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Bringing Colors to Life!

Virginia’s state parks have viewfinders that give people with color blindness the chance to enjoy autumn leaves.

A viewfinder with a lake and hills in the background.

Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation

All of Virginia’s state parks now have special viewfinders like this one.

What’s the best thing about autumn? For some people, it’s the way the leaves turn different shades of red, orange, and yellow. But watching the leaves change color just isn’t the same for people who are color-blind. That’s why all of Virginia’s state parks now have special viewfinders for people with red-green color blindness. 

What Is Red-Green Color Blindness?

Most people with color blindness can see colors, but they see them in a different way than others do. People with red-green color blindness do not see some shades of red, green, or both. The colors or shades they can’t see sometimes look like other colors.

A Park Ranger with Color Blindness

Ethan Howes has color blindness. Howes, chief ranger at Natural Tunnel State Park in Virginia, has never been able to see all the bright colors in the park. So when he heard that a company called SeeCoast made viewfinders with special lenses for people with color blindness, he decided to put one in Natural Tunnel.

Many parks have viewfinders. They magnify scenery, meaning they give people a more up-close view of nature. But the special viewfinder lenses, made by a company called EnChroma, also allow people with color blindness to see more colors. 

Howe remembers when a father and son who are both color-blind used the viewfinder at his park.

“They were just so giddy and excited about it,” Howes told Virginia Public Radio.

Fall foliage with many colors on the left and the same scene in muted tones on the right.

© Virginia State Parks, EnChroma; Courtesy of Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation

This photo shows what Lake Anna State Park looks like to a person who is color-blind when they look through the viewfinder (left) and when they don’t (right).

Viewfinders at Every Virginia State Park

Now that the viewfinders have been installed at all 43 of Virginia’s state parks, many visitors are getting a chance to enjoy fall colors for the first time. 

Melissa Baker is the director of Virginia State Parks. She had a chance to watch as a group of visitors with color blindness used one of the special viewfinders and looked at the brightly colored leaves.

“One of the gentlemen said, ‘Ya’ll see this all the time?’ It was really meaningful to be part of that. Being part of them seeing that richness of color for the first time,” Baker told Virginia Public Radio.

A stone cliffside covered in fall foliage that is colorful on the left and muted on the right.

© Megan Roark, EnChroma; Courtesy of Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation

This photo shows what Natural Tunnel State Park looks like to a person who is color-blind when they look through the viewfinder (left) and when they don’t (right).

Fun Fact Icon

Fun Fact

Scientists think squirrels’ brains might get bigger during autumn, when they need to hide nuts in places they’ll remember later.

A squirrel buries an acorn and tells another squirrel to remember where it is.

© Onyxprj/Dreamstime.com, © Arunee/stock.adobe.com; Photo illustration Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.

Long-Distance Travelers

 © BlackBoxGuild—Creatas Video+/Getty Images Plus

Monarch butterflies migrate in huge numbers!

Millions of monarch butterflies are just now completing a long migration south. They’ve flown from Canada and parts of the United States to Mexico and the California coast, where they’ll spend the winter months. When we say it’s a long migration, we mean it! Monarch butterflies travel up to 3,000 miles (4,800 kilometers) to reach their winter home.

Here is how far some species have been recorded traveling over the course of a year.

Mongolian gazelle — 2,100 miles (3,400 km)
Leatherback turtle — 10,000 miles (16,000 km)
Northern elephant seal — 12,000 miles (19,000 km)
Arctic tern — 27,000 miles (43,000 km)
Sooty shearwater — 40,000 miles (64,000 km)

It’s That Time of Year…

A row of trees shown in summer, spring, winter, and fall.

© Mihai Andritoiu/Dreamstime.com

These New Jersey trees undergo some big changes throughout the year!

Do you live in a location where you notice the changing of the seasons? You can find out what causes rising and falling temperatures, falling leaves, and other seasonal changes at Britannica!

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Word of the Day

vivid

Part of speech:

adjective

Definition:

: very bright in color

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