Nature Essay

Courtney Koplyay

Texts and Treks

Daniel Williams

12/10/19

The Changing Leaves: An Extension of Thought

            Moving across the country to a state with a completely different climate has given me a new-found appreciation for nature and how location can impact one’s perception of the environment. I was born in Texas, but my family moved to Colorado when I was seven. Despite not being born there, I consider my home town to be Fort Collins, Colorado, because this is where I did most of my growing up. Throughout my twelve years in Colorado, my parents often talked about moving back to Texas because it’s where they felt most at home. During my freshman year at TCU, I received a phone call from my parents informing me that they were finally able to pursue their dream of moving to Austin, Texas. I was so happy for them! That following summer, I didn’t go home to Colorado, I went “home” to Austin. I love Fort Worth and I love Austin, but I will always miss living in Colorado. I missed the changing of the seasons and how connected I felt with nature during those times. Most of all, I missed fall. By examining the differences in the fall season, the weather, and my relationship with nature in both Colorado and Texas, I discovered that such differences completely changed my perspective of nature and my natural surroundings.

 Fall in Colorado is truly breathtaking. There is nothing quite like being immersed in a sea of aspen trees, completely surrounded by leaves of vibrant colors. If you know Colorado, you know that fall happens during a small window—a window in which the weather is pleasant during the day and chilly only when the sun goes down. During this window, the green of the aspen trees transitions to yellow and almost begins to turn red before the first October snow hits. At higher elevations, the trees change much earlier than they do in the Front Range where I lived. In the mountains, the leaves flash bright yellow and only briefly turn red before falling to the ground. Every year the snow and freezing temperatures reach the trees before they get a chance to reach their true color potential.  It comes in heavy and chokes the premature leaves, causing them to fall before they complete the transition from a state of vibrant life to a state of almost death. The evergreen pines did just fine with the snow. They are built to sustain a large variance in temperature and keep their needles year-round. The aspen trees seem so much more delicate than the evergreens, yet they are able to survive the harsh winters and return the following spring with a new burst of green leaves.

I vividly remember driving home from school each day and examining the mini aspen grove located in our front yard. Each day in the fall, the leaves would get lighter and lighter until all the green had faded. I wondered why this happened but always assumed it was just the way things were. Diane Ackerman explained that, “The tree begins pulling nutrients back into its trunk and roots, pares down, and gradually chokes off its leaves…undernourished, the leaves stop producing the pigment chlorophyll, and photosynthesis ceases” (Ackerman 890). This is amazing—it’s a survival mechanism! The tree can no longer nourish itself, so it does the only thing it can and sacrifices its own leaves. To the tree, this process consists of sacrificing half of itself to allow the more vital half to survive. To us, this process is a thing of beauty. Talk about perspective! Ackerman opened my eyes to the idea that trees- and their leaves- can be an indicator of the surrounding nature. Each type of tree loses its leaves differently, meaning that depending on the climate and foliage in your location, the fall season can look completely different. Various locations can alter one’s experience of the autumnal season, which can also alter their view of the surrounding nature.

In Texas, the leaves on the trees do not flash a brilliant yellow and quickly transition to red like they do in Colorado- they remain green, hanging on to life as long as they possibly can. Although the calendar tells us that it should feel like fall, some of the trees don’t know the difference. To the trees, it still feels like summer. As the weather cools off, the leaves slowly but surely began to change. The leaves on some trees instantly turn a bright red-orange while others turn an unappealing brown color, eventually leaving the trees and falling to the ground. The live oak trees surrounding campus don’t even lose their leaves- Texas’s version of an evergreen. The trees are still receiving sufficient nutrients throughout the late fall and don’t need to drop their leaves in order to survive. There is a maple tree located near my house that remained green until late November and then suddenly transitioned into a bright red display. I would drive home from class every day, see the tree, and think how beautiful it was. This reminded me of my drive home from high school in Colorado when I would marvel at the aspens in my front yard. Although I was in two different locations comparing two different trees, I was still experiencing the awe that comes with the natural phenomena of leaves changing color. It’s easy to assume that everyone experiences fall and the changing leaves in the same way; however, that is simply not the case. I have experienced the seasons in two entirely different places, each location bringing on different and separate feelings about my natural surroundings.  

In Colorado, the transition into fall is quick- it’s necessary to pay close attention in order to fully experience the changing leaves. Sometimes it felt that if I blinked or closed my eyes for a brief moment, I’d miss it! Fall in Colorado left me yearning for more- more color, more trees, more time. In Texas, the transition from summer to fall is much subtler and occurs at a slower pace. Here, I have to play a waiting game: waiting for the cold, waiting for change, waiting for time to speed up so I can finally experience the beautiful colors. Eventually, I find my mind slipping, and the leaves and trees are no longer at the forefront of my thoughts. The initial burning question as to when fall could possibly arrive fades away. As time goes on, I realize that the question is no longer “when?” but “where?”. Where did fall go?

