Dr. Neil Hair

If you thought the Chief Information Officer had it easy looking after all that precious information in your company I've news for you. There's a new kid in town. The job of the century has to be – wait for it – Chief Leaf Spotter. Now, I had previously thought that the Brits took the issue of weather very seriously. It is in our genes after all and some say we are born pondering the predicament of rain, sunshine or mixed bags of partial cloud cover. Not now so. It appears that America once again does things just a little bit better. The Department of Economic Development employ Leaf Spotters to identify when the leaves change colour and thus the seasons change…

I can hear the stunned silence. So, a little digging and the statistics are startling and very worrying. On the 19th September it was reported that as much as 20% of the local leaves of the Greater Niagara region were a dull yellow with orange highlights. Letchworth Park and the Finger Lakes have up to 15% change with yellow and reds in the next few weeks. Startling news for a region that relies so heavily on the summer for warm feelings, long summer drinks, and Samsung Air Conditioning units. Even the Catskills will see up to 25% change with a lot of red and gold highlights so there is it seems no escape from seasonal change.

One has to wonder what training a Leaf Spotter must endure, what salary or hourly rate they are paid, and how gruelling the final exams for professional certification must be.