Appreciating Autumn Colours

Josh Chambers, a young volunteer with Cumbernauld Living Landscape, has written about his experiences of autumn in Cumbernauld

An array of colours can often be seen around the autumn time.  I have noticed that from talking to people that these colours are often not appreciated, and people are amazed by the range of colours, myself included. During the lockdown young people like myself have really taken more notice, and appreciated nature and the world around them.  Teenagers are normally engrossed in their technology around the chilly autumn time, but now more time has been spent look around and admiring the world.

In Cumbernauld, we are lucky to have beautiful greenery on our doorsteps. This privilege was used by me a lot during the lockdown as a way to help my mental health.  Lockdown was hard for everyone and saw large increases in people suffering from bad mental health. During lockdown seeing all the green fields and towering trees in the nature of Cumbernauld brought me an abundance of tranquillity and joy.

People in the community might notice all of the leaves covering our pavements and pathways, which are due to the trees pushing off the leaves in order to survive the winter. These leaves will eventually all decompose into the soil as they are eaten by microbes – making the soil richer for new growth to follow.

In very uncertain times nature is a true comfort to everyone of all ages and should be appreciated. It would be a waste not to admire the beautiful landscape of Cumbernauld.