While
crisp fall weather and colorful foliage aren’t the first things
that come to mind here in the desert, that’s exactly what you’ll
find in Arizona’s high country. A good time to view fall foliage
in Arizona is from early to mid‑October. On the San Francisco
Peaks near Flagstaff, changing leaves can herald autumn’s arrival
as early as mid‑September.
The
drive through Oak Creek Canyon is absolutely beautiful during
fall foliage season, and Oak Creek’s popular West Fork trail
is an easy walk for everyone from toddlers to seniors. There
are plenty of other pockets of fall color around the state,
too–in the White Mountains, around Globe, and in the “Sky Islands”
of southern Arizona, for example.
Trees
shut down their systems for winter just like hibernating animals
do. Food nutrients move slowly out of the leaves and into the
tree’s branches, trunk and roots to prepare for freezing temperatures.
As the green chlorophyll pigmentation disappears, various other
hues such as yellow and orange become visible.
A
combination of warm, sunny days and cool but not freezing nights
are ideal conditions for producing spectacular fall colors.
The colors and their timing varies from one location to another
depending on the combination of light and shade the tree receives.
Moisture and chemicals contained in the leaves also affect the
brilliance of autumn colors. As the leaves dry out, they fall
or are blown by the wind onto the ground. They help protect
grasses and other plants by holding in warmth and moisture through
the winter.
Autumn
Activities Leaf mobile – Make your own fall leaves. Glue different
colorful fabrics to both sides of several pieces of heavy paper.
Cut leaf shapes from this. Put a string on each leaf. Tie the
leaves to a small branch. Hang it where the leaves will flutter
in a breeze.
Leaf
rubbings – Place a variety of leaves (underside up to show the
veins) under a piece of
plain white paper. Using the sides of crayons (with the paper
coverings peeled off), make rubbings
of the leaves.
Pressed
leaves – Collect some colorful fall leaves. Place them between
two sheets of paper and set a heavy book on top. After the leaves
have dried, use to make a fall leaf book or decoration.
Nature
collage – Go on a fall nature walk and pick up items that have
fallen off trees (leaves, twigs, nuts, pine cones, pine needles,
etc.). Arrange your findings in a shoe box, create a collage,
or make a fall wreath.
Autumn
leaf snacks – If you have a leaf‑shaped cookie cutter,
you can make leaves from yellow, red and orange gelatin or
leaf cookies decorated with red, orange, yellow and brown frosting.
Books
“Autumn:
An Alphabet
Acrostic,”
by Steven Schnur.
“I
Am a Leaf,” by Jean Marzollo.
“Look
What I Did With a Leaf!” by Morteza E. Sohi.
“Red
Leaf, Yellow Leaf,” by Lois Ehlert.
Web
sites
http://www.sciencemadesimple.com/leaves.html
(A simple explanation of why leaves change color.)
