It’s that time of year – the trees of the Southern Appalachians are ablaze with reds, golds as oranges

Nobody knows quite as much about the fall foliage season in Western North Carolina as Dr. Howard Neufeld, a biologist who recently retired from Appalachian State University. Thousands of followers track his updates on his website, fallcolorguy.org, hoping to find the best places to see autumn in action.

It’s not just an academic exercise. The fall foliage season is vitally important to the region’s economy, contributing more than $1 billion to local trail towns annually. We learned from Helene how devastating an off-year can be. When you support our mountain trail towns, you’re also showing that conserving these lands is important to you. So I encourage you to hike, paddle, get on a bike or get on a horse, but get out there!

Which is exactly what I did recently, with Neufeld as my guide.

This episode of the Southern Soundways podcast looks at urban soundscapes and how habitat restoration in cities can reduce noise pollution and benefit mental and physical health. Dr. Nils Peterson of N.C. State University discusses what he’s learned about how bird songs influence psychological well-being. Chelsea Phipps, Greensboro, NC's greenway and gardens program manager, takes us to the downtown greenway and shares how it connects the community. Finally, Guilford College’s legendary historian Max Carter explains Guilford Woods long ties to Greensboro history.