0:00:29 > 0:00:31Hello and welcome to Home Ground,
0:00:31 > 0:00:33the programme that brings you a slice
0:00:33 > 0:00:34of rural life from across
0:00:34 > 0:00:36Northern Ireland.
0:00:36 > 0:00:37Yes, tonight, Jo and I have a feast
0:00:37 > 0:00:39of stories from across the country.
0:00:39 > 0:00:42We've been meeting lots of interesting people
0:00:42 > 0:00:45in fascinating places, doing some pretty incredible stuff.
0:00:45 > 0:00:48And here's what's coming up on tonight's programme.
0:00:50 > 0:00:54With the triggering of Article 50, Ruth finds out why Brexit
0:00:54 > 0:00:58could spell disaster for some of our farming businesses.
0:00:58 > 0:01:01If everybody in this farm left or couldn't get back easily,
0:01:01 > 0:01:02what would you do?
0:01:02 > 0:01:04Er, close.
0:01:04 > 0:01:06- Really?- Oh, yes.
0:01:07 > 0:01:10We meet the man who turned his passion for birds of prey
0:01:10 > 0:01:12into a business.
0:01:12 > 0:01:13That's a girl.
0:01:15 > 0:01:18And I help some of our native seals out of the nursery
0:01:18 > 0:01:20and back into the wild.
0:01:27 > 0:01:29Last week, the Government triggered Article 50,
0:01:29 > 0:01:32marking the beginning of our exit from Europe,
0:01:32 > 0:01:35leaving a lot of farmers here in a state of flux.
0:01:35 > 0:01:38Well, Ruth Sanderson has been to the Moy to see how changes
0:01:38 > 0:01:43in migration policy could have potentially devastating effects.
0:01:48 > 0:01:53It's nearly 7.00am and I'm here to spend the day picking mushrooms.
0:01:53 > 0:01:55I'm about to start the early shift,
0:01:55 > 0:01:57so I'd better go and find the boss and clock in.
0:01:58 > 0:02:00- Hi, Frank. Morning! - Good morning, Ruth.
0:02:00 > 0:02:02Could you do with an extra one today?
0:02:02 > 0:02:04'Frank Donnelly has been growing mushrooms
0:02:04 > 0:02:08'near the Moy in County Tyrone for the past 30 years.'
0:02:08 > 0:02:11- For every crate that you pick, you'll put a picking letter.- Gosh!
0:02:11 > 0:02:15So every single punnet of mushrooms that you buy in the supermarket,
0:02:15 > 0:02:17you can trace it back to the exact person who picked it?
0:02:17 > 0:02:19The exact house and the picker.
0:02:19 > 0:02:21Wow! No pressure, then!
0:02:21 > 0:02:22No pressure.
0:02:24 > 0:02:27So it's on with the hairnet, apron and gloves.
0:02:27 > 0:02:30Everyone gets their own knife and weighing scales -
0:02:30 > 0:02:32the essentials of this business.
0:02:34 > 0:02:37Today, it's brown chestnut mushrooms,
0:02:37 > 0:02:39and there are a lot of them.
0:02:41 > 0:02:44There's 27 tonne of mushroom compost,
0:02:44 > 0:02:47and there's a layer of peat put on, and what you can see here,
0:02:47 > 0:02:50this is the first flush, and this flush is starting today,
0:02:50 > 0:02:52- and is ready to pick.- Right.
0:02:52 > 0:02:54And how long would it have taken this to grow?
0:02:54 > 0:02:58It has taken three weeks from when I put this compost in
0:02:58 > 0:02:59until there's mushrooms.
0:02:59 > 0:03:02A mushroom will grow one millimetre in an hour,
0:03:02 > 0:03:05so literally overnight it has doubled in size.
0:03:05 > 0:03:06And when they reach their size,
0:03:06 > 0:03:09they must be picked within four hours, so the pressure's on.
0:03:09 > 0:03:11- Or they otherwise get too big? - They get too big.
0:03:13 > 0:03:17Frank's mushrooms go to some of the big supermarkets,
0:03:17 > 0:03:20but the margins are slim and precision is key.
0:03:22 > 0:03:25If you choose the wrong mushroom and you pick it too small,
0:03:25 > 0:03:29I can lose up to 20% of my crop from poor picking,
0:03:29 > 0:03:33so picking the right mushroom at the right time is crucial.
0:03:36 > 0:03:38Treat them like an egg. Very delicately.
0:03:38 > 0:03:42Touch them on the side and a slight twist
0:03:42 > 0:03:43and it will come away.
0:03:43 > 0:03:47- And you want to trim the peat - a nice straight cut.- Gosh!
0:03:47 > 0:03:50And they're set carefully into the punnet.
0:03:50 > 0:03:53Like that? No! I've completely ruined that.
0:03:53 > 0:03:54That's OK. That happens.
