0:00:02 > 0:00:05Across the UK, days are warmer,
0:00:05 > 0:00:09brighter and longer.
0:00:09 > 0:00:12In the countryside, the air is filled with bird song
0:00:12 > 0:00:14and the scent of flowers.
0:00:14 > 0:00:15Spring has sprung.
0:00:17 > 0:00:21It's the time of year when nature wakes up.
0:00:23 > 0:00:25And there are new beginnings everywhere you look.
0:00:29 > 0:00:30It's a time to plant and sow.
0:00:33 > 0:00:36And to get out and enjoy everything
0:00:36 > 0:00:39our wonderful countryside has to offer.
0:00:41 > 0:00:44All week, we're travelling the length and breadth of the UK.
0:00:44 > 0:00:46The Cornish way, always a winner for you?
0:00:46 > 0:00:50- Yes, it definitely is. - That is uniquely delicious.
0:00:50 > 0:00:52Double thumbs up!
0:00:52 > 0:00:57Bringing the very best seasonal stories that matter to you.
0:00:57 > 0:00:59There is a nest in there.
0:00:59 > 0:01:01We have an owl in residence.
0:01:01 > 0:01:03How exciting!
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.
0:01:17 > 0:01:19Coming up on today's programme:
0:01:19 > 0:01:23Paul gets top tips on how to grow prize-winning veg
0:01:23 > 0:01:25from two age-old rivals.
0:01:25 > 0:01:28This looks completely alien.
0:01:28 > 0:01:31We better not tell Ian about this, this is one of our secrets.
0:01:31 > 0:01:35Jules discovers how plastic in our waterways could end up
0:01:35 > 0:01:37in our fish and chips.
0:01:37 > 0:01:40You'll never believe what I just found here!
0:01:41 > 0:01:43Look at that beauty!
0:01:44 > 0:01:47And I'll be trying out the latest catty craze to hit the UK.
0:01:51 > 0:01:53I'm here in Devon all week,
0:01:53 > 0:01:56witnessing spring and the explosion in wildlife
0:01:56 > 0:01:58that it brings all around us.
0:01:58 > 0:02:01Here, on Exmoor National Park,
0:02:01 > 0:02:04you have everything from red deer and otters
0:02:04 > 0:02:08to some of the UK's rarest species of butterflies and bats.
0:02:08 > 0:02:10But, on the other hand,
0:02:10 > 0:02:15how close can you get to nature without actually leaving home?
0:02:15 > 0:02:17Steve Brown is on the case.
0:02:17 > 0:02:21Do you ever get the feeling that just maybe you're being watched?
0:02:24 > 0:02:25Even on a spring day you feel it
0:02:25 > 0:02:29around this ordinary looking house on the North York moors.
0:02:30 > 0:02:34Because it's been rigged from top to bottom with cameras.
0:02:36 > 0:02:39But owner Robert Fuller isn't scared of intruders,
0:02:39 > 0:02:43he's using all this CCTV to spy on his neighbours...
0:02:44 > 0:02:47..his furred and feathered neighbours.
0:02:47 > 0:02:50Now, when people talk about watching the wildlife in their gardens,
0:02:50 > 0:02:52this is not the usual setup.
0:02:52 > 0:02:56Normally it's a bird table with a few nuts and seeds on it.
0:02:56 > 0:02:59How on earth have you got all this set up here?
0:02:59 > 0:03:02We've got a little carried away over the years.
0:03:02 > 0:03:04So we've got barn owls, tawny owls, kestrels.
0:03:04 > 0:03:08I can see here vole camera, weasel camera.
0:03:08 > 0:03:09And this is all within your garden?
0:03:09 > 0:03:12Yeah, all within the garden, within 100 metres of here.
0:03:12 > 0:03:15It's absolutely fascinating because we're actually watching individual
0:03:15 > 0:03:18animals. The male kestrel has been with us ten years.
0:03:18 > 0:03:20He's actually got two female kestrels this year.
0:03:20 > 0:03:23- Has he?- He's got one on three eggs and he's courting another one
0:03:23 > 0:03:25- at the moment. - And that's her up there?
0:03:25 > 0:03:27Yes, it's like a wildlife soap opera out there.
0:03:27 > 0:03:30- It's compulsive viewing! - A lot of love going on out there?
0:03:30 > 0:03:33There is. We don't watch normal television any more.
0:03:33 > 0:03:35This is far, far better.
0:03:35 > 0:03:37On top of all those tellies,
0:03:37 > 0:03:40Robert's got more than 30 cameras covering all the action.
0:03:40 > 0:03:43The whole thing has cost him several thousand pounds,
0:03:43 > 0:03:47a bit beyond the means of most animal lovers, I would have thought.
0:03:48 > 0:03:51If I was going to set something up like this at home, how would I do it?
0:03:51 > 0:03:53There's so much on the market and it's so confusing,
0:03:53 > 0:03:57but a good shell camera, so these are motion-operated.
0:03:57 > 0:04:00You just put these out where you think
0:04:00 > 0:04:03wildlife's going to pass by and start off with some,
0:04:03 > 0:04:05you know, good security cameras is the way to go.
0:04:05 > 0:04:07You don't need to break the bank?
0:04:07 > 0:04:11No, no. I mean you can buy a decent camera for less than £100
0:04:11 > 0:04:15and get it set up to your television and get going.
0:04:15 > 0:04:20And today, we're using one of those relatively cheap CCTV cameras
0:04:20 > 0:04:23to get a closer look at our lover boy kestrel.
0:04:24 > 0:04:28Remember, if you want to put your own wildlife camera in your garden,
0:04:28 > 0:04:32don't point it at a pavement, road or your neighbour's property,
0:04:32 > 0:04:34or you could be breaking the law.
0:04:34 > 0:04:36There's more info on the Countryfile website.
0:04:38 > 0:04:40And now the finishing touches.
0:04:40 > 0:04:42Robert's attaching dead prey to the table
0:04:42 > 0:04:45to keep the kestrel feeding for longer.
0:04:52 > 0:04:55So, they're all settled now and the TV is all set up.
0:04:55 > 0:04:59We've got the camera coming from the garden.
0:04:59 > 0:05:00- Here he comes...- He's in.
0:05:00 > 0:05:04Look at that! That is amazing!
0:05:04 > 0:05:07I cannot believe we've just set that up and in the time
0:05:07 > 0:05:10we've boiled the kettle and got a cup of tea...
0:05:10 > 0:05:14- He's in!- And it hasn't put him off the fact his food is tethered down.
0:05:14 > 0:05:19He likes it better, if it's just a quick takeaway and he comes in on the wing and grabs and goes.
0:05:19 > 0:05:21- He doesn't even land. - We all like a quick takeaway.
0:05:21 > 0:05:23- Yeah.- Did you expect that, that fast?
0:05:23 > 0:05:26He's even quicker when they've got chicks.
0:05:26 > 0:05:30- He'll come sometimes before I've even got back into the house, he's in.- He's away!
0:05:30 > 0:05:33That is unreal!
0:05:33 > 0:05:39- It's great, isn't it?- And we've got both of his females in the nests.
0:05:39 > 0:05:44And we can literally see where he's gone from the feeding and we can see
0:05:44 > 0:05:46- where he's...- There he is. - He's up in the nest box.
0:05:46 > 0:05:48So he's feeding the mistress first.
0:05:48 > 0:05:50Straight up to the mistress
0:05:50 > 0:05:54and already that set-up that was less than £100
0:05:54 > 0:05:58has given me more than £100 worth of excitement.
