utumn is often perceived as the season of death, deterioration and decay, but I rarely feel closer to nature than when walking through woodlands in early October. With fewer leaves on the trees, sunlight pours into the heart of the woods and casts the world into golden shadow. The vibrancy of summer might have faded, but this is a season of rejuvenation. Shining fruits, berries and rose hips ripen in the sun and clusters of wild nuts emerge, all full of the vitamins and energy that have sustained birds, mammals and humans over thousands of winters since the last Ice Age. Foraging is one of the best ways we can connect with our wild and primitive selves and autumn is an excellent season to start as
