AUTUMN is always a time of change and this is reflected in the work of the Wyre Forest District Council Rangers.

As a ranger, summer is a time to celebrate the beauty of the natural world and to show this off to as many people as possible.

The Rangers have been leading guided walks and talks on many reserves, exploring the fascinating world of mini beasts and activities where the secretive world of bats is brought out of the dark.

Rangers have also been working with groups of children, helping them to appreciate their environment through exploration and adventure.

It is also a time of year when people like to use the reserves for family walks and picnics so time is spent keeping the sites free from litter and checking the growth of undergrowth.

Most of what could be described as true conservation work has been carried out by four-legged "volunteers", cows, provided to graze the nature reserves by a local farmer.

It has to be said that this year's grazing season has, unfortunately, not been without incident, thanks to the actions of a thoughtless individual who injured and traumatised one of the cows.

Following this, all the animals were removed from the nature reserve, setting back the process of ecological recovery that had been established over the years on this site, by several years.

Fortunately, the animal involved is on the road to recovery.

There has been one big conservation job over the summer and this was at Blake Marsh in Kidderminster.

Due to the wet, marshy nature of the ground, the summer is the only time when tree work can be carried out. It is the only time big tractors are able to get on to the reserve to move timber.

Work is still going on, the tree felling has been finished but there is lots of tidying up to do. New gates and raised footpaths will be going in, followed by fencing, which will allow grazing.

It looks a bit harsh at the moment, but there are great hopes that we will see dramatic and colourful improvements to the ecology of this reserve in the spring.

Works in the autumn are being focused around making the new local nature reserve of Hurcott Pools and Wood ready to be opened to the public later this year.

Work is also being prepared for dramatic improvements to many of the heathland reserves following a £40,000 grant from Tomorrow's Heathland Heritage Lottery Fund.