0:00:02 > 0:00:06It's the season that brings with it a kaleidoscope of colour -
0:00:06 > 0:00:09when nature puts on some of its greatest displays.
0:00:09 > 0:00:11STAG GRUNTS
0:00:11 > 0:00:13Autumn.
0:00:14 > 0:00:17When our countryside is bursting with bounty.
0:00:19 > 0:00:23Whilst some of us are preparing for the colder months ahead.
0:00:24 > 0:00:27It's the perfect time to get your boots on,
0:00:27 > 0:00:31get out for a walk and enjoy the changing colours of the countryside.
0:00:33 > 0:00:36And blow away the cobwebs in the great outdoors.
0:00:38 > 0:00:43All week, we're travelling the length and breadth of the UK...
0:00:43 > 0:00:44HE CALLS TO TURKEYS
0:00:44 > 0:00:46TURKEYS CHATTER
0:00:46 > 0:00:50..bringing the very best seasonal stories that matter to you.
0:00:50 > 0:00:52It was the first time that we'd been flooded.
0:00:52 > 0:00:57It was charging down the street and it was very traumatic.
0:01:01 > 0:01:04Welcome to Countryfile Autumn Diaries.
0:01:10 > 0:01:12Coming up on today's programme...
0:01:13 > 0:01:17..Jules uncovers a potentially lethal countryside menace.
0:01:17 > 0:01:20The bacteria had got into my heart, created an inflammation,
0:01:20 > 0:01:22created scar tissue.
0:01:23 > 0:01:26Paul's tuning into the secret messages whizzing through
0:01:26 > 0:01:27our woodlands.
0:01:27 > 0:01:30There is some kind of communication, something's happening.
0:01:30 > 0:01:33There's a communication, yeah, no doubt about it.
0:01:34 > 0:01:38And Keeley is doing her bit for our booming woollen industry.
0:01:38 > 0:01:41Well, I think you could make a fantastic scarf.
0:01:41 > 0:01:43Yes, that sounds good with winter coming up.
0:01:43 > 0:01:45Do you think you'll get it finished for then?
0:01:45 > 0:01:47- LAUGHTER - I don't know. What do you think?!
0:01:53 > 0:01:56We're spending all this week in the stunning surroundings of
0:01:56 > 0:01:58the Lake District National Park.
0:02:01 > 0:02:04Spread across more than 900 square miles,
0:02:04 > 0:02:06in autumn its vast lakes and woodlands
0:02:06 > 0:02:08are picture-postcard beautiful.
0:02:09 > 0:02:13Recently designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site,
0:02:13 > 0:02:17it draws in more than 18 million visitors every year.
0:02:18 > 0:02:22Hillwalking is of course one of this area's main attractions, and in
0:02:22 > 0:02:27recent years hikers in the UK have been facing a much more serious
0:02:27 > 0:02:31threat than just a blistered big toe.
0:02:31 > 0:02:35A relatively unknown menace is on the rise, and it could turn an
0:02:35 > 0:02:38autumn stroll into a dance of death.
0:02:38 > 0:02:40Here's Jules.
0:02:41 > 0:02:44Actress Martine McCutcheon.
0:02:44 > 0:02:47Pop star Shania Twain.
0:02:47 > 0:02:49Actor Richard Gere.
0:02:50 > 0:02:54TV personality Kelly Osbourne.
0:02:54 > 0:02:58Four famous faces who've had one pretty nasty experience.
0:02:58 > 0:03:02They've all been bitten by one of these, a tick.
0:03:02 > 0:03:05Now, these tiny examples may look harmless enough, but they are
0:03:05 > 0:03:08responsible for carrying, amongst
0:03:08 > 0:03:10other things, Lyme disease.
0:03:10 > 0:03:14Cases of that have doubled in the UK in the last year alone, and a bite
0:03:14 > 0:03:18from an infected tick can lead to serious health problems.
0:03:18 > 0:03:21That's exactly what happened to one of England's top rugby stars.
0:03:25 > 0:03:27A World Cup winner in 2003,
0:03:27 > 0:03:31scrum-half Matt Dawson has played 77 times for England.
0:03:32 > 0:03:34And he's just as well known for his fancy footwork
0:03:34 > 0:03:37on the Strictly dance floor.
0:03:37 > 0:03:40But nothing could have prepared him for the challenges he faced fighting
0:03:40 > 0:03:44Lyme disease, picked up from a tick bite in a London park.
0:03:45 > 0:03:47Talk us through what happened.
0:03:47 > 0:03:51Yeah, I was doing some training in the park that we'd done for years
0:03:51 > 0:03:55before, and I remember going back
0:03:55 > 0:03:59that afternoon, and in the evening
0:03:59 > 0:04:03just feeling a bit itchy, you know, that's how it felt at the time.
0:04:03 > 0:04:07Did you at any point realise that you were bitten?
0:04:07 > 0:04:10Not when I was doing the training, no. I had a T-shirt on and shorts,
0:04:10 > 0:04:14but this tick had got under the T-shirt and got onto my back.
0:04:14 > 0:04:18A few weeks later, when I've seen this little bite, and my wife,
0:04:18 > 0:04:22who's from just outside Hamburg, immediately said, "That's Lyme's."
0:04:22 > 0:04:27And then I had two days where I was absolutely wiped out, full-on
0:04:27 > 0:04:32manflu, on the sofa, but really wiped out.
0:04:33 > 0:04:37Little did I know that that was one of the, one of the symptoms.
0:04:37 > 0:04:41Untreated, Lyme disease can lead to heart failure, meningitis,
0:04:41 > 0:04:43paralysis and even death.
0:04:43 > 0:04:46And astonishingly, very little is known about it in this country.
