AUTUMN is perhaps the best time of year to visit a Forestry Commission woodland. The colours are beautiful; the trees bountiful with nuts, fruits, berries and seeds, and fungi are abundant across the forest floor. Visitors to the forest may even get to spot wildlife foraging for food, as our forests’ birds and animals prepare for winter.

The popularity of TV programmes like Autumnwatch show that we’re a nation that loves wildlife. But nothing beats getting off the sofa and into the great outdoors and seeing it for yourself, particularly with Westonbirt, the National Arboretum, right here on our doorstep.

Forests and woodlands are home to some of the most compelling wildlife you could hope to see in this country, from the rare red squirrel to the majestic pine martens. They provide refuge for endangered species, including rare butterflies such as the pearl-bordered fritillary that lay their eggs in autumn on bracken. And the northern pool frogs – our rarest amphibian who feed up on invertebrates during the autumn months to prepare themselves for winter.

Forests offer the kind of rich habitats wildlife need to thrive. They’re so important for rare species of plants and animals that ten woodland types have protected status under the EU Habitats and Species Directive, and six are defined as priority habitats in the UK Biodiversity Action Plan. England’s ancient woodlands, those established more than 400 years ago, are home to no fewer than 79 endangered species.

The large size of many Forestry Commission sites, together with a rich variety of habitats and the beneficial management that sustains them, makes our public forests a real haven for wildlife. Forests evoke a sense of real wildness and seclusion, even when located close to densely populated areas. And yet they can also be surprisingly accessible places for wildlife enthusiasts – thanks to the role the Forestry Commission has played in opening up our forests and woodlands to the public.