0:00:02 > 0:00:03Across the UK, days are warmer...
0:00:05 > 0:00:07..brighter...
0:00:07 > 0:00:08and longer.
0:00:08 > 0:00:10In the countryside,
0:00:10 > 0:00:12the air is filled with birdsong,
0:00:12 > 0:00:14and the scent of flowers.
0:00:14 > 0:00:16Spring has sprung.
0:00:17 > 0:00:20It's the time of year when nature...
0:00:20 > 0:00:21wakes up.
0:00:23 > 0:00:26And there are new beginnings everywhere you look.
0:00:28 > 0:00:31It's a time to plant and sow.
0:00:34 > 0:00:36And to get out and enjoy everything...
0:00:37 > 0:00:39..our wonderful countryside has to offer.
0:00:41 > 0:00:45All week, we're travelling the length and breadth of the UK.
0:00:45 > 0:00:48We are going to be growing some marrows, aren't we?
0:00:48 > 0:00:49- We are.- Super, super sized ones.
0:00:52 > 0:00:56Bringing the very best seasonal stories that matter to you.
0:00:56 > 0:00:58This kind of project is really a springboard
0:00:58 > 0:01:01to a new style of life for older people.
0:01:04 > 0:01:07A very warm welcome to the most joyous of seasons.
0:01:07 > 0:01:10This is Countryfile Spring Diaries.
0:01:16 > 0:01:17In today's show...
0:01:17 > 0:01:20Keeley discovers how we can all chip in
0:01:20 > 0:01:23to maintain vital mountain shelters.
0:01:23 > 0:01:25It's a refuge that has saved lives in the past.
0:01:29 > 0:01:31Joe Crowley is getting under the skin of
0:01:31 > 0:01:33one of our most popular spring veggies.
0:01:34 > 0:01:37I don't like to call myself a fortune teller because I'm not.
0:01:37 > 0:01:39I make predictions on
0:01:39 > 0:01:41showbiz personalities, royalty...
0:01:44 > 0:01:46And I'll be getting some expert advice
0:01:46 > 0:01:49on how you can guarantee a bumper crop of fruit
0:01:49 > 0:01:50from your trees this year.
0:01:52 > 0:01:54At this time of year, when the trees are active,
0:01:54 > 0:01:56the roots are really, really fragile.
0:02:05 > 0:02:08We're celebrating the freshness of spring, here,
0:02:08 > 0:02:10in glorious Devon.
0:02:10 > 0:02:12Now, surveys show that Devonshire people
0:02:12 > 0:02:14are amongst the most contented in the country,
0:02:14 > 0:02:16and it's easy to see why.
0:02:20 > 0:02:22In Devon's pretty villages,
0:02:22 > 0:02:24you feel as though you've stepped back in time.
0:02:25 > 0:02:27But for all its charms,
0:02:27 > 0:02:29this is still a farming county,
0:02:29 > 0:02:33with over 10,000 people employed in agriculture here.
0:02:37 > 0:02:39Spring is of course a very busy time on the land
0:02:39 > 0:02:44with crops to plant, and newborn animals to care for.
0:02:44 > 0:02:46And there are now more women than men
0:02:46 > 0:02:49signing on for courses at agricultural colleges.
0:02:49 > 0:02:52And Margherita has been digging into our past,
0:02:52 > 0:02:55to discover whether these farmers of the future
0:02:55 > 0:02:58have lessons to learn from a previous generation.
0:03:01 > 0:03:07World War I, a conflict that took three million men away to fight...
0:03:08 > 0:03:12..while, at home, farms struggled to feed the nation.
0:03:12 > 0:03:15Into the breach stepped the British Women's Land Army,
0:03:15 > 0:03:19formed 100 years ago, in 1917.
0:03:21 > 0:03:24Members of the Women's Land Army became known as Land Girls,
0:03:24 > 0:03:29and, through their sheer hard graft, got the country farming again.
0:03:32 > 0:03:34When war broke out again in 1939,
0:03:34 > 0:03:37the ladies marched to the fields once more.
0:03:37 > 0:03:39Amongst the 80,000 who joined up
0:03:39 > 0:03:42was one of Britain's last remaining Land Girls,
0:03:42 > 0:03:4593-year-old Elizabeth Henderson.
0:03:47 > 0:03:50Why did you become a Land Girl? Did you volunteer, or were you...?
0:03:50 > 0:03:52Oh, no, you had to.
0:03:53 > 0:03:57Everybody... You either had to go into one of the services,
0:03:57 > 0:04:00- or go in the Land Army. - And why did you pick the Land Army?
0:04:00 > 0:04:02Well, I just...
0:04:02 > 0:04:04I'd always worked with animals.
0:04:04 > 0:04:08During the war, Elizabeth read an inspirational bestseller
0:04:08 > 0:04:10on life in agriculture -
0:04:10 > 0:04:13The Farming Ladder, by Cotswold landowner George Henderson.
0:04:14 > 0:04:16I couldn't put it down.
0:04:16 > 0:04:18I thought, this is marvellous.
0:04:18 > 0:04:20So I wrote off straight to George and said,
0:04:20 > 0:04:24"I'd like to come and work as a... a pupil on your farm."
0:04:25 > 0:04:27And he wrote back and said,
0:04:27 > 0:04:31"We like lady students but we've nowhere to accommodate them."
0:04:32 > 0:04:35So I wrote back and said, "Oh, that's no trouble.
0:04:35 > 0:04:39"The Land Army's got a hostel just up the road. I'll stay there."
0:04:39 > 0:04:42Elizabeth was just 18 when she wrote that letter.
0:04:42 > 0:04:45Little did she know that it would change her life
0:04:45 > 0:04:46in more ways than one.
0:04:46 > 0:04:50So, your love of the land introduced you to the love of your life.
0:04:50 > 0:04:52Yes, that's right.
0:04:52 > 0:04:53Was it love at first sight?
0:04:53 > 0:04:54No, no, no.
0:04:54 > 0:04:57I came up in the January...
0:04:58 > 0:05:02..and we didn't get engaged 'til the July.
0:05:03 > 0:05:08Then we got married on November 19th, 1944.
0:05:08 > 0:05:12So while this romance is bubbling away and beginning between you
0:05:12 > 0:05:16and George, you're still a Land Girl, working the farm?
0:05:16 > 0:05:17Yes, that's right.
0:05:17 > 0:05:19Did you feel proud, being a Land Girl,
0:05:19 > 0:05:20feeding the nation during the war?
0:05:20 > 0:05:22Don't think we thought about it, actually.
0:05:22 > 0:05:23THEY CHUCKLE
0:05:23 > 0:05:26- Just got on with it? - It was a job we wanted to do.
0:05:26 > 0:05:28We just took it as part of life.
0:05:31 > 0:05:34And there's no doubt that it was a hard life.
0:05:34 > 0:05:37To give Elizabeth a flavour of how times have changed,
0:05:37 > 0:05:41we're taking her to meet a group of modern-day Land Girls,
0:05:41 > 0:05:44female students at the Royal Agricultural University
0:05:44 > 0:05:45in Gloucestershire.
0:05:46 > 0:05:48I love your machine!
0:05:48 > 0:05:51Well, it's a robo crop precision guidance system.
0:05:51 > 0:05:53So the tractor's here,
0:05:53 > 0:05:57and then the hydraulics will shunt this whole back bit
0:05:57 > 0:05:58backwards and forwards,
0:05:58 > 0:06:01and make sure that the hoes go directly through the rows
0:06:01 > 0:06:03and pull out all of the weeds.
0:06:03 > 0:06:05It's really clever, isn't it? It's got this camera here
0:06:05 > 0:06:08so it takes a picture of the whole width.
0:06:08 > 0:06:10- So it knows it's in between the rows.- Oh!
0:06:10 > 0:06:11That's very clever.
0:06:11 > 0:06:13So you don't accidentally take out your crop as well.
0:06:13 > 0:06:15Yes. So you don't have to hoe any more?
0:06:15 > 0:06:16ALL: No.
0:06:16 > 0:06:17CHUCKLING
0:06:17 > 0:06:19It's making everything a lot quicker.