0:05:58 > 0:06:00That is fantastic.
0:06:00 > 0:06:03While we're here I want to go through some of the other footage you've got.
0:06:03 > 0:06:06We had a count-up the other day, we've got 17,000 video clips.
0:06:06 > 0:06:0817,000!
0:06:08 > 0:06:11I wouldn't like to be the guy that has to go through all that.
0:06:11 > 0:06:15This is like a real tender moment between newly hatched kestrel chicks
0:06:15 > 0:06:16getting some of their first feeds.
0:06:16 > 0:06:19Look how patient and delicate that is.
0:06:19 > 0:06:22They are predators, but when you see them feeding their own chicks
0:06:22 > 0:06:25it's very precise. A little bit for you and a little bit for you.
0:06:25 > 0:06:29So, it's really nice to see them with these quite vulnerable little chicks
0:06:29 > 0:06:30and how they look after them.
0:06:30 > 0:06:32Now we've got this stoat dancing on ice.
0:06:32 > 0:06:34You know, it plays in the water
0:06:34 > 0:06:36and it can't work out what on earth's gone on.
0:06:36 > 0:06:38Look, going to get cold feet on that trying to get through there.
0:06:38 > 0:06:41- That really has confused him, hasn't it?- Yeah.
0:06:44 > 0:06:50Those 17,000 wildlife clips are a constant source of inspiration for Robert.
0:06:50 > 0:06:52Wow! Look at this!
0:06:52 > 0:06:55Especially when he's busy with the day job, painting.
0:06:55 > 0:06:59How did you end up living in the countryside,
0:06:59 > 0:07:04deciding that painting was your calling and you was going to use
0:07:04 > 0:07:0636 live cameras to be able to do it?
0:07:06 > 0:07:07Yeah, well I was very lucky,
0:07:07 > 0:07:09I was brought up on a farm not far away from here.
0:07:09 > 0:07:11My dad was keen on wildlife.
0:07:11 > 0:07:15Managed 1,000-acre farm, so I was just feral as a child.
0:07:15 > 0:07:17I was outside all the time
0:07:17 > 0:07:20and watching the wildlife and that's how it started.
0:07:20 > 0:07:22And this is like a research tool for me,
0:07:22 > 0:07:24that I'm watching these animals 24/7,
0:07:24 > 0:07:27so I know the animals and birds inside out before I get
0:07:27 > 0:07:29actually down to painting them.
0:07:29 > 0:07:32You talk about understanding the animals and you can really see that
0:07:32 > 0:07:34in these pictures here.
0:07:34 > 0:07:36You can see the weasel thinking, you know.
0:07:36 > 0:07:38I mean, how you capture that, I don't know.
0:07:38 > 0:07:41Yeah. It's amazing, if you just tilt the head slightly
0:07:41 > 0:07:43it makes it look a little bit more alert
0:07:43 > 0:07:45and interested in what's happening around it.
0:07:52 > 0:07:58I can't help but notice a weasel has just appeared mid-interview here.
0:07:58 > 0:08:00Who is this?
0:08:00 > 0:08:04This is Fidget, he's a weasel that I hand-reared last year
0:08:04 > 0:08:06and he's become a studio weasel.
0:08:06 > 0:08:07What is a studio weasel?
0:08:07 > 0:08:09I've never heard of a studio weasel!
0:08:09 > 0:08:11People have house cats, don't they?
0:08:11 > 0:08:13I've got a studio weasel!
0:08:13 > 0:08:15That is brilliant. This was an orphan?
0:08:15 > 0:08:19Yeah, basically, he'd been lost by his mother and, yeah,
0:08:19 > 0:08:21he's become my companion in the studio.
0:08:21 > 0:08:24He sleeps inside a walking sock.
0:08:24 > 0:08:26And he seems pretty friendly.
0:08:26 > 0:08:29Yeah, he's really friendly with me, but he's almost like a status dog,
0:08:29 > 0:08:33that he does bite everyone apart from me.
0:08:33 > 0:08:36So he sees you as friend and everyone else as foe.
0:08:36 > 0:08:40So you paint, listening to the radio, looking at your videos here,
0:08:40 > 0:08:41with the weasel for company?
0:08:41 > 0:08:44- That's right. Yeah.- That is one way to make a living!
0:08:47 > 0:08:52It's not often we get chance to see kestrels so close up.
0:08:52 > 0:08:54More often we see them hovering in the air.
0:08:54 > 0:08:57They're the only birds of prey to do this.
0:08:57 > 0:09:00Hence their local Dartmoor name of windhovers.
0:09:00 > 0:09:05Now, some years ago kestrels were almost wiped out by pesticides
0:09:05 > 0:09:09and now there's a new threat to wildlife from microplastics,
0:09:09 > 0:09:11as Jules has been finding out.
0:09:15 > 0:09:19Last summer, I was on the trail of a pernicious pollutant that was making
0:09:19 > 0:09:22its way from our bathroom cabinets into our oceans.
0:09:23 > 0:09:26- What actually are we looking at here?- This is microbeads.
0:09:26 > 0:09:29So this is the stuff that gives you that abrasive feeling on your face
0:09:29 > 0:09:32if you scrub it with one of those exfoliants?
0:09:32 > 0:09:35People don't realise that's what is in these things and unfortunately
0:09:35 > 0:09:39we're using them and every day they're going down the drains
0:09:39 > 0:09:42and then obviously out into the sea.
0:09:42 > 0:09:46Microbeads from cosmetics were public enemy number one,
0:09:46 > 0:09:49until the Government's pledge to ban them by the end of the year.
0:09:50 > 0:09:55But it now looks like there's another plastic nasty lurking in our
0:09:55 > 0:09:59waterways and much of it starts life here, in our canals and rivers.
0:10:02 > 0:10:06It's easy to see the danger that plastic can have on our wildlife
0:10:06 > 0:10:09when animals get caught up in the rubbish we've discarded.
0:10:11 > 0:10:14But there's a bigger problem at large that we can't always see.
0:10:15 > 0:10:17When plastic degrades,
0:10:17 > 0:10:19it breaks down into smaller and smaller pieces
0:10:19 > 0:10:23until they're no longer visible to the naked eye.
0:10:23 > 0:10:27Research suggests that these so-called microplastics
0:10:27 > 0:10:30are now present in around one-third of fish
0:10:30 > 0:10:32and could soon affect us all,
0:10:32 > 0:10:35unless we do something about it now.
0:10:36 > 0:10:39One inspiring lady is already on the case.
0:10:40 > 0:10:42In just 22 days,
0:10:42 > 0:10:47Lizzie Carr made an epic 400-mile journey across our waterways
0:10:47 > 0:10:50to highlight how much plastic rubbish
0:10:50 > 0:10:53is getting into our canals and rivers.
0:10:53 > 0:10:56She did it on an inflatable paddleboard.
0:10:58 > 0:11:00There's a lot of attention on the global problem
0:11:00 > 0:11:03and what's in our oceans, but 80% of it starts inland
0:11:03 > 0:11:05from our canals and rivers, so I think it's vital
0:11:05 > 0:11:08that we start thinking about it on a very local level.
0:11:08 > 0:11:10And it's a shocking statistic, isn't it?
0:11:10 > 0:11:14That's dreadful and that's something we can all do something about.
0:11:14 > 0:11:17Absolutely. There's loads of things that we can do as individuals.