0:03:54 > 0:03:55- Aww.- That's OK.
0:03:55 > 0:03:58That's actually a lot harder than it looks.
0:03:58 > 0:04:00When I came in here I though this would be a piece of cake - easy.
0:04:00 > 0:04:04It's actually... It's a proper skill.
0:04:04 > 0:04:06- It is a highly skilled job.- Yeah.
0:04:06 > 0:04:09And that's why the pickers are key to it all.
0:04:12 > 0:04:14Ah-ha!
0:04:14 > 0:04:15Hallelujah!
0:04:15 > 0:04:17I'm going to cut it about here?
0:04:19 > 0:04:23The more you pick, the more you get paid, so you need a tempo.
0:04:23 > 0:04:26There's a tempo that a good picker will have.
0:04:26 > 0:04:30They sort of glide along the bed. Their eye is...
0:04:30 > 0:04:32Everybody else is doing, except for me.
0:04:36 > 0:04:40So, now that I have, ahem, mastered the picking technique,
0:04:40 > 0:04:41it's time to get to work.
0:04:41 > 0:04:45There are thousands of mushrooms and only a few hours to pick them.
0:04:51 > 0:04:54I'm on shift with 12 other pickers today,
0:04:54 > 0:04:57mainly from Lithuania, and a few from Bulgaria,
0:04:57 > 0:04:59and I'm going significantly slower than them.
0:04:59 > 0:05:02I took a little bit of a break to have a chat with Kamile,
0:05:02 > 0:05:04who's been here for three years.
0:05:04 > 0:05:07And in Lithuania, among your friends,
0:05:07 > 0:05:09do many people leave the country?
0:05:09 > 0:05:11Yes. A lot of people leave.
0:05:11 > 0:05:15In England, in Norway, in Sweden,
0:05:15 > 0:05:17a lot of people in other countries.
0:05:17 > 0:05:19Why do you not stay in Lithuania?
0:05:19 > 0:05:21Because it's very hard to live in Lithuania.
0:05:21 > 0:05:24It's not jobs, and small monies.
0:05:24 > 0:05:26- Yeah.- It's not good for us.
0:05:26 > 0:05:30- Do you miss home? - Yeah, of course.
0:05:30 > 0:05:35We've had Brexit, so how do you feel about that?
0:05:35 > 0:05:38I don't feel now a difference.
0:05:38 > 0:05:42I don't know, after one year we will see.
0:05:42 > 0:05:43We are working here legal.
0:05:43 > 0:05:47- I think it's not bad for legal people.- Yeah.
0:05:47 > 0:05:52We pay tax, for insurance, I think it's OK for us.
0:05:52 > 0:05:53I hope! I hope.
0:05:53 > 0:05:55Well, I guess that's the thing,
0:05:55 > 0:05:58- no-one's really sure what's going to happen.- Yeah.
0:05:59 > 0:06:02It's strange to think that, this time next year,
0:06:02 > 0:06:05some of these workers might not be allowed back here to work.
0:06:05 > 0:06:07As yet, there is no certainty around the free movement
0:06:07 > 0:06:11of people in Europe, however one thing is for sure -
0:06:11 > 0:06:13the key role these workers play.
0:06:13 > 0:06:16If everybody on this farm left, or couldn't get back easily,
0:06:16 > 0:06:18what would you do?
0:06:18 > 0:06:20- Er... Close. - Really?
0:06:20 > 0:06:21Oh, yes.
0:06:21 > 0:06:25- Really?- If... Yeah.
0:06:25 > 0:06:26You would downsize...
0:06:26 > 0:06:30You'd have to get smaller, produce less,
0:06:30 > 0:06:33and then you wouldn't be efficient, and then you'd have to close.
0:06:33 > 0:06:35What about local workers?
0:06:35 > 0:06:38I would love local workers to come,
0:06:38 > 0:06:43but the living wage is £7.20,
0:06:43 > 0:06:48and locals would struggle to keep a family and keep a house
0:06:48 > 0:06:50on £7.20 an hour.
0:06:52 > 0:06:55Everyone who works here gets paid minimum wage,
0:06:55 > 0:06:59but depending on how much they pick, have the chance to add a bit extra.
0:07:00 > 0:07:04Do you think the Government really needs to prioritise
0:07:04 > 0:07:06the issue of migrant work,
0:07:06 > 0:07:08especially within the agri-food sector,
0:07:08 > 0:07:11so that people like you don't go under?
0:07:11 > 0:07:13I hope they do.
0:07:13 > 0:07:16I hope they really take it seriously, and they look at how
0:07:16 > 0:07:20crucial migrant workers are to all the food sectors,
0:07:20 > 0:07:23and all food processing.
0:07:23 > 0:07:24I do, I hope they do.
0:07:24 > 0:07:27Because, like, you won't be here without them.
0:07:27 > 0:07:30I wouldn't be here without them, no.
