Nature Net News
September 2005
Fall Foliage
"Autumn
is a second spring when every leaf is a flower."
Albert Camus
|
Dear Reader, Every year it happens, yet every time I am amazed. The Fall Colors. It starts with a tinge of yellow here and there and then, with the right conditions, a burst of oranges, reds, chartreuses waving frantically in the autumn breeze. And its not just the color. Is there anything like the aroma of freshly fallen leaves? These color changes mark a change in season and it's one of the most spectacular celebrations in nature. Enjoy the amazing colors at a Nature Net site in your neighborhood or capture some color with this months ideas in "Tricks of the Trail" and "Nature Crafts". And when you come in from the brisk fall weather, snuggle up with a delightful book from our "Suggested Reading" selections! Enjoy the season! Kathe
& Betsy |
The chemicals that create orange and yellow colors in leaves are actually there year-round? You can't see those colors until the chemical causing the green color (chlorophyll) breaks down in the fall!
What to do this month:
Watch for migrating monarch butterflies.
Look for woolly bear caterpillars on the trail - they won't become a Tiger Moth until they spend the cold winter hibernating as a caterpillar.
Try to spot a squirrel or chipmunk stashing food for winter.
Check out family events at area Nature Net sites!
Tricks of the Trail for Parents:
Color Samples
Have fun anticipating and capturing fall's color burst before, during
and after your hike. Visit a local hardware store and collect
several paint sample charts. Then, use those colors to compare and
contrast what you see in nature. Your child could use them to guess
about colors she might find before your hike; then match them in the wild
to compare. Afterwards, clip and save the colors you found in a
journal. Remember to list where you saw them and the date!
Instant
Outdoor Expert:
Why Leaves Change Color
Leaves are truly amazing
little factories. Throughout the sunny days of summer, they take
energy from the sun's rays and with nothing more than a little water and
some carbon dioxide, whip up a huge batch of simple sugars and starches to
feed the entire tree. The unique chemical that drives this process is
chlorophyll. During the growing season, chlorophyll is replenished
as it dose its job and its green pigment makes the leaf look green.
As the days shorten and the temperatures drop, however, chlorophyll
production decreases and other pigments are allowed to shine through.
Carotenoid, when given a chance to "shine", makes a leaf look
yellow, orange or brown. And anthocyanin, which isn't present throughout
the summer like caratenoid but is produced in late summer, creates red or
purple leaves. For a sneak peek into the interior of a leaf and for
more details, visit USDA
Forest Service's "How Leaves Change Colors"
Eco-Exercise:
The A-Maze-ing Leaf Races
Try this in someone’s yard before
they have raked up their leaves!
Find a comfortable rake and rake fall leaves into several piles.
From those piles, rake leaves so that they form outlines of at
least two curving paths or mazes side by side.
Designate an official ‘beginning’ and ‘end’ destination.
Get a friend and race each other from beginning to end.
Too easy? Hop instead
of run. Run backwards. Double the race back and forth.
Finally, rake all the leaves into one big pile and have fun with a
celebratory jump!
"Red Leaf, Yellow Leaf" by Lois Ehlert (ages 3-5)
"Autumn Leaves" by Ken Robbins (ages 4-8)
"Why Do Leaves Change Color?" by Betsy Maesto (ages 3-10)
Featured Nature Net Site
Nature Craft
Bethel
Horizons Nature Center
10,000 years ago, when the last glacier scoured most of the
Wisconsin landscape, the area around Bethel Horizons Nature Center was
left unscathed, creating a truly unique “driftless area” full of
superb cliffs and valleys. Bethel
Horizons’ 473-acre facility near Governor Dodge State Park allows
families to investigate and explore these lands through winding trails,
waterways and ropes courses. Also,
be sure to see the sights at Bethel Horizons’ marshes, ponds, wooded
hillsides and Interpretive Center full of Wisconsin creatures.
Pack a lunch for the picnic grounds or pack a tent and stay for the
weekend!
Leaf
PrintsLeaves come in all shapes and sizes. Each has a unique design of veins and lobes. You can take a closer look at these differences when you make leaf prints!
Create a collection of leaves from the ground (or from your garden or yard - make sure to ask permission to pick) and using acrylic paint (for a waterproof finish) brush paint onto the underside of the leaf where the veins are more pronounced. Carefully place the "inked" leaf where you want the image printed. Cover the leaf with a piece of folded paper toweling. Roll a brayer (a smaller roller used for making prints), a rolling pin, or a spoon over the paper towel with firm strokes. Remove the paper towel and carefully lift the leaf. Presto!
Suggested uses: wrapping paper, note cards, stationary, even garden pots or drinking glasses - anything with a smooth surface.
(Nature Craft from "The Kid's Nature Book" by Susan Milord)