0:11:17 > 0:11:21It's about being mindful, I think, of our plastic consumption,
0:11:21 > 0:11:23and it's so easy to either not buy them or, you know,
0:11:23 > 0:11:25re-use them, put them into recycling.
0:11:25 > 0:11:27There's lots of things you can do,
0:11:27 > 0:11:30just small things to make a big difference.
0:11:30 > 0:11:32Over three days I collected 1,000 bottles
0:11:32 > 0:11:34and then I built a raft from them.
0:11:34 > 0:11:38The thing is that's impressive, but it's also really depressing.
0:11:38 > 0:11:40- Depressing.- Exactly!
0:11:40 > 0:11:42Yeah.
0:11:42 > 0:11:44Do you envisage people just literally chucking stuff
0:11:44 > 0:11:48out of their pockets, out of their car widows, littering our canals?
0:11:48 > 0:11:52I think there is an element of that, but people, to my mind,
0:11:52 > 0:11:54are inherently good and they have good intentions.
0:11:54 > 0:11:57Say it's been a sunny bank holiday weekend,
0:11:57 > 0:12:00the bins are brimming with people's rubbish
0:12:00 > 0:12:03because they've intended to do something good with them
0:12:03 > 0:12:04and it gets a bit windy,
0:12:04 > 0:12:06it then blows into the waterways and that's it.
0:12:06 > 0:12:09It heads on then towards the oceans.
0:12:09 > 0:12:15It's estimated that our canals and rivers are visited 380 million times
0:12:15 > 0:12:16over the course of a year.
0:12:16 > 0:12:19So, if we all picked up just a few bits of litter,
0:12:19 > 0:12:22we could really help reduce the problem.
0:12:22 > 0:12:26And with that, it's time I gave it a go.
0:12:26 > 0:12:28- Are you in my slipstream? - I think I am!
0:12:29 > 0:12:32- Trying to make it a bit easier! - Yeah!
0:12:32 > 0:12:36I'm joining Lizzie, tentatively, on the Kennet and Avon canal,
0:12:36 > 0:12:38on a hunt for plastic.
0:12:38 > 0:12:39Unfortunately, though,
0:12:39 > 0:12:43I don't have Lizzie's expertise when it comes to paddleboarding.
0:12:43 > 0:12:48How on Earth did you do 400 miles like this?
0:12:48 > 0:12:51Honestly, it does get easier once you get more comfortable.
0:12:51 > 0:12:54You know, Lizzie from the side of the canal,
0:12:54 > 0:12:56it looks beautifully clean,
0:12:56 > 0:12:58but this is a brilliant vantage point
0:12:58 > 0:13:01to see just how many bits of plastic
0:13:01 > 0:13:03there are in here. It's incredible.
0:13:03 > 0:13:06Yeah, absolutely. And actually now's probably a great time to start
0:13:06 > 0:13:09having a bit of a clean-up, so,
0:13:09 > 0:13:11let's get down on our knees because that's a bit easier.
0:13:11 > 0:13:13I like what you're saying there, OK.
0:13:13 > 0:13:16And see what we can find.
0:13:16 > 0:13:18I can't believe I haven't fallen in yet.
0:13:18 > 0:13:20How many times did you fall in on your epic trip?
0:13:20 > 0:13:23I didn't, actually.
0:13:23 > 0:13:25You didn't fall in over 400 miles?
0:13:25 > 0:13:28I erred on the side of caution the entire time.
0:13:28 > 0:13:31I couldn't shower, so I didn't want to get wet and dirty.
0:13:31 > 0:13:34That deserves an OBE or something, I should think!
0:13:34 > 0:13:35Brilliant!
0:13:35 > 0:13:38Right, let's have a look then.
0:13:38 > 0:13:40Once we get going, I'm pretty horrified
0:13:40 > 0:13:44by the amount we find in what looks like clean water.
0:13:44 > 0:13:46You'll never believe what I just found here.
0:13:46 > 0:13:49A bit of a balloon. Look at that beauty!
0:13:50 > 0:13:55I always check the sell-by dates on bottles when I find them in these sort of pockets in the reeds
0:13:55 > 0:13:57and often they'll have been there for 10-12 years.
0:13:57 > 0:14:01In fact, the average time for a plastic bottle to degrade
0:14:01 > 0:14:04is a staggering 450 years.
0:14:05 > 0:14:07It's everywhere and this is a relatively clean canal, isn't it?
0:14:07 > 0:14:09This is a really clean stretch of water.
0:14:09 > 0:14:13This is not representative of what I've experienced
0:14:13 > 0:14:15up and down the country.
0:14:15 > 0:14:17You've seen far worse, obviously.
0:14:17 > 0:14:18Far, far worse.
0:14:18 > 0:14:22And of course, all this visible plastic breaks down into the stuff
0:14:22 > 0:14:26we can't see, the dreaded microplastics.
0:14:26 > 0:14:28The problem is, it's the small bits that you're seeing.
0:14:28 > 0:14:32It's these very tiny fragments that are the big problem.
0:14:32 > 0:14:35You know the big plastic bottles, they're more of an eyesore,
0:14:35 > 0:14:39these are having a detrimental impact on wildlife.
0:14:39 > 0:14:40This is the stuff that we need to get rid of,
0:14:40 > 0:14:42it's almost impossible to see with the naked eye.
0:14:42 > 0:14:44And that's a terrifying thought, isn't it?
0:14:44 > 0:14:46If you consider that our waterways,
0:14:46 > 0:14:48whether they are man-made canals or natural rivers,
0:14:48 > 0:14:52are the arteries of our nation, in many respects.
0:14:52 > 0:14:58The thought they will become ever more clogged up with this soup of
0:14:58 > 0:15:02plastic and bits and pieces, which isn't degrading,
0:15:02 > 0:15:07it's just getting smaller and more insidious, it's a terrifying idea.
0:15:07 > 0:15:10We are choking our waterways with plastics.
0:15:10 > 0:15:13Yeah, but it's a battle we could win.
0:15:15 > 0:15:19And it's a battle that Lizzie is determined to keep fighting.
0:15:19 > 0:15:23As if 400 miles paddling across our waterways isn't enough,
0:15:23 > 0:15:26Lizzie's about to take on an even greater challenge.
0:15:28 > 0:15:32She'll attempt to paddleboard right across the English Channel.
0:15:32 > 0:15:34Obviously I want to continue plastic patrolling,
0:15:34 > 0:15:38but the other part of that will be actually collecting water samples
0:15:38 > 0:15:40to have a look and identify microplastics
0:15:40 > 0:15:44within that single journey, sort of systematically throughout it,
0:15:44 > 0:15:47so it will be interesting to see what the results of that are too.
0:15:47 > 0:15:51Now you didn't fall in on your 400-mile trek across the UK.
0:15:51 > 0:15:54Do you think you're going to fall in as you try and cross the Channel?
0:15:54 > 0:15:55Yes. Probably.
0:15:55 > 0:15:57I think you might, too.
0:15:57 > 0:15:59But Lizzie, it's a brilliant idea,
0:15:59 > 0:16:03in a brilliant cause that I think is highlighting an issue that does
0:16:03 > 0:16:07affect all of us, and should be relevant to all of us.
0:16:07 > 0:16:08So, well done, you.
0:16:08 > 0:16:11We wish you all the best of luck crossing the Channel.
0:16:11 > 0:16:13Thank you very much.
0:16:14 > 0:16:20Well, Lizzie's campaign has helped to highlight the problem of plastics in our inland waterways,
0:16:20 > 0:16:23but it's what happens to them when they reach the open sea
0:16:23 > 0:16:25that is now the real cause for concern.
