Total miles walked...                                                202.64

Miles till destination...                                             2193.36

This week's leaderboard

1. Rosamond... 22.5 Miles 
2. Ewan...21 miles
3. Mandy...19 miles
4. Helen...14 miles
5. Lottie and Loki...9 miles

Francesca and Anne

Our progress so far...

Guru Nanak's Birthday

Fungi

October and November are the months for searching out fungi and two of the most spectacular can be found in Oxfordshire. One, the Fly Agaric is common and the other the Wrinkled Peach, the exact opposite.

In North Leigh Woods the spectacular Fly Agaric can be found growing in good numbers in the damp areas below the trees and bracken.

It emerges from the ground as a small globe and gradually expands to the size of a small saucer, its bright red cap festooned with white spots.

I can recall children’s books that showed this toadstool inhabited by gnomes and fairies. Doubtless it was popular for young chidren due to its bright colouring which itself serves as a warning that it is poisonous and inedible and should be left well alone.

Near Standlake there is a path that has a number of dead and dying elms growing alongside it. This provides a home to the scarce Wrinkled Peach which only grows on dead elm trees. It is a beautiful raspberry red when first it emerges then expands and turns to a pale peach colour as it matures.

It is called Wrinkled due to the many vein like pale lines across its cap that are like the wrinkles on aged skin

It has a subtle beauty in direct contrast to the more blatant colours of the Fly Agaric

• To share your love of nature with a group of like-minded individuals?
• Help with goal-setting and friendly encouragement to keep going with physical activity?
• Practical ideas for how to get more out of your walks and stave off boredom? 

We're always looking for new content for this newsletter! If you have something that you think our readers would like to see, we'd love to hear from you.

You could send in photos or videos of you out for your daily exercise, pictures of nice things you've seen, or even just a written message of support or tip for how you've been keeping active and maintaining your wellbeing--  anything that you think would be positive, helpful and encouraging.   If you have an idea for a walk location that would also always be welcome.

Please just don't reveal your home address, or take a photo or video of somebody else when you don't have their permission. 

If you would like to share something, just send it in to walking@oxfordshiremind.org.uk, alongside a completed consent form, which you can download here. 

 Please check these links for the latest advice and further detail:

If you aren't able to go outside right now, there are things you can do to still keep active and get the benefits of nature in your life.

Sport England has gathered together some great resources to help you exercise in your home:

https://www.sportengland.org/news/how-stay-active-while-youre-home

Suggestions for what you could do to get the benefits of the outdoors while inside (from https://www.oxfordshiremind.org.uk/coronavirus-and-your-wellbeing/ ): 

• Spend time with the windows open to let in fresh air.
• Have flowers or potted plants in your home.
• Use natural materials to decorate your living space, or use them in art projects. This could include leaves, flowers, feathers, tree bark or seeds.
• Arrange a comfortable space to sit, for example by a window where you can look out over a view of trees or the sky, or watch birds and other animals. 
• Grow plants or flowers on windowsills. For example, you could buy seeds online or look for any community groups that give away or swap them.
• Look at photos of your favourite places in nature. Use them as the background on your mobile phone or computer screen, or print and put them up on your walls.
• Listen to natural sounds, like recordings or apps that play birdsong, ocean waves or rainfall.
• Get as much natural light as you can. Spend time in your garden if you have one, or open your front or back door and sit on the doorstep.

If you are worried about the effect that coronavirus is having on your wellbeing, please read the advice from Oxfordshire Mind below. 

https://www.oxfordshiremind.org.uk/coronavirus-and-your-wellbeing/

There are also handy tips for how those with severe mental illness can look after their health in this time below:

https://equallywell.co.uk/resources/guide-for-people-with-smi-to-look-after-physical-health-during-covid/