Autumnwatch: Get closer to nature

Get involved with nature this autumn

This autumn, pull on a woolly jumper and head out to enjoy an adventure with nature where you live.

To help inspire you, Autumnwatch's Martin Hughes-Games has made a series of films that show how we can all get more involved with local wildlife.

"You may have put up a bird box or dug a pond, but I've been finding out how we can go much further in helping and learning about wildlife," Martin said.

Autumnwatch airs each Friday at 9pm on BBC Two from 2 October- 20 November 09.

From bat detecting to discovering the secrets of medicinal plants, there are hundreds of conservation and wildlife volunteering projects that can spark our interest and lead to an autumn adventure with nature.

They get us closer to nature and they may make a difference to science or conservation efforts to help our native wildlife.

'Batman'

As part of the Autumnwatch "How do I?" series, Martin gave up his usual Friday-night curry to spend the evening in a bat-mobile with the Bat Conservation Trust.

There are 17 species of bat in the UK, but the bat population has declined dramatically over the last century due to the loss of natural habitats.

Autumnwatch: Local bat surveys

The increase in the use of pesticides has also reduced the numbers of insects on which the bats can feed.

Bat surveys play an important part in the mammal's conservation and volunteers can help to conduct them.

To find out more about bats in Northumberland and Tyneside, visit the Northumberland Bat Group or Durham Bat Group websites (the latter covers South Tyneside).

Kielder Water and Forest Park also sometimes host bat nights. Visit the Forestry Commission website to find out more.

Wildflower walks

There are also plenty of wildlife activities you can take part in at a more sociable hour.

Earlier in the year, BBC Two's Grow Your Own Drugs series inspired people to think more about the medicinal properties of the flora in their gardens and the countryside.

Of the 1,500 species of wild flower growing in the UK, around 400 are thought to have medicinal properties

"Hundreds of years ago, we couldn't just pop into the chemist for a cure so we had to learn how to make them from nature. It's an age-old practice but the ingredients are still all around us," said Martin.

Natural remedies help us and the wildlife

Herbs create a brilliant habitat for certain species of wildlife, which can utilise them to fight against parasites in their nests, for example.

"For thousands of years, it's been observed that wildlife uses herbs and flowers to treat conditions and make life easier, just as humans have used herbs to increase their quality of life," medical herbalist Christina Stapeley told Martin.

Herbs and flowers have offered us food, medicine, dyes, fragrances and so much more - but don't just pick from Mother Nature's larder without learning about it first.

"Please be very careful. Just because you can pick a plant, don't assume you can use it in a remedy," said Martin.

"Some plants, like the foxglove, can kill you. It's a very complex science - so take part in one of the many guided wildflower and herbalism walks and learn from the experts."

Dilston Physic Garden, near Hexham, contains hundreds of medicinal plants and is an excellent place to learn more about them.

Further advice and information is also available from The Herb Society.

Be a nature volunteer

One of the best ways to learn more about nature, and how you can help it, is by assisting a wildlife or conservation project.

One of the largest projects is the bird-ringing scheme run by the British Trust for Ornithology (BTO).

Bird ringing allows us to track the movement and numbers of birds

More than 2,000 trained volunteers help to fit small, uniquely-numbered metal rings on the legs of more than 800,000 birds.

By indentifying the birds as individuals, the rings can help us start to understand changes in the survival and movements of bird populations.

"Ringing allows us to follow the birds' movements and, more importantly, understand what might be causing changes in populations - what we call demography," said Mark Grantham of the BTO.

"Anyone can get involved, and the best way is simply to keep an eye out for ringed birds. This might be a blackbird in your garden or a barn owl down the road - all are important!

"If it's ringed, report it online or via the BTO," he added.

To become a bird ringer in your area visit the BTO website to find your nearest ringing trainer.

However you decide to get involved with nature this autumn, enjoy being out in the fresh air, enjoying the wildlife and experiencing nature where you live.

Watch Autumnwatch every Friday at 9pm from 2 October to 20 November 2009. Each episode will be followed by Autumnwatch Unsprung at 10pm.