0:16:25 > 0:16:28Something I'll be taking a much closer look at a little bit later.
0:16:30 > 0:16:33JOHN CRAVEN: A very worrying issue, indeed.
0:16:33 > 0:16:37But now to a novel idea which could have a very positive effect on us
0:16:37 > 0:16:42and our environment. We Brits have a soft spot for wild creatures,
0:16:42 > 0:16:45these feral goats that roam Valley of the Rocks,
0:16:45 > 0:16:49here in North Devon are a real favourite with the visitors here.
0:16:49 > 0:16:51But we also love our pets.
0:16:51 > 0:16:55Eight million of us keep cats and if you're not one of them,
0:16:55 > 0:17:00but like them, well, Keeley has found a way of getting a feline fix.
0:17:06 > 0:17:08We're a nation of pet lovers.
0:17:08 > 0:17:10But for me, the cat is king.
0:17:10 > 0:17:14These are my cats. This is Gary and this is Tony.
0:17:14 > 0:17:17And not only are they cute, but they're actually good for my health.
0:17:17 > 0:17:20In fact, research has proven if you own a moggy,
0:17:20 > 0:17:25you're much less likely to die of a heart attack or stroke.
0:17:25 > 0:17:28So, how do you benefit from this feline phenomenon
0:17:28 > 0:17:30if you haven't actually got a cat?
0:17:30 > 0:17:32You come to a cat cafe, of course.
0:17:33 > 0:17:37The first cat cafe opened in Taiwan almost 20 years ago
0:17:37 > 0:17:41and they are hugely popular in countries like Japan.
0:17:41 > 0:17:45Now they're popping up all over Britain, from Cardiff to Edinburgh,
0:17:45 > 0:17:49as an antidote to the stresses and strains of modern life.
0:17:52 > 0:17:55This kitty cafe in the heart of Manchester
0:17:55 > 0:17:59was set up by two cat-crazed sisters, Sarah and Ellie Close.
0:17:59 > 0:18:01- Hello, girls.- Hi.
0:18:01 > 0:18:04This is my idea of heaven - tea, cake and cats.
0:18:04 > 0:18:07- Yes.- What's the concept? What's the idea behind it?
0:18:07 > 0:18:10Why's it different to a normal cafe?
0:18:10 > 0:18:13I think a cat cafe is good for stress relief.
0:18:13 > 0:18:14I think that's the defining factor.
0:18:14 > 0:18:19You can sort of turn up, grab a coffee and just watch cats sleep,
0:18:19 > 0:18:20or watch cats play,
0:18:20 > 0:18:24and by watching an animal it can be quite mindful and therapeutic.
0:18:24 > 0:18:26So I guess that's the difference
0:18:26 > 0:18:29between a cat cafe and a normal cafe.
0:18:30 > 0:18:34There are 14 resident cats, all with their own personalities.
0:18:35 > 0:18:38So, we've got Bengals who want to play and run around.
0:18:38 > 0:18:41And they're just the ones you see on the sky run.
0:18:41 > 0:18:43There's definitely the high maintenance ones.
0:18:43 > 0:18:45So Stanley, the Siamese that's running around.
0:18:45 > 0:18:49- Needs a lot of attention. - He needs a lot of attention.
0:18:49 > 0:18:52And then there's the rag dolls that are like really relaxed.
0:18:52 > 0:18:54Great therapy cats. they'll just sort of roll around
0:18:54 > 0:18:56and laze about all day.
0:18:56 > 0:18:58Not a care in the world.
0:18:58 > 0:19:02We've got a few regular customers that obviously get a favourite cat
0:19:02 > 0:19:04and they want to keep coming back and checking on them
0:19:04 > 0:19:07and playing with them. It's really nice to see.
0:19:07 > 0:19:09When we first started doing this, there were a lot of people
0:19:09 > 0:19:12that thought it was like a novelty thing, or like a pop-up thing.
0:19:12 > 0:19:16But I think this can be very much a stable part of any community.
0:19:16 > 0:19:18And I think we're seeing that in our repeat custom,
0:19:18 > 0:19:20from people that live in the local area.
0:19:20 > 0:19:24We intend it to be in Manchester for many, many years.
0:19:24 > 0:19:26One regular here is Rachel Millett.
0:19:26 > 0:19:30She suffers from chronic pain and anxiety
0:19:30 > 0:19:33and finds the cat cafe a therapeutic place to be.
0:19:33 > 0:19:36I noticed when you came in you were spotting some of the cats,
0:19:36 > 0:19:39- you know them by name now. - Yeah, it's a bit sad, isn't it?
0:19:39 > 0:19:42No, but, yeah, because we've been in a few times
0:19:42 > 0:19:44you get to know like their personalities
0:19:44 > 0:19:47and see them grow up, like the kittens and things like that.
0:19:47 > 0:19:49- And have you got a favourite? - Definitely!
0:19:49 > 0:19:52- So, who is it?- Harvey. - Harvey's the favourite.
0:19:52 > 0:19:54Harvey's the favourite. Say it quietly.
0:19:54 > 0:19:56We don't want of the others...
0:19:56 > 0:19:59- So, why do you come here? - Coming to a homely environment
0:19:59 > 0:20:02makes me feel a lot more comfortable, and less pain,
0:20:02 > 0:20:05which obviously helps with the anxiousness as well.
0:20:05 > 0:20:07Being around the cats, and they're very calming
0:20:07 > 0:20:09and I know I'm in a safe environment.
0:20:09 > 0:20:13I do get a lot of satisfaction if they do come up to you
0:20:13 > 0:20:15or they play with you, etc.
0:20:15 > 0:20:19It's that distraction or the calming feeling of stroking them,
0:20:19 > 0:20:21just kind of takes your mind off things,
0:20:21 > 0:20:23makes you calm down and relax.
0:20:23 > 0:20:25I've been a couple of times before,
0:20:25 > 0:20:28they try and get in your coffee or things like that. So it's funny.
0:20:28 > 0:20:30It makes you laugh. And my mum finds that a lot
0:20:30 > 0:20:32when she comes with me as well.
0:20:32 > 0:20:36She's like, she just watches me just giggle around sort of thing.
0:20:36 > 0:20:39Watching all the cats, so I think it helps her as well
0:20:39 > 0:20:41to know that I feel a lot better.
0:20:42 > 0:20:44Contact with animals is proven to be good
0:20:44 > 0:20:47for our physical and mental health,
0:20:47 > 0:20:50which is all well and good if you live in the countryside.
0:20:50 > 0:20:54But over 50 million of us now live in urban areas,
0:20:54 > 0:20:57where cafes like this come into their own.
0:20:57 > 0:21:00So, Bert, this is Gary playing fetch.
0:21:01 > 0:21:04Let's see if you can do anything. What's this?
0:21:08 > 0:21:13Nothing! These cats not only boost the wellbeing of customers,
0:21:13 > 0:21:17they're also helping to raise cash for a mental health charity.
0:21:17 > 0:21:20Mental health is very much on our agenda.
0:21:20 > 0:21:24One in four people will now be diagnosed with a mental health condition in their lifetime.
0:21:24 > 0:21:28And we feel there's still a lot of stigma attached to mental health.
0:21:28 > 0:21:30Depression is a medical condition.
0:21:30 > 0:21:32It's an imbalance of chemicals in the brain,
0:21:32 > 0:21:34but I think a lot of people still think of it
0:21:34 > 0:21:36more as an emotional problem. But it's not.
