Fall Color Tour
Nature has begun to express its yearly transition into autumn--goldenrods and tansy continue to shower the landscape with a bit of sunshine as hyssops and black-eyed Susans droop downward with muted petals. The browning involucres of hazelnuts signal a ripened treat for squirrels, and humans readily venture to the forests in search of vibrant edible fungi. We are in the twilight of summer, and soon the Northwoods will fill with a different rainbow of color.
As much of the work of a curator requires that sunny days be spent behind museum walls, one might assume that an autumn work week would remain dull. However, there is a whole spectrum of colorful views to appreciate just within the Museum's collections. A tour of color is to be had each day at the Cable Natural History Museum and you don't have to take my word for it:
Red: Dainty pinks of rhodonite inspire its common name--"rhodos" translating from Greek as "rose colored." In contrast, a male northern flicker displays his fiery red nape.
Orange: The rusted orange of a Lactarius deliciosus painted by Lois Nestel accurately illustrates this well-known member of the Lactarius mushroom family. Meanwhile, the lively orange of a baltimore oriole's breast is a common sight at backyard feeders and can be found in a study skin drawer.
Yellow: From lemon-yellow tips of a cedar waxwing's tail feathers, to burnt gold swirls, shades of yellow grace the museum whether in the geology or bird taxidermy collection.
Green: While thousands of these primarily nocturnal relatives of crickets are best known for their mating calls, katydids should also be noted for their striking leafy green body. Also providing lush green to the collection room are various wool yarns dyed shades of green with the help of local lichens.
Blue: The deep blue of a catbird egg is perhaps only rivaled by the famously blue shell of a robin's egg, but deserves comparable recognition. Even deeper in shade is the plumage of the aptly named indigo bunting.
Violet: Spring azures flitter around drab forests, showering spring with bits of violet-blue before completing their life and retiring to the entomology cabinet. In the Museum's adjacent cabinet, geology specimens shine with comparably vivid colors.
If one must find him- or herself indoors on these beautifully brisk days leading into autumn, then it might as well be in a museum--where the colors of nature certainly remain long enough for all to enjoy.
To explore all of the Museum's collections from home, click here for our online database.