Thursday, October 15, 2009 — Summer may be over, but autumn is definitely something to get excited about. And we're right in the thick of autumn, popularly known as "fall" because leaves fall off their branches this time of year. But, in the weeks before hit they ground, autumn leaves turn bright bold shades of orange, red, and yellow. This creates a beautiful chorus of colors, leaves, and greenery—known as fall foliage (pronounced: fo-li-age).

In Millsberry, the leaves are already falling everywhere, inspiring citizens of all ages to get outside and enjoy.

Will Wexley, Cause Tour Bus driver, decided to throw a raking party. Since he lives on lots of land, he got his family and friends together so everyone could help rake the leaves and get them into garbage bags. He served hot apple cider and pumpkin bread—delicious treats, perfectly in season (apples and pumpkins). And, once the yard was all cleaned up, the kids got to jump in the extra leaf pile set aside just for them!

As for the bags of leaves—they were delivered to Grow Good Farms, to be used for compost (a very rich soil that's great to add to gardens and farms, to help things grow).

Will noted, "The party was a success because we were able to recycle the leaves by giving them to Grow Good,! To learn more about what Grow Good, is doing, just visit my Tour Bus!"

We also spoke with Mr. Fort, Millsberry Academy's Science teacher. He told the Gazette that his students have been asking why the leaves change color. An interesting question, and one we haven't really pondered.

Fort explained, "Plants use sunlight to convert water (taken up from the ground), and carbon dioxide (absorbed from the air) into glucose (sugar) for energy. This process is called photosynthesis (pho-to-syn-the-sis), and it's made possible by chlorophyll—the chemical in plants that gives them their green color. In summer, it's easy to stock up on sunlight since the days are so long. But, once autumn hits, the days get shorter, and sunlight and water are more scarce. Plants, including trees, respond by producing less and less chlorophyll. Eventually, they use up their stored energy, and their leaves' green color fades away. Lucky for us, an amazing palette of colors is left behind. This is by far my favorite time of year!"

Fall is definitely a magical time of year, with lots of fun activities and inspiration. And, if you don't want to play in leaf piles, you can use fallen leaves for an art project by making a collage, or painting on them. Or paint your own landscape. Or take some photos of the brilliant fall trees! You can also go apple-picking and pumpkin-picking. But whatever you do, make sure you spend a lot of time outdoors while you're still able—Old Man Winter is not far behind!