0:07:30 > 0:07:31That's the truth.
0:07:35 > 0:07:37Now, traditionally, birds of prey were used by humans
0:07:37 > 0:07:41for hunting and sport, but I've met one man who's putting
0:07:41 > 0:07:45these magnificent birds to work in the big city.
0:07:45 > 0:07:48BIRDS CALL
0:07:53 > 0:07:56Falconry has been practised for thousands of years,
0:07:56 > 0:08:00but today, birds of prey are used as a form of pest control.
0:08:00 > 0:08:02A humane option to some alternatives.
0:08:02 > 0:08:04- Morning, Terry. - Morning, Kevin.
0:08:04 > 0:08:05Thanks for having us down.
0:08:05 > 0:08:07You're very welcome.
0:08:07 > 0:08:08A beautiful specimen.
0:08:08 > 0:08:11- That's Rosie.- Rosie?
0:08:11 > 0:08:13She's a female Lanner falcon.
0:08:13 > 0:08:15So tell us what's happening today, here.
0:08:15 > 0:08:18Well, first of all, I'm going to take her
0:08:18 > 0:08:21into the weighing room there and I'm going to weigh her.
0:08:21 > 0:08:23I have to make sure she's at the right weight.
0:08:23 > 0:08:26So it's very precise? You need her at the exact weight?
0:08:26 > 0:08:27Why is that?
0:08:27 > 0:08:32If she's too heavy, she might not come back just as quick,
0:08:32 > 0:08:36but if she was too light, she might fly away off after something
0:08:36 > 0:08:38and try and kill it.
0:08:38 > 0:08:40- So she's a finely tuned athlete? - Yes.
0:08:40 > 0:08:43- On we go.- How's she looking?
0:08:43 > 0:08:46One pound, eight ounces. That's a good weight for her.
0:08:48 > 0:08:52And Terry's latest project is a Eurasian eagle owl,
0:08:52 > 0:08:54one of the largest owl species in the world.
0:08:57 > 0:08:59What weight have we got now? Oh! four pounds.
0:08:59 > 0:09:02It's important to get him weighed. What's he looking like?
0:09:02 > 0:09:07He's four pound. He's OK. He'll be OK at four pound.
0:09:07 > 0:09:09So he'll be OK to go out and do a bit of hunting today?
0:09:09 > 0:09:11He will, hopefully.
0:09:11 > 0:09:14He's only eight months old, so if he was in the wild,
0:09:14 > 0:09:17he'd just be leaving his parents now, so he would.
0:09:17 > 0:09:20- Well, you're his daddy! - I'm his daddy now, yes.
0:09:20 > 0:09:23So he's only starting to learn this daily routine now.
0:09:23 > 0:09:25Very slow, but steady, you need plenty of patience
0:09:25 > 0:09:28for these boys, so you do.
0:09:28 > 0:09:32And why's that? Why is it difficult with him?
0:09:32 > 0:09:36The likes of the Harris hawks and the falcons are a lot sharper.
0:09:36 > 0:09:40They are more intelligent, so they're easier to train.
0:09:40 > 0:09:45Time to get these birds loaded up and off to our first job of the day.
0:09:45 > 0:09:47Oh, aye, he likes the car.
0:09:47 > 0:09:49He knows he's going out whenever he's in the box.
0:09:57 > 0:09:59Oh!
0:09:59 > 0:10:00Massive.
0:10:00 > 0:10:03So this is one of your regular haunts, is it, Terry?
0:10:03 > 0:10:05This would be a regular job for me in here, so it would.
0:10:05 > 0:10:10There's a load of pigeons back there, now most of them are gone.
0:10:10 > 0:10:11This is Serena.
0:10:11 > 0:10:14She's my number one hawk.
0:10:14 > 0:10:17I'll put the light up, and I'm going to let her go,
0:10:17 > 0:10:20and we'll find out soon if there's anything in here now.
0:10:20 > 0:10:22- Go on, girl. - Ready for action.
0:10:23 > 0:10:27Right, so if we come down to here, and we'll get her
0:10:27 > 0:10:29to go on down that way and have a wee look down there.
0:10:29 > 0:10:32TERRY WHISTLES
0:10:32 > 0:10:35Nearly took our heads off there!
0:10:36 > 0:10:39It certainly looks like the work's paid off in here.
0:10:42 > 0:10:45Would you like to fly her?
0:10:45 > 0:10:46I'd love to.
0:10:48 > 0:10:50It's a good look!
0:10:51 > 0:10:55- Now, what I want you to do is turn your back to the bird.- Uh-huh.
0:10:55 > 0:10:59And put your hand out like that, so that if she flies down in...
0:10:59 > 0:11:01Oh. You didn't need the chicken!
0:11:01 > 0:11:02Just like that!
0:11:02 > 0:11:05- You didn't need the chicken. - Must like the taste of my pinkies!
