“I think that I shall never see
…a poem lovely as a tree". It may not be good poetry (Columbia University's Philolexian Society has named its annual bad poetry contest after him), but I must say I agree with Joyce Kilmer's sentiment. Trees are wonderful and amazing. They can feed us and shelter us, and they provide us with materials – from wood to paper – that we use every day. To my mind there isn't much in nature that can rival a majestic tree – unless it's a forest full of them.
These are redwood trees in Muir Woods National Monument in California. It's one of my favourite places. I've hiked in forests from British Columbia to Nova Scotia, and in many other countries as well, and to my mind nothing matches the beauty of our hardwood forests in autumn.
So far this has been a perfect fall. The sunny days, the mild temperatures and the changing colours of the trees are all good reasons to enjoy the season outdoors.
It's not too late to plan a trip to see the fall colours. There are several planning tools available; try the Ontario Parks Fall Colour Report or the seasonal reports on the Ontario government's tourism site.
And we're fortunate to have great parks here in Toronto, so we can enjoy the colours without even leaving the city. Check out Parks, Forestry & Recreation's Discovery Walks; several of the routes pass through our forested ravines, where fall colours are on full display.
If you want to learn more about trees:
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For tree identification:
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3 thoughts on ““I think that I shall never see”
Trees are beautiful and fascinating phenomena during autumn season and especially down around Pennsylvania where the colours are diverse.
Hi Ann,
How do you find the colours this year? I’ve heard some concern that the higher temperatures and drier conditions associated climate change may be “dulling” the foliage colours, especially the red tones.
Hi Carolyn:
I noticed last week that some colours are coming out while some trees remained stubbornly green due to the warmer weather. I guess it also depends on the tree species but the colours, I agree, are not as bright this time. Maybe give it a couple more weeks.