Comparing nature in Colorado and Texas from fall’s perspective showed me how aware I was of my surroundings while living in Colorado and how oblivious I am while living in Texas. In Colorado, I could walk outside and know which season it was. By simply feeling the temperature or looking at my surroundings, I could distinguish the difference between summer, fall, winter, or spring. Winters are by far the longest season, and although spring and fall seasons are brief, all four seasons are present. Experiencing all four seasons in one location makes the year, and that location, feel special. It feels more complete to have a hot and sunny summer, a cool and colorful fall, a dark and snowy winter, and a wet and flower-filled spring all in one place. This is definitely not the case in Texas. Typically, it’s unnecessary to check the weather in order to determine if you will need a jacket or if a simple t-shirt would suffice. In the middle of November, the temperature outside is often still in the 80s; a simple t-shirt it is! Living in Texas pushed me to become more complacent with nature, rather than connected to it. Although I feel less connected, I love that the nicer weather permits more outdoor activities year-round. 80-degree days throughout the fall and 65-degree days in the winter allow me to enjoy nature for more months out of the year. This class has encouraged me to continue to take advantage of the outdoor activities that the warm weather permits. One of my favorite things to do on a warm day in the middle of December is go for a run outside. I could’ve never done that in Colorado (unless I wanted to freeze). Weather dictates my thoughts of nature while also influencing the perception of my relationship with it. I am not a fan of the freezing weather in Colorado, so I tend to associate negative thoughts with nature during the winter. However, when the weather is beautiful during the summer and fall months, I have a positive outlook on nature and love the idea of spending time outside enjoying the weather.  

Dr. Gooding came to our Text and Treks class towards the beginning of the semester and mentioned living in Flagstaff, Arizona prior to moving to Texas. He discussed how in tune he was with his surroundings in this smaller mountain town compared to when he lived in bigger cities in Arizona and Texas. Fort Collins is a small town located just east of the Rocky Mountains and while living here, I felt more connected to my surroundings than I currently do in Texas. Finding your way in the city is easy because the mountains were always located to the west. This gave me a much better sense of cardinal directions and made navigating the city simple. In Fort Worth, Austin, and other places in Texas, I find myself always using my iPhone’s map to navigate to new locations. I tend not to pay attention to my surroundings and am forced to rely on navigation apps to get from point A to point B, which disconnects me from the natural environment. The makeup of your physical surroundings has a large impact on your perception and awareness of your surroundings. Dr. Gooding also expressed how he felt more connected to his environment when he lived in closer proximity to nature. In Fort Collins, I could see the mountains from anywhere. I lived 20 minutes from the closest hike and only an hour from the closest mountain town destination. I could drive to a ski resort in two hours and the closest National Forrest is only about an hour away. In Texas, if I want to get out of the city and feel more secluded in nature, it typically takes a longer drive or more extensive research to find a nice location. Austin has a number of larger parks and reservoirs that are a great way to experience nature. However, this type of nature is manmade and doesn’t quite feel the same. Fort Worth has the Trinity River and all of its corresponding lakes. These areas are beautiful and a great place for recreational activity. The Fort Worth Nature Center is also an amazing piece of land full of trails and various wildlife. It is so accessible to Fort Worth, yet not many people know about it. Prior to taking this class, I had no idea that there was even a nature center in Fort Worth.

After moving from Colorado to Texas, I could feel myself disconnecting from my surroundings, but couldn’t figure out exactly why. This class helped open my eyes to the possibilities of nature and encouraged me to look closer at the nature around me. During this last fall season, I took the time to observe my surroundings, and contemplate/question my own relationship with nature. Fall is my favorite season and by comparing the season in Colorado and Texas, I was able to pin down why I was feeling so disconnected following my move to Texas. This class helped me to simplify my definition of nature, which allows me to better appreciate the small details: the plant that sits on my window sill, the Trinity River that runs underneath the highway, or the changing color of the leaves on all the trees. I have developed a greater appreciation of all things involving nature, which has vastly improved my overall relationship with my environment. I hope to continue to improve this relationship as I explore more of my local surroundings. This class has encouraged me to choose the “outdoor option” if ever possible. Instead of running inside on the treadmill, I will go for a run outside. Rather than driving somewhere for a short distance, I will make the decision to walk. Connection occurs in the simple acts and the simple decisions to experience nature. If I ever begin to feel disconnected again, I now know that even looking at the color of the leaves on the trees can remind me of the simplicity and beauty that is present in all natural things.

Works Cited

Elder, John, and Robert Finch. The Norton Book of Nature Writing. Norton, 2007.