Fall is approaching, even though the high temperatures don’t always make it feel like the new season is here. Still, the calendar is clear: the equinox on September 22 is near, and with it comes the gradual shortening of the days—on average, we’ll lose 4 minutes of daylight each day until the winter solstice on December 21.

Nature, despite the challenges of climate change, follows its course toward dormancy, entering a phase of rest during which the landscape’s colors begin to shift. The sky fades from blue to gray, and the bright green of summer leaves slowly gives way to a palette of yellows, oranges, reds, and browns on the trees.