Fall Colours Walk
Fall is a time of beauty. A time we look around and know that Mother Nature is wanting to please us. Even while driving on a busy highway in traffic at the beginning of a long day, we can't help but notice the vivid colours of the foliage alongside the road ahead. It is indeed a spirit lifter... a stress reliever of sorts.
For some time now researchers have known that colours have an impact on our moods. Green is deeply relaxing. Yellow is the happiest colour of the spectrum. Orange is an exhibitionist, the hottest colour in the spectrum. Red is active more than passive, stimulating rather than relaxing. Burgundy is a rich and sophisticated colour. Perhaps this is one of the reasons Fall can be so invigorating, the colours go from the relaxing greens to the more lively and grasping yellow, orange, red and burgandy. Colour can definitely nurture your soul as food nourishes your body.
Colour changes in foliage signal the end of the growing season. This occurs when the chlorophyll (the pigment that makes the leaf green) is exhausted - started by the change in temperature and decreasing amount of daylight - which allows other pigments to come out. Eventually the leaves dry up and fall off the tree, hence "Fall"... creating a wonderful opportunity to jump in a pile of raked leaves!
Please join us for our Fall Colours Walk tentatively set (please check back to ensure this walk is not further postponed due to the late arrival of Fall colours) for Sunday, October 14th at 1:00 p.m. We will be meeting at the office located at 41378 Hydro Line Road. Feel free to bring binoculars, a camera, comfortable shoes, the kids and the dog... this event will be fun and appropriate for all ages.
Here are some of the colour changes you can expect to see at Hullett Provincial Wildlife Area...
Sugar Maple ~ Bright Orange-red to Yellow
White Ash ~ Maroon to a dark reddish-green
Quaking Aspen ~ Yellow (sometimes deep yellow)
American Beech ~ Light yellow
Silver Maple ~ Pale yellow
Birch ~ Bright yellow
Red Oak ~ Dull brown
Sumac ~ Orange becoming bright red
Pin Cherry ~ Reddish becoming bright yellow
To see more detailed information about the science behind the colours of Autumn click here.
We hope to see you out on Sunday, October 14th at 1:00 p.m.
