Every year on February 2, people in some parts of the United States and Canada celebrate Groundhog Day. This special day is all about a groundhog, which is a small, furry animal. There is an old belief that if the groundhog comes out of the ground and sees its shadow because the sun is shining, it means we will have six more weeks of winter. If it doesn't see its shadow, it means spring will come soon. In 2024, people think spring will come early because of this tradition. But, even though many people still enjoy this tradition today, scientists have said that there's no real proof that the groundhog's shadow can tell us about the weather in spring. Long ago, German people brought this idea to America. In Germany, they would watch a badger, and in some other places, like Hungary, they would watch a bear to guess the weather. This idea is kind of like another old story that says if the weather is good on Candlemas Day, which is also on February 2, winter will last longer. One famous Groundhog Day event happens in a place called Punxsutawney in Pennsylvania. Many people go there to see a famous groundhog named Punxsutawney Phil. Other towns have their own Groundhog Day events, too. A long time ago, German people who moved to America started this tradition. They had a day called "Badger Day" back in Germany, which was also on Candlemas Day. If the badger saw its shadow because the sun was out, they believed it meant more winter was coming.

Spring is a season that comes after winter and before summer. It is a time when the days and nights are about the same length, but days get longer and nights get shorter as summer gets closer. In the Northern Hemisphere, spring is when the Southern Hemisphere has autumn. Spring is a time when people think about new beginnings and nature growing again. In very warm places, people might talk about other times of the year, like wet or dry seasons instead of spring. The word "spring" comes from old words that meant things like starting or jumping up. It's been used to talk about the season for a very long time. Weather experts talk about spring as one of four main parts of the year. Spring, summer, autumn, and winter each last about three months. Spring is when temperatures start to get warmer after the cold months.

Wild animals live all around the world. They can live in different places like deserts, grasslands, and forests. Sometimes, these animals live in cities too. People did not put these animals in these places; they live there on their own. Long ago, people hunted wild animals for fun. Today, we know that some wild animals can be dangerous. They can hurt us, make us sick, or damage things we own. But we also learn from them and feel happy when we see them. People live in cities and houses, but some wild animals can live near us, like cats and dogs that do not have homes, and mice and rats. Some people think certain wild animals are very special. But there is a problem: since 1970, there have been a lot fewer wild animals because of people using too much stuff, having too many babies, and farming a lot. It is like we are making many animals go away forever. People also buy and sell wild animals, which can be worth a lot of money. A long time ago, people needed to catch wild animals to eat.