Mother Nature’s Art Gallery

By Greg Madden

I have always thought that the annual summer solstice event is the beginning of our summer season as kids are getting out of school and families are heading toward their summertime activities, camps and vacations. However, there is always one “doom and gloomer” that ruins it by announcing that “summer is now over, the days are getting shorter.” Those folks remind me of Winnie the Pooh’s friend Eeyore, always gray and gloomy.

As a glass-half-full type, I see the richness of summer ahead even as the days begin to shorten. Heck, at this point in the calendar there is still plenty of time to go until we reach the Autumnal Equinox in September. Here is the truth that stings. When our day’s sunlight quotient begins to diminish, the wick is lit for the change to the fast approaching brilliant color explosion of our Catskills trees, like an autumnal fireworks display.

Our leaves change color during the autumn season due to a combination of factors, primarily the decreasing amount of daylight and cooler temperatures. This phenomenon is called senescence, defined on Nature.com “as the process by which cells irreversibly stop dividing and enter a state of permanent growth arrest without undergoing cell death.”

The exact timing of when leaves start to change color can vary based on factors like geography, climate, and the wide range of tree species. In North America, for example, autumn colors often begin to appear in northern regions in late September or early October and gradually progress southward. In some regions, this process can extend into November and in the Catskills it can start in late August, as the temperatures flirt with nights dipping down to the 30-40 degrees mark. Yikes, where did summer go ?

According to Wikipedia, “in temperate climates, not only do latitudinal positions influence temperature changes, but sea currents, prevailing wind direction, continentality (how large a landmass is) and altitude also shape temperate climates.”

The scientific version of the display of brilliant colors of our leaves in the autumn is the result of the chemical chain reactions happening within the leaf itself. During the growing season, leaves produce chlorophyll, the pigment responsible for their green color. Chlorophyll plays a critical and crucial role in photosynthesis, the process by which plants convert sunlight into energy.

As we draw nearer our first Catskills snowfall and the thermometer dips, the production of chlorophyll slows down to a standstill.

As chlorophyll breaks down, other pigments that were present, but masked by the green chlorophyll, will come forward in this process and become more vibrant. These vibrant pigments include anthocyanins (red, blue, and purple colors), carotenoids (orange and yellow colors), along with the chlorophylls (green).

The changing of leaves’ colors coincides culturally with bringing in the harvest and the ceremonial ending of the agricultural season or year. This has led to the celebration of various harvest related festivals. These events often include local traditional rituals, delicious feasts, and communal observances and gatherings.

The vibrant and dynamic reversal of our Catskills autumn landscape, and others who experience this throughout time, have been associated with various aesthetics, folklore and symbols. The warm hues of red, orange, and yellow are often seen as symbols of change, transition, and the passage of time. Winter is coming and with the snowfall come the fun-loving snowboarders, snowshoe guild and legions of skiers.

Mother Nature’s artwork has inspired countless creative types such as artists, poets, and writers throughout history. They have been featured in numerous paintings, descriptive poems and literary work as symbols of natural breathtaking beauty, impermanence, and the cyclical nature of life.

In modern times we have given birth to a whole new devoted culture called “leaf peepers” who “oooh” and “aaah” at the multi colored beauty as if attending a Jack and Jill wedding shower. This wonder of nature is a powerful boost to tourism in the regions where the changing of the landscape brings along busloads of tourists who tote along their very thick wallets and purses, so very good for our local economy. We are happy to welcome them and appreciate their visits.

Throughout time, indigenous cultures have always had a rich tradition of stories and legends that explain various natural phenomena that have been passed down through their tribe for generations, including why the “Great Spirit” paints the trees that provide so much to these first nations indigenous communities. These stories vary across different tribes and regions, but they often reflect the deep connection between indigenous peoples and the natural world.