0:06:19 > 0:06:21Hoeing was the bane of our lives.
0:06:22 > 0:06:25With hi-tech equipment now standard on modern farms,
0:06:25 > 0:06:28it seems unlikely that these students will share
0:06:28 > 0:06:30Elizabeth's lifelong dread of hoeing.
0:06:30 > 0:06:34But what exactly is attracting women here in such great numbers?
0:06:34 > 0:06:38Dr Nicola Cannon is the university's principal lecturer
0:06:38 > 0:06:39in agronomy.
0:06:39 > 0:06:41Why do you think the change has happened so recently,
0:06:41 > 0:06:44that so many more women are coming through?
0:06:44 > 0:06:47I think there's lots of skills that lend themselves to women.
0:06:47 > 0:06:50And also it's not about brawn and muscle so much any more.
0:06:50 > 0:06:55It's not about humping bales and sacks of fertiliser about.
0:06:55 > 0:06:59There's machinery which you don't need muscle to drive this machinery.
0:06:59 > 0:07:01The young women that are coming to study here,
0:07:01 > 0:07:05what is getting them excited about getting into farming right now?
0:07:05 > 0:07:07Once you study in agriculture,
0:07:07 > 0:07:09you can go from livestock to crops,
0:07:09 > 0:07:13to research, technology, management, marketing...
0:07:13 > 0:07:15The world's your oyster.
0:07:17 > 0:07:20And it's a global industry that's changing almost daily.
0:07:20 > 0:07:23Before we go, the students want to show Elizabeth
0:07:23 > 0:07:26a piece of equipment that's now virtually indispensable
0:07:26 > 0:07:27to the modern farmer.
0:07:29 > 0:07:31So, this is one of the drones,
0:07:31 > 0:07:35and it's used to look at the variability within crops
0:07:35 > 0:07:37and this is just going to help us ascertain
0:07:37 > 0:07:40sort of health of the field.
0:07:40 > 0:07:41You can cover so much more land
0:07:41 > 0:07:43than if you were just walking it yourself.
0:07:43 > 0:07:46And you can look at the differences within patches of the field,
0:07:46 > 0:07:48so you can compare soil type,
0:07:48 > 0:07:51and in some cases, application of nitrogen,
0:07:51 > 0:07:53so it really helps with precision.
0:07:53 > 0:07:55Would that have come in handy?
0:07:55 > 0:07:57I don't know.
0:07:57 > 0:07:58LAUGHTER
0:07:58 > 0:07:59Would you like to see it in action?
0:07:59 > 0:08:01- I would.- OK!
0:08:04 > 0:08:09Drones cost anything from a few hundred to several thousand pounds,
0:08:09 > 0:08:12and are likely to become an increasingly useful tool
0:08:12 > 0:08:15for farmers across the UK.
0:08:15 > 0:08:17New innovations like driverless tractors
0:08:17 > 0:08:20are also very much on the horizon.
0:08:20 > 0:08:24It's all a far cry from Elizabeth's Land Girl days.
0:08:29 > 0:08:31CHEERING ELIZABETH CHUCKLES
0:08:32 > 0:08:35So, Elizabeth, what do you think of the drone?
0:08:35 > 0:08:39I thought it was very clever and I thought it could help you a lot.
0:08:40 > 0:08:43You could see just how your crops were doing.
0:08:43 > 0:08:45That would be a great help.
0:08:45 > 0:08:47And do you like the look of this future technology
0:08:47 > 0:08:48that we've seen today,
0:08:48 > 0:08:51and the future for these young Land Girls?
0:08:51 > 0:08:52I think it's very good.
0:08:52 > 0:08:54Yes, because everything...
0:08:55 > 0:08:59..just requires sort of brain work rather than brawn.
0:08:59 > 0:09:02And girls have just as much of that as boys.
0:09:02 > 0:09:03LAUGHTER
0:09:03 > 0:09:04Hear, hear.
0:09:05 > 0:09:08What a truly remarkable lady.
0:09:11 > 0:09:14Now, the warmer weather heralds the arrival into our shops
0:09:14 > 0:09:19and supermarkets of fresh British-grown spring produce.
0:09:19 > 0:09:21But little known to the rest of the world,
0:09:21 > 0:09:23there is one quiet corner of England
0:09:23 > 0:09:26where one of our favourite vegetables has
0:09:26 > 0:09:28an almost cult-like following.
0:09:28 > 0:09:30Joe Crowley tells us more.
0:09:32 > 0:09:34Now, I love this stuff.
0:09:34 > 0:09:36Definitely one of my favourite veggies.
0:09:36 > 0:09:39There's a whole group of folk who go absolutely mad for it.
0:09:39 > 0:09:41Quite literally.
0:09:41 > 0:09:44Experts in such matters predict that we'll eat
0:09:44 > 0:09:47340 million asparagus spears in Britain this year.
0:09:47 > 0:09:52And the market for it is estimated at a massive £30 million.
0:09:53 > 0:09:56The Vale of Evesham is the heart of British asparagus growing,
0:09:56 > 0:10:00and every St George's Day, they hold a festival to celebrate it.
0:10:01 > 0:10:03Complete with Morris dancers, brass bands,
0:10:03 > 0:10:05and an awful lot of people dressed in green.
0:10:07 > 0:10:10The Fleece Inn is the nerve centre of the festival,
0:10:10 > 0:10:13and it's also the start of the Great Asparagus Run.
0:10:15 > 0:10:19I'm hitching a ride with classic car enthusiast Dave Shaw,
0:10:19 > 0:10:21who's joining his pals to drive in convoy
0:10:21 > 0:10:23through the Worcestershire countryside,
0:10:23 > 0:10:26with a giant ceremonial bunch of asparagus.
0:10:26 > 0:10:27As you do.
0:10:27 > 0:10:29What a sight this is.
0:10:29 > 0:10:31You don't see people in Kent dressed up as giant strawberries
0:10:31 > 0:10:33driving around the country, do you?
0:10:33 > 0:10:34DAVE CHUCKLES
0:10:34 > 0:10:37No, you don't. But it is a special event round here.
0:10:37 > 0:10:42Evesham asparagus is a fantastic product we all enjoy.
0:10:42 > 0:10:44So, what is the Asparagus Run?
0:10:44 > 0:10:47Well, every year, we take the first cut asparagus
0:10:47 > 0:10:49from the Vale of Evesham, 100 pieces of asparagus,
0:10:49 > 0:10:53on a special plate, go to the Cathedral in Worcester,
0:10:53 > 0:10:57and included in the service will be a blessing of the asparagus
0:10:57 > 0:10:59- from the Vale of Evesham.- I love it.
0:11:00 > 0:11:02While Dave's off to the Cathedral,
0:11:02 > 0:11:05I'm taking a pit stop to meet asparagus grower Darren Hedges
0:11:05 > 0:11:09to get the lowdown on how to grow this awesome vegetable.
0:11:10 > 0:11:12So, no leaves...
0:11:12 > 0:11:14- No.- Nothing bushy at all.
0:11:14 > 0:11:16It's just literally the spears that come through the ground.
0:11:16 > 0:11:19Literally, yeah. So you've got the crown underneath the ground.
0:11:19 > 0:11:21which is where it's growing from.
0:11:21 > 0:11:24It's a bit similar to the rhubarb crown and things like that.
0:11:24 > 0:11:26It's part of the lily family.
0:11:26 > 0:11:27Everything's growing upwards.
0:11:27 > 0:11:28It's not growing outwards.
0:11:28 > 0:11:30It's literally growing upwards.
0:11:30 > 0:11:32This has been in this field for about eight years.
0:11:32 > 0:11:34And how quickly does it grow?
0:11:34 > 0:11:35So over the course of a day,
0:11:35 > 0:11:37you'll probably find that this one
0:11:37 > 0:11:39will grow to that sort of length
0:11:39 > 0:11:40by this time tomorrow.
0:11:40 > 0:11:41- What?!- So you could...
0:11:41 > 0:11:42It's one of those crops,
0:11:42 > 0:11:44you could sit, on a hot day,
0:11:44 > 0:11:45sit and watch it grow.
0:11:45 > 0:11:47That's incredible.
