{"id":863,"date":"2012-09-20T08:29:29","date_gmt":"2012-09-20T12:29:29","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.massaudubon.org\/blogs\/yourgreatoutdoors\/?p=863"},"modified":"2013-12-17T15:29:25","modified_gmt":"2013-12-17T20:29:25","slug":"five-great-things-about-fall","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/five-great-things-about-fall\/","title":{"rendered":"Five Great Things About Fall"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a>The air in Massachusetts is feeling crisp, and the leaves are beginning to turn, just in time for the autumnal equinox (when the day and night are of equal length), which falls on Saturday, September 22 this year.\u00a0I love the first cool breeze, always eager to wrap myself in a cozy sweater, sip a hot cup of tea with honey, and wander through the woods.<\/p>\n

Then again, what’s not to love about autumn? With so many\u00a0incredible things taking place in nature, I savor every day before the first snow.\u00a0Here are just a few things to look forward to.<\/p>\n

1.<\/strong> Topping my list of fall favorites is New England\u2019s famous foliage,<\/strong>\u00a0a painter\u2019s palette of lingering green, bursts of yellow, red, purple, orange, and deep brown. From the peak of a hill or a mountain, looking out at an expanse of color is a stunning reminder of just how amazing nature is.\u00a0Mass Audubon is offering some especially fun canoe trips<\/a> throughout the season, a great way to see the color change.<\/p>\n

2.<\/strong> Some of the most delicious vegetables and fruits are ready for\u00a0harvesting<\/strong> in autumn including apples. Many orchards offer pick-your-own, which is a wonderful way to spend an afternoon outdoors with friends, family, or simply with the quiet calm of nature. Other autumn crops are pumpkins, corn, and root vegetables such as carrots, beets, potatoes, and turnips. Grab a cup of hot apple cider, and head to your nearest farm or wildlife sanctuary, carve a pumpkin (Moose Hill<\/a> and Oak Knoll<\/a> sanctuaries are hosting pumpkin carving activities!), and\u00a0pick-your-own pumpkins<\/a>\u00a0or potatoes<\/a>!<\/p>\n

3.\u00a0<\/strong>We\u2019re not the only ones enjoying a fantastic harvest this year. We\u2019re seeing an abundant acorn crop<\/strong>, which means that chipmunks, mice, rabbits, and squirrels are busy harvesting as many acorns as possible before the winter. If the little guys are well fed, the winter will be a good season for predators such as owls, red-tailed hawks, foxes, and coyotes, too<\/p>\n

4.<\/strong> Some of the best creature-watching<\/strong> takes place in the fall, especially as the trees shed their leaves. One of my favorite fall migrants is the common nighthawk<\/a>. Not actually a hawk at all, the nighthawk\u00a0can be seen migrating in flocks at dawn and dusk, typically through the beginning of October. Look to the sky just after sunset and you may see some flying overhead (hint: they\u2019re shaped like bats earning them the nickname bull-bat). September and October are also great times to observe monarch butterfly migration, as these milkweed butterflies head south to Mexico. Throughout the season, you can enjoy great bird-watching<\/a> as many different species pass through.<\/p>\n

5.<\/strong> Finally, the clear night sky<\/strong> is best in autumn. On September 29, Uranus will be at opposition, meaning that the planet will be at its closest to the Earth, with its face fully illuminated by the sun. It will appear as a beautiful blue-green dot. Don\u2019t forget to look out for the harvest moon, which is the first full moon of the season, on September 30. On October 20\u00a0and 21, we can look forward to the Orionids meteor shower, producing an average of 20 meteors per hour at its peak. Join a program<\/a> and turn an eye to the sky this autumn!<\/p>\n

