Hi it’s Jenny from the Wild Bunch.
I have been reflecting on what felt like a long summer this year and celebrating the Autumn Equinox. I am making the transition from summer to autumn myself, thinking about nature’s cycles and movements. We can all experience this transition as we see the leaves changing colour, inhale the glorious autumnal aromas, colours, sights and sounds, feel the temperature dropping. As we adjust, nature and wildlife is adjusting too.
When we go outside, we may hear the birds singing as though it’s Spring. However, they are not looking for mates but setting up their winter territories and finding safe places to roost at night. As we replenish our stores, gather the abundance of apples this year has provided and harvest crops, the local birds and beasts are doing the same. Please consider leaving seedheads in your patches, gardens, allotments, as these are a natural source of food for birds and insects. Seedheads can look fabulous when covered in frost, too.
Birds, butterflies and insects are migrating at this time of year, and you may see different birds around or small flocks of newcomers. They will be looking for places of safety to rest and natural foods to replenish with before they continue their journey. Hedgehogs will be getting ready to hibernate, so please leave log piles and leaves for them to make their dens.
The amount of apple sharing that has been going around Frome is a lovely reflection of our community. The boxes of free fruit outside houses and ideas of what to do with this abundance shared too. Thank you to all those generous people that are sharing their apples. Some can be left on trees for birds, insects and squirrels to nibble at. As we share with each other, let’s share our spaces with the wildlife that has such a hard time: they can’t go to the shop to replenish their larder. If there is anything you can do to help keep Frome wild and a good place for wildlife, let us know – and do it. The Wild Bunch is a small group of folk trying to encourage wildlife in our natural spaces, gardens allotments etc and we are always open to ideas.
More details about Frome Wild Bunch is on the Frome Town Council website.