0:11:47 > 0:11:48And everything's cut by hand.
0:11:48 > 0:11:50Everything in this country's cut by hand.
0:11:50 > 0:11:53Why is this area so good for asparagus?
0:11:53 > 0:11:56We're quite fortunate here because we've got perfect soil conditions,
0:11:56 > 0:11:59really good drainage as well, we've got good light conditions,
0:11:59 > 0:12:01just absolutely perfect for growing asparagus.
0:12:01 > 0:12:04So, all that's left is for me to have a go at cutting a bit.
0:12:04 > 0:12:06There you go. Cut away.
0:12:06 > 0:12:07OK.
0:12:07 > 0:12:09- Just underneath... - Just underneath, that's it.
0:12:14 > 0:12:15That's great.
0:12:15 > 0:12:16It's really good, actually!
0:12:18 > 0:12:19Wow!
0:12:19 > 0:12:22Well, it tastes gorgeous straight from the ground
0:12:22 > 0:12:24but I'm still not convinced
0:12:24 > 0:12:27asparagus warrants a daylong celebration in its honour.
0:12:27 > 0:12:30Perhaps Angela Tidmarsh can set me straight.
0:12:30 > 0:12:33She's co-founder of the festival here in the Vale of Evesham.
0:12:35 > 0:12:38Angela, why is everyone here so nuts about asparagus?
0:12:38 > 0:12:41Because asparagus is so important to the Vale of Evesham.
0:12:41 > 0:12:44Horticulture for the Vale of Evesham and in Worcestershire
0:12:44 > 0:12:47is essential, really, and has been for centuries.
0:12:47 > 0:12:50For me, it's one of those vegetables that says spring is here.
0:12:50 > 0:12:52People want to eat it when it's in season.
0:12:52 > 0:12:55Absolutely. I think it's the caviar of all vegetables.
0:12:55 > 0:12:58We started the asparagus season on St George's Day
0:12:58 > 0:13:00because that is the actual physical start
0:13:00 > 0:13:02of the English asparagus growing season.
0:13:02 > 0:13:04And that season really only runs through,
0:13:04 > 0:13:07as far as we here in the Vale of Evesham are concerned,
0:13:07 > 0:13:09to mid-summer's day, which is the 21st June.
0:13:09 > 0:13:11How would you cook it? What would you do?
0:13:11 > 0:13:13- Griddle it.- You'd griddle it?
0:13:13 > 0:13:14- Yeah.- Oh!
0:13:14 > 0:13:17Sounds delicious. I wonder how other folk like it.
0:13:18 > 0:13:21Simply boiled. Not too overcooked,
0:13:21 > 0:13:24with a knob of butter, brown bread, just the job.
0:13:24 > 0:13:26Anything with it? Are you a purist? Do you like it on its own?
0:13:26 > 0:13:28I like it on its own, but we do eat it with fish.
0:13:28 > 0:13:31I keep hearing fish mentioned today. A bit of salmon or something?
0:13:31 > 0:13:33- GROANING - No? No!
0:13:33 > 0:13:35Morris dancers don't eat fish.
0:13:35 > 0:13:36There we go!
0:13:36 > 0:13:39The area has become so renowned for this tasty veg
0:13:39 > 0:13:42that its asparagus has even been awarded
0:13:42 > 0:13:44European protected food name status.
0:13:45 > 0:13:48It's now like Champagne or Roquefort,
0:13:48 > 0:13:50in that to be called Vale of Evesham asparagus,
0:13:50 > 0:13:52it must be grown round here.
0:13:54 > 0:13:56With the festival in full flow,
0:13:56 > 0:13:59I'm keen to have an earnest chat with Jemima Packington.
0:14:01 > 0:14:02This is very interesting.
0:14:02 > 0:14:04It looks like you thrive on chaos.
0:14:04 > 0:14:06She reckons she can predict the future
0:14:06 > 0:14:09using nothing more than a handful of asparagus.
0:14:10 > 0:14:13Now, I've been told you're an asparamancer?
0:14:13 > 0:14:15- Yes.- I don't know what that is.
0:14:15 > 0:14:17Well, I'm the world's only asparamancer,
0:14:17 > 0:14:21which means I use asparagus to make predictions.
0:14:21 > 0:14:25- Right.- I don't like to call myself a fortune teller, because I'm not.
0:14:25 > 0:14:27But I make a predictions on politics,
0:14:27 > 0:14:29showbiz personalities, royalty...
0:14:29 > 0:14:31What sort of things have you been able to predict?
0:14:31 > 0:14:33- I predicted Brexit. - Did you?!
0:14:33 > 0:14:37I predicted the Brangelina split.
0:14:37 > 0:14:42- Right.- I've predicted royal births, I've predicted royal weddings.
0:14:42 > 0:14:43How? How does this work?
0:14:43 > 0:14:45It's quite simple.
0:14:45 > 0:14:48The asparagus is cast by the person I'm doing a reading for.
0:14:48 > 0:14:51And their energy is passed through
0:14:51 > 0:14:54to these wonderful robust vegetables.
0:14:54 > 0:14:56OK, so how do we do this?
0:14:56 > 0:14:59Right, well, I will hand you this round of asparagus.
0:14:59 > 0:15:01I will ask you to cast it onto the table.
0:15:03 > 0:15:05Now, that's very, very, very interesting.
0:15:06 > 0:15:08It does look...
0:15:08 > 0:15:11Sometimes you might get distracted quite easily.
0:15:11 > 0:15:14Sometimes I think you need to...focus more.
0:15:14 > 0:15:15Focus a little bit more.
0:15:15 > 0:15:18- Focus a little bit more. - You sound a bit like my wife, now.
0:15:18 > 0:15:20Now, this is very interesting here,
0:15:20 > 0:15:22because this suggests that there is a colleague
0:15:22 > 0:15:25or a family member possibly moving away.
0:15:25 > 0:15:26- Really?- Yeah.
0:15:26 > 0:15:29So this could be my little sister...
0:15:29 > 0:15:32who is going to Boston to do an MBA in the autumn.
0:15:32 > 0:15:33She's going abroad for two years.
0:15:33 > 0:15:35Yeah. That's what that is.
0:15:35 > 0:15:37- This is my immediate future.- Yes.
0:15:37 > 0:15:38What about a few other things?
0:15:38 > 0:15:41Do we know who's going to win Wimbledon this year?
0:15:41 > 0:15:44Well, do we see an M anywhere around there?
0:15:45 > 0:15:49- No.- No.- So I would suggest that it's not Murray.- Oh!
0:15:49 > 0:15:50Andy, I'm so sorry.
0:15:50 > 0:15:52- I know.- Heard it here first.- I know.
0:15:52 > 0:15:55I'm not sure we should risk our hard-earned cash
0:15:55 > 0:15:58placing a bet on the say-so of asparagus.
0:15:58 > 0:16:02But I am certain that I'm growing to love this subtle-flavoured vegetable
0:16:02 > 0:16:03even more than before.
0:16:04 > 0:16:07Well, I thought I was fond of asparagus,
0:16:07 > 0:16:08until today.
0:16:08 > 0:16:11I don't think I'll ever love it as much as this lot.
0:16:16 > 0:16:22Exmoor National Park stretches for almost 270 square miles,
0:16:22 > 0:16:25across North Devon and Somerset.
0:16:25 > 0:16:27More than a tenth of the park is forested,
0:16:27 > 0:16:30including ancient woodlands
0:16:30 > 0:16:33that took root here more than 500 years ago.
0:16:33 > 0:16:36But we're losing our fruit trees at an alarming rate,
0:16:36 > 0:16:37right across the countryside.
0:16:37 > 0:16:41Two thirds of all orchard areas have disappeared since 1950.
0:16:43 > 0:16:45Now, if you're lucky enough to have a fruit tree in your garden,
0:16:45 > 0:16:48you might be wondering how best to preserve it for the future.
0:16:48 > 0:16:51Well, Paul has been to Worcestershire to find out.
0:16:54 > 0:16:58If, like me, being surrounded by all of this stunning fruit blossom
0:16:58 > 0:17:00fills you with excitement,
0:17:00 > 0:17:03then learning to care for your very own crop
0:17:03 > 0:17:04is a spring essential.
