Do you ever wonder about the leaves?

 As the leaves start to change and the cold air creeps into our bones, sometimes new questions come up about the world around us. Why do the seasons change? Where does the wind come from? And one of the greatest contemplations of all time... why do the leaves change colors?

To answer that, let's start at the beginning. There are two categories of trees, coniferous and deciduous. Deciduous trees are easy to spot this time of year because they are the trees that shed their colorful leaves. Individual cells make up what we perceive as a leaf. Cells can be thought of as drops of water in the ocean. Each individual drop of water comes together to form what we perceive as the ocean, just like cells making up a leaf! There is a special pigment in every cell of a leaf, called chlorophyll, that give leaves their green color. Chlorophyll helps the cell transform energy from the sun into another form of energy called sugar. When there is less available sunlight, chlorophyll begins to break down allowing the other pigments, like yellow, orange, and red, to show in the leaves. This is why we have colorful leaves in the fall! During the late fall and winter season trees go into a dormant phase that could be thought of as hibernation. They do not create sugars, uptake nutrients or carbon dioxide, and do not produce oxygen.

Each leaf has useful nutrients like carbon and nitrogen. These nutrients break down into the soil creating the perfect bed for new plants to grow in the spring. That is why composting leaves is so important to enrich our soil, which is currently in dire need of rejuvenation. Imagine the lush garden you can create from all those nutrients! If gardens aren't your thing or you find yourself swimming in excess leaves, there are many resources for Clark County residents, like a free leaf coupon for drop off, composting sites, and yard debris and organics carts with Waste Connections. Disposing of leaves responsibly keeps leaf-blocked drains from flooding our roads and much more. Composting is the best way we can conserve and keep these abundant natural resources local.