Maple canopy in a gradient transition along Westminster Woods Trail in Guelph, photographed during field visits for an environmental inventory. As days shorten, maples stop producing chlorophyll, revealing yellow carotenoids and building red anthocyanins. Recording the timing of these seasonal changes (phenology) across repeated visits helps track forest health and how urban woodlands respond to a warming climate. Small observations like this, logged consistently, build the long-term record that stewardship decisions depend on.