0:17:07 > 0:17:09Last year, I showed you how to graft
0:17:09 > 0:17:11the roots from standard varieties
0:17:11 > 0:17:15of fruit trees with root cuttings from Heritage stock.
0:17:16 > 0:17:18I was guided by Megan Gimber,
0:17:18 > 0:17:19key habitats officer from
0:17:19 > 0:17:22the People's Trust For Endangered Species.
0:17:24 > 0:17:27A year on, and my trees are ready to be planted.
0:17:28 > 0:17:32So, to guarantee my fruit trees end up as healthy as these,
0:17:32 > 0:17:35I've come to Megan's backyard to find out what I need to do next.
0:17:36 > 0:17:40Megan helps to run an orchard of almost ten acres
0:17:40 > 0:17:43in Pershore, near Worcester.
0:17:43 > 0:17:45I want to know how we can get the best out of our fruit trees.
0:17:45 > 0:17:48You know, maximise the harvest in a way.
0:17:48 > 0:17:51There are some things that you can do to give them better quality
0:17:51 > 0:17:55and bigger fruit. So now really this starts when you plant the tree.
0:17:55 > 0:17:58So you need to do what we call formation pruning...
0:17:58 > 0:18:00- Right.- ..for the course of about ten years.
0:18:00 > 0:18:02And it's just a little snip here and there.
0:18:02 > 0:18:05And what you're trying to do really is just to create
0:18:05 > 0:18:07a good shape of tree.
0:18:07 > 0:18:11So you want wide-angle branches, and you want them well spaced out,
0:18:11 > 0:18:13to get as much light on the fruit,
0:18:13 > 0:18:16and as much air circulating round the tree as possible.
0:18:16 > 0:18:18So, looking at this one we're under now,
0:18:18 > 0:18:19it's just come into blossom.
0:18:19 > 0:18:22It's got the right kind of crown, the right kind of height?
0:18:22 > 0:18:23Yes. For the first few years,
0:18:23 > 0:18:27you don't really want it to fruit at all cos any fruit that you'll grow
0:18:27 > 0:18:31on the young sort of sappy new growth will warp the branches.
0:18:31 > 0:18:34And really you want the energy that it would be putting into fruit
0:18:34 > 0:18:35to go into growing the tree.
0:18:35 > 0:18:37Exactly. So, take off all the side shoots
0:18:37 > 0:18:39to a height you're happy with.
0:18:39 > 0:18:41So you don't get one in the face when you're mowing the lawn?
0:18:41 > 0:18:44- Yeah?- Absolutely.- And also pick all the fruit off quickly,
0:18:44 > 0:18:46so that the goodness stays in the tree itself.
0:18:46 > 0:18:49Yeah, so that energy goes into making tree, rather than fruit,
0:18:49 > 0:18:51for the first couple of years.
0:18:51 > 0:18:52For the first few years it's like...
0:18:52 > 0:18:54you've just got to be patient!
0:18:54 > 0:18:56And it's not just us who benefit,
0:18:56 > 0:18:59because traditional orchards can be left to grow
0:18:59 > 0:19:00relatively undisturbed.
0:19:00 > 0:19:03They're a great habitat for wildlife.
0:19:03 > 0:19:06In spring, the blossom is an important source of nectar
0:19:06 > 0:19:08for pollinators like bees,
0:19:08 > 0:19:11and in autumn the fruit attracts swarms of insects,
0:19:11 > 0:19:14which in turn are food for birds.
0:19:14 > 0:19:17And you don't need to own an orchard to enjoy
0:19:17 > 0:19:19all that wonderful wildlife.
0:19:19 > 0:19:20Up and down the country,
0:19:20 > 0:19:22you've got these things called community orchards
0:19:22 > 0:19:24which are run by community groups,
0:19:24 > 0:19:26and you can get involved with them.
0:19:26 > 0:19:27All you have to do is
0:19:27 > 0:19:30go on the People's Trust For Endangered Species website,
0:19:30 > 0:19:31type in your postcode,
0:19:31 > 0:19:34and you can search for your nearest community orchard.
0:19:34 > 0:19:37- How many are there?- We've got about 600 on the map at the moment.
0:19:37 > 0:19:39Hopefully there's one near you somewhere.
0:19:39 > 0:19:41- Hopefully, there'll be one near you...- Brilliant!
0:19:41 > 0:19:43..that you can get involved with.
0:19:43 > 0:19:45There's often pruning courses and grafting,
0:19:45 > 0:19:47and there'll be a lot of work to do in the winter
0:19:47 > 0:19:48- as well as in the summer. - Course there is.
0:19:48 > 0:19:51- And then of course, picking fruit. - Sounds absolutely fabulous.
0:19:51 > 0:19:53Something to do all year round. Visit an orchard.
0:19:53 > 0:19:55Well, look, let's get back to my place,
0:19:55 > 0:19:58and plant up the trees we grafted last year, shall we?
0:19:58 > 0:20:00Create my orchard. Let's bring it on.
0:20:01 > 0:20:04After finding out just how important these trees are,
0:20:04 > 0:20:06I can't wait to get started.
0:20:08 > 0:20:11Well, here we are, look, Megan, they have all survived,
0:20:11 > 0:20:12bar one.
0:20:12 > 0:20:15The cat jumped out of the window and landed right on the grafting.
0:20:15 > 0:20:19Oh, no. I reckon we could probably plant this one,
0:20:19 > 0:20:22- this one, and that Dredge's Fame over there.- OK.
0:20:22 > 0:20:24After selecting the cuttings for planting,
0:20:24 > 0:20:27Megan gives each one a good water.
0:20:28 > 0:20:31At this time of year when the trees are active,
0:20:31 > 0:20:33the roots are really, really fragile.
0:20:33 > 0:20:36So the most we can do to stop damaging the roots
0:20:36 > 0:20:38- when we plant them, the better.- OK.
0:20:38 > 0:20:40And watering really helps.
0:20:40 > 0:20:42And then we set off for the site.
0:20:42 > 0:20:45A sunny, sheltered spot where we've planted our other fruit trees.
0:20:47 > 0:20:50First, dig a hole about twice the width of the pot.
0:20:50 > 0:20:54The next thing we need to do is we need to remove some of the grass,
0:20:54 > 0:20:55some of the competition.
0:20:56 > 0:20:59- Turn that upside down. - Turn that upside down.
0:21:00 > 0:21:03- Right, do you want to do the honours?- Absolutely.
0:21:03 > 0:21:06'Take care to remove the sapling gently,
0:21:06 > 0:21:07'keeping the roots intact.'
0:21:07 > 0:21:09Got it? Oh, well done. Look at that. All in one.
0:21:15 > 0:21:16That's the topsoil on.
0:21:18 > 0:21:20Then add plenty of mulch.
0:21:24 > 0:21:27Finally, and vitally important, the rabbit protector.
0:21:27 > 0:21:29That's a job well done.
0:21:29 > 0:21:30It's a good start, isn't it?
0:21:30 > 0:21:32It's a good start, yeah.
0:21:32 > 0:21:34Just keep it well watered through the summer
0:21:34 > 0:21:35and they should grow nice and strong.
0:21:35 > 0:21:37And you just need to think about formation pruning,
0:21:37 > 0:21:40- like we talked about earlier, in the winter.- In the winter.
0:21:47 > 0:21:48Well, I'm so pleased.
0:21:48 > 0:21:50My fruit trees are now in the ground.
0:21:50 > 0:21:53And it's a great relief to know they have been given
0:21:53 > 0:21:54the best possible start.
0:21:54 > 0:21:57And as you've just seen, it was so easy.
0:21:57 > 0:22:00My family are going to enjoy watching this orchard grow,
0:22:00 > 0:22:02and I know the wildlife will, too.
0:22:07 > 0:22:08BIRDS TWITTERING
0:22:10 > 0:22:14Well, if fruit blossom is one of the most beautiful sights of spring,
0:22:14 > 0:22:19surely the most joyous sound of the season is the dawn chorus,
0:22:19 > 0:22:21when birds sing their hearts out,
0:22:21 > 0:22:24either to attract a mate, or defend their territory.
