Chicago Botanic Garden Fall 2019

30 chicagobotanic.org Across the Preserves See it in the wild— vibrant fall colors Fall is a wonderful time to visit the Forest Preserves of Cook County. e days remain warm, while evenings bring cooler temperatures. roughout the Forest Preserves’ nearly 70,000 acres, leaves are changing colors and forest canopies will soon boast ery reds, vibrant oranges, and shimmering yellows. Just ten miles southwest of the Chicago Botanic Garden, River Trail Nature Center in Northbrook o ers a golden opportunity to see the display along the 28-mile Des Plaines Trail system. e site is known for its sugar maples, celebrated during the Nature Center’s annual Maple Syrup Festival in March. Fall is when the sugar maple comes alive. “At a certain point in the fall, when a lot of leaves remain on the trees but the ground is already covered with fallen leaves, you almost can’t tell which di- rection is up,” says Brian Winters, the deputy director of River Trail Nature Center. “You’re completely surrounded by a mosaic of yellows, reds, and greens. It’s beautiful.” e trails near the Nature Center also hold other stunning fall ora, includ- ing oak trees, which will present with a subtle purple-brown color, and the sea- son’s owering goldenrods, asters, and several species of sun owers. Other forest preserves also o er great fall color displays. Visit the Forest Preserves interactive web map at map.fpdcc.com to nd a nearby trail, or for free guided fall color walks, check out the Forest Preserves’ event calendar at fpdcc.com/events. Learn more fpdcc.com River Trail Nature Center Tell your fall color story Become a Budburst scientist and share observations of the autumn changes in the plants and trees in your neighborhood. Simply by adding your observations, you are contributing to plant knowledge and conservation. Learn more budburst.org