0:21:36 > 0:21:40It's a diagnosable condition, much like diabetes or asthma.
0:21:40 > 0:21:43And I think, particularly in the UK,
0:21:43 > 0:21:47we're not really treating mental health the way it needs to be treated.
0:21:47 > 0:21:49So that is our chosen agenda at Cat Cafe.
0:21:49 > 0:21:52So one of the charities we support is Manchester Mind.
0:21:52 > 0:21:54And last year we decided to make a charity calendar.
0:21:54 > 0:21:57And this is what we came up with. It's a man and cats calendar.
0:21:57 > 0:22:00Not just a man and cats calendar.
0:22:00 > 0:22:02- No.- Half naked men and cats calendar.
0:22:02 > 0:22:04Yes!
0:22:04 > 0:22:07All I can say is it did do very well and we did raise a lot of money.
0:22:07 > 0:22:10And how did you get them into these poses?
0:22:10 > 0:22:11How do they stay still for that long?
0:22:11 > 0:22:14We had to be really patient. As you know, working with cats.
0:22:14 > 0:22:17But they're pretty friendly cats that we have here.
0:22:17 > 0:22:20They like the fuss, to be all about them sometimes.
0:22:20 > 0:22:21It went really well.
0:22:21 > 0:22:24And as if naked men and cats aren't enough,
0:22:24 > 0:22:30the cafe also runs weekly yoga classes given by Kate Casinelli.
0:22:30 > 0:22:32Push back to downward dog.
0:22:32 > 0:22:34Surely she means downward cat!
0:22:35 > 0:22:39Yoga is known to boost physical and mental wellbeing.
0:22:39 > 0:22:43So, yoga with cats, well, surely that's double the benefit.
0:22:44 > 0:22:47But what do the cats think of this new craze?
0:22:47 > 0:22:50This is clearly a good place for human mental health,
0:22:50 > 0:22:52but what about the health of the cats?
0:22:52 > 0:22:56Well, the health and welfare of our cats is our top priority,
0:22:56 > 0:23:00because we can't run a cat cafe without having happy, healthy cats.
0:23:00 > 0:23:03We do a couple of things to make sure the welfare is protected.
0:23:03 > 0:23:07One is we have house rules, which are you can't pick the cats up.
0:23:07 > 0:23:08You can't wake them if they're asleep.
0:23:08 > 0:23:11You can't chase them. You can't take photos with a flash.
0:23:11 > 0:23:15It's to make sure the cats are protected in what is their home.
0:23:15 > 0:23:18This is where they live, 24 hours a day.
0:23:18 > 0:23:19We also have a cat room,
0:23:19 > 0:23:22which is their space they can go at any time during the day
0:23:22 > 0:23:25- if they want to get out of the cafe. - So they are free just to go there?
0:23:25 > 0:23:28Yes, of course. Yes. So you know if they're in the cafe interacting
0:23:28 > 0:23:30with the customers they are choosing to be in here.
0:23:30 > 0:23:34Because at any time they can go in that room, which is pretty big.
0:23:34 > 0:23:35It's not like a tiny room, so yeah.
0:23:35 > 0:23:38So you've got happy humans and happy cats?
0:23:38 > 0:23:40Exactly!
0:23:43 > 0:23:46OK, so cat cafes might seem like a bit of a crazy idea,
0:23:46 > 0:23:50but after today, I can see that a spot of fun with our moggy mates
0:23:50 > 0:23:53can be really good for us humans.
0:23:59 > 0:24:02We all have our own ways to de-stress,
0:24:02 > 0:24:06and if yoga and pets aren't for you, well, don't worry,
0:24:06 > 0:24:10there is now plenty of evidence to show that our wellbeing is vastly
0:24:10 > 0:24:13improved by connecting with nature.
0:24:13 > 0:24:16In Wiltshire, I discovered a patch of paradise,
0:24:16 > 0:24:19which is home to a rare spring bloom.
0:24:26 > 0:24:31Morning life over an ancient lowland meadow in Wiltshire,
0:24:31 > 0:24:33one of the finest in the whole of Europe.
0:24:35 > 0:24:38And now that spring is here, this place has burst into bloom.
0:24:38 > 0:24:43Not only is it one of our largest remaining traditional hay meadows,
0:24:43 > 0:24:47it's also home to the largest population of this rare flower,
0:24:47 > 0:24:49the snake's head fritillary.
0:24:54 > 0:24:56To discover more about these flowers,
0:24:56 > 0:24:59I'm meeting ecologist Emma Rothero.
0:24:59 > 0:25:01Along with a team of volunteers,
0:25:01 > 0:25:04she's making a detailed study of them here in North Meadow.
0:25:05 > 0:25:08I suppose the best place to get a good look at them
0:25:08 > 0:25:11is down at ground level. And how did it get its name then?
0:25:11 > 0:25:14It is a really extraordinary plant, isn't it?
0:25:14 > 0:25:15It's called snake's head
0:25:15 > 0:25:17because of the way it comes up out of the ground
0:25:17 > 0:25:20with its flower like that, so it looks like a snake's head.
0:25:20 > 0:25:24And then fritillary we think comes from the Latin Fritillus,
0:25:24 > 0:25:26which roughly translates as dice box.
0:25:26 > 0:25:29And I think that refers to its very chequered pattern there.
0:25:29 > 0:25:35There's some really fun local names, dead man's bell, chequered warrior.
0:25:35 > 0:25:38A folfolar in Staffordshire is another example.
0:25:38 > 0:25:44So people have given them exciting names because they're such an exciting plant.
0:25:49 > 0:25:52North Meadow has remained largely unchanged for centuries.
0:25:52 > 0:25:55Every year, when hay-making is finished,
0:25:55 > 0:25:57the land has been turned over to grazing.
0:25:57 > 0:26:02And that's always protected the meadow from drainage work and ploughing.
0:26:12 > 0:26:15These days, volunteers help to monitor
0:26:15 > 0:26:18the rare and diverse range of plants.
0:26:18 > 0:26:21North Meadow became a national nature reserve 45 years ago,
0:26:21 > 0:26:24and among the things you can spot here
0:26:24 > 0:26:28are the delicate cuckoo flower and the vibrant marsh marigold.
0:26:28 > 0:26:3127 centimetres...
0:26:31 > 0:26:35But today, Emma Rothero and her team are carrying out their annual survey
0:26:35 > 0:26:39into the general wellbeing of the star of the show -
0:26:39 > 0:26:41the snake's head fritillary.
0:26:41 > 0:26:45We're going to place this very carefully over this highly technical bamboo cane.
0:26:45 > 0:26:48- Right. Just here. Like that?- Perfect.
0:26:48 > 0:26:51- Yeah.- That's it.
0:26:51 > 0:26:53With our one-metre-square grid in place,
0:26:53 > 0:26:57we painstakingly log every fritillary we can see,
0:26:57 > 0:27:01including the tiny single leaf newcomers.
0:27:01 > 0:27:03And then, we record their height.
0:27:03 > 0:27:06And that's up to about 19 centimetres there.
0:27:08 > 0:27:11Across the meadow there were 200 such squares,
0:27:11 > 0:27:15accurately placed in the same spot year after year.
0:27:15 > 0:27:19Thanks to the canes and the precision guidance of GPS.
0:27:21 > 0:27:23- How long have you been doing this for?- This is our 19th year.
0:27:23 > 0:27:27- Wow!- So it's a good, quite a long-term study.
0:27:27 > 0:27:29And what has it told you?
