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The National Trust launches ‘Wild Senses’, encouraging people across the UK to embrace autumn\u2019s unique sensory experiences and foster a deeper connection with nature in urban and rural environments amid climate challenges.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
As the crispness of autumn settles in and days grow shorter, the National Trust is urging the public to resist retreating indoors and instead to embrace the season\u2019s unique sensory experiences through its new nationwide campaign, ‘Wild Senses’. Launched alongside the first episode of the BBC nature series “Hamza\u2019s Hidden Wild Isles,” co-produced by the Trust and The Open University, the campaign invites people to reconnect with nature where they live\u2014be it in city parks or countryside woodlands.<\/p>\n
The series, presented by wildlife expert and cameraman Hamza Yassin, celebrates the UK\u2019s seasonal biodiversity and encourages viewers to notice and appreciate everyday wildlife, even in urban environments. Yassin emphasises the importance of engaging with nature year-round, especially in autumn, saying that simply stepping outside or sitting quietly to let nature come to you can significantly boost well-being. Despite 90% of UK adults recognising the positive effect of spending time outdoors, a stark disparity remains: only 13% feel most connected to nature during autumn, even though 79% say they are likely to seek it out in this season. The National Trust\u2019s commissioned YouGov poll reveals that the highly valued autumn colours are the top seasonal highlight, with 42% citing sight as their most cherished sense for enjoying autumn.<\/p>\n
Recognising the barriers posed by poorer weather and shorter daylight hours, the Trust stresses the accessibility of nature in everyday surroundings, highlighting that 85% of the UK population lives in urban areas. Hilary McGrady, Director-General of the National Trust, underscores the importance of safeguarding green spaces such as gardens, streets, and parks, which serve as vital habitats and gateways for people to connect with seasonal wildlife. She notes the sensory feast offered by autumn\u2014the crunching leaves, the scent of damp soil, the texture of conkers, and the taste of hedgerow berries\u2014as being crucial for mental health, especially as the darker days draw in.<\/p>\n
To deepen public engagement, the Trust has collaborated with the walking app Go Jauntly to launch Naturehood, featuring curated nature walks in London, Manchester, and Birmingham. This initiative also includes a nationwide challenge with 25 nature-based activities, from cloud watching to touching tree bark. Additionally, the Trust is urging gardeners to help wildlife cope with the impacts of climate change, especially after a record-breaking hot summer and drought caused many berries and nuts to fruit earlier than usual. Ben McCarthy, Head of Nature Conservation at the Trust, advises planting late-fruiting shrubs and native trees, leaving leaf piles for hibernating animals, and reducing excess garden tidying to support species like hedgehogs, dormice, and birds later in the season.<\/p>\n
This autumn is expected to deliver a particularly vibrant natural display. The National Trust\u2019s experts forecast a colourful season across its gardens, parklands, and woodlands due to a favourable combination of ample sunshine and late rains preventing premature leaf fall. John Deakin, the Trust\u2019s Head of Trees and Woodland, describes autumn as a pivotal time for nature, marked by vivid colours and bountiful harvests of acorns, fungi, and berries, all signaling a healthy environment for wildlife.<\/p>\n
Beyond the National Trust\u2019s campaign, other organisations are running complementary autumn initiatives to nurture nature connection through sensory experiences. The South Downs National Park Authority encourages visitors to engage all five senses with the season\u2019s sights, sounds, tastes, and textures, deepening appreciation for the changing landscape. Meanwhile, the Wildlife Trust for Lancashire, Manchester, and North Merseyside is hosting family-friendly activities at Mere Sands Wood throughout October, including hedgehog spotting, fungi hunts, and autumn crafts, designed to foster environmental awareness and enjoyment.<\/p>\n
These efforts resonate with a broader conservation movement, including initiatives like the Wildlife Trusts\u2019 ’12 Days Wild’, a festive period challenge promoting daily interaction with nature to maintain connection through the colder months. Collectively, these campaigns highlight the growing recognition of the crucial role that nature plays in public well-being and climate resilience, advocating for year-round engagement with the natural world.<\/p>\n
The National Trust\u2019s ‘Wild Senses’ campaign is part of a wider strategy encouraging people to experience the unique beauty and sensory richness of autumn, wherever they are. It reflects a call not just to observe nature, but to immerse oneself in its rhythms, textures, and colours, fostering a deeper connection to the environment that is increasingly vital in today\u2019s urbanised and climate-impacted world.<\/p>\n