0:04:47 > 0:04:50Did your GP recognise it as Lyme disease?
0:04:50 > 0:04:53No. This rash started to develop,
0:04:53 > 0:04:57probably got to about that big on my back, like a bull's-eye.
0:04:57 > 0:05:00It was very, very sensitive on my back, the skin was really,
0:05:00 > 0:05:03like, sharp to touch.
0:05:03 > 0:05:07When I went to the GP, they didn't have any knowledge around Lyme,
0:05:07 > 0:05:09in fact they said,
0:05:09 > 0:05:11"It's probably just a mosquito bite that's got infected."
0:05:11 > 0:05:16It wasn't until Matt had blood tests as part of a regular checkup that
0:05:16 > 0:05:18Lyme disease was finally diagnosed.
0:05:18 > 0:05:20By then, major damage had been done.
0:05:22 > 0:05:25The bacteria had got into my heart, created an inflammation,
0:05:25 > 0:05:27created scar tissue,
0:05:27 > 0:05:30then started redirecting some of the electricity around my heart,
0:05:30 > 0:05:32was giving me 30,000 extra heartbeats a day.
0:05:32 > 0:05:37That's when I had the intravenous antibodies to get rid of the Lyme,
0:05:37 > 0:05:42and then I was monitored for three or four days, and have been ever
0:05:42 > 0:05:46since, and that involved two heart procedures,
0:05:46 > 0:05:50second one being seven hours long, to try and
0:05:50 > 0:05:54manipulate the electricity around the heart and get it back on track.
0:05:54 > 0:05:57Would you say it's been life-changing for you?
0:05:57 > 0:06:00Absolutely been life-changing.
0:06:00 > 0:06:05Wherever we are, there is this risk that, if we do get bitten by a tick,
0:06:05 > 0:06:07there are huge complications.
0:06:09 > 0:06:13Lyme disease is caused by the nasty-sounding Borrelia bacteria,
0:06:13 > 0:06:15which are carried by ticks.
0:06:15 > 0:06:2015 to 20 years ago, there were only around 250 reported cases of the
0:06:20 > 0:06:23disease in the UK each year.
0:06:23 > 0:06:27The NHS says there are now as many 3,000 per annum, and failure to
0:06:27 > 0:06:31diagnose correctly may mean the figure is even higher.
0:06:31 > 0:06:34So what's driving the numbers up so dramatically?
0:06:34 > 0:06:38The simple answer is that the tick population is growing, and one
0:06:38 > 0:06:41reason for that may be that deer are thriving in this country,
0:06:41 > 0:06:45as Professor John Holland from the Game And Wildlife Conservation Trust
0:06:45 > 0:06:46explains. Well, John,
0:06:46 > 0:06:50it's a lovely day for a walk up here through the Red Deer Park at
0:06:50 > 0:06:53Ashton Court, just outside Bristol, but I was surprised to see, on the
0:06:53 > 0:06:57gate coming in, a sign warning people of the dangers of Lyme disease here.
0:06:57 > 0:07:01You know, how strong is the correlation between deer and the
0:07:01 > 0:07:04- disease itself?- Well, the deer are very important in the life cycle of
0:07:04 > 0:07:07the ticks, so they need this blood meal off a large mammal in order to
0:07:07 > 0:07:10mature their eggs. Once they've fed on deer, for example,
0:07:10 > 0:07:13the adults drop to the ground and lay their eggs, and they lay about
0:07:13 > 0:07:162,000 eggs into the soil. The incidence of Lyme disease is going
0:07:16 > 0:07:20up, so more and more cases every year, and also the deer population's
0:07:20 > 0:07:24one of the highest since records began, so you could say that the two
0:07:24 > 0:07:27are linked, but it's much more complicated than that.
0:07:27 > 0:07:29What about climate change, does that play a role?
0:07:29 > 0:07:32Climate change is bringing warmer and wetter summers, and that's ideal
0:07:32 > 0:07:35for the ticks, because they need those moist conditions, otherwise
0:07:35 > 0:07:38they will dehydrate, and the ticks, the way that they attach themselves
0:07:38 > 0:07:42to other animals is to crawl up onto the vegetation, so it's a height
0:07:42 > 0:07:45where the animal will pick them up,
0:07:45 > 0:07:48and warm, moist conditions can help that.
0:07:48 > 0:07:52Public Health England estimate that, every day, at least eight of us are
0:07:52 > 0:07:54contracting Lyme disease from tick bites.
0:07:54 > 0:07:56It's a worrying trend.
0:07:58 > 0:08:02Well, from what you've said, you and I are now surrounded, potentially,
0:08:02 > 0:08:05by thousands of ticks, but how many of them actually carry the disease?
0:08:05 > 0:08:09Well, overall it's very small, maybe half a percent,
0:08:09 > 0:08:13so one in 200 ticks might have some Borrelia infection in them.
0:08:13 > 0:08:17And, you know, outside of deer parks, are there any other hotspots
0:08:17 > 0:08:20- that we should be aware of?- Well, there's...generally, the south-west
0:08:20 > 0:08:24of England, East Anglia are all areas where Lyme disease is more
0:08:24 > 0:08:26prevalent, but there are particular hotspots such as the New Forest,
0:08:26 > 0:08:29Harewood Forest, Lake District,
0:08:29 > 0:08:32but especially the Highlands of Scotland have much higher
0:08:32 > 0:08:33levels of Lyme disease.
0:08:35 > 0:08:38And ticks aren't just posing an increased threat to us humans.
0:08:39 > 0:08:43Recent research has shown that the number of dogs becoming infected by
0:08:43 > 0:08:45tick-borne Lyme disease is on the up, too.
0:08:48 > 0:08:49Later on in the show, Teddy and I...