Just west of the Catskills, the Seneca people’s legend was that the changing colors of leaves are attributed to two different creatures of the woods, a bear and a squirrel. The bear and a squirrel lived together in a harmonious peace, sharing food and fun times together. As the summer moved toward winter and a chill filled the air, the bear prepared for hibernation, while the squirrel continued to gather his winter food of acorns and nuts.

The squirrel, concerned that his friend the bear would sleep through the majesty of fall, pleaded with the bear to stay awake and enjoy the waves of brilliant colors that would surround their existence. The bear, however, was determined to sleep and assured the squirrel that it would experience the beauty of the changing leaves when it awoke in the spring.

The squirrel, not wanting the bear to miss out, decided to gather leaves and weave them into a magnificent coat. The squirrel then placed the coat on the sleeping bear. When the bear woke up in the spring and saw the colorful coat, it was overwhelmed by the beauty of the leaves and was grateful to the squirrel for its thoughtful gesture. In this story, the bear’s long hibernation symbolizes the changing of the seasons, and the squirrel’s act of kindness results in the bear’s appreciation of the vibrant fall colors.

As the legend of the Ojibwe Tribe, or Chippewa based north of the Great Lakes, the changing colors of leaves in the fall are attributed to the “Creator” or “Great Spirit” and a story of competition between two clans of birds. Long ago, all the leaves on trees were a beautiful silver color. The Creator called upon these two clans of birds, the Bird Clan and the Waterfowl Clan, and challenged them to a race.

The Creator instructed these fine feathered creatures to fly mightily to the ends of the Earth and bring back the most beautiful colors they could find. The birds took flight and set out on their quest. The Bird Clan flew high and found vibrant red and orange hues, while the Waterfowl Clan dipped into lakes and rivers, bringing back shades of yellow and brown.

When the birds returned, the Creator was pleased with their efforts. He took the colorful feathers they had collected and gently brushed them against the silver leaves. The leaves absorbed the colors, transforming into the brilliant reds, oranges, yellows, and browns that we now see in the fall. This transformation was a gift from the Creator, a way to honor the birds’ dedication and add beauty to the world.

Among the Algonquin tribes, who inhabited vast stretches of North America spanning from Northeast to Wyoming, comes this captivating legend. The tale unfurled with the presence of once again a bear, this time a formidable, relentless menace. This bear ravaged their food, razed their abodes, frightened away game, and left even women and children injured.

The enormity of the bear precluded any one warrior from confronting it. Hence, the boldest and mightiest champions from various tribes united to hunt down and end the beast’s reign of terror. Upon sighting its pursuers, the bear quickly fled which began a long, drawn out chase, spanning several months, traversing vast and varied land masses. Throughout the pursuit, the warriors relentlessly fired arrows at the bear. Though they never did manage to capture it, they did occasionally land an arrow, striking its side. The wound, while not fatal, caused the bear to bleed and sent it into a frenzy of agony and fury. Needing an escape, the bear ascended into the heavens, reaching higher and getting away from its pursuers across the celestial heavens.

Legend has it that the bear remains in unending flight, constantly pursued by the warriors in an eternal orbit of the earth. As fall approaches, and the bear ascends the horizon, droplets of its blood descend onto the trees beneath, painting the leaves in shades of scarlet.

Regardless of your favorite legend or story, autumn is the most beautiful time of year to live in, or visit, our Catskill Mountains. So, enjoy the splendor of our vibrant trees on our mountains, ablaze in brilliant complexion, shade and tone. They are always breathtakingly magnificent this time of year.

Greg Madden is the Development Manager at Wellness Rx Pharmacy where he also practices ancient healing modalities like Tui-Na Medical Massage and BioPhoton Light Therapy.

More at www.IlluminatingWellness.care.

WellnessRx, Pharmacy for the Public Good is America’s first nonprofit Community Pharmacy and Wellness Center in Tannersville, NY (WellnessRxLLC.com) and in April in Phoenicia, NY (PharmacyforthePublicGood.org), both located on Main Street.