Foliologist

America’s first “foliologist,” Scotty Johnston, has announced predictions for the best color periods throughout the United States and Canada.

There are even resident foliologists who plot routes for these enthusiasts with some useful hints such as ‘don’t get out of your car to pat a moose’.

A retired clinician from New Jersey with a sparkling intellect in inverse proportion to her dress sense, she had researched the subject thoroughly and had fall guides, fall maps and fall weather charts. “I phoned a fall foliologist a couple of times to make sure I was on the right track,” she said. “You ever met a foliologist?”

Foliage is not an exact science, of course. Longtime expert Scotty Johnston, the official foliologist for Tauck Tours, where he ran foliage tours for 50 years until retiring last year, has some advice.