The rustling of the leaves is amplified by the increased activity of wildlife! October is World Animal Month with the World Animal Day falling on the 4th for a good reason. Squirrels and hedgehogs are busy gathering their winter supplies, young foxes are separating from their families, blackbirds are being joined by migrants from Scandinavia and the Baltics. Our Tree Keeper Facebook group is full of pictures of from wonderful world of fungi! Perhaps take a step further and talk to your council and ask about opportunities to install a pond in your Tiny Forest. Finally, don’t forget to take in all the autumn colours on display and get creative inside your Tiny Forest.

Squirrel Awareness October... Bat Appreciation Month... National Badger Celebration... World Earthworm Recognition Day… Reptile Awareness Day… October really is a month to focus on and act for the UK’s incredible wildlife! There are plenty smaller activities you can do, like building a bat box with Bat Conservation Trust, but the one we really want to focus on is wildlife pond building! Ponds can provide numerous of benefits to the Tiny Forest residents, from nutritious food and water, to breeding and cooling spaces. A pond doesn’t have to be big to be beneficial to wildlife, but you will need to speak to your local council first about the possibility of having one near your Tiny Forest. Visit our Naturehood website to see how to approach pond building and prepare for your own project. 

With so many wonderful colours on display, your Tiny Forest is inviting you to embrace the artist within you! Painting isn’t the only way to make art and reflect upon the autumnal beauty. Research Andy Goldsworthy’s incredible, nature-inspired sculptures and create your own one using your Tiny Forest’s fallen leaves. You could also become a nature photographer like Hamza Yassin. Maybe try to do a time-lapse video by taking pictures from the same angle every day of October? Whatever you decide to do, don’t forget to share it in on our Tree Keeper Facebook Group. Psst, one of our favourite themes are all the Tiny Forest mushrooms! The 7th of October is UK Fungus Day, which involves a great photo competition, providing another opportunity to submit your Tiny Forest snapshots. 

Admire the colours of your Tiny Forest while you do a grand Tiny Forest assessment. Summer is an active period so this is a good time to check on how the overall condition of your Tiny Forest by using our helpful Maintenance Check guide.