0:27:29 > 0:27:32Well, what we can see is that the numbers of fritillaries
0:27:32 > 0:27:34on this site are generally increasing,
0:27:34 > 0:27:38particularly the numbers of flowering plants are generally increasing.
0:27:38 > 0:27:41So, all in all, things are looking pretty good?
0:27:41 > 0:27:42- They are here, yeah. - Good.
0:27:47 > 0:27:50The work now being done by both Natural England
0:27:50 > 0:27:54and Emma and her friends from the Flood Plain Meadows Partnership,
0:27:54 > 0:27:57should ensure this beguiling landscape continues
0:27:57 > 0:28:01to be safeguarded as living, flowering history.
0:28:06 > 0:28:10Spring is planting time in the nation's gardens
0:28:10 > 0:28:15and many of us find it a relaxing pastime, but not everyone.
0:28:15 > 0:28:18When it comes to growing giant vegetables,
0:28:18 > 0:28:20well, that's a very serious business,
0:28:20 > 0:28:23and in Wiltshire, Paul has enlisted the help
0:28:23 > 0:28:26of some world champion growers.
0:28:31 > 0:28:33We did pretty well with our veg patch last year
0:28:33 > 0:28:36and it was something the whole family were proud of,
0:28:36 > 0:28:37especially the harvest.
0:28:37 > 0:28:40But this year, we're trying something a little more ambitious,
0:28:40 > 0:28:44and when you want to go big, it pays to get the best.
0:28:44 > 0:28:48Ian Neil and Kevin Forty are age-old rivals.
0:28:50 > 0:28:55They are heavyweights in the world of giant vegetable growing.
0:28:55 > 0:28:58I'm Ian Neil, I've been doing this since the mid-80s
0:28:58 > 0:29:00and I've got four world records.
0:29:00 > 0:29:03I'm Kevin Forty, a second generation giant vegetable grower.
0:29:03 > 0:29:06Currently hold the world record for the longest radish.
0:29:06 > 0:29:11These highly-competitive rivals have both become world champions,
0:29:11 > 0:29:14but their approaches couldn't be more different.
0:29:14 > 0:29:15Ian is a traditionalist,
0:29:15 > 0:29:19using the same methods that have worked for generations.
0:29:20 > 0:29:22Our ancestors knew how to grow,
0:29:22 > 0:29:25and they didn't have fertilisers and these chemicals.
0:29:25 > 0:29:29While Kevin is into the latest technology of hydroponics.
0:29:29 > 0:29:34I think hydroponic growing is the next step for giant vegetables.
0:29:34 > 0:29:37We first met them in last Autumn's Countryfile Diaries,
0:29:37 > 0:29:40when Margherita Taylor helped them to victory
0:29:40 > 0:29:43in the National Giant Vegetable Competition.
0:29:43 > 0:29:45And we're leaving you on friendly terms.
0:29:45 > 0:29:47Oh, yes, course you are!
0:29:48 > 0:29:50Now, these two top veg growing gents
0:29:50 > 0:29:54have agreed to give me the benefit of their experience,
0:29:54 > 0:29:58so hopefully I can grow some whoppers myself this spring.
0:29:58 > 0:30:01I'm a bit nervous, but I cannot wait to meet them.
0:30:13 > 0:30:14Hi, guys. Welcome, Ian.
0:30:14 > 0:30:16- Good afternoon, Paul.- Hi, Kevin.
0:30:16 > 0:30:19- Hey Paul, good afternoon. - Thank you for coming along today.
0:30:19 > 0:30:21Welcome to Wiltshire, on such a sunny spring day.
0:30:21 > 0:30:23You guys are absolute legends,
0:30:23 > 0:30:26and I can't wait to see what you've got to offer, so, come on.
0:30:26 > 0:30:30So my plan is to grow giant chillies with Kevin's fancy new technique,
0:30:30 > 0:30:34and giant marrows with Ian's tried and tested methods.
0:30:34 > 0:30:37Ian first.
0:30:37 > 0:30:40We are going to be growing some marrows, aren't we?
0:30:40 > 0:30:43- We are.- Super, super sized ones. What is the secret?
0:30:43 > 0:30:46It's all to do with seed in this growing of the giant veg.
0:30:46 > 0:30:48These are from the British record marrow.
0:30:48 > 0:30:50From one of your winning marrows?
0:30:50 > 0:30:52From one of my best friends.
0:30:52 > 0:30:54Your best friends! That's quite nice, isn't it, your best friends?!
0:30:54 > 0:30:58We put them in a plastic container,
0:30:58 > 0:31:03drop of water to moisten the kitchen towel, put a lid on it
0:31:03 > 0:31:05and either put them in the airing cupboard,
0:31:05 > 0:31:07or if you've still got a boiler, which I have,
0:31:07 > 0:31:09you can put them on the boiler.
0:31:09 > 0:31:11After four or five days,
0:31:11 > 0:31:13you take them out and put them in a pot that size.
0:31:13 > 0:31:14Right, OK, pot them up.
0:31:14 > 0:31:16- Pot them up. - What do you pot them up in?
0:31:16 > 0:31:19Bracken and wool. It's an organic one.
0:31:20 > 0:31:23Why do you put a smaller tub inside another one,
0:31:23 > 0:31:25two concentric circles and pad it out like that?
0:31:25 > 0:31:27I've never seen that done before.
0:31:27 > 0:31:30- Haven't you?- No. - Well, when you lift him out...
0:31:30 > 0:31:31Ah, look at that, it's a mould!
0:31:31 > 0:31:33This is a mycorrhizal,
0:31:33 > 0:31:37it's a natural thing in nature and it encourages more roots -
0:31:37 > 0:31:40- it's a fungi.- And you drop a bit of that in?
0:31:40 > 0:31:41Well, you're overdoing a bit now.
0:31:41 > 0:31:44Oh, crikey, OK.
0:31:44 > 0:31:47I don't have green fingers, but I tell you what, with your help,
0:31:47 > 0:31:48I'm going to.
0:31:50 > 0:31:55So really the secret in growing sort of world championship-sized pumpkins
0:31:55 > 0:31:58or marrows or whatever you want, is having that right seed,
0:31:58 > 0:32:00the genetic seed?
0:32:00 > 0:32:02It is. Go to shows, talk to the exhibitors
0:32:02 > 0:32:05and they'll generally give them you.
0:32:05 > 0:32:07- Oh, will they?- They will, yeah.
0:32:07 > 0:32:10Well, apparently I'm not the first person
0:32:10 > 0:32:13to get Ian's secrets on growing giant veg.
0:32:13 > 0:32:15Well, I broke the swede record in 2011
0:32:15 > 0:32:19and Snoop Dogg saw it and invited me backstage.
0:32:19 > 0:32:21I was the oldest rapper there!
0:32:21 > 0:32:25So, having got Ian's top tips, the burning question is -
0:32:25 > 0:32:28how big will my marrows get?
0:32:28 > 0:32:30We want to grow between 8-10 foot.
0:32:31 > 0:32:33That is all of my veg patch!
0:32:33 > 0:32:35What've I let myself in for?
0:32:35 > 0:32:36Ten-foot marrow!
0:32:38 > 0:32:40So, we can stick those inside there.
0:32:41 > 0:32:46And in two to three weeks' time, pot them into a seven-inch diameter pot?
0:32:46 > 0:32:48- Yes.- OK, using a bit more compost?
0:32:48 > 0:32:51- More compost.- And a little bit more magic fungi?
0:32:51 > 0:32:53- That's it.- Thank you Ian, you made that so simple for me.
