Autumnwatch

Hot on the heels of Springwatch, is Autumnwatch (I wonder what happened to Summerwatch?). Join thousands of other people and record six signs of Autumn:

• First ripe blackberry
• First ripe conker
• Last swift
• First flowering of ivy
• First ripe hawthorn berry
• First tint of oak

For more details, visit the site.

Recording times of the year when natural phenomena occur is known as phenology. Phenologists have been recording spring and autumn events for the past three hundred years, but the information to be gained from phenology is more important than ever as scientists try to understand the effects of global warming. The Autumnwatch survey is being run by the BBC in partnership with the Woodland Trust and the UK Phenology Network.

Autumnwatch will almost certainly be accompanied by a TV Series, so look out for Bill, Kate, Simon and a whole host of others. I'll post the details here as soon as I have them.

caldini