Jennifer leads groups of children, preschool to high school, on hikes of scenic trails around the Metro DC regionand in hands-on science activities. Jennifer is also a parent in Silver Spring, and her children Brighid and Vaughn are “…experienced hikers, accompaning their mommy on many hikes since they were two months old.”

Share her teachings about autumn leaves with your kids, and then sign up for the kids’ hike – details at the article’s end!

Autumn = Trees
By Jennifer Chambers of Hiking Along

Autumn. What does that word mean to you? Trees? I am sure you also think of apples, pumpkins, and cool, crisp air. For me, trees dominate the feeling of fall. They go through an amazing transformation; one many artists describe as a magnificent bouquet of scenic colors.

Just like all things in nature, trees have a cycle of life. The fall brings upon their preparation for winter, storing their sugar supplies made during the summer and hibernating for the winter to conserve energy for the arrival of spring blooms, whether flowers or leaves. When the sun position changes in the sky and the days get shorter, leaves lose their green pigment, chlorophyll (the photosynthetic agent), and the yellow, red, and orange pigments appear. The yellow and orange pigments are always there, just hiding beneath the green. The red is left over sugar in the leaf produced by the tree. Next time you are in your backyard or on the trail, pick up a beautiful leaf and appreciate their purposeful transformation.

Autumn is also the time predominated by trees releasing their seeds. This release is an important part of the cycle of life for the ecosystem: providing large quantities of food for most mammals and birds, tree regeneration in the forest, and egg host sites for insects. Seeds and nuts provide a source of protein for animals, allowing them to build up their fat reserves to survive through the winter, particularly in snow covered regions. The release of a tree seed is part of the its life cycle, growing new trees while old ones die. At a time when many acres of forested land are being developed, growing new trees is essential to the health of people and the planet. Through the respiration process, trees give off oxygen, essential for all humans, in addition they clean and filter pollutants from the air. However, let’s not forget the vital role trees provide to all plants and animals in the ecosystem. My son’s t-shirt simply states, how to save a tree: plant a tree, hug a tree, and repeat steps one and two over and over again.

How can you help trees? Growing Native, a Potomac Watershed Partnership program, is a regional project to plant and hug trees (well, not literally but love them, yes). Growing Native is an outreach and volunteer project to encourage adults and children to collect deciduous tree seeds and nuts to plant and reforest the banks of Potomac watershed streams. By reforesting stream banks, it will improve water quality by reducing sediment runoff and filtering pollutants. Please visit the Growing Native website to learn about collection opportunities in October, like one this Saturday from 10:00 am to 2:00 pm at Arlington National Cemetery.

To learn more about trees and participate in Hiking Along’s Growing Native collection drive, please join us on a

Why Are Trees Important Hike

Thursday, October 22, 2009

9:30 am to 12:00 pm

Scotts Run Nature Preserve, Great Falls, VA

Hike is $10 for children, siblings are half price and parents are free

This is a great hike for preschoolers. Please contact Jennifer Chambers at jennifer@hikingalong.com to sign-up or for more information on the hike.