Wednesday, September 30, 2009
Monday, September 28, 2009
Autumn Leaves
Fall is unfolding beautifully in and around Park City. As the days shorten and temperatures cool, the green leaves of summer give way to a stunning palette of reds, oranges, and golds. The air is crisp and clear, the crowds have left, and the trails are breathtakingly beautiful. I find myself wanting to spend all my time outdoors with my camera, for each day is a new unfolding of color that wasn't there the day before. I've uploaded 73 of the 730 photos taken over the weekend to Snapfish. Take a peep if you are interested :
Two factors influence how and why leaves change color in the fall: less daylight and the weather. As days grow shorter and nights are longer and cooler, leaves begin to change color. During spring and summer, chlorophyll, the food factory of leaves and the thing that makes them appear green, is continually produced. As night length increases in the fall, chlorophyll disappears and other leaf substances remain, giving leaves their fall colors.
Certain colors are characteristic of particular tree species. Oaks turn red, brown, or russet; aspen golden yellow, and maples red and orange. While the absence of chlorophyll allows for the change of leaf color, the brilliance of those colors depends on the weather and the amount of moisture in the soil, making some years better than others. The Park City area had late snows last spring and a lot of early summer rains, giving us a splendid color show this autumn!
Most of my creative ideas have been inspired while in nature. While hiking the Park City area last fall, I brought my pruning shears and a large cloth bag with me to collect dried leaves, berries, grasses, wildflowers that caught my eye. I then created a wreath of all my findings, a photo of which I share here. This will now be an annual ritual, and I look forward to another creation this week. 
No matter what part of the country you are in, get out into nature to enjoy Autumn's beauty.
Wednesday, September 23, 2009
Be Inspired!
Mark Your Calendars: PBS will air the inspirational new documentary by Ken Burns, The National Parks: America’s Best Idea beginning Sunday, September 27th. This 12-hour film will air two hours for six consecutive evenings, so set your DVRs!
Over the past few months, I’ve had the opportunity to represent the National Parks Conservation Association (NPCA) at several events in which segments of the film have been previewed, and have been awestruck by the cinematography and deeply moved by the stories of the people that helped create them and have fought for their protection. Ken Burns has spoken so eloquently about this project, and it has obviously been a labor of love for him and his team. When asked why he spent 10 years working on this project, Burns’ replied:
This documentary could not come at a more critical time. There are many issues impacting our national parks, including climate change. For example, a recent Sierra Club newsletter cites that we’ve already seen:"Every American is a co-owner of the most spectacular
seafront property, the most most beautiful mountain ranges, the highest free-falling waterfall on the continent, the greatest collection of
geysers on this planet, and the grandest canyon on Earth. And, as co-owners we ought to, every once in a while, go visit this property of ours, make sure it's been taken care of, and then put it in our will for posterity so it's around for our children's children."
- The extraordinary glaciers of Glacier National Park rapidly melting.
- Grizzly bears in Yellowstone National Park face disappearing food sources as climate change wipes out the white bark pine nut.
- Increased drought and hotter temperatures in desert parks such as Canyonlands National Park, where the devastation of native vegetation is making it harder for bighorn sheep to find nourishing grasses and hide from predators.
Please be sure to see this beautiful and important documentary, and send me your thoughts about it!
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