0:08:49 > 0:08:52- Teddy, come here. Come on. - HE WHISTLES
0:08:52 > 0:08:55..will be finding out what you and your four-legged friends can do to
0:08:55 > 0:08:58keep safe in the countryside.
0:08:58 > 0:08:59Good boy, come on.
0:09:07 > 0:09:12This is Buttermere. The name is thought to come from Old English,
0:09:12 > 0:09:16meaning "lake by the dairy pastures", and that's probably the
0:09:16 > 0:09:19fertile strip of land that separates Buttermere from neighbouring
0:09:19 > 0:09:22Crummock Water.
0:09:22 > 0:09:25And, although it's just a fraction of the size of lakes like Windermere
0:09:25 > 0:09:30or Ullswater, Buttermere still manages to be breathtakingly
0:09:30 > 0:09:32beautiful at this time of year.
0:09:33 > 0:09:38The crisper days of autumn are the perfect excuse for wrapping up warm,
0:09:38 > 0:09:41so let's take a look at the British wool industry.
0:09:41 > 0:09:47It's worth approximately £3 billion, and covers everything from clothing
0:09:47 > 0:09:52to carpets, and the good news is that, after decades in the doldrums,
0:09:52 > 0:09:56the market for British yarn is now warming up.
0:09:56 > 0:09:58Keeley has been unravelling the story.
0:09:58 > 0:10:01SHEEP BLEAT
0:10:01 > 0:10:03We often hear about traditional
0:10:03 > 0:10:05British industries going down the
0:10:05 > 0:10:06pan, but it seems there might be one
0:10:06 > 0:10:07home-grown business
0:10:07 > 0:10:10that's bucking the trend.
0:10:10 > 0:10:13And none of it would be possible without these guys.
0:10:15 > 0:10:20We now produce over 30,000 tonnes of wool per annum.
0:10:20 > 0:10:22Happy news for the woolly-jumper lovers among us,
0:10:22 > 0:10:25even better news for knitters.
0:10:25 > 0:10:28SHEEP BLEAT
0:10:28 > 0:10:32This is my Nana Millie, and she's one of my favourite people in the
0:10:32 > 0:10:35whole world. She also happens to be a brilliant knitter.
0:10:35 > 0:10:38She knitted us loads of amazing outfits when we were little.
0:10:39 > 0:10:41Now, I'm a terrible knitter,
0:10:41 > 0:10:43but for her, I'm willing to give it another go.
0:10:44 > 0:10:48I might even manage to knit something for Nana this time.
0:10:48 > 0:10:52And I couldn't have chosen a better moment to pick up my needles.
0:10:52 > 0:10:56Up and down the country, there are over 1,000 knitting clubs.
0:10:56 > 0:10:59And apparently, you can even go on knitting holidays.
0:10:59 > 0:11:02I'm on my way to Blackpool, but the Vegas of the North isn't just about
0:11:02 > 0:11:05roller-coasters and ballroom dancing.
0:11:05 > 0:11:08There's a hotel there with an altogether woollier theme.
0:11:11 > 0:11:14A few streets back from the legendary seafront,
0:11:14 > 0:11:18Paula Chew has spent the last 12 years running mini-breaks for
0:11:18 > 0:11:20knitting buffs.
0:11:20 > 0:11:22Hello there, Paula, how are you doing? Nice to meet you.
0:11:22 > 0:11:24Welcome to the Knitting Hotel.
0:11:24 > 0:11:27So I'm hoping she'll be able to get me back up to speed.
0:11:31 > 0:11:34- This is an extreme sport, isn't it? - Yeah!
0:11:35 > 0:11:37Oh, crikey!
0:11:37 > 0:11:38Ah!
0:11:38 > 0:11:40Dangerous, this!
0:11:41 > 0:11:45Where on earth did you come up with the idea of a knitting hotel?
0:11:45 > 0:11:47- Well, I didn't, it evolved. - THEY LAUGH
0:11:47 > 0:11:52- OK!- I've always been a passionate knitter, and quite a few of my
0:11:52 > 0:11:56guests used to bring their knitting with them. Then I thought,
0:11:56 > 0:11:59"Well, why don't I just put a special week on
0:11:59 > 0:12:03"for all these people?" And the response was unbelievable.
0:12:03 > 0:12:08And then, the next year, I ended up doing eight, and then the next year
0:12:08 > 0:12:12- I was a knitting hotel because that's all we did.- Oh, God!
0:12:12 > 0:12:15And do you have the same people coming back year after year?
0:12:15 > 0:12:19Oh, yes, I have one guest this year who's booked eight holidays.
0:12:19 > 0:12:23- Eight holidays here in one year? - Eight holidays here in one year.
0:12:23 > 0:12:26I don't how you're doing that and talking at the same time, because I
0:12:26 > 0:12:30- can barely...- A lot of my guests can knit and watch television at the
0:12:30 > 0:12:33- same time, without even looking. - Multi-tasking.
0:12:33 > 0:12:36Absolutely, the women are amazing.
0:12:36 > 0:12:40Nobody is made to feel that they're not quite up to scratch.
0:12:40 > 0:12:43- Everybody is at their own level. - She says, laughing at me!
0:12:43 > 0:12:45LAUGHTER
0:12:47 > 0:12:49It was the expression on your face!
0:12:49 > 0:12:51- Does it get a bit rowdy in there? - Yes!
0:12:51 > 0:12:53LAUGHTER
0:12:53 > 0:12:56Because everyone there can knit and talk at the same time, it does get
0:12:56 > 0:13:00- very rowdy.- That sounds like my kind of knitting group, I must admit.
0:13:00 > 0:13:03- LAUGHTER - What could I make out of this?
