Introducing Fall Tree Watch 2010

I can think of maybe one thing I love about fall more than the return of regular TV programming, and that is the season itself. It's the least expensive form of entertainment you can get. The heat dials down and the most routine surroundings morph from day to day. The change inspires action. Hikers, bikers, walkers and plain old nature lovers can't get enough; they get out.

I grew up around wooded state parks, so I flock to the Morton Arboretum for a taste of home. Several times per week. The end of September has been particularly stormy and unreliable, and I found myself trapped in the center of the Schulenberg Prairie when a dark gray wall of clouds rolled in. In those couple of moments before the storm hit, its winds swooped weak leaves straight off the branches. They showered down in even waves.  And then it hit me: just a few days before the ground was almost bare.

Many people responding to a recent survey by the Lisle Park District said their busy schedules prevent them from participating in recreational opportunities. Could it be that they're also missing the natural ones? Am I?

At least one man is not. Ed Hedborn, Morton Arboretum manager of plant records, takes weekly stock of color changes each fall and spring, observing the oaks and maples—staples of northern Illinois—against ginkgos, spruces and prairie grasses. In autumn these leaves turn every color of the rainbow except blue (although some flowers do). He shares his observations online for visitors with a foliage-specific agenda.

Next month we'll shadow Hedborn through his route, and each week we'll let you know what spots he recommends. But I'm no scientist, and busy editors need hobbies. This year I decided I wanted to take the time to watch the transition on an almost daily basis and document it for those of you who can't. It turns out it's a simple process: point, shoot, upload images to computer, upload images to site, caption. See the little changes as they occur and a slideshow of the transition in bloom at the end of the season.

I began documenting the grounds in their summary state immediately after Labor Day. (The captions indicate which shots in this album have been taken since.) Changes have been apparent in the last week, and I will continue to post my observations from the Arboretum and around town.