0:32:53 > 0:32:56Right you guys, start growing right now!
0:32:56 > 0:32:57I want to see some whoppers.
0:32:57 > 0:32:59And I'm going to check out what Kevin's up to,
0:32:59 > 0:33:01I'll leave you to clean up.
0:33:01 > 0:33:03Now, Kevin is so state-of-the-art.
0:33:03 > 0:33:07He grows his prize-winning veg without using any soil at all.
0:33:07 > 0:33:10Welcome to the world of hydroponics.
0:33:10 > 0:33:13Now, this looks totally different.
0:33:13 > 0:33:14Completely alien.
0:33:14 > 0:33:17Yeah, we better not tell Ian about this, this is one of our secrets.
0:33:17 > 0:33:19It's got a solar panel, it's got loads of tubes, loads of wires.
0:33:19 > 0:33:21This looks pretty cool, actually.
0:33:21 > 0:33:23What's this at the bottom, is this some kind of reservoir?
0:33:23 > 0:33:27Yeah, so all your nutrients goes into the reservoir.
0:33:27 > 0:33:31The chillies will be grown in coir, the outside fibres of a coconut,
0:33:31 > 0:33:33which have few nutrients,
0:33:33 > 0:33:37so everything the plants need is added in Kevin's secret solution.
0:33:39 > 0:33:42So this is the magic potion, so you need 30 litres of this.
0:33:44 > 0:33:48In hydroponics systems, you control the amount of nutrients
0:33:48 > 0:33:51your plants get, which can lead to higher yields
0:33:51 > 0:33:54and even faster growing plants.
0:33:55 > 0:33:56And there's another bonus.
0:33:58 > 0:34:02The great thing about this is, if you don't have a garden,
0:34:02 > 0:34:06and you've got a, let's say, roof terrace or a balcony, this is ideal.
0:34:06 > 0:34:07It's absolutely perfect.
0:34:07 > 0:34:10Although Kevin's approach is cutting edge,
0:34:10 > 0:34:13he comes from a tradition of giant veg growers.
0:34:13 > 0:34:17My dad started off giant vegetable growing in the UK in the early '80s,
0:34:17 > 0:34:19in a pub just down the road from here.
0:34:19 > 0:34:21They then decided they had to move to a different pub,
0:34:21 > 0:34:25because the pub doors, it was only a single door.
0:34:26 > 0:34:28We're growing chillies in this but you can grow anything in it.
0:34:28 > 0:34:31You can grow absolutely anything, the opportunities are endless.
0:34:31 > 0:34:33And what's really clever is that these tubes
0:34:33 > 0:34:36are powered by a solar panel that pumps water
0:34:36 > 0:34:40from the reservoir into the pots, and the hotter the sun,
0:34:40 > 0:34:42the more water they get.
0:34:42 > 0:34:44That will provide a constant drip feed
0:34:44 > 0:34:47and hopefully that will get you a giant.
0:34:47 > 0:34:49- Job done.- The challenge is yours.
0:34:49 > 0:34:52Thank you so much. Well, I think the challenge is against you and Ian,
0:34:52 > 0:34:55we're going to see which method comes up trumps.
0:34:55 > 0:34:57Can't wait!
0:34:57 > 0:34:59So, whether you're a traditionalist
0:34:59 > 0:35:03or fancy having a go at some hi-tech hydroponics,
0:35:03 > 0:35:06you now know what it takes to grow giant veg.
0:35:07 > 0:35:10It's been a huge honour having Kevin and Ian come here
0:35:10 > 0:35:14and passing on some of their top tips about growing monster veg.
0:35:14 > 0:35:17I just hope I can keep up their good work,
0:35:17 > 0:35:21because come autumn I want to harvest some prize-winners myself.
0:35:26 > 0:35:28Well, from super-sized to microscopic,
0:35:28 > 0:35:33earlier on, Jules saw just how much micro-plastic is ending up
0:35:33 > 0:35:37in our waterways. Well, now he's here on the coast in Devon,
0:35:37 > 0:35:39to see what happens when it enters our seas.
0:35:42 > 0:35:45A portion of fish and chips by the seaside,
0:35:45 > 0:35:47this is one of my favourite treats,
0:35:47 > 0:35:51and as a nation we get through 380 million portions
0:35:51 > 0:35:52of the stuff every year.
0:35:52 > 0:35:57But how would you feel if your favourite meal
0:35:57 > 0:35:59came with a side of plastic?
0:35:59 > 0:36:04I'm talking about the particles less than five millimetres in length
0:36:04 > 0:36:05that we call micro-plastics,
0:36:05 > 0:36:08and I've come to Plymouth to meet an expert on the subject,
0:36:08 > 0:36:10Professor Richard Thompson.
0:36:10 > 0:36:12Richard, good morning.
0:36:12 > 0:36:13- Good morning.- How are you?
0:36:13 > 0:36:14I'm very good, thanks.
0:36:14 > 0:36:17- What a cracking day. - Yes, it's lovely, isn't it?
0:36:17 > 0:36:21- Come aboard.- What a lovely day for a bit of fishing, of sorts.
0:36:21 > 0:36:24In particular, we're fishing for plastic.
0:36:24 > 0:36:26Now, it's not every fisherman's idea of fun,
0:36:26 > 0:36:29but Richard is part of an international team
0:36:29 > 0:36:32researching the impact of marine litter,
0:36:32 > 0:36:36specifically micro-plastics that are too small to see with the naked eye.
0:36:36 > 0:36:39Well, Richard, what are we going to do this morning?
0:36:39 > 0:36:43So what I want to do is to see if we can catch some floating plastic.
0:36:43 > 0:36:44So what we're going to use is the manta net.
0:36:44 > 0:36:46We're going to trawl it at the sea's surface,
0:36:46 > 0:36:50it'll skim along the surface of the water and we'll see
0:36:50 > 0:36:52if we can catch some smallish pieces of plastic.
0:36:52 > 0:36:54This is quite interesting.
0:36:54 > 0:36:56Lift it up and we can have a better look at it.
0:36:56 > 0:36:59We've got floats under here, and a kind of letterbox opening,
0:36:59 > 0:37:03the water will be about halfway up and it will pass through there.
0:37:03 > 0:37:05- And into this great big net. - Into the net at the back,
0:37:05 > 0:37:08we'll get natural debris there, we'll get seaweed
0:37:08 > 0:37:10and bits of wood and stuff as well, that should be there,
0:37:10 > 0:37:12but we'll probably also get some plastic,
0:37:12 > 0:37:13which, of course, we'd rather wasn't.
0:37:13 > 0:37:16So this is the cod end where it will all accumulate,
0:37:16 > 0:37:21and that's really fine, about 200 micron, mesh size.
0:37:21 > 0:37:24There is still, I think, an assumption at large
0:37:24 > 0:37:27that the ocean, saltwater, corrosive as it is,
0:37:27 > 0:37:32can somehow magically digest whatever we chuck into it,
0:37:32 > 0:37:36and of course plastic simply cannot degrade in any way, shape or form.
0:37:36 > 0:37:39- It cannot disappear. - That's been the problem, I think,
0:37:39 > 0:37:40with the oceans for a long time,
0:37:40 > 0:37:44that people have thought that out of sight is out of mind.
0:37:44 > 0:37:46It tends to get overlooked and forgotten about,
0:37:46 > 0:37:50but it isn't degrading there, it's accumulating over time.