0:22:25 > 0:22:27But as Steve Brown has been hearing,
0:22:27 > 0:22:30there's more to their tuneful calls than meets the ear.
0:22:31 > 0:22:35- RADIO PRESENTER:- This week Charlotte Leslie has dropped by for a chat.
0:22:35 > 0:22:39And today it's your turn at last to, you know, grasp...
0:22:39 > 0:22:41One or two in there that...
0:22:42 > 0:22:45Accents. Experts can't agree on the exact number,
0:22:45 > 0:22:47but we're certainly not short of them,
0:22:47 > 0:22:50here in Britain. You only have to go ten miles up the road,
0:22:50 > 0:22:52and you'll hear someone that sounds
0:22:52 > 0:22:53completely different.
0:22:53 > 0:22:54"Ee bah gum."
0:22:54 > 0:22:55"Alreet, pet?"
0:22:55 > 0:22:57Well, maybe I should stick to my Kent accent, eh?
0:22:57 > 0:23:00But it turns out we're not the only ones to have accents.
0:23:00 > 0:23:02A lot of our wildlife has them, too.
0:23:03 > 0:23:05With their gorgeous plumage,
0:23:05 > 0:23:08yellowhammers are one of the loveliest British birds.
0:23:08 > 0:23:11For me, their distinctive call is a sure sign that spring is here.
0:23:12 > 0:23:15But according to Cambridgeshire-based scientist
0:23:15 > 0:23:16Dr Mark Eaton,
0:23:16 > 0:23:18they're not all singing from the same hymn sheet.
0:23:20 > 0:23:23I've been helping with some research globally, really,
0:23:23 > 0:23:25looking at yellowhammer dialects,
0:23:25 > 0:23:29and seeing how the way yellowhammers sing varies
0:23:29 > 0:23:30across the world, really.
0:23:30 > 0:23:33So depending on where the yellowhammers are from
0:23:33 > 0:23:35will make a difference to the call they have?
0:23:35 > 0:23:37Yes, so much like humans, really.
0:23:37 > 0:23:40We all know that we have regional accents, we use different words,
0:23:40 > 0:23:42different phrases in different parts of the country.
0:23:42 > 0:23:45Humans do. Some birds are the same.
0:23:45 > 0:23:47So is there almost pockets of yellowhammers
0:23:47 > 0:23:51- that have each got their own accents?- Yes.
0:23:51 > 0:23:53So the two main types we'll find around the UK,
0:23:53 > 0:23:56if you go to north of where we are in Cambridgeshire,
0:23:56 > 0:23:58you'll find one that...
0:23:58 > 0:24:00- QUICKLY:- "There's a little bit of bread!"
0:24:00 > 0:24:03There's chatter. And then it goes...
0:24:03 > 0:24:04- SLOWLY:- "No cheese."
0:24:04 > 0:24:07And you've got this sliding "cheese" at the end.
0:24:07 > 0:24:10Whereas if you look a bit more to the south of us,
0:24:10 > 0:24:12you'll find one which goes for
0:24:12 > 0:24:13a "high - low - cheese".
0:24:13 > 0:24:16So the high note, and then a long cheese at the end.
0:24:16 > 0:24:18So we've got a little bit of bread,
0:24:18 > 0:24:20and...no....cheese.
0:24:23 > 0:24:26And the other one is a little bit of bread, and no cheeeese.
0:24:26 > 0:24:28Perfect.
0:24:31 > 0:24:33- I speak yellowhammer. - You do. Like a native.
0:24:34 > 0:24:37Mark based his research on recordings of calls
0:24:37 > 0:24:39sent to him by members of the public.
0:24:42 > 0:24:45So we can see a picture of the call and use that to analyse
0:24:45 > 0:24:49and identify what dialect the yellowhammer belongs to.
0:24:49 > 0:24:50That's excellent.
0:24:51 > 0:24:55It's interesting stuff, but I really want to see a few of the birds.
0:24:55 > 0:24:58Let's hope my fluent yellowhammer can coax them from their nests.
0:25:03 > 0:25:06Yellowhammers are found in open countryside all over the UK.
0:25:06 > 0:25:10In theory, it should be possible to spot them all year round,
0:25:10 > 0:25:12perching in bushes and hedgerows.
0:25:12 > 0:25:14In practice, it looks like they're not too fond of the rain.
0:25:16 > 0:25:17Well, do you know what, Mark?
0:25:17 > 0:25:19They're being a bit elusive today, aren't they?
0:25:19 > 0:25:22They're obviously just a bit slow off the mark today.
0:25:22 > 0:25:24Cold weather, they're not in full voice, unfortunately.
0:25:25 > 0:25:28Until now, experts thought that just a few species,
0:25:28 > 0:25:32including humans, bats, and dolphins had accents.
0:25:32 > 0:25:34Cod and elephants may be joining that list,
0:25:34 > 0:25:35and that's not all.
0:25:37 > 0:25:41You're not really going to tell me that these goats have accents?
0:25:41 > 0:25:42They do, believe it or not.
0:25:42 > 0:25:43Goats have accents.
0:25:46 > 0:25:49Dr Alan McElligott is Senior Lecturer in Animal Behaviour
0:25:49 > 0:25:52at Queen Mary University London.
0:25:52 > 0:25:55So, a goat from the south of England would sound different
0:25:55 > 0:25:59- from maybe a goat in Glasgow? - Yeah, when goat kids are growing up,
0:25:59 > 0:26:03they start to sound like the other goats that are in their group.
0:26:03 > 0:26:06So when we carried out a study of their vocalisations,
0:26:06 > 0:26:07we recorded their calls,
0:26:07 > 0:26:11and basically the goats that lived within the same social group,
0:26:11 > 0:26:13after five weeks of age, started to sound more similar.
0:26:13 > 0:26:17So you're saying that depending on which group the goats were in,
0:26:17 > 0:26:21they would mimic and learn the same noises of the rest of that group?
0:26:21 > 0:26:24Exactly, yeah. So it's probably a way of then recognising
0:26:24 > 0:26:25what social group they're in,
0:26:25 > 0:26:28versus goats from a different social group that might sound different.
0:26:28 > 0:26:30They have very close family bonds,
0:26:30 > 0:26:32especially between the mothers and kids.
0:26:32 > 0:26:33And cameramen and goats.
0:26:34 > 0:26:38So, where are you hoping that your research will take you?
0:26:38 > 0:26:41So, when we started working on goats and their vocalisations,
0:26:41 > 0:26:44it was really with a view to understanding their behaviour,
0:26:44 > 0:26:46and improving their welfare.
0:26:46 > 0:26:48When goats are happy and when they're calling,
0:26:48 > 0:26:51the pitch is a lot more stable, whereas if they're a bit nervous,
0:26:51 > 0:26:54the pitch becomes a bit more unstable.
0:26:54 > 0:26:55And potentially with that,
0:26:55 > 0:26:58you can actually monitor the welfare of your animals, then,
0:26:58 > 0:26:59if you record the calls.
0:26:59 > 0:27:01Well, do you know what? All the best with your research.
0:27:01 > 0:27:04I would love to know what this goat's been trying to tell me
0:27:04 > 0:27:05all afternoon.
0:27:08 > 0:27:12The UK has a large population of goats that are well cared for.
0:27:12 > 0:27:14The yellowhammer, sadly, isn't so lucky.
0:27:15 > 0:27:19In the past 20 years, numbers have dropped by a worrying 25%.
0:27:21 > 0:27:23But here at the RSPB's Hope Farm in Cambridgeshire,
0:27:23 > 0:27:25they're bucking that trend.
0:27:25 > 0:27:29Yellowhammer territories here have more than doubled since 2010,
0:27:29 > 0:27:32thanks to a protection project run by farm manager Ian Dillon.
0:27:35 > 0:27:38So, what small changes can farmers and landowners make
0:27:38 > 0:27:41to make the habitat better for the yellowhammers?
0:27:41 > 0:27:45So, yellowhammers are a species which really depend on farmland.
0:27:45 > 0:27:47Changes in farming have made life quite difficult.