What\u2019s your favorite thing about fall? Tell us in the comments.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Photo \u00a9 Debbie Stone Text\u00a0by Emma Evans<\/em><\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The air in Massachusetts is feeling crisp, and the leaves are beginning to turn, just in time for the autumnal equinox (when the day and night are of equal length), which falls on Saturday, September 22 this year.\u00a0I love the first cool breeze, always eager to wrap myself in a cozy sweater, sip a hot […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":false,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[8],"tags":[22,36,46,50,67,97],"class_list":["post-863","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-get-outdoors","tag-autumn","tag-canoe","tag-fall","tag-foliage","tag-migration","tag-stars"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p3t87A-dV","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":14728,"url":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/take-5-fall-through-the-looking-glass\/","url_meta":{"origin":863,"position":0},"title":"Take 5: Fall Through the Looking Glass","author":"Ryan D.","date":"October 5, 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"After a cool, wet spring and a hot, dry summer (ideal conditions for spectacular fall foliage), nature is coming alive with reds, oranges, and yellows as plants gradually cease photosynthesis, lose their green-colored chlorophyll, and enter a dormant phase for the winter. Many folks, it seems, have noticed that this\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Take 5"","block_context":{"text":"Take 5","link":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/category\/take-5\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Reflections of Fall at Harold Parker Forest in Andover, MA \u00a9 Paul Mozell","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2020\/10\/1822Paul_Mozell24868.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2020\/10\/1822Paul_Mozell24868.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2020\/10\/1822Paul_Mozell24868.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2020\/10\/1822Paul_Mozell24868.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":11729,"url":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/a-guide-to-fall-foliage\/","url_meta":{"origin":863,"position":1},"title":"A Guide to Fall Foliage","author":"Hillary T.","date":"October 16, 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"All across Massachusetts, the landscape is lighting up with the brilliant colors of fall.\u00a0Get the most of the season from great fall hikes to photography tips. Top 10 Fall Foliage Hikes The diversity of plant species across Mass Audubon\u2019s wildlife sanctuaries means you can experience the radiance of fall foliage\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Get Outdoors"","block_context":{"text":"Get Outdoors","link":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/category\/get-outdoors\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2018\/10\/foliage_750.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2018\/10\/foliage_750.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2018\/10\/foliage_750.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2018\/10\/foliage_750.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":11720,"url":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/take-5-fall-color\/","url_meta":{"origin":863,"position":2},"title":"Take 5: Fall Color","author":"Ryan D.","date":"October 8, 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"All across Massachusetts, the landscape is lighting up with the brilliant colors of fall foliage. Accordingly, we are sharing five photos of stunning autumnal color from past entries to our Picture This: Your Great Outdoors photo contest. The 2018 photo contest is now closed, but stay tuned for updates as\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Take 5"","block_context":{"text":"Take 5","link":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/category\/take-5\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"\u00a9 Ken Conway","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2018\/10\/961Ken_Conway16415.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2018\/10\/961Ken_Conway16415.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2018\/10\/961Ken_Conway16415.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2018\/10\/961Ken_Conway16415.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":989,"url":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/the-science-behind-foliage\/","url_meta":{"origin":863,"position":3},"title":"The Science Behind Foliage","author":"Mass Audubon","date":"October 11, 2012","format":false,"excerpt":"By now, we're well into foliage season, and many of us have likely done some leaf peeping, as it is shaping up to be a year of spectacular colors (see Foliage Forecast below for why). When you\u2019re checking out nature\u2019s painterly display, do you ever wonder why the leaves change\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Nature Notes"","block_context":{"text":"Nature Notes","link":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/category\/nature-notes\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2012\/10\/NicoleLemay.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":4152,"url":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/the-timing-of-fall-foliage\/","url_meta":{"origin":863,"position":4},"title":"The Timing of Fall Foliage","author":"Rosemary","date":"October 8, 2014","format":false,"excerpt":"Have you ever noticed that the progression of fall foliage follows a natural schedule? Certain plants become colorful early in the season, and others take their time. Here\u2019s a quick viewer\u2019s guide to autumn color changes. Early Color Early foliage changes can happen as early as mid-to-late September. The red\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Nature Notes"","block_context":{"text":"Nature Notes","link":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/category\/nature-notes\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2014\/10\/488DebbieStone1564.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2014\/10\/488DebbieStone1564.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2014\/10\/488DebbieStone1564.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":17204,"url":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/fall-fun-at-mass-audubon\/","url_meta":{"origin":863,"position":5},"title":"Fall Fun at Mass Audubon","author":"Lucy T.","date":"October 12, 2022","format":false,"excerpt":"Fall is in full swing, and Mass Audubon wildlife sanctuaries across the state are hosting a variety of fun programs for people of all ages to get outside and experience all the sights and sounds of fall. From fall foliage-themed hikes to spooky Halloween night walks, there are numerous ways\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Get Outdoors"","block_context":{"text":"Get Outdoors","link":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/category\/get-outdoors\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2022\/10\/10.14.20-4191-750x500-a0623e68-2beb-442b-80b2-1d46430e482a.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2022\/10\/10.14.20-4191-750x500-a0623e68-2beb-442b-80b2-1d46430e482a.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2022\/10\/10.14.20-4191-750x500-a0623e68-2beb-442b-80b2-1d46430e482a.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2022\/10\/10.14.20-4191-750x500-a0623e68-2beb-442b-80b2-1d46430e482a.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/863","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=863"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/863\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3066,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/863\/revisions\/3066"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=863"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=863"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=863"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}