Gorski Kotar, a hilly and thickly wooded region between Rijeka and Zagreb, is quite a sight this spring. Many trees are broken in half. Quite a number of them are prostrate on the ground. Last winter was especially harsh. Unusually, large amounts of ice formed in the crowns of trees. It was the weight of the ice that caused the devastation. Even the trees that are broken in half are leafless by now. The ice killed them. I have heard about the widespread loss of trees, but the carnage is amazing to behold from the hurtling bus. Obviously, these trees have not evolved to deal with such a disaster. Although generally warm, last winter brought something entirely new to the region. Clearly, many plants will not have the time to adjust to the abrupt change in the weather. If the same thing happens several winters in a row, Gorski Kotar will be a different place. This is one aspect of precipitous climate change that is yet to be fully appreciated. As well as absorbed by the human kind.