0:37:50 > 0:37:55In the 1950s, we produced 1.5 million tonnes of plastic,
0:37:55 > 0:37:59but that figure has now risen to 300 million tonnes,
0:37:59 > 0:38:03and this means more and more plastic is ending up in our seas.
0:38:03 > 0:38:07Some suggest there'll be three times as much litter in the seas by 2025
0:38:07 > 0:38:11as there is today, unless we change our ways.
0:38:11 > 0:38:16Time now to cast our manta net and start fishing.
0:38:16 > 0:38:18Perfect. Perfect, flying nicely.
0:38:20 > 0:38:24One aspect of Richard's research is to find out how much plastic
0:38:24 > 0:38:27is getting into our fish and onto our plates.
0:38:28 > 0:38:32Now, you've found plastic in the guts of fish during your research,
0:38:32 > 0:38:35- haven't you?- Yeah, we've found small pieces of micro-plastic
0:38:35 > 0:38:39in ten species of fish, taken from waters here near to Plymouth.
0:38:39 > 0:38:42We looked at 500 individual fish.
0:38:42 > 0:38:45We found plastic in about a third of them, and with most fish, of course,
0:38:45 > 0:38:48you'd take the gut out before you ate it
0:38:48 > 0:38:51and that's we're tending to find the plastic.
0:38:51 > 0:38:54Now, because we remove the fish guts before eating,
0:38:54 > 0:38:58Richard doesn't think we're in danger of eating plastic, at the moment.
0:38:58 > 0:39:02It's a cause, if you like, for us to really take note.
0:39:02 > 0:39:04Because plastics are a persistent contaminant,
0:39:04 > 0:39:06the quantity in the environment is only going to get worse,
0:39:06 > 0:39:10so if we're having this conversation in ten or 20 years' time,
0:39:10 > 0:39:13maybe the quantities in wildlife would be sufficient for us
0:39:13 > 0:39:16to think about maybe not eating some species.
0:39:18 > 0:39:21Well, the only way we can really understand what's happening
0:39:21 > 0:39:24in our seas is to have a detailed look.
0:39:24 > 0:39:28It's a bit heavier than a normal ray, isn't it?
0:39:29 > 0:39:32Well, it looks promising, Richard.
0:39:32 > 0:39:34Well, it depends what you mean by promising!
0:39:36 > 0:39:40Since micro-plastics can be smaller in diameter than a strand of hair,
0:39:40 > 0:39:43the only way to really see what's in Richard's catch
0:39:43 > 0:39:45is to take a closer look under a microscope.
0:39:47 > 0:39:48- Shall we?- Let's go.
0:39:48 > 0:39:50Home for tea...
0:39:50 > 0:39:51And a microscope.
0:39:58 > 0:40:01That's a very smart magnifier, Richard.
0:40:01 > 0:40:04- Look at that. - I suspect this is polystyrene.
0:40:04 > 0:40:07- Gosh, it's painstaking work though, Richard, isn't it?- Yeah.
0:40:07 > 0:40:10I mean each piece that looks a little bit unusual
0:40:10 > 0:40:12has to be individually identified.
0:40:13 > 0:40:16Amongst the debris is a plastic fibre
0:40:16 > 0:40:18that's causing increasing concern.
0:40:18 > 0:40:23It's a new plastic enemy, and it's in our clothes.
0:40:23 > 0:40:26Now a potential source of those is from washing,
0:40:26 > 0:40:29from laundering of clothes and textiles.
0:40:29 > 0:40:32And it's the man-made ones that are the problem.
0:40:32 > 0:40:35The interesting thing to me was that some types of garment were releasing
0:40:35 > 0:40:38fibres five times faster than others,
0:40:38 > 0:40:40and these were similar looking garments, so
0:40:40 > 0:40:43that suggests to me again there's things that can be done
0:40:43 > 0:40:47at the design stage to considerably reduce the emissions of fibres.
0:40:47 > 0:40:50Just to be clear, these are fibres which aren't natural fibres,
0:40:50 > 0:40:53we're talking about wool or cotton, we're talking about...
0:40:53 > 0:40:55These were all synthetic fibres, yeah.
0:40:55 > 0:40:58- And plastics therein? - Yes.
0:40:58 > 0:41:01Clothes made from synthetic materials,
0:41:01 > 0:41:04like acrylic and polyester, are becoming more popular
0:41:04 > 0:41:07than clothes made from natural fibres like cotton.
0:41:07 > 0:41:10They're durable, stretchy, and they don't shrink.
0:41:10 > 0:41:15But just one wash can release 700,000 microscopic fibres
0:41:15 > 0:41:18into the environment. At that rate,
0:41:18 > 0:41:21up to 190,000 tonnes of plastic fibre
0:41:21 > 0:41:24could enter our seas every year.
0:41:26 > 0:41:28These, presumably, are close-ups
0:41:28 > 0:41:30of the fibres that they are shedding.
0:41:30 > 0:41:32These are electron microscope pictures, yeah.
0:41:32 > 0:41:35Essentially, it's washing down the plug hole.
0:41:35 > 0:41:38- Yes.- As the washing machine pumps the water out,
0:41:38 > 0:41:40it's entering the drainage system
0:41:40 > 0:41:44and then somehow it's making its way out there to the ocean.
0:41:44 > 0:41:46- Yes.- And you're finding it?
0:41:46 > 0:41:48They are only very, very small pieces
0:41:48 > 0:41:50but we're finding them in a lot of the samples that we look at.
0:41:50 > 0:41:53I think what I'm taking away from this, Richard,
0:41:53 > 0:41:56is that we are pushing the boundaries of our understanding,
0:41:56 > 0:41:59in terms of how much plastic gets into our marine environment
0:41:59 > 0:42:01and the types of plastic, and it's coming
0:42:01 > 0:42:03from some pretty unusual sources,
0:42:03 > 0:42:06not least of course the clothes that we wear.
0:42:06 > 0:42:09The main message really is for all of us to dispose
0:42:09 > 0:42:11of litter properly, but in the longer term,
0:42:11 > 0:42:14we need to be designing with that end of life in mind,
0:42:14 > 0:42:17so that more and more plastics can be recycled,
0:42:17 > 0:42:21rather than ending up as waste in landfill or litter in the seas.
0:42:23 > 0:42:25There's no getting away from the fact that we all live, of course,
0:42:25 > 0:42:27in a disposable society.
0:42:27 > 0:42:30The question that falls at the feet of us all
0:42:30 > 0:42:32is what can we do about it,
0:42:32 > 0:42:36how can we change our behaviour to make that process of disposal
0:42:36 > 0:42:40more efficient and ultimately kinder on the environment?
0:42:41 > 0:42:44It really is frightening to think that washing our clothes
0:42:44 > 0:42:47is adding to plastic in our oceans.
0:42:47 > 0:42:51Let's hope that further research can help us find a solution.
0:42:51 > 0:42:55That's all we've got time for today, but do join us again tomorrow,
0:42:55 > 0:42:59when I'll be giving you my top tips for the best places to go to
0:42:59 > 0:43:01if you fancy a seasonal walk.
0:43:01 > 0:43:04Keeley will be finding out how spring chickens
0:43:04 > 0:43:07are helping to combat loneliness in the elderly.
0:43:07 > 0:43:10It gets us out the house.
0:43:10 > 0:43:14Now I know virtually all the residents by name,
0:43:14 > 0:43:17it's just changed my life completely.
0:43:17 > 0:43:20And I'll be on the scent of the hidden power in flowers.
0:43:22 > 0:43:24So, join us then, bye for now.