0:11:05 > 0:11:07OK, Serena, last chance.
0:11:09 > 0:11:11That's a well-fed lady.
0:11:11 > 0:11:13Look! Looking down the camera.
0:11:13 > 0:11:15TV presenter!
0:11:16 > 0:11:18- Right, Terry.- Right. - It's all clear here.- Yes.
0:11:18 > 0:11:21Will we go and find somewhere where there's definitely some birds?
0:11:21 > 0:11:24- Aye, we'll go somewhere where we'll get a chase.- OK.
0:11:24 > 0:11:27- Come on, Serena. - OK, I'll bring her down.
0:11:27 > 0:11:29Come on, sweetheart. That's a girl.
0:11:31 > 0:11:36Last year, Belfast City Council collected almost 170,000 tonnes
0:11:36 > 0:11:37of municipal waste.
0:11:37 > 0:11:41Some of that rubbish ends up here, and attracts some unwanted diners.
0:11:45 > 0:11:49The plan is, I'm going to fly her over on to them skips up there
0:11:49 > 0:11:51and if anything's about, she'll chase it.
0:11:51 > 0:11:53Go on.
0:11:53 > 0:11:54There she goes.
0:11:54 > 0:11:57So how often do you have to come here, Terry?
0:11:57 > 0:11:59I'd be here five days a week, so I would.
0:11:59 > 0:12:04Because there's so much food with the waste for the gulls,
0:12:04 > 0:12:06it's a problem.
0:12:07 > 0:12:10So is she doing her job here? The skies are pretty clear now.
0:12:10 > 0:12:14Yeah, well, two minutes ago, there was loads of seagulls on that roof,
0:12:14 > 0:12:18now she's up there and they're all clearing off.
0:12:18 > 0:12:21- Where's she going now? - That's not good.
0:12:21 > 0:12:22She's away after something, look.
0:12:22 > 0:12:25- So she's gone into full-scale action mode.- Full-scale action.
0:12:25 > 0:12:27She's away over there after something.
0:12:27 > 0:12:29How are you going to get her back?
0:12:29 > 0:12:31We'll have to go out the gate to where she can see us
0:12:31 > 0:12:34and then, hopefully, if I put a bit of chicken up here,
0:12:34 > 0:12:35she'll come back.
0:12:35 > 0:12:39After a bit of searching, Terry has spotted Serena.
0:12:44 > 0:12:47OK, crisis averted, we think.
0:12:47 > 0:12:48TERRY WHISTLES
0:12:48 > 0:12:50Serena in the tree.
0:12:50 > 0:12:53Terry in the undergrowth. We'll see how we go.
0:12:56 > 0:12:57Drama over.
0:12:57 > 0:13:00- She's seen a squirrel from up there. - A squirrel?
0:13:00 > 0:13:01She's been away after the squirrel.
0:13:01 > 0:13:05- That was unnecessarily dramatic, wasn't it?- Yeah.
0:13:05 > 0:13:06Does that normally happen?
0:13:06 > 0:13:10If there's grey squirrels about, not that they're a nuisance,
0:13:10 > 0:13:11she'll go after them.
0:13:11 > 0:13:15'Now Serena has had her fun, it's the turn of Rosie,
0:13:15 > 0:13:17'the Lanner falcon.'
0:13:18 > 0:13:19TERRY WHISTLES
0:13:19 > 0:13:22There we go. There she's away. See the gulls all flying over there?
0:13:22 > 0:13:24She's on the lamppost up there now.
0:13:24 > 0:13:27Yeah, the other birds are starting to move again now.
0:13:27 > 0:13:29The other birds are all worried now, so they are.
0:13:29 > 0:13:32It really is a full-time pursuit, even as a hobby,
0:13:32 > 0:13:34but you've turned it into you job, as well.
0:13:34 > 0:13:37I've turned it into a full-time job.
0:13:37 > 0:13:39I work all sorts of hours now, so I do.
0:13:39 > 0:13:42When did the light bulb go off and did you come up with that idea?
0:13:42 > 0:13:48Oh, whenever the building business went bust,
0:13:48 > 0:13:55I had already started with my first Harris hawk, 20 years ago.
0:13:55 > 0:13:58I was doing it in the evenings after work,
0:13:58 > 0:14:00and then once the work went bust,
0:14:00 > 0:14:02I says, "I want to have a go at this full time."
0:14:02 > 0:14:05Well, everyone says, you know, if you can mix your hobby,
0:14:05 > 0:14:09or something you love, with work, that's ideal.
0:14:09 > 0:14:11- It is. That's perfect, so it is. - Livin' the dream!
0:14:11 > 0:14:14There's so many people think I have the best job in the world.
0:14:21 > 0:14:23Foraging is back in fashion
0:14:23 > 0:14:26and I'm here in County Tyrone to find out why
0:14:26 > 0:14:32this ancient art form of gathering food from nature is back on the menu.