0:13:03 > 0:13:06Well, I think you could make a nice phone cover or a purse, or
0:13:06 > 0:13:11if you carry on and put more colours in, it'd make a fantastic scarf.
0:13:11 > 0:13:14Oh, yes, that sounds good with winter coming up, that'd be
0:13:14 > 0:13:17- good, wouldn't it?- Yes. Do you think you'll get it finished for then?
0:13:17 > 0:13:20- I don't know. What do you think?! - LAUGHTER
0:13:20 > 0:13:22Knit in the car!
0:13:22 > 0:13:26I'm sure Nana Millie would love a nice, warm scarf.
0:13:26 > 0:13:28Let me see what she thinks.
0:13:28 > 0:13:31Hi, Nana. I'm at a knitting hotel.
0:13:31 > 0:13:34- Oh, yes?- Do you want to see what I've been doing?
0:13:34 > 0:13:36Oh, yes, yes. Lift it up.
0:13:38 > 0:13:41Oh! How long did it take you to do that?
0:13:41 > 0:13:44- Oh, only half an hour or so. - LAUGHTER
0:13:46 > 0:13:49That's lovely. That is really lovely.
0:13:49 > 0:13:52It'll make a nice little duster!
0:13:52 > 0:13:55A duster?! Nana!
0:13:55 > 0:13:59OK, so Nana will be waiting a while for that scarf, but there's no
0:13:59 > 0:14:02denying that British wool is on the up.
0:14:02 > 0:14:05Around a decade ago, prices were in the doldrums,
0:14:05 > 0:14:08but they've doubled since then.
0:14:08 > 0:14:11We have over 60 pure breeds of sheep in this country.
0:14:11 > 0:14:14That's more than anywhere else on the planet.
0:14:15 > 0:14:19About a fifth of British wool clip is processed at this Bradford depot,
0:14:19 > 0:14:22and the tricky task of sorting the Swaledales from the Herdwicks
0:14:22 > 0:14:24falls to graders, like Ian Brooksbank.
0:14:24 > 0:14:26Hello, Ian, how are you doing?
0:14:26 > 0:14:30- All right.- What are you looking for here, because these all look pretty
0:14:30 > 0:14:32- much the same to me.- What you're looking for, really, ideally, in a
0:14:32 > 0:14:35- fleece, is the length of staple. - And each one of these is a staple?
0:14:35 > 0:14:38Each one of these is a staple. You're looking for uniformity of a
0:14:38 > 0:14:41fleece, looking for a nice colour, you don't want any grey fibres in
0:14:41 > 0:14:43- there.- You look to have lots of different ones on here,
0:14:43 > 0:14:46- shall we have a look through those? - They're all different types.
0:14:46 > 0:14:48This looks more like a blonde wig, if you ask me, doesn't it?
0:14:48 > 0:14:51What would this be used for? It's really kind of thick and dense.
0:14:51 > 0:14:54This generally is used for mattresses.
0:14:54 > 0:14:58OK. And that one of there looks totally different again,
0:14:58 > 0:15:01it looks like it's shorn off a poodle or something.
0:15:01 > 0:15:04This is in the luster category. This is some of the best wool.
0:15:04 > 0:15:06Like the wool to...that you would knit with, or...?
0:15:06 > 0:15:09- Yeah, yeah.- So this we could knit with at some stage?- Yes, absolutely.
0:15:10 > 0:15:12How many different kind of grades are there, if you like?
0:15:12 > 0:15:16There's roughly 80 different types that we would make at this depot.
0:15:16 > 0:15:19- So any of those could come through here?- Any of those could come
0:15:19 > 0:15:22- through here, yeah.- And tell me, have you found anything valuable in
0:15:22 > 0:15:26- all this wool?- My boss once had a wedding ring drop out.
0:15:26 > 0:15:29- No way!- And he sent it back and received a lovely letter of
0:15:29 > 0:15:33- "thank you" from the farmer. - I bet he was popular.
0:15:33 > 0:15:37- Yes, he was very happy.- Not every day throws up a Golden Fleece,
0:15:37 > 0:15:41but interest in our home-grown wool is increasing.
0:15:41 > 0:15:43Just over half of it goes into carpets, but demand from the fashion
0:15:43 > 0:15:45industry is growing.
0:15:47 > 0:15:50And that's putting some bounce back into
0:15:50 > 0:15:53Bradford's once-thriving textile industry.
0:15:53 > 0:15:57James Laxton and his forebears have been spinning yarn since 1907.
0:15:59 > 0:16:02Your family will have seen a lot of changes,
0:16:02 > 0:16:04a very different industry compared with today.
0:16:04 > 0:16:08Very different. In this area alone, there were hundreds of spinners, and
0:16:08 > 0:16:12it all disappeared in the mid to late '90s.
0:16:12 > 0:16:13For what reason?
0:16:13 > 0:16:17Man-made fibres and a lot of cheap imports.
0:16:17 > 0:16:20As a result of that, wool fell out of fashion.
0:16:20 > 0:16:23But it must have climbed back into fashion somehow, because you're in a
0:16:23 > 0:16:28- brand-new factory here.- Yeah, January 2010, we set up the first
0:16:28 > 0:16:30new worsted spinning mill in this
0:16:30 > 0:16:33country for at least a generation, and subsequently we outgrew our
0:16:33 > 0:16:35original premises.
0:16:35 > 0:16:38The business has been in this premises for two months and now it's
0:16:38 > 0:16:42- set for the next 15 to 20 years. - So what's changed, then?
0:16:42 > 0:16:45British wool has become more popular.
0:16:45 > 0:16:49With clever manufacturing and the right choice of British breed,
0:16:49 > 0:16:52there is a lot that can be done with British wool.
