It’s a mast year!
I’m a bit late to the show with this one but have you noticed just how many fruits, berries and nuts are in our hedges and coming from our trees this year? This year is known as a mast year. A mast year is a special year when certain trees, like oak and beech, grow lots and lots of seeds or nuts—much more than usual. It’s like the trees are throwing a giant seed party! These years don’t happen every year; sometimes there are only a few mast years in a row, and other years the trees don’t make many seeds at all. Mast years are important because they give food to lots of animals, like squirrels, mice, and birds. When there are lots of seeds, animal populations can grow because there’s plenty to eat.
So now is the time to harvest! A colleague at the Game & Wildlife Conservation Trust (GWCT) posted a fantastic recipe for making elderberry syrup which is definitely worth trying at home: https://gwct-web-azurelive.digitalconnect.co.uk/wildlife/species-of-the-month/2025/elder/ . Just remember when harvesting is never take the first fruits you see, only take what you need and always leave at least half for the wildlife that relies on this crucial resource for food.
Our local rivers
Speaking of the GWCT, I recently had the pleasure of helping with some fish monitoring work along the river Frome and it really brought home just how crucial our water systems are. At this time of year many young fish are migrating out to sea but this research highlighted the grave danger our rivers are in! The numbers we are seeing this year are in some places around 10% of what we have recorded in previous years which is a really concerning drop!
Although in the past I have loved enjoying some smoked salmon as a treat, but salmon and trout are having a really tough time and it’s making me second guess my views of them as a yummy delicacy. Things like pollution, changes to river habitats, drought and people building things near rivers can make it hard for them to grow up safely. Sometimes rivers get blocked by dams or weirs, which makes it tricky for the fish to swim upstream to lay their eggs.
The GWCT works hard to help these fish. They study trout and salmon, so that we can make sure rivers have safe places for them to live and breed, and teach people how to care for rivers. In Salisbury we have a fantastic river network and I have been lucky enough to see an otter enjoying the river right in the centre of town! Water voles are also a popular example of the cute wildlife that relies on this habitat but fish and even eels are often overlooked.
So here is my reminder to spare a thought for our hidden aquatic friends and here’s what can kids do to help.
Keep rivers clean – don’t drop litter near rivers, and help pick up trash if you see it.
Plant trees and plants near rivers – plants help keep the water cool and clean, which fish love.
Learn and share – the more you know about rivers and the animals living there, the more you can help.
Be gentle near rivers – avoid disturbing fish and other creatures, and watch wildlife quietly.
Fun-guy season!
Recently I have spotted A LOT of cool mushrooms and this autumn I’m making it my mission to learn to identify a few more. Mushrooms can be overwhelming, especially when many are poisonous but so many others a super yummy!
Luckily October is full of fungus forays where we can all hone our identification skills together but if you wanted to practice in your own time and apply your knowledge and contribute to our wider scientific understanding then PlantLife are currently running a Waxcap Watch this autumn: https://www.plantlife.org.uk/waxcapwatch/
Waxcaps are a sign of rare, species-rich grasslands. By spotting where waxcaps and other grassland fungi are doing well, we can find the remaining fragments of ancient meadows and help protect them for the future. These grasslands aren’t just beautiful, they’re important for hundreds of wildflowers and play a big role in fighting climate change. Grasslands with lots of different species can store up to a third more carbon than simpler areas with only a few plants.
You don’t need to be a fungi expert to help with Waxcap Watch! Anyone in England, Scotland, or Wales can take part. All you need is to go out with a family member and log what you see on a smartphone or a computer.