As the Season Turns October
Oct 1, 2026
Zoe Gilbert, a British writer and storyteller inspired by folklore, landscape, and nature, joins a vivid October journey through windswept dunes and autumn shorelines. Explore rose hips and sea buckthorn, rare natterjack toads, late-season bees, hidden flounder adaptations, and the Hunter’s Moon. Traditional maritime song, Welsh legend, Halley’s Comet, and the Orionid meteor shower add magic to the changing coast.
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Autumn Concentrates Life Along The Dunes
- October’s coastal landscape combines harsh wind with concentrated seasonal colour and wildlife activity.
- Sea buckthorn berries, burnet rose hips, wintering Brent geese and shorebirds all reveal autumn’s shift toward scarcity and shelter.
Why October Has A Hunter’s Moon
- October’s Hunter’s or Blood Moon reflects the traditional autumn hunting season and preparations for winter.
- Communities used the fattened animals and shortening daylight to decide which livestock to preserve and which would provide food.
The Mermaid Ballad Turns A Storm Into Tragedy
- Lisa Knapp sings a maritime ballad about sailors facing stormy seas while landlubbers remain below deck.
- Its verses grow darker as a boy, a married man and finally the captain confront death at sea.