0:16:52 > 0:16:55Is the fashion industry creating demand?
0:16:55 > 0:16:57The fashion industry aren't necessarily asking for more,
0:16:57 > 0:17:00but we're presenting them with British wool and getting British
0:17:00 > 0:17:04- wool back on the shelves.- People might be surprised that British
0:17:04 > 0:17:07wool, you know, animals that are out in the wind and the rain
0:17:07 > 0:17:11- would then translate into a nice, soft jumper.- Yeah, you'd be amazed.
0:17:11 > 0:17:15The quality of some of the British wool out there
0:17:15 > 0:17:18and the soft handle that we can achieve, you know,
0:17:18 > 0:17:21some people do question whether it actually is British or not.
0:17:21 > 0:17:24- But it is.- It is.- It is British. - Yeah, and we can prove that.
0:17:24 > 0:17:26LAUGHTER
0:17:26 > 0:17:30After so many years of decline, it's heart-warming to see that our
0:17:30 > 0:17:33woollen industry finally has something to bleat about.
0:17:35 > 0:17:38And what with the autumn evenings drawing in and my rediscovered
0:17:38 > 0:17:41knitting skills, I may be about to stoke up a mini woollen boom
0:17:41 > 0:17:43- of my own. - SHEEP BLEAT
0:17:50 > 0:17:55After the long days of summer, when nature is at its busiest,
0:17:55 > 0:17:59autumn can seem like an altogether quieter time of year.
0:17:59 > 0:18:02But, in fact, many of our creatures put on some of their most
0:18:02 > 0:18:06spectacular displays during the season, and we've gathered together
0:18:06 > 0:18:10the top must-sees that you won't want to miss this autumn.
0:18:11 > 0:18:15It's the time of year when red stags fight fierce battles for control of
0:18:15 > 0:18:17the herd. STAGS BARK AND MOAN
0:18:17 > 0:18:21Known as a rut, these dramatic and potentially lethal encounters are
0:18:21 > 0:18:24truly incredible to behold.
0:18:26 > 0:18:29You can see stags rutting at several spots across the country,
0:18:29 > 0:18:32including the Isle of Arran, Exmoor, and Richmond Park in London.
0:18:32 > 0:18:35Just make sure, though, that you stay well clear of those clashing
0:18:35 > 0:18:39antlers. STAG ROARS
0:18:39 > 0:18:43And now for a real autumn favourite, the red squirrel.
0:18:44 > 0:18:47Although its grey cousin may have taken over most of the country,
0:18:47 > 0:18:51it's still possible to see our native reds gathering food for
0:18:51 > 0:18:56winter on Anglesey, the Isle of Wight, and right here in Cumbria.
0:18:59 > 0:19:02Bees may be synonymous with summer,
0:19:02 > 0:19:05but one breed, at least, likes to strut its stuff in autumn.
0:19:08 > 0:19:14As the weather cools, ivy bees emerge to feed on flowering ivy.
0:19:14 > 0:19:18Clusters of them then form tangerine-sized balls, as dozens of
0:19:18 > 0:19:20males attempt to mate.
0:19:20 > 0:19:24A seasonal display that's no less remarkable for being in miniature.
0:19:27 > 0:19:31Now is the best time to watch Atlantic salmon swim and leap
0:19:31 > 0:19:34upstream to their breeding grounds.
0:19:34 > 0:19:37You're more likely to catch their gravity-defying displays in the
0:19:37 > 0:19:40morning or evening, after a spell of wet weather.
0:19:42 > 0:19:45You'll see them in rivers up and down the country, but some of the
0:19:45 > 0:19:49most spectacular salmon leaping happens on the River Ribble
0:19:49 > 0:19:52in Yorkshire, at Cenarth Falls in Pembrokeshire,
0:19:52 > 0:19:55and at the Falls of Shin in the Highlands.
0:20:01 > 0:20:03When it comes to symbols of the season,
0:20:03 > 0:20:05nothing evokes autumn more than a
0:20:05 > 0:20:08mighty horse chestnut laden with conkers.
0:20:08 > 0:20:13And Naomi Wilkinson uncovered a curious tale of just how
0:20:13 > 0:20:17destructive these childhood favourites can be.
0:20:17 > 0:20:21Green, spiky orbs containing precious treasure.
0:20:21 > 0:20:23Every year, the horse chestnut gives up its fruit.
0:20:23 > 0:20:26But they don't lie abandoned for long.
0:20:26 > 0:20:28We've been soaking them in vinegar,
0:20:28 > 0:20:32baking them, and threading them on a string for generations.
0:20:32 > 0:20:35Each autumn, children and adults alike battling it out
0:20:35 > 0:20:36in a game of conkers.
0:20:39 > 0:20:43But these tough nuts haven't just been used for childhood fun.
0:20:43 > 0:20:47100 years ago, they were called upon for a far more serious battle.
0:20:49 > 0:20:53It was 1915 and our country was at war.
0:20:56 > 0:20:59The British Army was facing a crisis.
0:20:59 > 0:21:04Continuous fierce fighting had led to a chronic shell shortage,
0:21:04 > 0:21:07guns only firing as few as four shells a day.
0:21:08 > 0:21:13To create firepower, the government needed a propellant, called cordite.
0:21:13 > 0:21:16But a key ingredient, acetone, was in short supply.
0:21:18 > 0:21:21So, step forward the conker.
0:21:21 > 0:21:22They're loaded with starch,
0:21:22 > 0:21:26which, when fermented, could produce the much-needed acetone.
0:21:28 > 0:21:33So, how did they conjure up an explosive material from this autumnal fruit?
0:21:33 > 0:21:37Dr Kristy Turner is a chemist from the University of Manchester.