0:14:37 > 0:14:41The ruins of the old Victorian manor dominate the estate here
0:14:41 > 0:14:44at Drum Manor Forest Park, just outside Cookstown.
0:14:46 > 0:14:48But it's not the house I'm interested in today.
0:14:48 > 0:14:51I'm here to join a foraging expedition
0:14:51 > 0:14:54to learn what plants and herbs are available to pick and eat.
0:14:57 > 0:15:00Dermot Hughes is our guide today and he's been running
0:15:00 > 0:15:04foraging events like this one for over ten years.
0:15:04 > 0:15:07At this time of the year we've got a wonderful climate for foraging
0:15:07 > 0:15:10because we have this damp weather and that's when everything
0:15:10 > 0:15:12is at its most delicious.
0:15:12 > 0:15:15This is definitely the best time of year for leafy things.
0:15:15 > 0:15:18We don't have to go far before Dermot has found something.
0:15:20 > 0:15:22It is actually the bane of a gardener's life.
0:15:22 > 0:15:25It's this stuff here called ground elder.
0:15:26 > 0:15:29It's a member of the carrot family
0:15:29 > 0:15:32and there's quite a lot of foragable plants in this carrot family.
0:15:32 > 0:15:35It's called ground elder because the leaves look like an elder tree.
0:15:35 > 0:15:38It was brought in by the Romans to Britain as a pot herb,
0:15:38 > 0:15:41so it's actually quite like celery.
0:15:41 > 0:15:42Taste a bit of that.
0:15:42 > 0:15:46It's actually quite good if you chop it up and have it in your salad.
0:15:46 > 0:15:50But, I might pick some of that and have it as my salsa verde, as well.
0:15:50 > 0:15:52It's actually quite strong.
0:15:52 > 0:15:53It is.
0:15:53 > 0:15:57And if you look at the stem of the leaf, it looks a bit like celery.
0:15:57 > 0:16:00- It does.- It's got that sort of groove on it, you know.
0:16:00 > 0:16:05There's a whole sea of nettles here and I did bring gloves,
0:16:05 > 0:16:06but I'll try and hold one up.
0:16:06 > 0:16:09If you grasp the nettle, you can see that you can hold it hard
0:16:09 > 0:16:11and it doesn't sting you.
0:16:11 > 0:16:14It's really the top bit of the nettle is what you want.
0:16:14 > 0:16:17So they're absolutely packed full of minerals and vitamins
0:16:17 > 0:16:19and all sorts of stuff.
0:16:19 > 0:16:22They have a really extensive root system so they hoover up
0:16:22 > 0:16:25all the nutrients and minerals from the soil
0:16:25 > 0:16:27and it all ends up in here.
0:16:27 > 0:16:32The way I tend to eat this would be to just make a light vegetable soup
0:16:32 > 0:16:35and throw these in at the end and call it nettle soup.
0:16:35 > 0:16:38And it's a lovely green colour.
0:16:39 > 0:16:42I'm more than happy to leave the nettles behind.
0:16:42 > 0:16:46Next up, Dermot has found some bitter cress.
0:16:46 > 0:16:48You will find this growing all year round
0:16:48 > 0:16:50so you can eat it all the times of the year,
0:16:50 > 0:16:52but obviously now it is doing well,
0:16:52 > 0:16:54it's spring and it's nice and tasty.
0:16:54 > 0:16:58But all you need is just a wee leaf like in that,
0:16:58 > 0:17:01have a taste and you can get this incredible
0:17:01 > 0:17:03sort of rocket-like flavour.
0:17:03 > 0:17:05Do you not need to give it a wash?
0:17:05 > 0:17:07It's been raining!
0:17:07 > 0:17:09Well, it has! Ha-ha!
0:17:09 > 0:17:10What better way to clean it, eh?
0:17:10 > 0:17:11Have a taste.
0:17:11 > 0:17:13- There's also a plant... - Wow!
0:17:13 > 0:17:15Yeah, isn't it...
0:17:15 > 0:17:17Isn't that such a lovely flavour?
0:17:17 > 0:17:20It's like a wee hit, you know? It just gets you after a while.
0:17:20 > 0:17:22You've such a good knowledge of all of this.
0:17:22 > 0:17:26Well, I've always been interested in plants and nature and everything.
0:17:26 > 0:17:30I remember the first time I looked at food for free
0:17:30 > 0:17:33and I was interested in things like sloe gin, you know?
0:17:33 > 0:17:36"Oh, sloe gin, free booze!", you know?
0:17:36 > 0:17:38I didn't realise you actually had to buy the gin!
0:17:38 > 0:17:40GROUP LAUGHS
0:17:42 > 0:17:45Well, thankfully, our guide is very knowledgeable.
0:17:45 > 0:17:49It's worth remembering, though, that not everything is safe to eat.
