Autumn is a colorful time of year, and there is much to see and enjoy outdoors. Whether you are traveling, taking pictures, studying the science of leaf change, or just enjoying the vivid array of color, this page offers prime resources for all of these activities.

Selected websites below allow you to study and explore fall foliage treasures, whether you stay close to home, or travel across the country. If you are expecting visitors and would like to take them on a local tour of fall foliage sights go to 'Round the Bend's fall foliage site for the Greater Niagara region. Or visit the up-to-date report on color changes in New York State (click also on their Leaf Guide or Foliage Forecast for more).

This list is divided into several sections: Where to Go, Why Do Leaves Change Color? (the Science of Autumn), Leaf and Tree Identification, and How to Preserve the Memory of Autumn (in photos, leaf pressing, etc.). There are also Links for Kids.

Feature site: Adirondack Photographer, Carl Heilman II has an interesting article in Adirondack Life (Sept/Oct 2011), "The Last Kodachrome Moment: Capturing Fall's Glory with an Iconic Film." The article (available only in print), complete with Carl's stunning photographs, describes his 40-year career with Kodachrome film and its abilities to capture the rich fall foliage of his "home" in the Adirondacks. View and order a variety of Carl's photographs, wallpaper, screensavers, posters, calendars, and books from his website. Of particular interest are two of his most recent books: The Landscape Photography Field Guide (2011, Focal Press) and Contemporary Landscape Photography: Professional Techniques for Capturing Spectacular Settings (2010, Amphoto Books).

If you want to take better fall foliage photos, or are interested in learning to improve your photography, Sandy Rothaman recently created a website, The Best Online Photography & Art Degrees, helping students of all ages find a photography degree program for developing or advancing their career as a photographer.

Can't get away? View the leaves live or in photogaphs. See our new Autumn Photography and Art section below. It includes great autumn foliage web cams.

Chlorophyll gives most plants their verdant hues. Sunny days and crisp nights trigger the breakdown of cells at the base of the leafs stem causing chlorophyll to decompose. Other pigments -- carotenoids and anthocyanins -- surface in the plant’s leaves. The result is our autumnal display of colors in the canopies of city streets, rural woodlots, and forested hillsides.

Trees with higher concentrations of carotenoids (beech, birch, and willow) display colors of yellow and gold. Anthocyanins predominate in leaves of maples and sumac providing vivid red and orange colors. Factors such as soil nutrients, rainfall, temperature, and disease cause variations in colors within a species or geographic region. You can call the NY Fall Foliage Hotline 1-800-225-5697 for up-to-the minute highlights of New York's fall foliage progression.

Fall Foliage, Fall Colours or Autumn Colors? What is the difference between fall foliage and fall colours or colors? How about Americans vs Canadians and the spelling of colour vs color. Another important distinction is the notion of the “Leaf Peeper”, a term describing the tourists that flock to the North East New England area of the U.S. during the fall foliage season. Peepers tend to get arrested in Canada. See Fall in Ontario.

Where The Leaves Are Turning

New York State

• New York Fall Foliage Report (I love NY).
• Fall Foliage Update: Autumn in the Adirondack Park
• RoundTheBend's Fall Foliage in Upstate New York (includes Greater Niagara Region and the Chautauqua/Allegany Region)
• New York Fall Foliage: A Guide to Autumn in New York State.
• New York Fall Foliage Tours: Leaf Peeping. Arranged by region.
• Top 10 Fall Hikes to View Spectacular Autumn Foliage in New York--New Jersey

New England States

• New England Foliage Central. About everything you need to know about NE fall foliage.
• New Hampshire Foliage Report. Official NH site for best times, etc.
• New Hampshire Foliage Guide. Tourist site with regional maps and descriptions. Also has links to Fall leaves science and foliage guides for other New England states.
• Fall Color in the Eastern United States including New England. Also has a variety of fall color resources.
• Fall Foliage Map (Boston Globe). Beautiful animated, interactive map showing New England's hotspots for color. The map shows the advance of color changes through the season. Map includes GPS data for high-tech leaf touring.

United States

• Best Fall Foliage Sites in America. Covers regional and out-of-state travel info on leaf-change.
• Fall Color in the Eastern United States. Covers New England, Mid-Atlantic, and Appalachian states. Links include Fall Color Finder, for identifying tree names form leaf colors and shapes of Southern Appalachian tree species.
• Fall Colors for 2011 US Forest Service Gateway for regional foliage. Covers entire U.S.; also includes science of leaf-change and more.
• Fall Foliage (Weather Channel). Select leaf times by region. There is a Fall Foliage Map of the United States (2011 not started yet).
• Foliage Network national coverage. Great site.
• STORMFAX Guide to Fall Foliage. Each state listed with official state foliage links.
• YankeeFoliage. New England Fall resources from Yankee Magazine.
• Fall Color in California. Includes tips for photographing the colors.
• Fall Foliage Viewing 2011 Coast to Coast. Leaf-changing information by state.