0:21:37 > 0:21:39- Hello, Kristy.- Hello.
0:21:39 > 0:21:42I'm loving this woodland science lab, very nice.
0:21:42 > 0:21:45So, can you tell me, how did you go from one of these into something
0:21:45 > 0:21:47used to fire shells and bullets?
0:21:47 > 0:21:51So, in World War I, they did this by doing a fermentation process,
0:21:51 > 0:21:53which is what we're going to show you here.
0:21:53 > 0:21:57In the war, they used bacteria to do the fermentation but today, to make
0:21:57 > 0:21:59it a bit easier, we're going to use yeast.
0:22:02 > 0:22:05The bacteria and water would be added to the conkers and left
0:22:05 > 0:22:10to ferment, enzymes getting to work to create the acetone.
0:22:10 > 0:22:12Here's one we've already started.
0:22:12 > 0:22:15So we're going to have to filter the solids from it.
0:22:18 > 0:22:19Back in World War I,
0:22:19 > 0:22:23the next step was to distil the acetone mixture to make it pure.
0:22:23 > 0:22:27Only then would it be mixed with other explosive ingredients to make
0:22:27 > 0:22:30the spaghetti-like strings of cordite.
0:22:30 > 0:22:33But the grand ambition for conkers wasn't to be.
0:22:33 > 0:22:36On the small lab scale that we have here, it works really,
0:22:36 > 0:22:39really well but when they scaled it up to factory scale, it didn't work
0:22:39 > 0:22:43too well and in the end they abandoned the process after about three months.
0:22:43 > 0:22:47Conkers as a weapon of war may not have left a dent in the history
0:22:47 > 0:22:51books but their traditional use as a tool for fun is as strong as ever.
0:22:54 > 0:22:58And it's the tiny village of Southwick in Northamptonshire that
0:22:58 > 0:23:02every autumn becomes a Mecca for those who are nuts about conkers.
0:23:06 > 0:23:10For decades, the World Conker Championships has drawn competitors
0:23:10 > 0:23:13from all over the globe to compete for the Conker Cup.
0:23:17 > 0:23:18For the last 20 years,
0:23:18 > 0:23:23Richard Howard has been chief umpire but his connection to conkers goes
0:23:23 > 0:23:24back much further.
0:23:24 > 0:23:28I'm nearly 75, I've been playing it all my life,
0:23:28 > 0:23:30my father played it before me.
0:23:30 > 0:23:35- Yeah!- And in fact, my father and his family
0:23:35 > 0:23:39used to actually collect conkers during the First World War.
0:23:39 > 0:23:42Looks like I've picked the right guy for some tips, then.
0:23:42 > 0:23:46What you do, you pull a conker... You don't have a choice of conker.
0:23:46 > 0:23:48- Thank you.- That one is fresh off the tree,
0:23:48 > 0:23:51we gather them within the week leading up to conker day,
0:23:51 > 0:23:52the World Conker Championships.
0:23:52 > 0:23:57- How many do you collect? - About 2,000, 2,500.
0:23:57 > 0:24:00The rules are simple but strict.
0:24:00 > 0:24:04Three hits each until the conker is knocked off and you'd better keep
0:24:04 > 0:24:06your string at the right length.
0:24:06 > 0:24:09It's got to be eight inches between the knuckle and the nut.
0:24:13 > 0:24:15I hit myself on the head!
0:24:15 > 0:24:17- Oh!- See, I'm as bad.
0:24:23 > 0:24:25- Careful, I've got to yellow card you.- Oh!
0:24:27 > 0:24:28Yellow card for Naomi.
0:24:29 > 0:24:32Well, that's my conker career shattered.
0:24:32 > 0:24:34Luckily, there are some people here who know what they're doing.
0:24:39 > 0:24:42The humble conker has had an eventful history.
0:24:42 > 0:24:46From a childhood pastime to a role in World War I.
0:24:46 > 0:24:49And now, as this eccentric event shows,
0:24:49 > 0:24:53they're still giving pleasure to people all over the world.
0:24:53 > 0:24:57An autumn tradition that will hopefully never grow old.
0:24:58 > 0:25:00Well, it's pretty hard to argue with that.
0:25:02 > 0:25:07Everything in nature is driven by the seasons, ourselves included,
0:25:07 > 0:25:11and nothing says autumn quite like the sight of harvest.
0:25:13 > 0:25:17But there's one food beloved by generations of Brits, which isn't
0:25:17 > 0:25:19actually grown in this country.
0:25:19 > 0:25:24Margherita now lifts the lid on a surprising culinary tale.
0:25:26 > 0:25:30For decades now, it's been a store cupboard staple,
0:25:30 > 0:25:33a mainstay of the full English breakfast and the go-to grub for
0:25:33 > 0:25:35cash-strapped students.
0:25:35 > 0:25:40As British as fish and chips and Yorkshire pud, the good old baked bean.
0:25:41 > 0:25:42But look closely
0:25:42 > 0:25:45at some of the labelling and you'll see that none of these little
0:25:45 > 0:25:47protein parcels are home-grown.
0:25:47 > 0:25:49American, Canadian.
0:25:49 > 0:25:50Where are our British beans?
0:25:54 > 0:25:57Well, I'm hoping to get to the root of it with food supplier and
0:25:57 > 0:26:00all-round British bean fan Josiah Meldrum.
0:26:02 > 0:26:05The bean that we're all eating in our baked beans, what is it?
0:26:05 > 0:26:08It's a bean called Phaseolus vulgaris, or the common bean,
0:26:08 > 0:26:09that's the species.
0:26:09 > 0:26:12If I just delve into my pocket, I have some here.
