This time of year reveals how many broadleaves and especially beech there are in the valley. So why do leaves change colour, well here is a quick rundown of the main reasons

The answer lies in a natural food factory - check out the fascinating science below 

• moisture that contains valuable nutrients and minerals is sucked out of the soil by the roots and passed up through the tree into the leaves
• they mix with air and are converted into sugars and starches (tree food) that are absorbed by the tree to make it grow
• the energy needed for this process comes from the sun. Sunlight is trapped in a leaf by a green pigment called chlorophyll. It’s chlorophyll that gives leaves their green colour in spring and summer
• when the days grow short and night time temperatures fall, the tree realises that autumn and winter are coming. Most trees do not grow in autumn and winter, so there is no need for food and the ‘food factory’ closes down
• the chlorophyll left in the leaf is not needed and starts to decompose. That means the other pigments from the sugars and starches start to show - and they’re the golds and reds that we know as Autumn