Carbondale welcomes falling leaves and colors changes

Frannie Heine bundled up tight in her red-hooded sweatshirt Wednesday, a cold but sunny autumn day in Carbondale.

Heine, a sophomore from Peoria studying workforce education, may look cold but says the cool weather is just right.

"I love the summer, but my hair works better in the cold, so I guess I also love fall," she said.

The autumn equinox, or first day of fall, occurs around Sept. 22 every year, but it is a day later this year, which is Saturday. Ryan Campbell, a graduate student from Bavatia studying plant biology, says he couldn't wait for this week's season change.

"After a long hot summer, autumn provides solitude," Campbell said. "It's nice to feel crisp air in the morning, see the leaves changing colors while blowing in the wind."

Color changing leaves will soon dominate Carbondale trees. During cold temperatures where there is not enough light or water for photosynthesis, trees begin to shut down their food making factories. That means the colors change.

Chlorophyll, the food creation that gives leaves their green color, disappears leaving only the bright colors that the strong chlorophyll once hid.

"When a leaf (dies), it looses its chlorophyll, and the second color seeps through after the change," Campbell said.

These crinkly colorful creations stir up quite a ruckus in states such as New Hampshire and Maine, where people who call themselves "leaf peepers" watch the leaves once they have turned color.

While "leaf peeping" and cold temperatures associated with autumn may not be as popular among students, they do seem to appreciate Carbondale's natural beauty.

"The leaves look awesome, and the air smells amazing," Heine said.