The park in autumn

Autumn is the season that follows summer. In the autumn, the light part of the day gets shorter. As a result, the temperature begins to fall.

During the autumn, plants and animals prepare for the winter. It is also a good time of year to enjoy the outdoors.

During this section, we learn about the plants and animals that can be seen in autumn.

Scholastic: Autumn Is Here! (video)

Parks are green spaces similar to forests. Unlike forests, parks are often covered by a grass surface that is maintained by people.

Parks are common in cities. They are often recreational spaces where you can play games, walk, or have a picnic.

Park plants are often planted or imported from other parts of the world.

Parks consist of both living and non-living nature. All fungi, plants, and animals are part of living nature. Things like rocks, soil, rain, and sunlight are examples of non-living nature.

Parks often include many large trees. Park trees are almost always planted by people. The tree species found in parks are different from the species found in forests.

Large and beautiful broadleaf trees, such as oaks, lindens, and maples, are common in parks. The coniferous trees found in parks often come from other parts of the world.

Other trees found in Finnish parks include forest trees like birch and pine. In the summer, broadleaf trees create a beautiful green landscape. Evergreen conifers, such as pine and spruce, give parks colour in the winter.

Read more about park trees in chapter 1.5.

Flowers are planted in parks to give them colour. Some park flowers bloom in the autumn.

Park flowers also give food to many interesting species of butterflies. These include the red admiral (pictured), the peacock butterfly, and the painted lady butterfly.

Park flowers often come from all around the world. Many of these species have to be planted again every year, because they cannot survive the cold Finnish winter.

Parks are also the home of animal species that are not afraid of humans.

The most common mammals found in parks include hedgehogs (pictured), foxes, and hares. Parks are also the home of voles and mice.

Many bird species make parks their home during the summer. In the autumn, some birds leave the park and migrate south. Some birds remain in the park for the winter.

Park mammals are discussed in more detail in their own chapter.