New York,
–
If you’re
looking for that perfect (and affordable!)
weekend getaway, you need look no further
than your own backyard – relatively
speaking. “One of the great beauties of the
Northeast is the change of colors in the
fall in
New York,” says
Bill Ulfelder, State Director of
The Nature Conservancy in New York
– a productive champion of nature’s
bounty, as well as sustainable, responsible
business and development throughout the
state for nearly 60 years. Mr. Ulfelder and
his family are taking a modest car trip
Upstate from their home in the city so they
can “enjoy the majesty and diversity of the Empire State’s forests,” he says. Information
regarding individual road trips, as well as
special foliage tours, can be found on
I
New
York, the state’s
official tourism site.
From north
to south, east to west, fall foliage in
New York is in
full bloom from the last two weeks of
September to the first week in November.
Specific areas reach their peak as
follows:
1)
New York
City
and
Long Island
– last 2 weeks of October / 1st
week of November.
2)
Hudson Valley
and Capital Springs
– 2nd and 3rd weeks of
October.
3)
The
Catskill and
Adirondack Mountains
– last 2 weeks of September.
4)
Central
Leatherstocking, the
Finger Lakes, and
Chautauqua-Allegheny
– 1st and 2nd weeks of
October.
5)
Greater
Niagara and
Thousand Islands
– 2nd and 3rd weeks of
October
As the
light and dark green leaves of summer change
into their autumnal best, the richness and
diversity of colors in New York are second
to none: the shimmering bronze of American
Beech; the bold orange/rust of American
Hornbeam and American Sycamore; the deep red
and burgundy of Flowering Dogwood and Red
Maple; the various gold tones of the
Bitternut Hickory, Black Walnut, Common
Hoptree, Common Hore Chestnut and Quaking
Aspen; and the blended earth-tones of the
Black Cherry and the Sassafras.
“In
addition to their year-round beauty, the
trees of
New York
provide people with clean air, shade, food,
lumber and paper – and for countless birds
and animals, they are shelter, home and
nourishment,” says Ulfelder. “Too few
people appreciate how big and beautiful
New York’s forests
are. They don’t realize that we have so
much in our backyard,” he says. “Taking a
few hours, or even a few days, to appreciate
their splendor during Fall Foliage season is
both a pleasure and a vital lesson in nature
for the whole family. It’s something that
shouldn’t be missed.”
For further
information on The Nature Conservancy in
New York and the diversity, ranges, and
hugely positive impact of their work, visit
their site at
www.nature.org/newyork