Korea National Arboretum launches autumn foliage peak search service

The Korea National Arboretum, under the Korea Forest Service, has launched a new ‘Korean Peninsula Autumn Foliage Peak Search Service’ starting on the 29th. This digital tool allows users to enter a road name address or building name to find the predicted peak date for autumn foliage in specific locations, such as parks, mountains, or tourist attractions.

Peak foliage is defined as the point when 50% or more of the leaves have changed color. Unlike previous general prediction maps, this service provides localized data based on specific user queries. The predictions are built upon data collected through citizen science projects, including the ‘Autumn Foliage Song Project,’ where 829 citizens submitted over 12,000 photos of various plant species.

The Arboretum plans to continue accumulating citizen-contributed observation data to improve the accuracy of seasonal predictions and to analyze long-term changes in plant seasons caused by climate change. The service is accessible via the National Species Knowledge Information System on both mobile and web platforms.