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Forestry England Calls on the Public to Track Autumn Colours Across England
By Drooid · · How we work
Launch of the Autumn Leaf Watch Citizen-Science Project
Forestry England, the agency responsible for England’s woodlands, has opened a new initiative called Autumn Leaf Watch. The programme invites volunteers to become “autumn spotters” and record the colour of leaves they see in forests using a newly released autumn colour tracker. Participants can log the most common hue observed during visits or target specific tree species such as beech, horse chestnut, oak, rowan and silver birch.
How the Project Collects Data
Spotters submit observations through the online tracker, noting colour categories (e.g., green, yellow, orange, red) and the tree species examined. The collected reports will be aggregated over the coming weeks and retained for future years, allowing Forestry England to map variations in the timing and progression of autumn colouration across regions, habitats and species.
Early Observations and the Influence of a Hot, Dry Summer
Initial submissions show that most forest canopies remain green, indicating that autumn is still in its early stages. However, yellow and orange leaves have already been recorded at Wyre Forest in Worcestershire, Haughmond Hill in Shropshire and Delamere Forest in Cheshire. Silver birch and beech are among the first species to display colour change, while oak trees are largely still green. Forestry England notes that the timing of autumn is affected by daylight, temperature, rainfall, soil moisture and individual tree health. The agency attributes the unusually early leaf-shedding of some trees to the country’s recent extreme heat and dry summer.
Significance for Climate Monitoring
Chris Sorenson, a forest-management adviser at Forestry England, explains that the unusually warm summer makes this year a valuable case study. He says the project will help scientists understand how climate-driven conditions influence seasonal transitions and provide a long-term record of phenological shifts. By engaging the public, Forestry England hopes to generate a comprehensive dataset that can inform future forest management and climate-impact assessments.