Page 28 - Georgia Forestry - Issue 4 - Fall 2023

FOX 5 (WAGA) TV’s Chief Meteorologist David Chandley leads Leaf Watch reporting, using images collected
from truck- and aircraft-mounted GoPro cameras to showcase the state’s exceptional show of fall leaf colors.
North Georgia, then wrote reports and shared them via a 1-800 number every Thursday. Each subsequent year, GFC took steps to broaden Leaf Watch’s reach, incorporating support from various media outlets and sister agencies.
Fox 5 (WAGA) TV’s Chief Meteorol- ogist David Chandley has been GFC’s primary television leaf reporter since the early 2000s. “My whole reason for getting into the media business was to be the messenger [to viewers] for this kind of information,” Chandley said. “Being the messenger for leaf information is a
whole lot easier than being the messen- ger for weather information! In all these years, I’ve never had one complaint.”
Retired GFC Public Relations Director Sharon Dolliver recalled the program’s somewhat humble beginnings: “We
used to call GFC’s district supervisors in North Georgia and get a basic update for the week,” she said. “We also collected information about notable species that were turning and any area festivals and the like. A script was written and then recorded on our automated 1-800 number for anyone who was interested.”
If You Tell Them,
They Will Come
Turns out, many people are interested in Georgia’s fall leaf changes! Area foresters frequently receive foliage questions, especially when they’re out and about during the autumn months.
If your forest science studies are a little hazy, remember that as the season changes from summer to fall, temperatures drop and days get shorter. Trees receive less direct sunlight, and the chlorophyll in the leaves breaks down. The lack of chlorophyll reveals yellow and orange pigments that were already in the leaves but were masked during the warmer months.
Retired GFC District Forester Ken Masten remembers his annual Leaf Watch role as one of his favorite respon- sibilities.
“I enjoyed taking different routes to get a look at the progression [of the leaves],” said Masten. “Starting out on the Richard Russell, then Brasstown Bald and Suches; Highway 60 between Dahlonega and Morganton, Hiawassee and Clayton were good spots. I could get up about 3,000 feet in my vehicle for a great overview.”
Masten said he often encountered out- of-state visitors who would see the GFC logo on his truck and flag him down for details about the leaves.
“There was a man from Florida visiting with his wife and daughter who’d never experienced leaf season,” he said. “They tried to pin me down on the exact dates the leaves would reach their peak. I said ‘Don’t put that on me!’”
While predicting “peak” is a time-hon- ored North Georgia tradition, foresters understand that many factors influence foliage change, peak color and leaf fall. An early frost has been known to jump- start a vibrant leaf season and rugged weather has been known to hasten its end.
“Some years ago, we’d say things start changing at the end of September,” Masten recalled. “Now there’s really no change until the second week in October, and the season stretches into November.”
26 | GEORGIA FORESTRY