0:27:47 > 0:27:49If you were a yellowhammer,
0:27:49 > 0:27:52you would struggle to find food during the spring,
0:27:52 > 0:27:53summer and winter.
0:27:53 > 0:27:55So we do things here to help yellowhammers,
0:27:55 > 0:27:58like a safe nesting habitat in the hedge.
0:27:58 > 0:28:00Lots of food for them to feed their chicks,
0:28:00 > 0:28:02and they feed their chicks insects.
0:28:02 > 0:28:05So a margin like this beside us with lots of flowers
0:28:05 > 0:28:08has lots of insects, lots of caterpillars,
0:28:08 > 0:28:09and then during the winter,
0:28:09 > 0:28:12the yellowhammers start to eat seeds.
0:28:12 > 0:28:15So this area beside us here which has been cultivated,
0:28:15 > 0:28:19we're getting it ready to plant the crop which will provide the food
0:28:19 > 0:28:21for the yellowhammers next winter.
0:28:21 > 0:28:24The thing we need to bear in mind is this is a working farm, isn't it?
0:28:24 > 0:28:27- It's not a reserve.- No, it definitely isn't a reserve.
0:28:27 > 0:28:29We're growing crops like every other farmer would,
0:28:29 > 0:28:32as well as caring for wildlife at the same time.
0:28:32 > 0:28:36So it is spring, there are the nests, there's the chicks...
0:28:36 > 0:28:39What can we do as the public to just be mindful of that?
0:28:39 > 0:28:41So, as we're walking along the track here,
0:28:41 > 0:28:45we could be very close to some of the nests of yellowhammers.
0:28:45 > 0:28:48And they are quite prone to disturbance.
0:28:48 > 0:28:50If we are out walking a dog, for example,
0:28:50 > 0:28:52just keep it close to you,
0:28:52 > 0:28:56so that you're reducing the chance that the dog could find a nest,
0:28:56 > 0:28:58and disturb those birds.
0:28:58 > 0:29:01They really are beautiful and fascinating little creatures,
0:29:01 > 0:29:03but as for their accents, well,
0:29:03 > 0:29:05I think I'm going to need a little bit more practice
0:29:05 > 0:29:07before I can tell them apart.
0:29:07 > 0:29:09But it's great to know that with such little effort,
0:29:09 > 0:29:12we can all do our bit to save the yellowhammer AND its song
0:29:12 > 0:29:14for generations to come.
0:29:18 > 0:29:22If birds and animals really do have accents, well,
0:29:22 > 0:29:26it's just one more example of how nature is never short of surprises.
0:29:27 > 0:29:32And being in tune with livestock is all in a day's work for Adam
0:29:32 > 0:29:33on his farm, but last year,
0:29:33 > 0:29:37he stepped outside his comfort zone to visit a fellow farmer
0:29:37 > 0:29:39who tends more exotic stock.
0:29:40 > 0:29:42Spring is such a lovely time of year,
0:29:42 > 0:29:44when the weather's warming up,
0:29:44 > 0:29:46the blossom's on the trees,
0:29:46 > 0:29:50the little buds are starting to come out on the deciduous trees,
0:29:50 > 0:29:53and there's new life everywhere on the farm.
0:29:53 > 0:29:54All the sheep have given birth, now.
0:29:54 > 0:29:56And the lambs are growing well.
0:30:01 > 0:30:05Just about every animal on the farm is getting in on the spring action.
0:30:05 > 0:30:07We've got some piglets,
0:30:07 > 0:30:08calves,
0:30:08 > 0:30:09and chicks.
0:30:10 > 0:30:12Absolutely gorgeous!
0:30:13 > 0:30:15Really sweet little fluffy ducklings.
0:30:16 > 0:30:17CHEEPING
0:30:17 > 0:30:20But this lot are small fry, compared to where I'm heading.
0:30:23 > 0:30:26Eggs are a firm favourite for us Brits.
0:30:26 > 0:30:30We eat a staggering amount, around 30 million every day.
0:30:32 > 0:30:35But we'd be hard pushed to eat as many of these.
0:30:35 > 0:30:38Spring is the start of the ostrich laying season.
0:30:38 > 0:30:42Just one ostrich egg is the equivalent of 24 chicken eggs.
0:30:42 > 0:30:44Coming from the world's largest bird,
0:30:44 > 0:30:48it's hardly surprising they're the world's largest eggs.
0:30:48 > 0:30:50Mick Dean holds a dangerous wild animal licence
0:30:50 > 0:30:53to farm these flightless birds in Cambridgeshire.
0:30:53 > 0:30:56- Hi, Nick.- Hi, Adam. - Ostriches, my word!
0:30:56 > 0:30:58- Are we safe?- We are, yeah, we'll be fine today.
0:30:58 > 0:30:59They're big birds, aren't they?
0:30:59 > 0:31:01They are. Yeah, they're seven to eight foot tall.
0:31:01 > 0:31:03- 25 stone.- Goodness me.
0:31:03 > 0:31:06- And how fast can they run? - They can run about 40 to 45mph,
0:31:06 > 0:31:08- faster than we can.- How on earth do you manage to farm them, then?
0:31:08 > 0:31:10If you want to do something to one of them?
0:31:10 > 0:31:13Well, we have to catch them first, obviously!
0:31:13 > 0:31:14We tend to use a crook,
0:31:14 > 0:31:16just to get it by the neck, and then we hold the beak.
0:31:16 > 0:31:18And then we can pull a hood over the head.
0:31:18 > 0:31:20Once the hood's over their head and they can't see,
0:31:20 > 0:31:21they just stand there,
0:31:21 > 0:31:23and we can walk them to where we need to take them.
0:31:23 > 0:31:26- They're extraordinary-looking animals. They've huge eyes.- Yeah.
0:31:26 > 0:31:27Ow!
0:31:27 > 0:31:29LAUGHTER
0:31:29 > 0:31:31- Hurts a little bit, doesn't it? - LAUGHTER
0:31:32 > 0:31:34How many eggs are they laying, then, in a year?
0:31:34 > 0:31:38They're laying between 30 and 40 each, the females.
0:31:38 > 0:31:40So not very many. A chicken'll lay 300 eggs.
0:31:40 > 0:31:42Yes, so they lay probably every three days.
0:31:42 > 0:31:46And they start to lay in the spring like a lot of British wild birds?
0:31:46 > 0:31:48They started early this year. They started...
0:31:48 > 0:31:49Oh! Right on the ear!
0:31:49 > 0:31:51LAUGHTER
0:31:51 > 0:31:54They started laying this year early April.
0:31:54 > 0:31:55Can we can collect some eggs?
0:31:55 > 0:31:56Yeah, let's go and see if we can find some.
0:31:56 > 0:31:59- Are they just dotted round the field?- They should be in a pile
0:31:59 > 0:32:00- over there, where they lay them.- OK.
0:32:03 > 0:32:04So, she's got some eggs there.
0:32:04 > 0:32:05Yeah, she gets up every...
0:32:06 > 0:32:09..hour or two and she'll just turn them around, and sit down again.
0:32:09 > 0:32:12Incredible. So is it safe to collect these?
0:32:12 > 0:32:13It is, but we have to watch the boys.
0:32:13 > 0:32:16The girls are fine, but the boys sometimes take offence.
0:32:16 > 0:32:18What do we do? Just walk in and pick them up?
0:32:18 > 0:32:20- We'll just walk in and pick them up. She should be fine.- OK.
0:32:20 > 0:32:23We're just going to take your eggs away, missus. Is that all right?
0:32:23 > 0:32:24Come on, then. Good girl. Good girl.
0:32:24 > 0:32:27I've never collected ostrich eggs before.
0:32:27 > 0:32:29Oh, they're heavy, aren't they? That's quite a weight.
0:32:29 > 0:32:30Yeah, about 1.5 kilos.
0:32:31 > 0:32:33There's a boy there. How're we going to get round him?
0:32:33 > 0:32:36- I'll hide them behind my back. - We'll walk off. He'll be fine.
0:32:37 > 0:32:39All right. All right, fella.
0:32:39 > 0:32:41Don't worry about it. Just pinching your eggs.
0:32:45 > 0:32:47How do you protect yourself against an ostrich who's angry?
