Fungi and angry wasps

As autumn approaches, look at Hull’s glorious mature trees in their autumn colours. To keep the winter blues at bay, collect up a few fallen leaves, press them for a few days then display them on a piece of card.
It’s also the month for fungi. You may regonise one species - the famous Fly Agaric - by its white spots on a bright red dome. You’ll often find it in association with birch trees, where it forms a symbiotic association with the roots. There are lots of other fungi sprouting up this month too, so it’s yet another excuse to have a ramble in the woods.
Meanwhile, wasps appear to be particularly angry this month, but that’s only because they are desperate for sweet food now that their other source, the sugary liquid produced by the grubs in return for insect food, has gone. Try not to kill them if you can, as the wasps are good at eating aphids and flies, which usually eat your prize veg!
September 17 is when the Marine Conservation Society holds its annual Beachwatch events, when you can get involved in clearing up your local patch. Although technically, Hull is on an estuary, it is home to a wide variety of species and as a result, recently the whole of the estuary has been designated a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI).
So you’ve no excuse, put on a warm coat and get yourself out to look at the wonders of nature that are in and around the city.