0:17:49 > 0:17:53I've just picked this plant here and I was looking for sorrel
0:17:53 > 0:17:55but I realised that this isn't sorrel.
0:17:55 > 0:17:59This is lords-and-ladies, which is actually a poisonous plant
0:17:59 > 0:18:02and it's a member of the lily family.
0:18:02 > 0:18:06It comes up and it has a lovely white flower
0:18:06 > 0:18:09and in the autumn it has red berries, which are poisonous.
0:18:09 > 0:18:13But actually, I think there is some sorrel here as well,
0:18:13 > 0:18:15and when you can see them together,
0:18:15 > 0:18:19you can see that they're actually quite different.
0:18:19 > 0:18:21The sorrel is sort of thinner.
0:18:21 > 0:18:23So this one here, which is the poisonous one,
0:18:23 > 0:18:27has these two large spines coming down, or points coming down,
0:18:27 > 0:18:28like this,
0:18:28 > 0:18:30whereas the sorrel has a narrower leaf
0:18:30 > 0:18:34and it has a little spike at the end of each bit at the bottom,
0:18:34 > 0:18:36so it's quite a distinctive shape.
0:18:36 > 0:18:39Do taste it, because it's a remarkable taste, you know.
0:18:43 > 0:18:46- It's good. - Oh, my goodness.
0:18:46 > 0:18:48- I have tasted it.- Yeah.
0:18:48 > 0:18:50Wow.
0:18:50 > 0:18:52But what is that like?
0:18:52 > 0:18:54It's very lemony, it's...
0:18:54 > 0:18:58It's really lemony, but it's...it's very tart.
0:19:00 > 0:19:03This is called ground ivy,
0:19:03 > 0:19:06and the leaves can be dried for a tea.
0:19:07 > 0:19:12I make a lot of home-made liqueurs, but particularly I love my nettles
0:19:12 > 0:19:14because of their nutritional value.
0:19:14 > 0:19:16And do you make soup with them?
0:19:16 > 0:19:19- Yeah, soup or meatloaf or anything. - Meatloaf!- Meatloaf.
0:19:19 > 0:19:21- With nettles? - Yeah.
0:19:21 > 0:19:24Yeah, I saute them in butter,
0:19:24 > 0:19:27and then you can mix it in with your breadcrumbs.
0:19:27 > 0:19:33- I have my own hens, so I put white eggs into it as well.- Right!
0:19:33 > 0:19:37And it's lovely. One wee slice is a complete feed.
0:19:37 > 0:19:38How did you get into foraging?
0:19:38 > 0:19:41When I was a child my mum and my aunt would have taken us
0:19:41 > 0:19:43foraging for blackberries, because my aunt's mother-in-law
0:19:43 > 0:19:45- would have made the tarts. - Right, yes.
0:19:45 > 0:19:46I always enjoyed that.
0:19:46 > 0:19:49But particularly, it's sort of getting away
0:19:49 > 0:19:51from the stresses of life.
0:19:51 > 0:19:53It's very good, you know, it's good for your heart
0:19:53 > 0:19:55and your head and everything.
0:19:55 > 0:19:57I certainly second that.
0:19:57 > 0:20:01And there's another benefit - eating!
0:20:01 > 0:20:03It's time to sample the goods.
0:20:05 > 0:20:08There's this dandelion, we didn't talk about dandelion on the walk,
0:20:08 > 0:20:10but that's a dandelion leaf.
0:20:10 > 0:20:12Very distinctive and it has the white sap
0:20:12 > 0:20:14and everything comes out of it.
0:20:14 > 0:20:17You don't want to have too much of that because it's quite bitter.
0:20:17 > 0:20:18We also have the sorrel.
0:20:18 > 0:20:21Then we have the ground elder,
0:20:21 > 0:20:26to give you a sort of celery-like little hit.
0:20:26 > 0:20:30And we've also some of the lovely bitter cress,
0:20:30 > 0:20:33it just gives that sort of rockety hit.
0:20:33 > 0:20:35The whole idea is to use stuff that's in season.
0:20:35 > 0:20:38Salt, some oil.
0:20:38 > 0:20:41- I've got some pepper.- Lovely.
0:20:41 > 0:20:43This is a man you want to have on a picnic, isn't it?
0:20:43 > 0:20:45There you are. And a bit of mustard.
0:20:47 > 0:20:51It just looks very attractive because it's just so green.
0:20:53 > 0:20:56- You can't be too delicate about these things, sure you can't?- No, no.
0:20:56 > 0:21:00- You've got to just plop it on and shove it in.- That's it.
0:21:00 > 0:21:02Bon appetit.
0:21:05 > 0:21:08It's when it gets stuck in your teeth, that's the scary bit.
0:21:08 > 0:21:09That's right, yeah!
0:21:09 > 0:21:11Just look in the mirror before you go home.
