October 12, 2022
The changing leaves, our beautiful harbingers of Autumn, decorate the landscape of the San Bernardino Mountains during the Fall months, and visitors to the ECOS Institute can expect to enjoy hikes through this evanescent wonder.
But, did you know that this is all a function of playful pigments? The green chlorophyll of deciduous oaks, alders, maples, and willows, fully dissolve and reabsorb into the trees, allowing yellow and orange carotenoids, along with pink, red, and purple anthrocyanins, to be revealed.
Over the six weeks of the Autumn season, entire hillsides burst into color, rendered vibrant tapestries by one of Nature’s most impressive chemical displays. Learn more about this process: