The Science Behind Kansas City's Brilliant Autumn

KCUR | By Susan B. Wilson

Published November 3, 2009 at 2:49 PM CST

Fall foliage scene at Kansas City cemetary

http://stream.publicbroadcasting.net/production/mp3/kcur/local-kcur-868757.mp3

Kansas City, MO – In case you haven't noticed, the leaves around Kansas City seem to be especially vibrant this year. Trees are ablaze in brilliant red, gold and orange. But are the trees especially colorful this year? To get some answers, KCUR's Susan Wilson stopped by the Linda Hall Library to consult with groundskeeper Scott Reiter about the science behind this year's fall foliage.

This story was produced for KC Currents. To listen on your own schedule, subscribe to the KC Currents Podcast.

Community

Susan B. Wilson

A native of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Susan admits that her “first love” was radio, being an avid listener since childhood. However, she spent much of her career in mental health, healthcare administration, and sports psychology (Susan holds a PhD in clinical psychology from the University of Pittsburgh in Pittsburgh Pennsylvania and an MBA from the Bloch School of Business at UMKC.) In the meantime, Wilson satisfied her journalistic cravings by doing public speaking, providing “expert” interviews for local television, and being a guest commentator/contributor to KPRS’s morning drive time show and the teen talk show “Generation Rap.”

See stories by Susan B. Wilson

Support paywall-free journalism

KCUR prides ourselves on bringing local journalism to the public without a paywall — ever.

Our reporting will always be free for you to read. But it's not free to produce.

As a nonprofit, we rely on your donations to keep operating and trying new things. If you value our work, consider becoming a member.

Donate Now