0:32:47 > 0:32:48I just hold the stick up.
0:32:48 > 0:32:51As long as the stick's higher than their head, they're normally OK.
0:32:51 > 0:32:54I know we can't outrun them. So let's rely on the stick.
0:33:00 > 0:33:02- Incubators.- Goodness me.
0:33:02 > 0:33:04They're a bit bigger than the ones I've got.
0:33:04 > 0:33:06They take 72 ostrich eggs.
0:33:06 > 0:33:08We just plonk these in, do we?
0:33:08 > 0:33:10Plonk those into the holes that are there, yeah.
0:33:10 > 0:33:11Specially designed.
0:33:12 > 0:33:15- How long will they take before they hatch?- 42 days.
0:33:15 > 0:33:17The incubator will turn the egg once an hour.
0:33:17 > 0:33:20And then we take them out three days before they're due to hatch.
0:33:20 > 0:33:21And they go into the hatcher.
0:33:21 > 0:33:23And what have you got over here?
0:33:23 > 0:33:25Emu chicks. They hatched last week.
0:33:25 > 0:33:27They're lovely!
0:33:27 > 0:33:28Really stripy.
0:33:28 > 0:33:30And is that just their camouflage?
0:33:30 > 0:33:32It is, yeah. They stay like that
0:33:32 > 0:33:34until they're probably eight weeks old.
0:33:34 > 0:33:36And do you ever eat the ostrich eggs?
0:33:36 > 0:33:37We do.
0:33:37 > 0:33:38Would you like to try one?
0:33:38 > 0:33:40- I would, yeah.- Shall we fry one up?
0:33:40 > 0:33:42- Shall we do that?!- Yeah! Let's go.- All right.
0:33:48 > 0:33:52Nick heats up an extra large paella pan and adds plenty of cooking oil.
0:33:56 > 0:33:59'Normally, I like two, fried, sunny side up.
0:33:59 > 0:34:02'But on this occasion, I think I'll just have the one.'
0:34:02 > 0:34:03Oh, look at that. Beautiful!
0:34:11 > 0:34:13- It really is huge, isn't it?- It's massive, isn't it?
0:34:13 > 0:34:15I tell you what, shall we try one next to a chicken egg?
0:34:15 > 0:34:17- Let's do a comparison.- OK. Let's go.
0:34:19 > 0:34:21- Look at that. And that's a normal sized chicken egg?- It is!
0:34:21 > 0:34:23Look at the difference!
0:34:23 > 0:34:25And have you ever tried boiling one?
0:34:25 > 0:34:28No, but I understand it takes about 90 minutes.
0:34:28 > 0:34:30And by the time the yolk's cooked in the middle,
0:34:30 > 0:34:31you've got a rubbery compound on the outside.
0:34:31 > 0:34:33- Not very nice.- Not recommended.
0:34:33 > 0:34:35Well, that looks pretty well cooked now. Shall we give it a go?
0:34:35 > 0:34:38Yeah, let's give it a go. Let's try it with some toast, shall we?
0:34:50 > 0:34:52Not bad.
0:34:52 > 0:34:53- Just like a chicken egg, isn't it? - Yeah.
0:34:55 > 0:34:56Exactly the same.
0:34:56 > 0:34:58It's really quite delicious. I'm going to have some more!
0:35:01 > 0:35:02Thanks very much, Nick.
0:35:02 > 0:35:04It's been fascinating to meet you,
0:35:04 > 0:35:06and delicious to eat my first ostrich egg.
0:35:06 > 0:35:07- Nice to see you.- Lovely.
0:35:20 > 0:35:23With two national parks and over 500 miles of coastline,
0:35:23 > 0:35:27Devon certainly attracts its fair share of walkers,
0:35:27 > 0:35:29especially now the days are warming up.
0:35:29 > 0:35:33Here in the Valley Of Rocks, the scenery is spectacular.
0:35:33 > 0:35:37But it's only a short distance away from civilisation.
0:35:37 > 0:35:41It's a very different story on the mountains of Wales and Scotland.
0:35:41 > 0:35:45But luckily, there are about 100 remote buildings called bothies
0:35:45 > 0:35:47that can offer shelter.
0:35:47 > 0:35:51As you can imagine, keeping them in good order is quite a task.
0:35:51 > 0:35:56So Keeley is off to the Highlands for a spot of mountaintop DIY.
0:36:04 > 0:36:07I'm only an hour out of Glasgow, and already I'm surrounded by
0:36:07 > 0:36:10some of the most spectacular scenery in the UK.
0:36:12 > 0:36:14This is the Arrochar Alps,
0:36:14 > 0:36:17one of the most remote areas in the Scottish Highlands.
0:36:17 > 0:36:20Those who really embrace the outdoors come here
0:36:20 > 0:36:24to experience its majestic beauty and isolation.
0:36:25 > 0:36:28Somewhere around here, there's a very special building,
0:36:28 > 0:36:31in desperate need of an overhaul.
0:36:31 > 0:36:33All I've got to do is find it.
0:36:35 > 0:36:38It's three miles from the main road, well off the beaten track,
0:36:38 > 0:36:41and that's precisely why it's been taken on
0:36:41 > 0:36:43by the Mountain Bothy Association.
0:36:45 > 0:36:46Hello there. I'm looking for Peter.
0:36:46 > 0:36:49- Oh, hello, Keeley.- Is that you? - That's me.- Hello, Peter.
0:36:49 > 0:36:50- How are you doing?- I'm good.
0:36:50 > 0:36:52- Nice to meet you.- And you.
0:36:52 > 0:36:53It's a hive of activity here.
0:36:53 > 0:36:54- What's going on?- It is.
0:36:54 > 0:36:57We are converting an old estate building into an MBA bothy.
0:36:57 > 0:36:59Now, you're going to have to forgive my ignorance,
0:36:59 > 0:37:01but what is a bothy?
0:37:01 > 0:37:04A bothy is an outdoor shelter in the mountains
0:37:04 > 0:37:06for those that love hills and remoteness
0:37:06 > 0:37:09to come and use it as a shelter and explore the hills,
0:37:09 > 0:37:14and stay in it to have lunch, or to stay in it the night, and be warm...
0:37:14 > 0:37:17Well, as warm as you can be, warmer than outside,
0:37:17 > 0:37:19and away from the wind and away from the rain.
0:37:19 > 0:37:21And do people plan to come to these places,
0:37:21 > 0:37:24or do they just stumble upon them and use them instead of a tent?
0:37:24 > 0:37:25Well, some plan to come here.
0:37:25 > 0:37:29Some will stumble across them, maybe, in bad weather.
0:37:29 > 0:37:30They're marked on OS maps,
0:37:30 > 0:37:34and they're there so if you're in the hills and the weather's bad,
0:37:34 > 0:37:37it's a refuge that has saved lives in the past.
0:37:37 > 0:37:40So, what's going on in there? What's in the bothy?
0:37:40 > 0:37:43A typical bothy will be maybe a concrete or a timber floor,
0:37:43 > 0:37:46there'll be a couple of rooms, there'll be somewhere to sleep,
0:37:46 > 0:37:49somewhere to cook a meal, there'll be a fire.
0:37:49 > 0:37:53Somewhere to sit and socialise with others that you will bump into
0:37:53 > 0:37:54when you use them.
0:37:54 > 0:37:57Is everyone here that's working on the bothy a volunteer?
0:37:57 > 0:37:58Yes, they're all volunteers.
0:37:58 > 0:38:02All ages. Some old, seasoned bothy users,
0:38:02 > 0:38:04some have never stayed in one before.
0:38:04 > 0:38:06And they'll come along and help us out.
0:38:06 > 0:38:08And do they need to have certain skills to do that?
0:38:08 > 0:38:10Preferably, if they do.
0:38:10 > 0:38:13We're always using, like, joiners and roofers.
0:38:13 > 0:38:15But if you don't have that skill,
0:38:15 > 0:38:17we'll help you pick up that skill, and you'll help us.
0:38:17 > 0:38:18I'm pleased you say that, actually.
0:38:20 > 0:38:22The building will get a total revamp.