0:26:12 > 0:26:16- OK.- This particular variety of Phaseolus vulgaris, or common bean,
0:26:16 > 0:26:20is called a navy bean and it's grown in North America and its brought
0:26:20 > 0:26:23over to the UK and that's what becomes our baked bean.
0:26:23 > 0:26:27Why did we Brits fall in love with it so much and when?
0:26:27 > 0:26:31It may seem surprising now that we fell in love with it because it seemed so exotic.
0:26:31 > 0:26:34Baked beans were invented in the United States and then we have
0:26:34 > 0:26:37the Boston baked bean, which is often made with molasses or maple syrup
0:26:37 > 0:26:42and has pork in it. And in the '20s and '30s some entrepreneurial American canners
0:26:42 > 0:26:45brought them over to the UK and they were sold in really high-end shops.
0:26:45 > 0:26:49These are the sorts of things you would buy in Fortnum & Mason or
0:26:49 > 0:26:52Harrods and they were a premium product, these baked beans.
0:26:52 > 0:26:56Wartime rationing meant that the more expensive ingredients like meat
0:26:56 > 0:26:59disappeared from the recipe and by the mid-'40s,
0:26:59 > 0:27:04the baked bean in red sauce was a cheap and cheerful British favourite.
0:27:04 > 0:27:07So if we love it so much, why don't we grow it here?
0:27:07 > 0:27:08Part of the reason is our climate.
0:27:08 > 0:27:11Here we are on an autumn day and you can see it's overcast,
0:27:11 > 0:27:13there is a threat of rain.
0:27:13 > 0:27:14These beans need a long,
0:27:14 > 0:27:19hot summer and a dry autumn and we don't get too many of those.
0:27:19 > 0:27:23So the navy bean can't reliably manage here but there is another variety
0:27:23 > 0:27:27that's been bred to cope better with the British climate and husband and
0:27:27 > 0:27:33wife Tim and Sandra Gawthroup have been growing it in Hertfordshire for the past eight years.
0:27:33 > 0:27:36These are the beans. The crops are yet to be harvested.
0:27:36 > 0:27:40How is this bean different from the one that I would be eating in my
0:27:40 > 0:27:41baked beans, that's been imported?
0:27:41 > 0:27:46It's from the same family but the ones we import are white before
0:27:46 > 0:27:49they're cooked and put into a baked bean with sauce.
0:27:49 > 0:27:51These ones will be,
0:27:51 > 0:27:55they will eventually go a deep red colour like a kidney bean.
0:27:55 > 0:27:57So almost the red baked bean we might expect?
0:27:57 > 0:28:00- I think some people would think... - Without the tomato sauce!
0:28:00 > 0:28:01Without the tomato sauce!
0:28:01 > 0:28:03Which plant's ready to harvest?
0:28:03 > 0:28:06Well, that one's still very much alive.
0:28:06 > 0:28:09Before we harvest them, the plant needs basically to die,
0:28:09 > 0:28:14to dry off and then as these pods dry, the beans become redder inside.
0:28:14 > 0:28:17- Do you want me to show you one? - Yeah, I'd love to see.
0:28:17 > 0:28:20- There you are.- Wow, that's quite a colour!
0:28:20 > 0:28:22They will go a much darker red than that.
0:28:22 > 0:28:23Can I eat these now?
0:28:23 > 0:28:26No, definitely not. They would be...
0:28:26 > 0:28:28They've got things in which them called lectins,
0:28:28 > 0:28:31which actually would make you feel physically sick.
0:28:31 > 0:28:34What are the obstacles you've come up against growing this bean here?
0:28:34 > 0:28:38Obviously we're at the mercy of the climate and the weather and if it's
0:28:38 > 0:28:40pouring with rain we can't harvest.
0:28:40 > 0:28:44Plus the fact that there's a very limited number of things you can do
0:28:44 > 0:28:49to control weeds in beans, so we do get people to come in
0:28:49 > 0:28:51and hand rogue weeds out sometimes,
0:28:51 > 0:28:53which is an expensive business.
0:28:53 > 0:28:57- So a lot of work going into our beans on toast.- There is.
0:28:57 > 0:28:58And now that autumn's here,
0:28:58 > 0:29:02the hard graft of harvesting is about to begin.
0:29:02 > 0:29:04Most of it's done by Sandra's husband, Tim.
0:29:04 > 0:29:07Sandra says you're the man that does all the hard work.
0:29:07 > 0:29:10- Yes, I am indeed.- How are we harvesting today?
0:29:10 > 0:29:12Well, this is called rodding,
0:29:12 > 0:29:16which is basically you're lifting the beans out of the soil to help dry them,
0:29:16 > 0:29:19before we eventually combine harvest them.
0:29:19 > 0:29:21And you originally, on your first crops coming through,
0:29:21 > 0:29:24you got a bit of kit in from the States, I understand.
0:29:24 > 0:29:26Yeah, we bought a piece of machinery
0:29:26 > 0:29:28but since then, Tim's built this one in the workshop.
0:29:28 > 0:29:30So how is this different?
0:29:30 > 0:29:34We've made it much heavier because the soil that we're growing the beans on
0:29:34 > 0:29:39is more compacted, so we've built a heavier machine to lift the beans more easily.
0:29:39 > 0:29:42- And can I see how it works? - You can indeed.
0:29:43 > 0:29:46Once Tim's pulled the beans out with the rodder,
0:29:46 > 0:29:50they're left on the ground to dry for a day or two, before the combine
0:29:50 > 0:29:51harvester comes in.
0:29:51 > 0:29:56Weather permitting, harvesting should take four or five days.
0:29:56 > 0:30:00Getting British beans from field to fork is not a job for the faint-hearted.
0:30:02 > 0:30:05Eight years of work, how are you both feeling at this point in time?
