Nature can be deceiving. To understand it, you’ve got to stop the mad rush of life, smell the proverbial roses, sit calmly and watch.

But nature itself, on a summer’s day, is anything but calm and relaxed. So says biologist Bernd Heinrich in his new book, “Summer World.”

Birds, bees, plants and sharp-toothed mammals stick by a tight schedule. They have hidden agendas and trade secrets. They perform tasks and duties as diligently as any hard-working farmer.

This hour, On Point: The world of summer, with naturalist Bernd Heinrich.

You can join the conversation. Are you paying attention? What’s going on outside your window? Tell us what you think — here on this page, on Twitter, and on Facebook.

Guest:

Joining us in our studio is Bernd Heinrich, professor emeritus of biology at the University of Vermont and a contributor to Scientific American, American Scientist, Audubon and Outside. He’s the author of many books, including “Winter World: The Ingenuity of Animal Survival.” His new book is “Summer World: A Season of Bounty.”

Read Heinrich’s introduction to “Summer World” (pdf).