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Even with the chilly air and diminishing daylight hours, a prominent conservation charity and a celebrated television wildlife presenter have joined forces to encourage more people to engage with the outdoors during the colder months.

New Program Aims to Boost Nature Connection

A new initiative titled “Wild Senses” is being introduced in conjunction with a recent TV program where the camera operator showcases the British yearly cycles and motivates viewers to notice, appreciate, and reconnect with nature around them.

This follows a recent survey suggests that many individuals feel detached from nature in darker, colder months. While the vast majority reported that time outdoors boosted their mental health, only one-third felt similarly engaged with nature throughout the year.

Enjoying Autumn’s Sensory Experiences

The expert shared that autumn is one of his favorite seasons, brimming with the visuals, sounds, and smells of nature. From birds arriving to overwinter in the UK to the taste of wild mushrooms, there is much to discover.

“In my view, autumn is the time to use all your senses,” he remarked. “Consider vision: the foliage hues are stunning. There’s the sight and sound of what I call the seasonal shift as the summer migrant birds depart to Africa and the winter thrushes and migratory geese arrive.”

He added, “If you know how, you can gather wild mushrooms. And the deer mating season is taking place right now. Wake up, go to the middle of a green space, sit yourself down, and just hear those stags roaring. There is a wealth that people can listen to, feel, sense, perceive, see. Autumn is probably the best month for it.”

Nature is Everywhere

One of the central themes from the presenter’s show is that wildlife is everywhere – in cities as well as the wilds.

“For example, you have the fastest living creature, the urban raptor, living in our cities,” he said. “You’ve got one of the most intelligent, which is the city bird. You’ve got one of the most resourceful, the city fox. We’ve got nocturnal mammals, hedgehogs, all sorts of treasures. At times in our cities it might seem like there isn’t any nature. But if you just take a little minute, you’ll be amazed at what you can find.”

Poll Shows Seasonal Gap in Outdoor Activity

In the survey, nine out of ten of participants indicated that spending time in nature had a very positive or moderately good impact on their health. But only 34% stated they felt in tune with nature across all seasons equally. Just 13% expressed they felt most engaged to nature in autumn, while for the cold season it was a mere 3%.

Fresh Resources to Foster Stronger Nature Connections

To motivate people to interact with nature more intimately, the charity has released a new program with a free walking app, featuring three guided routes in major cities that highlight parks and waterways.

The chief executive of the heritage group commented: “The outdoors is not only in our protected areas, it’s in our gardens, neighborhoods, and local park. Thinking about the fall, it really does offer a rich experience: the sound of foliage, the smell of moist soil, the feel of conkers and the taste of hedgerow berries. This connection is crucial for our wellbeing, especially as shorter days arrive.”