0:38:22 > 0:38:24Among other things, new roof trusses,
0:38:24 > 0:38:26a new ceiling, a timber floor,
0:38:26 > 0:38:28and new doors and windows.
0:38:28 > 0:38:30Peter anticipates over the next few weeks
0:38:30 > 0:38:34just under 50 volunteers will come out to help.
0:38:34 > 0:38:35You are going to be busy, aren't you?
0:38:35 > 0:38:38- That's right. You'd better come and help us.- I will indeed, come on.
0:38:38 > 0:38:39I think I'll need one of these.
0:38:39 > 0:38:41You will need one of those.
0:38:43 > 0:38:45Liz is a veteran of bothy restoration,
0:38:45 > 0:38:49and absolutely meticulous when it comes to re-pointing the stonework.
0:38:49 > 0:38:52And have you got to do this on the whole building?
0:38:52 > 0:38:53- No.- It must be...
0:38:53 > 0:38:55- All of this side.- Loads of it to do!
0:38:55 > 0:38:57Yeah, there is, yes.
0:38:57 > 0:38:58Yes, it's quite a big job.
0:38:58 > 0:39:00And what's your speciality, then?
0:39:00 > 0:39:01What do you bring to this team?
0:39:02 > 0:39:04I'm a good tea maker.
0:39:04 > 0:39:05LAUGHTER
0:39:05 > 0:39:06Now THAT is important!
0:39:06 > 0:39:08No, I mean, it's amazing.
0:39:08 > 0:39:10You learn to do all these different jobs.
0:39:10 > 0:39:13So, I learned how to slate a roof, learned how to put windows in,
0:39:13 > 0:39:15- all sorts of things. - And the team spirit, how's that?
0:39:15 > 0:39:17Oh, yes. It's very sociable.
0:39:17 > 0:39:19It's going to be a very sociable three weeks, I think.
0:39:19 > 0:39:22So, how have you found yourself here, Callum?
0:39:22 > 0:39:24I'm doing my gold Duke of Edinburgh,
0:39:24 > 0:39:29and one of the five sections is you have to do a residential,
0:39:29 > 0:39:32and it's good for, like, a practice work environment,
0:39:32 > 0:39:34and learning new things, which is what it's about as well.
0:39:34 > 0:39:36How am I doing here, then?
0:39:36 > 0:39:37Yeah, that's brilliant.
0:39:37 > 0:39:39- Yeah?- Spot on.- Is this how it should be looking?- Yeah.
0:39:41 > 0:39:44Not all volunteers are from the UK.
0:39:44 > 0:39:48Martina Cramer has brought the whole family on a special working holiday.
0:39:48 > 0:39:51I've been coming to Scotland since I was 18.
0:39:51 > 0:39:52And loved it.
0:39:52 > 0:39:54That isn't a British accent.
0:39:54 > 0:39:55No, it's not. It's Dutch.
0:39:55 > 0:39:57I've come from Utrecht in Holland.
0:39:57 > 0:39:59Lovely. And the whole family's come?
0:39:59 > 0:40:02Yes. The whole family's come, this time. First time for the boys.
0:40:02 > 0:40:03- And do you enjoy it?- Yes.
0:40:03 > 0:40:06And did you use the bothy first, or did you volunteer first?
0:40:06 > 0:40:08We used the bothy.
0:40:08 > 0:40:11We stumbled across the bothies, I think, 30 years ago.
0:40:11 > 0:40:15- Oh, really?- And started using them before we had kids.
0:40:15 > 0:40:17And that's what made you want to volunteer?
0:40:17 > 0:40:18Yeah, yeah.
0:40:18 > 0:40:20It's good to do something back.
0:40:20 > 0:40:22And we enjoy helping,
0:40:22 > 0:40:25and I'm, well, a wood worker by trade.
0:40:25 > 0:40:28- OK! That's why you are so good at this.- I enjoy doing it, yes!
0:40:28 > 0:40:29LAUGHTER
0:40:29 > 0:40:32- OK, come on, then. - We'll do another one.
0:40:32 > 0:40:33Let's try and...
0:40:33 > 0:40:35- Hammer it in.- I think you just need to be brave, don't you?
0:40:35 > 0:40:37Yeah.
0:40:37 > 0:40:38Ah, good one, Keeley.
0:40:38 > 0:40:39THEY LAUGH
0:40:39 > 0:40:40Well done.
0:40:42 > 0:40:44One, two, three, go.
0:40:45 > 0:40:47These roof trusses weigh a tonne,
0:40:47 > 0:40:49but at least they'll help the roof stand up to
0:40:49 > 0:40:50the Highland weather.
0:40:50 > 0:40:52Come on, Jim. Put your back into it.
0:40:56 > 0:40:59What strikes me is what a nice sense of community there is here
0:40:59 > 0:41:00with people from all walks of life.
0:41:00 > 0:41:02Take Liz and Callum -
0:41:02 > 0:41:05they perhaps wouldn't ordinarily be friends, but they're there,
0:41:05 > 0:41:07they're chatting, they're sharing stories.
0:41:07 > 0:41:09And they're working together.
0:41:10 > 0:41:12Getting on together is never more important
0:41:12 > 0:41:15than when you're all tightly crammed under one roof.
0:41:15 > 0:41:18So this is where all the volunteers sleep.
0:41:18 > 0:41:20It's actually an old sheep pen, would you believe it?
0:41:20 > 0:41:22They've got a toilet tent over there.
0:41:22 > 0:41:24And everybody's got their own section
0:41:24 > 0:41:26where they've set up their tents. Everything's very neat and tidy.
0:41:26 > 0:41:28It's a bit of a tent city.
0:41:28 > 0:41:30But the most important part is this building.
0:41:30 > 0:41:32This is where we're going to get some hot food.
0:41:36 > 0:41:38A good day's work. Thanks very much for all the hard work today.
0:41:38 > 0:41:40APPLAUSE
0:41:40 > 0:41:41Thank you, Peter.
0:41:41 > 0:41:42FIDDLE PLAYING
0:41:44 > 0:41:47It's a bit small in here for a ceilidh, isn't it?
0:41:48 > 0:41:51Well, we've made great progress today,
0:41:51 > 0:41:54and it's fantastic to see that the people here
0:41:54 > 0:41:57are leaving this small but positive mark on the landscape.
0:41:57 > 0:41:59There's still much work to be done,
0:41:59 > 0:42:00but when the bothy is finished,
0:42:00 > 0:42:03weary travellers will find shelter from the elements,
0:42:03 > 0:42:06and hopefully have a slightly more comfortable night
0:42:06 > 0:42:08than the one I'm anticipating.
0:42:10 > 0:42:13Well, I'll be honest, I've never camped in a barn before.
0:42:13 > 0:42:15But I'm pretty sure that Scottish whisky is going to help me nod off.
0:42:15 > 0:42:17Night-night.
0:42:23 > 0:42:26Night-time temperatures in the Highlands can dip below zero,
0:42:26 > 0:42:28even in springtime,
0:42:28 > 0:42:31so bothies can quite literally save lives.
0:42:36 > 0:42:39Well, back here in Devon, the weather is rather warmer,
0:42:39 > 0:42:41but sadly that's all we've got time for today.
0:42:41 > 0:42:43We are back again tomorrow, though,
0:42:43 > 0:42:46with more entries in our Countryfile Spring Diaries...
0:42:46 > 0:42:49when Jules gets a shocking picture
0:42:49 > 0:42:51of how plastic is threatening our seas.
0:42:51 > 0:42:55We've found small pieces of micro plastic in ten species of fish
0:42:55 > 0:42:57taken from waters here, near to Plymouth.
0:42:59 > 0:43:03Keeley finds out how a cuppa and a cat could be good for your health.
0:43:03 > 0:43:04This is my idea of heaven.
0:43:04 > 0:43:06Tea, cake and cats.
0:43:07 > 0:43:10And Steve Brown discovers how anyone can get
0:43:10 > 0:43:12a sofa's eye view of wildlife.
0:43:13 > 0:43:14- Here he comes.- Oh, he's in.
0:43:14 > 0:43:16It's in! Look how quick that is!
0:43:16 > 0:43:17That is amazing!
0:43:18 > 0:43:20See you, then.