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Join Chris Skinner and Matthew Gudgin on a mild mid-October morning at High Ash Farm, where Rat scampers ahead amid grey skies and the vibrant blaze of autumn foliage—Norway maples glowing with reds and oranges from flavonoids and carotenoids, while elms, oaks, and beeches shed leaves in a seasonal symphony shaped by abscission layers and wind. Delve into the farm's fungal treasures in Foxes Grove, from dripping shaggy ink caps (lawyer's wigs) auto-digesting in real time to birch polypores on decaying trunks and scarlet fly agarics emerging like hallucinogenic gems in birch woodlands. Chris laments ash dieback's toll on roots and trees, sharing tales of dynamite stump removal and a resilient New Horizon elm. Answer a listener's query on attracting blackbirds, redwings, and thrushes with pyracantha 'Orange Glow' on a north-facing wall, offering year-round berries, bee blooms, and nesting thorny havens. A captivating exploration of autumn's vivid transformations, fungal feats, and wildlife wisdom, perfect for embracing the season's fleeting beauty.

https://www.buzzsprout.com/2432378/episodes/17987964-episode-2-41-colourful-canopies-and-shaggy-surprises.mp3?download=true

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