0:21:11 > 0:21:13Deee-licious!
0:21:18 > 0:21:21Strangford Lough is an important home to our seal population,
0:21:21 > 0:21:25but how much do we really know about them in their natural environment?
0:21:25 > 0:21:27In the first study of its kind,
0:21:27 > 0:21:30rescued seals being returned to the wild are being monitored
0:21:30 > 0:21:33in an attempt to find out more about their behaviour
0:21:33 > 0:21:36and I went along to give a hand.
0:21:39 > 0:21:42Strangford Lough is one of the most important breeding locations
0:21:42 > 0:21:45for seals across the British Isles,
0:21:45 > 0:21:48but sometimes these animals can get into difficulty
0:21:48 > 0:21:49and end up here,
0:21:49 > 0:21:52at Northern Ireland's only dedicated seal sanctuary.
0:21:53 > 0:21:56SEAL HOWLS
0:22:00 > 0:22:03Well, Victoria, not the quietest hospital ward I've ever been on!
0:22:03 > 0:22:04No, definitely not!
0:22:04 > 0:22:06The seals do have quite loud vocalisations
0:22:06 > 0:22:09and they know it's coming close to breakfast time,
0:22:09 > 0:22:11so that's what that noise is all about.
0:22:11 > 0:22:13Tell us about some of the different seals you have here today.
0:22:13 > 0:22:16Most of these seal have come to us through the recent pupping season,
0:22:16 > 0:22:18so throughout the sanctuary here
0:22:18 > 0:22:22we have mainly weaned grey seal pups, except one common seal.
0:22:22 > 0:22:24What's the difference?
0:22:24 > 0:22:26The main difference is the grey seals have a larger head,
0:22:26 > 0:22:29whereas if you have a look at the common seals their heads
0:22:29 > 0:22:31are a lot smaller and their nostrils are more of a V shape,
0:22:31 > 0:22:34whereas in the grey seals the nostrils are almost parallel.
0:22:34 > 0:22:37- They're the handsome ones, are they? - They're the good-looking ones, yeah!
0:22:37 > 0:22:40They come to us through the whole coast of Northern Ireland,
0:22:40 > 0:22:43so from County Down, up the North Coast right the way through,
0:22:43 > 0:22:45and we rehabilitate them here.
0:22:45 > 0:22:48These are our hospital pens, so whenever they're in this area,
0:22:48 > 0:22:52this is where they learn to feed independently for themselves
0:22:52 > 0:22:55and they start to put on the blubber weight that they need before we can
0:22:55 > 0:22:57release them back into the wild.
0:22:57 > 0:22:59They are very cute and I suppose the natural instinct
0:22:59 > 0:23:01is you want to pet them, but that is not a good idea.
0:23:01 > 0:23:03Definitely not a good idea!
0:23:03 > 0:23:06They're very beautiful animals, but again, they are wild.
0:23:06 > 0:23:08They do have a very nasty bite and they carry a range of diseases
0:23:08 > 0:23:12that we as humans can get as well, so you can end up with a pretty
0:23:12 > 0:23:16infected finger or hand if you do decide to give them a little pet,
0:23:16 > 0:23:18so definitely avoid it at every cost.
0:23:18 > 0:23:21And you've given them all names, so you've, I presume,
0:23:21 > 0:23:23different personalities across the ward here.
0:23:23 > 0:23:24They are indeed.
0:23:24 > 0:23:28Our theme this year is cakes and buns, so we've got Biscotti here,
0:23:28 > 0:23:30we've got Chocolate, Pannetone, Snowball
0:23:30 > 0:23:33and some of our arrivals were over Christmas,
0:23:33 > 0:23:34we have Mince Pie, as well.
0:23:34 > 0:23:38So there's a good range of personalities to match those names.
0:23:38 > 0:23:40Injuries from boats,
0:23:40 > 0:23:44respiratory problems and abandonment due to human interaction
0:23:44 > 0:23:47are among the main reasons seals end up here,
0:23:47 > 0:23:50where they're treated and taught to feed.
0:23:50 > 0:23:53Once they get around the 20kg mark and they're feeding
0:23:53 > 0:23:57independently and with confidence we move them outside so they start
0:23:57 > 0:23:59to learn some more wild behaviours.
0:23:59 > 0:24:01OK, so we're going to get them fed shortly?
0:24:01 > 0:24:03We're going to get them fed, get breakfast under way.
0:24:08 > 0:24:10So if you just put two in.
0:24:10 > 0:24:12There you go, right at the back.
0:24:16 > 0:24:20Snowball is nearly at the end of her stint in rehabilitation,
0:24:20 > 0:24:23so she'll be going back to the wild in the next few weeks.
0:24:23 > 0:24:24Snowball's your favourite.
0:24:24 > 0:24:26She is.
0:24:26 > 0:24:27This is the difficulty.
