By: Sidney Rayba
"We as a community need to make bigger changes, not only for our great-state but for the great future that can come out of it." - Mrs. Kerry Brown
Rochester community using the Paint Creek Trail on October 27, 2021. A pristine place for autumn foliage watching is now lacking in color. (photo, Sidney Rayba)
October 2021 photos of Traverse City, Michigan provided by Mrs. Kerry Brown. Traverse city is a prime spot to watch autumn foliage, this year the drive was green.
Photo provided by Mrs. Kerry Brown, October 2015 foliage on Traverse City's M-22 highway.
Oakland University as of October 19, 2021. A university that shares it's autumn colors every year now supports two changing trees and warmer weather.
Sparse color change at Meadowbrook Hall on Oakland University's campus. Following colder weather and significant rain, the autumn foliage do not have the means to change color.
Royal Park Hotel in Rochester, Michigan on October 25, 2021. Royal Park Hotel features courtyard typically filled with autumn colors, this year however, is lush and green. (Photo courtesy of Sidney Rayba, worker at Royal Park Hotel).
Paint Creek Trail in Rochester, Michigan as of October 14, 2021. Hot and humid autumn days have changed the natural cycle of the changing trees. (photo: Sidney Rayba).
Family walking the Stoney Creek Metro Park trail on October 25, 2021. Trees are sparse due to excess rainfall, resulting in dead trees and green leaves. (Photo, Sidney Rayba)
Michigan is notorious for its Great Lakes, cherry pies, and its autumn foliage. The changing colors bring in tourists from all over the country to capture the true essence of Fall. Reds, yellows, oranges and greens have painted Michigan’s landscape for many seasons- the timing of the transitions change with each region throughout the state. The northern region tends to transition first, attracting tourists to Traverse City, Leelanau peninsula, and the porcupine mountains. By early October, northern Michigan experiences it’s peak color change, with the metro-Detroit area experiencing peak color change by the end of the month. However, global warming is confusing this natural timeline and is changing the course of how Michiganders will experience autumn in years to come.
The leaves change color due to loss of chlorophyll, the main component that turns sunlight into food for the tree. The two things that break down chlorophyll are loss of sunlight and cooling temperatures. October temperatures in North America have been warming up on a constant incline for the past 25 years, delaying the autumn colors Michiganders know and love.
Climate change has brought hazardous weather conditions to the state of Michigan including: droughts, floods, and excessive heat. This past spring, the state of Michigan experienced severe drought impacting the growth rate of produce and flora. Farmers have not been able to harvest their crops, and small businesses relying on fresh produce have suffered an economic downfall. Over the summer, Michigan experienced extreme flooding and rain, causing power-outages, highway shutdowns and business shutdowns for weeks. Michiganders have lost their homes to flooding, crops have not been able to grow at proper rates, and businesses have taken on financial hardships due to the inevitable closures across the state. As we transition into the fall season, Michiganders are experiencing warmer-than-average temperatures extending mid-70 degree days to the end of October.
So what is causing this phenomenon?
Global warming, or the gradual increase of the earth's temperature caused by a surplus of greenhouse gasses in the atmosphere are the main culprit. From old and failing infrastructure, underground storage pipelines, fracked gas and carbon capture, (all of which the Michigan government is investing in with a $24 million dollar budget) Michiganders are experiencing extreme weather conditions not native to the state. This is not only detrimental to the livelihood of the population but detrimental to the environment. With extreme weather conditions comes extreme changes in the Earth's natural cycle of the seasons, changing how the North-American population will experience seasons in years to come.
Kerry Brown is a frequent tourist to Michigans' fall foliage. The native Michigander looks forward to the changing leaves every year. “I’ve traveled to Traverse City for 15 years specifically to see the colors of the trees." Brown has traveled 5 hours north from her hometown to take the M-22 highway, as this very road has been in the running for “Best Scenic Autumn Drive” in the whole country on USA Today’s “10 Best” Awards.
"It was a family tradition you know," Brown states, "when you grow up with a small amount of money, getting in the car and enjoying the nature scene is what you did. Any way to get out of the city was a trip we looked forward to. Ive been taking these trips with my family since I was a little girl, the trees looked like magic to me.” Mrs. Brown has traveled all across Northern Michigan to experience the color change, the 55-year old has been to 10 different counties in her lifetime--each one more beautiful than the last.
“I've been checking the live camera to see when the colors are at their peak, and it’s been delayed year by year”, Brown states. Earth Cam offers a Fall Foliage live camera, for spectators to grasp the best times to visit Michigan to see the changing of the leaves.
"It's truly heartbreaking", Mrs. Brown states, "This is a tradition that is important to me, It's something I've wanted to do with my kids and grandkids. Now, the colors don't change until the end of October and by the time we make the drive it's already snowing!" Mrs. Brown is not opposed to the longer summers here in Michigan, but her worry for her children and grand children have began to rise.
“You know, I've never really thought twice about global warming, it’s just one of those things that you’ve heard about your whole life. I've been hearing it since 1980!” Brown states, “After this year we've had i'm becoming much more weary of the future my children and grandchildren will experience". After sitting down with Mrs. Brown and explaining the effects we have on our environment, she began to tear up. Most are not aware of the effects we have on our environment, and the topic can be quite overwhelming when explained in-depth. Mrs. Brown has explained that her new-found knowledge will be passed down to her children and those around her to create a better world for years to come.
"When you look at the bigger picture, it's not just about the leaves. Although it hurts my heart to be unable to share these experiences with my future grandchildren, it hurts my heart even more to know we are destroying the place we call home" Brown says with tears in her eyes.
"We as a community need to make bigger changes, not only for our great-state but for the great future that can come out of it."
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