The ISS-7 crew of the International Space Station enjoyed a bird’s-eye view of New England’s fall colors on a fine October morning. The fall foliage of Baxter Woods Park in Portland, Maine, shows the reds and browns of a mix of trees, including maple, old-growth white oaks, and hemlock. Nearby Evergreen Cemetery is highlighted by the brilliant red and yellow leaves of maple trees. Surrounded by the cityscape of Portland, the wooded cemetery is known for both historic headstones and wooded trails. In the spring, the woods are a refuge for migrating warblers traveling from South America to New England and Canada. As increasing numbers of wetlands and woods are lost to development, migrating birds are losing their rest stops along their migratory routes. Urban parks and green spaces—including cemeteries—can become important oases for migratory birds.
References & Resources
Astronaut photograph ISS007-E-17772 was taken October 20, 2003, with a Kodak DCS760 digital camera equipped with an 800 millimeter lens. Image provided by Cynthia A. Evans, Lockheed Martin / Earth Observations Laboratory, Johnson Space Center. The International Space Station Program supports the laboratory to help astronauts take pictures of Earth that will be of the greatest value to scientists and the public, and to make those images freely available on the Internet. Additional images taken by astronauts and cosmonauts can be viewed at the NASA/JSC Gateway to Astronaut Photography of Earth.
