Appreciate the changing colors on campus

Happy fall! The Climate Justice Club is beyond excited to continue co-writing the Environmental Column for The Record this academic school year. Since this weekend was the Autumnal Equinox, we wanted to dive into the most exciting part of fall at CSB+SJU: the leaves changing colors.

During the spring and summer, the leaves of deciduous trees are green because of the chlorophyll stored within their membranes. This chlorophyll is used by the trees during sunny months to convert solar energy into sugars for food. Once the days get shorter and colder, trees begin to receive less and less solar energy. This causes the chlorophyll within the leaves to break down, taking their green pigment with them. With the absence of the dominant chlorophyll pigment, the masked orange and yellow pigments that are within trees year-round can emerge. The deep reds that can be seen on some leaves are a result of trapped sugars going through a chemical change.

That answers the question of how leaves change color in the fall but leaves the question of why?

For trees, it is all about getting prepared for the harsh winter ahead. As soon as the weather changes, trees begin creating a protective seal on the connection between their branches and leaves. During this process, they also take in as many nutrients as possible from their leaves. Due to the decrease in temperature and solar energy uptake, leaves stand no chance against the winter months and would end up leaving the tree susceptible to harm if allowed to remain on their branches. Cutting off leaves from the nutrient circulation of the tree is what causes them to fall to the ground, leaving a bare branch behind. The tree itself is then better prepared to sustain itself throughout the colder months until it can release its buds in the springtime.

As with all things in nature, lessons can be learned from the changing of the seasons. If you can, take notes from the green giants surrounding us and take stock of the things going on in your life. Are there “leaves” in your life you should drop to improve your chances of getting through the semester? College culture can make it hard not to take on a million responsibilities at once, but it is important to remember that YOU come first, and it is priority number one to take care of yourself.