The Northern Great Lakes is an area where the lives of plants and animals are greatly shaped by the seasons. The harsh weather and heavy snows of winter make food scare and movement difficult. The long, warm days and abundant food of summer, though, make for easy living. Plants and animals here have all kinds of adaptations for helping them live between these extremes.

Check out the Forest Seasons seasons link to discover more about how the animals and plants of the northwoods cope with the seasons. (You'll need to have the Flash Player 6 plugin installed. If you don't have it, you can get it for free by clicking here).

If you don't have the Flash plugin, don't want it, or can't use it, you can access a non-Flash version of the Northwoods Seasons section by clicking here.