Canada (especially Ontario)

• Fall Foliage Spots in Canada. Find the best fall foliage in Canada. Includes photos.
• Fall in Ontario.
• Ontario Parks: Fall Colour Report.
• Ontario Fall Colors October 2011 Road Trips fall Ontario Travel.
• Fall Foliage Fall Colors Leaf Peeper Autumn Colours Predictions.
• Autumn Is Show Time In Ontario's Provincial Parks. Autumn camping offers a great opportunity to experience the foliage up close.

Why Do the Leaves Change Color? the Science of Autumn

• Fall Color Science. Articles on tree types, folklore, and science of autumn.
• About.com: Fall Tree Colors and Photosynthesis Gateway site with links to resources on the changing colors of leaves and fall foliage, including web cams, hotlines, photography tips, and more
  • Chemistry of Autumn Leaf Color: How Fall Colors Work
• Science of Color in Autumn Leaves (United States National Arboretum).
• New Science of Fall Colors (Discovery.com). Images and brief descriptions of current research.
• Chemical of the Week: The Chemistry of Autumn Colors
• Chem-Is-Tree (J. Chem. Educ. 1997,Vol. 74, No. 10, p. 1175, also in paper: SEL Per QD1 .J93).
• Fall Color Report (Georgia Forestry Commission). Includes science pages and more.
• Science of Fall Color (South Carolina State Parks).
• Why Leaves Change Color (SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry, Syracuse).
• What Molecules Give Fall Leaves Their Colors? Classroom experiment for teachers.
• What Makes Those Bright Fall Leaf Colors? (Buffalo Museum of Science).
• Fall Foliage: Why Leaves Change Color (LiveScience).
• Plant Zone Map for North America (U.S. National Arboretum). Identify tree species in North America, by region or by state.
• North America & Canadian Provinces Plant Zone Map (Virginia Tech).

Leaf and Tree Identification and More Leaf Science

• The Miracle of Fall a comprehensive gateway site from the University of Illinois Extension Service with links to national and state foliage sites, resources for teachers and students, web cams, photographs, leaf and tree identification, and much more.
• Complete Fall Color and Autumn Leaf Guide
• Fall Color Finder: Visual Reference Guide To Fall Colors.
• Guide to the identification of Vermont Foliage Leaves. Foliage refers to leaves collectively. Single leaves are individuals within this collection.

Autumn Photography and Art

• Best Fall Foliage and Autumn Color Web Cams.
• Forest Trees Autumn Colors Ontario Provincial Parks.
• Carl Heilman II Photography. Nature photographer specializing in the Adirondacks. Covers all seasons; the vibrance of Autumn is rendered well.
• Essence of Autumn Ontario: The Canadian Nature Photographer. Beautiful photographs.
• Autumn Scenes From Years Past. Beautiful autumn photographs at the Boston Globe.

For Kids

• Autumn Leaves: Projects and Puzzles for Kids. Includes:
  • Collecting Autumn Leaves, Why Leaves Change Color, and a Maple Leaf Puzzle.
• Why do leaves change color in Fall? Science made simple.
• Fall Colours in the Classroom (Nature North Zine, Manitoba, Nature North). Projects to help you learn and enjoy Autumn.
• What Colors Are In Fall Leaves? (Pfizer Foundation Biochemistry Discovery Lab at the New York Hall of Science). Classroom research projects.
• What Molecules Give Fall Leaves Their Colors? Classroom experiment for teachers.
• A Tree's True Color (EEK! Environmental Education for Kids). Great site; answers questions and leads to more.

How to Remember Autumn's Radiance (Photography, Preserving Leaves, etc.)

• How To Photograph Autumn Color (NY Inst. of Photography). Tips on shooting to make the most of your autumn photo experience.
• How to Preserve a Fall Leaf (eHow.com). Provides a variety of preservation methods.
• Preserving Fall Leaf Colors (Marianne C. Ophardt, Washington State University Cooperative Extension).
• Preserving Leaves (Weirs Beach Park, NH). More tips on ways to preserve leaves.
• Pressed Leaves and Foliage. See examples and learn how to create your own leaf record.
• Pressing Fall Leaves: How to Preserve the Beauty of Fall Foliage.
• Preserving Flowers and Leaves (Univ. of Md. Coop Extension). Document on best methods.
• Preserve colorful beauty of autumn leaves. Short description on pressing leaves.

Video How To

• Preserving Leaves with Wax (YouTube).
• How to Preserve Autumn Leaves (5min.com/).

Frederick W. Stoss and David J. Bertuca, Science Librarians at the University at Buffalo. Comments always welcome. Last modified: 13 September 2011 URL: http://www.DavidBertuca.net/features/fall_foliage.html Return to Special Features page Visit: University at Buffalo Libraries
The materials selected above do not necessarily reflect the procedures and practices of the State University of New York at Buffalo.