Every spring is the only spring - a perpetual astonishment. - Ellis Peters

Although the calendar tells us that spring arrived on March 21, Mother Nature holds to no one's timetable but her own. She arrived late this year for some of us — very late in the northeastern US where I live, and we're very glad to finally see the daffodils blooming and feel the temperatures warming. The rhythm of the seasons is comforting, like listening to a heartbeat, and spring brings with it the perpetual promise of rebirth and renewal. Bare trees unfurling their new leaves, flowers bringing some color back to the landscape, birds returning from their winter migration, the music of spring peepers accompanying nightfall — all of these serve to remind us that life goes on relentlessly and everything becomes new again, even after the darkest and coldest of winters.

Animal Planet is bringing its viewers the opportunity to observe and celebrate the wonders of spring's arrival across the US with a special six-part mini-series called Spring Watch USA. Beginning on April 21, the series is a four-week, "as it happens" opportunity to watch as spring unfolds from coast to coast.

Filmed just prior to each broadcast, the series brings viewers an unprecedented, almost real time look at the glories of the season as they manifest themselves across the country. Hosted by Jeff Corwin and Vanessa Garnick, the program is headquartered on Kiawah Island off the coast of South Carolina, a habitat that's rich with a diversity of plant and animal life. While Corwin and Garnick give us a bird's-eye (and critter's-eye) view of spring on the island, Animal Planet correspondents Philippe Cousteau and David Mizejewski will take cameras across the country for a nationwide look at the wonders of the season.

Using state of the art camera technology, the Spring Watch team hopes to educate American viewers about the animal habitats that are all around us. As Mizejewski says, "... just because they are animals that might be found in our very own backyards or in the American wilderness doesn't mean that they're any less fascinating or exciting ... I think the viewers are truly going to be surprised by some of the things they see and may not have known about the animals that live right around us."

The show kicks off on Saturday, April 21 at 8 pm ET/PT with the other episodes airing on April 26, April 28, May 3, May 5, and May 13. Visit Animal Planet's website for more details about the show and to learn some fun facts about the season.

As you celebrate the arrival of spring, remember that we also observe Earth Day on April 22. We are each of us responsible in our own small way for the future of the planet. Visit the official Earth Day website and take some time to learn how you can help to safeguard the wonders of the changing seasons for your own children, and their children's children — you don't have to become a full-time environmental activist to help. It can all start right in your own backyard.