Davis

Being a student, my view of Davis centers around the UC Davis campus, but the entire town is a treasure trove just waiting to be explored. If you're not local to the area, I would highly recommend visiting Davis towards the start of December to catch some of the best autumn leaves or during the rainy season to find foliage covered in small droplets of water.

November 2019- Hutchinson Hall at Davis, California

Happy back to school to all my friends going back to (hopefully in-person) classes this fall!! Please stay safe and I hope you all can make the most of your return! Hearing everyone's excitement for the return has made me reminisce about my time at Davis pre-COVID.

I have so many fond memories of Hutchinson Hall. From making my first friends at Davis to countless classes and study sessions to having a poster with my team's work now hanging in the halls, Hutchison Hall was both a stable constant for me and a place of personal growth and change. I took this picture on a weekend walk across campus after a study session. Finding interesting angles among the ordinary paths and buildings is always a refreshing change of pace. I was drawn to the particular combination of warm lighting and autumn leaves and to the lines created by the sidewalk, bikelane, and building.

I loved the color and texture imbalance between the two trees framing the scene. The contrast between the dark needles on the left and warm leaves on the right added just the right amount of drama to make the picture feel real.

Many people may not know that Hutchinson Hall was originally the UC Davis Physics building. The roof of Hutchinson Hall is still home to the UC Davis observatory which is still in use for research purposes! The observatory was built in the 1960s and renovated in the 2000s.

Source: Davis Wiki

Autumn Leaves at University of California Davis, Davis, California - December 2018

On a sunny winter afternoon I took a stroll around the UC Davis campus. The campus, which was labeled "Tree Campus USA" many years in a row, is an excellent location to spot autumn colors. I was compelled to slow down and watch the soft winter sun setting behind the vibrant, joyous leaves. It was refreshing to take my time walking the campus, just taking in the cold, refreshing air.

The colors of leaves can vary greatly between years depending on weather conditions. Chlorophyll is a pigment which gives leaves their green color and assists in photosynthesis. During the winter and autumn months when photosynthesis slows down, this compound starts to break down. As the chlorophyll in the leaves decreases, the carotenoid pigmentation is revealed. Carotenoids are already present in the chlorophyll of the leaves and reveal themselves as colors like yellow, brown, and orange, as seen in these leaves.

Leaves can also produce anthocyanin under the right conditions. Anthocyanin is generally formed as a result of extra sugars in the leaves and bright light and result in vivid reds and purples. Cold (but above freezing) and sunny days will lead to the production of more anthocyanin and reddish leaves. A frosty, cloudy, and rainy season will cause lighter colors and fewer intense reds.

Sources: UC Davis & U.S. Forest Service & SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry & Harvard Forest

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