Change is in the air as the heartbeat of Nature slows down in preparation for dormancy and hibernation. This is my favourite season of all. With childlike awe, I take delight in the brilliantly white blanket of frost that makes an early morning appearance upon the world's exterior. My familiar landscapes are now well and truly dipped in rich Autumnal hues, and the trees are vigorously shedding their lifeless foliage. There is constant movement and transformation, everywhere I look.
One of the most brilliant Victorian poets, Elizabeth Barrett Browning clearly shared my love of the season. The first verse of 'The Autumn' written in 1833 reads:
Go, sit upon the lofty hill,
And turn your eyes around,
Where waving woods and waters wild
Do hymn an autumn sound.
The summer sun is faint on them —
The summer flowers depart —
Sit still — as all transform’d to stone,
Except your musing heart.
Perhaps the finest place in the southeast of England to enjoy the autumn scenery is the stunning South Downs National Park (England's newest and incidentally most populated national park). +Shawn Moore and I feel blessed to live within its boundaries. Since late October, I've been observing the changes in colour in the foliage of the surrounding woods, and studying the autumn leftovers of herbaceous weeds, wildflowers and grasses. My 'autumn/winter naturalist' alter ago is fully operational!
A few days ago, I ventured out for a casual stroll in West Wood, which consists of 54 hectares of ancient & semi-natural woodland and 161 hectares of plantation on ancient woodland sites. Over two thirds of existing trees within the site were planted between 1948-1968. Beech (
Fagus sylvatica) is the dominant broadleaf here, accounting for around half of the total forest cover - followed by fast-growing conifer species, e.g. Douglas fir, Corsican pine and western red cedar (18%). Despite its primary function as a working woodland (i.e. timber production), the site is sensitively managed to maintain and enhance biodiversity while catering for the recreational needs of the nearby town of Winchester.
Prior to my visit to West Wood, I set my expectations low, however to my enormous surprise, I found it to be a flourishing ecosystem model that works for people and nature. It felt good to be proven wrong!
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| The beech woodland canopy on its way to full autumnal glory |
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| Beech has a smooth, silver-grey bark, which can turn brown in the furrows |
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| A carpet of rusty brown beech leaves |
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| Beech nuts grow in small prickly cases called masts, and are an important source of food for all sorts of wildlife during the colder months of the year |
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| Sheep's-fescue (Festuca ovina agg.) |
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| Cock's-foot (Dactylis glomerata) |
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| Hogweed (Heracleum sphondylium) |
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| Hemp-agrimony (Eupatorium cannabinum) |
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| Clustered dock (Rumex conglomeratus) |
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| Rosebay willowherb (Chamerion angustifolium) |
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| Common figwort (Scrophularia nodosa) |
P.S.: Last winter, I blogged about some basic plant phenology to shed light on the internal processes that lead to all those familiar autumnal manifestations around you. So if you're curious and have some spare time on your hands, then grab a cup of tea and click over to "Find beauty in the deciduous winter wonderland".
If you enjoyed my writing style and content, please add me to your bookmarks. Please feedback in the comment box below, and if you'd like me to cover a certain topic, please get in touch. Happy Autumn, everyone!
