Well September has finally arrived and our short summer is over. After a hotter than average Spring we ended up with quite a bit of rain during our Summer months.

I hope that many of you have still been able to enjoy some of what our wonderfully diverse county and borough have to offer in terms of green spaces over the last few months.

September has, in recent years, been a warm month and a lovely time to explore the natural world and a lot is going on in it in preparation for what is to follow.

This time of year is a time of plenty, not only in people’s allotments and gardens as a lot of the fruit and vegetables that people have been nurturing and loving are ready to pick, cook, share or preserve, but also in the natural world. Berries on trees and bushes are everywhere.

As you walk in local parks, the countryside or even around town you will see Rowan trees with bunches of bright red berries (people have traditionally made Rowan Berry Jelly – a kind of jam – from these) and the Hawthorn in the hedgerow also offer out red fruit for the birds.

Many of you will have memories of picking Blackberries from your local Bramble (did you know there are over 240 types of Bramble, the plant that blackberries come from, in the UK alone?!). A trip higher up onto the local moorland will enable you to find Winberries. These are sometimes known as Billberries and are common around the region. A walk up to Darwen Tower will enable you to discover these tiny but tasty fruits that resemble blueberries (Tockholes or Sunnyhurst are both good spots from where to walk up to the tower).

They are often found growing in and around Heather plants which are also in flower at this time of year giving our moorland hillsides a pinkish / purple colour. These late flowering plants give bees something to forage and feed on after a lot of other flowers have disappeared.

Another great spot for these is around Entwistle Reservoir which is a wonderful place for a walk when you feel like getting away from it. Walking round Entwistle it is easy to imagine you are miles from any town and it is only 2 stops on the train from Blackburn!

Those of you passionate about locally grown fresh food will also notice trees across the town full of apples and occasionally pears.

Time for a pie or a crumble maybe? The production of this fruit is essentially these trees and plants reproducing before the onset of Winter. Many birds will be feeding from these in preparation for harder times or big journeys ahead which may see them fly off to Africa.

This month will be the last sighting of Swallows and Housemartins before they make such voyages. You will see them darting around eating insects in mid-flight before heading south.

Other creatures such as hedgehogs and even butterflies will be thinking about fattening up before finding a good hibernation spot. There is more space in gardens in the UK than in nature reserves.

Whether you have a back yard, window sill or garden there is something you can do to help out with your local wildlife. Download our free My Wild Garden guide here for loads of tips and information on how you can transform your space for wildlife.

Enjoy September There is still warmth in the sun and leaves of green in the trees to enjoy before the dramatic transformation of Autumn takes place. Something else to look forward to.