founding Director of The Rogers Environmental Education Center at Sherburne, NY; and Director of the Onondaga Nature Center and Center for Nature Education at Baltimore Woods, Marcellus, NY. He assisted in the creation of the Cayuga Nature Center and the Sterling Nature Center in Cayuga County near Fair Haven, NY.
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