Forestry England is inviting the public to take part in the Autumn Leaf Watch, a citizen science project that tracks how the colors of forests change with the season. People can use a new online tool called the autumn color tracker to record the most common leaf color they see during their visits to forests. Alternatively, they can focus on specific tree species, such as beech, horse chestnut, oak, rowan, and silver birch. The project aims to build a nationwide record of when autumn arrives, comparing how the season unfolds across different regions, habitats, and tree types. So far, autumn is in its early stages, with most reports showing green canopies in woodlands. However, some areas have already seen yellow and orange leaves. These early signs have been recorded in Wyre Forest in Worcestershire, Haughmond Hill in Shropshire, and Delamere Forest in Cheshire. Silver birch and beech are among the first tree species to show color changes, while oak trees across much of the country remain mostly green. The timing of autumn is influenced by several factors, including the amount of daylight, temperature, rainfall, soil moisture, and the overall health of the trees. Forestry England noted that this year's exceptionally hot and dry summer might have caused some trees to lose their leaves earlier than usual. However, it is still too early to determine the full impact of these conditions on the autumn season. The coming weeks' weather will play a key role in how the season progresses. Chris Sorenson, a forest management adviser at Forestry England, said that this year's extreme summer heat makes the season particularly interesting to observe. "Some trees have already shed leaves early, but there's still plenty of autumn to come," he said. "We want people to get outside, look closely at the trees around them, and help us track these changes." The change in leaf color is part of how deciduous trees prepare for winter. As days get shorter and temperatures drop, trees stop producing chlorophyll, the green pigment in leaves. This allows yellow and orange pigments already present in the leaves to become visible. Some species also produce red pigments. The timing and intensity of these color changes can vary widely between species and locations, making public observations valuable for understanding how autumn develops from year to year.