It feels like it, with the cooler temperatures and autumnal high winds. We've reached the end of the summer holiday programme of mini-beast events, having run three hunts for grassland bugs and nine for water bugs, and an art workshop. We've had many highlights, ranging from the numbers of water stick-insects, water scorpions, back swimmers and a huge leech.
We've also have some lovely comments from the children (and adults) who've taken part. On returning home from a couple of weeks of camping in France last week, one boy answered his mother's question about the best thing he did in the summer holidays: "pond dipping at Fen Drayton Lakes", One of our youngest dippers, now aged 20 months, can say "mini beasts" and "back swimmer". It has also been very rewarding to see children who've been wary of bugs on arrival almost dragged away at the end because they wanted to continue dipping.
You cannot predict what will spark their fascination. Sometimes it is the insects mentioned above, sometimes it is the variety of pond snails. It doesn't matter what creature did it, the important fact is that something sparked their interest, and they now love nature even more. Perhaps they'll be leading such events in a few years time, helping me and the other volunteers who have so much fun doing these events.
Our next family event is at Hallowe'en, with a spooky story-telling walk, looking out for the ghost of Jane Tewsley, a womping willow and Black Shuck....