Features

The leaves are changing colour, the wildlife is making the most of the pale autumn sunshine and as the weather turns cold and crisp. It's time find your best bobble-hat, scarf and gloves to get outside and enjoy the season, says Martin Barber.

On thing that makes Autumnwatch so special is how much you, the audience, join in and get involved – with the programme and with UK wildlife as a whole. Whether its just enjoying it or getting stuck in and doing something to help wildlife where you live.

"I always think of autumn as being like nature's final firework display before the winter," says Kate. "It's full of fantastic colours and there's lots of activity from all our birds and mammals getting ready for winter.

"After the malt the birds are back and looking gorgeous, busy feeding up. Autumn is one of those seasons that you really know is happening.

"The leaves are falling and there's nothing more fun that walking along kicking leaves – so if you do nothing else this weekend, go kick some leaves. It's a really great time to enjoy wild Britain before we all shut down for the winter."

A wild weekend... and beyond

If you've been inspired by Bill and Kate's adventures on Brownsea Island and want to get out and about too, then make the most of the Wild Week events that are taking place until Sunday, 9 November, 2008. You can check out the weather first by watching the video above.

From fungal forays to creepy-crawly hunts, the Breathing Places Event Finder will show you some of the fantastic nature-themed events and activities going on near you this autumn.

As well as Wild Week events, there are also more events happening from now until Christmas. All you need to do is put your postcode into the search box and we'll do the rest.

A great weekend for birders

The recent change to colder weather promises to make this weekend (1-2 November) a cracking one for wildlife-watchers, especially if you're interested in birds.

"The bewick's swans are finally on their way across the North Sea from the Netherlands, so look out for them at the Ouse Washes in East Anglia, and of course at the Wildfowl And Wetlands Trust's famous HQ at Slimbridge in Gloucestershire," says Autumnwatch series editor Stephen Moss.

"Back at Martin Mere, where we based the first two series of Autumnwatch, the whooper swans have already arrived, though larger flocks are expected from Iceland very soon.

"You can keep a look out for redwings and fieldfares almost anywhere, and if you're in Norfolk check out berry bushes for waxwings, which have been reported in the last couple of days.

"And finally, there's a snowy owl on St Martin's in the Isles of Scilly – surely the quintessential Arctic bird."

Do one thing for nature

Whatever you do this weekend, enjoy the autumn and Do One Thing for nature.

The BBC Breathing Places team have loads of ideas for things to do with packs to download to help you have fun in the great outdoors.

If you're batty about wildlife, with the nights drawing in it's the perfect time to discover wildlife on the dark side and download Chris Packham's Sounds of the Night MP3. Just when most of us are ready for bed, nocturnal wildlife in gardens, local parks, woods, trees and hedgerows is waking up to start their day. Or why not Have Fun With Fungi?

Try the Breathing Places Wild Week events page where you can find out about events to celebrate nature right across the UK. On the autumn page there's ideas for discovering what you can do for wildlife this autumn.

Whatever you do this weekend, have fun, stay safe and keep watching as we'll have a whole host of Autumnwatch surprises for you, courtesy of Mother Nature.

And don't forget, if you take a fantastic autumnal picture make sure to add it to the Autumnwatch Flickr group and showcase it with the rest of the world.