Yesterday was Earth Day, and in a way that felt almost symbolic, it rained.
Not a heavy storm, just enough to settle the dust and shift the air. But still, after weeks of heat and dryness, it felt like a quiet kind of celebration.
Nature follows patterns, and over time, those who live and work closely with the land begin to recognize them. Earlier this week, Evaristo, one of the team members at La Estancia, mentioned that the rain felt close. Our Environmental Director had shared something similar, pointing to signs that tend to appear just before the season shifts.
Here, we share a few of these, so you can keep an eye out for next time you want to tell if rain might be coming soon.
One of the most noticeable is the blooming of malinche trees. Around Town, several can already be seen in flower, including along Paseo del Mar. At the same time, birds like pájaros bobos and orioles begin building their nests, while ants of all kinds start relocating, often appearing suddenly in new places, often appearing suddenly in new places where we hadn’t noticed them before.
Despite the heat, toads also become more active, emerging from their burrows as if responding to a shift we can’t quite feel yet.
And if you look closely at the hillsides, you might notice something changing there too. Trees that had turned dry and bare begin to show new leaves, small patches of green slowly returning to the landscape.
In fact, along Paseo del Mar, these signs were already unfolding, with blooming malinches and an unusual presence of ants in and outside the homes that hadn’t been as visible lately.
So next time we find ourselves at the edge of the dry season, moving toward the rains, these are some of the signs you can look for. Small details that, taken together, begin to tell a larger story.
And in a way, yesterday’s brief rain felt like a small celebration of Earth Day. It brought a refreshing pause across Town and the trails. A moment to pause and feel grateful for this earth that sustains so much life, for the landscapes that keep our hearts open with wonder and curiosity, and for all the beauty we are able to witness because of it.