Revealing Something New
Week of September 26 – October 2, 2021
by Meghan Morrell, Environmental Education Intern
Walking around the Baltimore Woods preserve, I’ve begun to enjoy the changing autumn leaves. Trees that were a vibrant green last week have hues of orange, yellow and red starting to paint their branches. Scientifically, leaves change color due to the breakdown of chlorophyll from a reduction in the amount of sunlight each day as the days become shorter and the nights become longer. As the chlorophyll breaks down, the beautiful red, orange and yellow pigments that were covered by the dark green chlorophyll are revealed. It’s hard to believe, but the beautiful fall colors we look forward to every year were there all along.
For me, the changing of leaves comes as an annual reminder that change is happening all around us, sometimes merely a change in perception. I enjoy thinking of autumn as nature’s time to showcase all of the beautiful pigments we don’t get to see during spring and summer. So as the weather starts to cool down, and you enjoy the beauty of fall leaves, allow yourself to truly embrace all of the changes that come along with the season, even those newly revealed.