WOODBURY — If you’re asking yourself if this October seems more vibrant this year, you’re not the only one.

“I think the trees are really pretty this year,¨ said Lily McDonald, a Nonnewaug senior. “I feel like last year they didn’t last as long and not as bright and red. It makes me happy driving home from work and seeing the pretty trees.”

New England is known for the beautiful foliage that makes it an ideal spot for people to come visit. People all over the world are astonished by New England’s grand colors, which make visitors wonder if the foliage is actually appreciated by newer generations.

“I know I appreciate the colors,¨ said Jillian Brown, a Nonnewaug senior. “I think people who live around here don’t appreciate it as much as people who grew up with a more tropical fall season.”

With many taken aback by the beauty, others are left stumped by how our trees can produce such a beautiful array of colors.

“We live in a very beautiful area, and New England’s natural beauty is something that should be preserved for generations to come,” Brown said. 

“The colors this year are definitely more vibrant. I know that color usually comes in a little after Columbus Day,” said Maria Eggers, a NHS junior and agriscience student.  “Last year we had bad weather with the drought that affected the [turning] of the leaves a lot, and the nutrients they receive affects the colors.”

Eggers said abundant rainfall deserves credit for this year’s leaves.

“This year you’re seeing a lot more red and yellow because of our water, and because of our sunlight,¨ Eggers adds. ¨Connecticut absolutely has some of the more unique trees. New England overall, we have a lot of diversity in our trees; we have our oaks, ashes, and sugar maples. It’s definitely worth traveling here.”

Leaves also turn, and eventually fall, because of the declining sunlight later in the season.

“I do know that they change colors based on the day length getting shorter and the chlorophyll dying off,” Tom DiMarco, NHS landscaping instructor. “I would say that in my opinion, the peak fall foliage was most likely this past week.”

According to NBC Connecticut, Sarah Lawson, an assistant professor of biology at Quinnipiac University, reports that there’s a particular science behind this year’s vibrant colors.

“It has to do with how they’re moving the sugars out of the leaves of their veins, so if it’s too wet, they will move them too quickly and then the leaves will die, so it has to do with the water pressure,” Lawson said.

Having a wide variety of at least 58 tree species recorded as of 2017, Connecticut is one of the few states in the northern United States that has such a vast variety of different colors and tree species. 

Nonnewaug gives the unique opportunity to students to experience a storybook autumn. With Woodbury’s small, old-town feel and the many hiking trails throughout the town, it is almost impossible to miss out on these sights and experiences. 

“When I’m fishing, I love looking around at the trees in nature,” said NHS senior Mason Pieger. “I’d be devastated if Connecticut didn’t have the forests it has now.”