Ah, Christmas time!  I went walking through my neighborhood and was charmed by the strings of lights illuminating porches, the inflated Santa, the plastic reindeer, the snow and ice.  But then I saw flowers emerging from the ground, near a cherry tree in full bloom.

<p>Ah, Christmas time!&nbsp; I went walking through my neighborhood and was charmed by the strings of lights illuminating porches, the inflated Santa, the plastic reindeer, the snow and ice.&nbsp; But then I saw flowers emerging from the ground, near a cherry tree in full bloom.</p>

The Environment in Focus, hosted by Tom Pelton, is a weekly perspective on the issues and people changing our natural world.  Pelton is a national award-winning environmental journalist, author, and public radio host.

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