Embrace the darkness: why autumn nights are for getting outside

As the clocks go back this weekend the author of Wild Nights Out extols the magic of exploring outside after dark

To go in the dark with a light is to know the light
To know the dark, go dark. Go without sight,
and find that the dark too blooms and sings,
and is travelled by dark feet and dark wings
Wendell Berry

The night is dark – I mean really dark. The proverbial pitch black, where you can’t see your hand in front of your face. I’m guiding a group of students into the meadows of Andrew’s Wood in south Devon and we have turned off our torches to explore our night vision capacities. There’s cloud cover, and no moon to help, and progress is slow … but exciting. Then, we see it. A ghoulish-green light low down on the ground that draws us closer to look. Or rather behold. There are certain moments of awe and wonder on a night walk that will always mystify and intrigue, and this is one of them.