Conservation Column: Celebrating autumn

Pumpkin spice has arrived! Temperatures drop from scorching to soothing. The gentle pitter-patter of cool rainstorms will make that cup of hot cider, cozy fireplace and favorite book all the more welcome. For me, however, it is the changing of the leaves which offer the final grand spectacle before the desolate winter months.

What better time to get outside than autumn? As October progresses, fall starts slowly, gaining momentum. Virginia creeper, poison ivy, sumac and others have come and gone, our first to change. The yellows of ash trees, mango in our hickories, merlot white oaks and the rainbow snow cone that is sweetgum trees are an absolute delight. Here in our region, peak colors typically occur in the third or fourth weeks of October — depending, of course, on weather.

The chemistry behind fall is fascinating. As the green pigments — chlorophylls — are digested and their building blocks sent for storage deep within the plant’s roots, yellows and oranges — carotenoids — emerge. They were always there, hidden by the green, acting as sunblock, helping with metabolism and several other things. Cool nights and ample water allow reds and purples — anthocyanins — to be at their most brilliant. Unlike their carotenoid kin, the anthocyanins are produced during autumn and help the process as antioxidants and other roles.

As much as I enjoy “nerding out” on all that science, one thing is undeniable: Fall is beautiful. I don’t know a better time to take a stroll through the forest. Mammals are easy to spot as they rustle and dig, preparing for winter. The last straggling birds complete migration, more visible in a canopy with fewer leaves. And reptiles, often not on most people’s “favorites” list, have long since decided to call it quits and hide until spring.

Consider a walk in these pleasant temperatures and kaleidoscope colors. A fantastic tool to find a hike near you is the Missouri Department of Conservation’s “MO Outdoors App” available for free at all smartphone app stores. Exploring this app will give you detailed information about conservation areas near you. Our sister agency, the Department of Natural Resources, manages an amazing system of state parks and a fantastic website, mostateparks.org, where interactive trail maps make planning an outing a breeze.

However you are able to enjoy the outdoors this fall, get outside! Finding peace and solace amongst autumn’s “grand finale” is such a joyful way to celebrate the earth finishing one more trip around the sun. And remember, you don’t have to be four to stomp through a pile of leaves.

Alex Holmes is the assistant manager for the Missouri Department of Conservation’s Cape Girardeau Conservation Nature Center. Alex has a passion for outdoor education and can be found fishing and floating Missouri’s beautiful streams and swamps when not at work.