0:24:27 > 0:24:30You've rehabilitated them and they're your babies,
0:24:30 > 0:24:32but you've got to let them go. Is that tough?
0:24:32 > 0:24:35Yeah, it is tough, but it's beautiful to see them being released
0:24:35 > 0:24:38and that they've done so well and that they're going off to start
0:24:38 > 0:24:40their lives as healthy seals.
0:24:41 > 0:24:44After the seals have recovered in the hospital, they're moved
0:24:44 > 0:24:49outside to the pools to get them ready again for life in the wild.
0:24:50 > 0:24:55Now in its 30th year, Exploris is partnering with Queen's University
0:24:55 > 0:24:59to tag common seals in a first-of-its-kind study
0:24:59 > 0:25:00in the British Isles.
0:25:04 > 0:25:09And tell us about this little headgear that he's wearing.
0:25:09 > 0:25:11This telemetry tag, as we call it.
0:25:11 > 0:25:14This is basically going to relay data to us
0:25:14 > 0:25:18through the same system that your mobile phone uses, really.
0:25:18 > 0:25:20And this will tell us a little bit about where the animal is going
0:25:20 > 0:25:23and we'll also we will get some information on
0:25:23 > 0:25:27dive profiles of the animals, so how deep it is diving, for example.
0:25:27 > 0:25:29I'm not sure it's the most fashionable,
0:25:29 > 0:25:31but it's not causing them any harm, is it?
0:25:31 > 0:25:35No. I mean, of course these activities are licensed.
0:25:35 > 0:25:40We need several licences to do this work, and part of that licence
0:25:40 > 0:25:43is to observe the animal's behaviour for 24 hours minimum
0:25:43 > 0:25:45before we release it into the wild.
0:25:45 > 0:25:48So we've been doing that and, yeah, as you've noted,
0:25:48 > 0:25:50we've had the animal swimming in the pool.
0:25:50 > 0:25:55He's been feeding normally and, as you say, maybe not too fashionable,
0:25:55 > 0:25:58but he's not being bullied by the other seals as a result,
0:25:58 > 0:26:01so we're very happy with the way that the tag has gone on
0:26:01 > 0:26:04and the way that the animal has behaved.
0:26:04 > 0:26:06So in the past these animals were rehabilitated
0:26:06 > 0:26:09here and they were released and that was it, the knowledge stopped.
0:26:09 > 0:26:11Yeah. And I think that's quite common
0:26:11 > 0:26:13for rehabilitation programmes.
0:26:13 > 0:26:15Really, this is another step forward to maybe get a bit more
0:26:15 > 0:26:19of an interesting angle on learning a bit more about what happens
0:26:19 > 0:26:22to these seals when they're released back to sea.
0:26:22 > 0:26:24Will we get him out into the lough now and see how we go?
0:26:24 > 0:26:25Yeah, absolutely.
0:26:25 > 0:26:28Very excited to see what data we get from that.
0:26:38 > 0:26:40I still feel the urge to pet.
0:26:40 > 0:26:42Don't do that!
0:26:43 > 0:26:45She's got her head up here.
0:26:45 > 0:26:48- I think she wants to dive out of this, so shall we tip her out?- Yep.
0:26:48 > 0:26:50Off you go, girl.
0:26:54 > 0:26:57She came in to us underweight and dehydrated.
0:26:57 > 0:27:02Now she's fully healthy and ready to go back, so it's really nice to see.
0:27:02 > 0:27:05But it's going to be a fast learning curve, isn't it,
0:27:05 > 0:27:06out there in the wild?
0:27:06 > 0:27:07Yes, very much.
0:27:07 > 0:27:10Obviously she's feeding very competitively and independently
0:27:10 > 0:27:13on her own and she has a really good blubber layer,
0:27:13 > 0:27:17so that should see her through until she starts finding food sources
0:27:17 > 0:27:20and trying out different types of prey.
0:27:20 > 0:27:24Once they go now, how they integrate with the natural seal populations
0:27:24 > 0:27:28remains relatively unknown, and again how we can feed
0:27:28 > 0:27:31that information back into our rehabilitation process
0:27:31 > 0:27:35is really important for us as well, to improve the facility.
0:27:35 > 0:27:38That's her now. She's blending into the seaweed beautifully there.
0:27:38 > 0:27:40Very much so, yeah.
0:27:40 > 0:27:43- Apart from, of course, that tag in the middle of her back.- Yeah!
0:27:46 > 0:27:48Good work, Gaz!
0:27:48 > 0:27:50Yeah, it was a great day out and since we've been filming,
0:27:50 > 0:27:52they've found some really useful information
0:27:52 > 0:27:55- about the seals' behaviour. So all good!- Well done.
0:27:55 > 0:27:57Well, that's it for this episode of Home Ground.
0:27:57 > 0:27:59We're back at the same time next week.
0:27:59 > 0:28:01We'll see you then.