0:30:05 > 0:30:08We're hopeful. There's lots of beans in the pods, which is a good thing.
0:30:08 > 0:30:10They're all ripening nicely.
0:30:10 > 0:30:12We just need the weather now for the final frontier.
0:30:12 > 0:30:16So, fingers crossed I'll be eating my first British baked beans from your crop.
0:30:16 > 0:30:17We really hope so!
0:30:26 > 0:30:30Earlier, Jules revealed the shocking truth about Lyme disease.
0:30:30 > 0:30:34But infections spread by ticks don't only affect us,
0:30:34 > 0:30:36they can be just as dangerous for our dogs.
0:30:36 > 0:30:41So, now best paw forward as Jules and his Labrador, Teddy, discover
0:30:41 > 0:30:44how to keep man and dog safe outdoors.
0:30:48 > 0:30:50Teddy and I love exploring the countryside.
0:30:50 > 0:30:53It allows him time to stretch his legs,
0:30:53 > 0:30:56have a good sniff around and generally, do what dogs do.
0:30:56 > 0:31:02But in doing so, I am of course exposing him to the chance of being bitten by an infected tick.
0:31:02 > 0:31:05So what, as pet owners, can we do to keep our dogs safe?
0:31:05 > 0:31:07Come on, Teddy.
0:31:09 > 0:31:14To find out, I'm meeting Professor of Zoology at the University of Bristol, Richard Wall.
0:31:14 > 0:31:17Richard recently headed up the Big Tick project,
0:31:17 > 0:31:21a study designed to map tick hot spots across the UK.
0:31:21 > 0:31:24And some of his findings have been pretty startling.
0:31:27 > 0:31:31Richard, it's clear that ticks are an issue out here in the countryside
0:31:31 > 0:31:34but I think many people will be surprised to learn that, from your work,
0:31:34 > 0:31:37they are also a problem in our urban parks as well.
0:31:37 > 0:31:39They certainly can be. It depends very much on the type of park.
0:31:39 > 0:31:42But if we have a park that has trees and long grass and particularly if
0:31:42 > 0:31:45it has large animal hosts like deer, we certainly will get ticks.
0:31:45 > 0:31:49You have gone to great lengths to study ticks in huge numbers.
0:31:49 > 0:31:51Using that. What is it?
0:31:51 > 0:31:52It's an extremely simple tool.
0:31:52 > 0:31:56It's just a white piece of cloth on a bamboo pole.
0:31:56 > 0:31:58And it's perfectly sufficient to fool the ticks
0:31:58 > 0:32:01into thinking it is a passing animal.
0:32:01 > 0:32:04As you drag it over the grass, the ticks grab hold.
0:32:04 > 0:32:06We turn the cloth over, we can count the ticks.
0:32:06 > 0:32:09- Well, shall we see how many you can find, Richard?- I'll give it a go.
0:32:09 > 0:32:11So, tell us a bit more about the Big Tick project.
0:32:11 > 0:32:14We wanted to try and get a very large sample size of ticks.
0:32:14 > 0:32:18We contacted lots and lots of veterinary surgeons and we got them to check dogs for us.
0:32:18 > 0:32:22We had about 10,000 dogs examined as part of the survey.
0:32:22 > 0:32:25And we were able to detect the various pathogens
0:32:25 > 0:32:27that are circulating in ticks in the UK, fairly accurately.
0:32:28 > 0:32:33Richard's research revealed that a third of the dogs studied were carrying ticks -
0:32:33 > 0:32:37putting them and their owners at risk of catching Lyme disease.
0:32:38 > 0:32:41Well, shall we have a look and see if you have managed to trawl anything?
0:32:41 > 0:32:44But judging by our sheet-dragging experiment,
0:32:44 > 0:32:47Teddy and I aren't in too much danger here today.
0:32:47 > 0:32:50- Ah, there.- No, lots of leaf-hoppers.
0:32:50 > 0:32:53What's that? Is that it? The other black mark.
0:32:53 > 0:32:55- There.- No.- Gosh, to the untrained eye...
0:32:55 > 0:32:57I mean, they all look like ticks, don't they?
0:32:57 > 0:33:00In the end, you start just seeing ticks everywhere.
0:33:00 > 0:33:02JULES LAUGHS
0:33:02 > 0:33:03Aha. Got one.
0:33:03 > 0:33:06So we've got an adult female tick.
0:33:06 > 0:33:08Gosh, there! Yeah, and you can see those legs...
0:33:08 > 0:33:10- Yeah.- Those nippers.
0:33:10 > 0:33:12So those front legs waving around in front of it,
0:33:12 > 0:33:14that's where it sits in the grass,
0:33:14 > 0:33:17it waits for an animal to come past and that's when it's going to grab that animal.
0:33:17 > 0:33:19They are beautiful, exquisite creatures.
0:33:19 > 0:33:22- They really are.- YOU think so!
0:33:22 > 0:33:24Teddy and I aren't so convinced.
0:33:24 > 0:33:27So are dogs more susceptible to Lyme disease than humans?
0:33:27 > 0:33:30No, in terms of the Lyme disease itself,
0:33:30 > 0:33:32they are slightly less susceptible than humans.
0:33:32 > 0:33:35But because they are running through the undergrowth, lying,
0:33:35 > 0:33:38as we have just seen, on the grass in deer paths and things,
0:33:38 > 0:33:39they are just more likely to pick up ticks.
0:33:39 > 0:33:44Now, we give Teddy a pill once every three months, which gets rid of ticks.
0:33:44 > 0:33:48So I'm fairly confident about him today, being here.
0:33:48 > 0:33:51But for anybody who hasn't treated their dog in the same way,
0:33:51 > 0:33:53what should they be looking for?
0:33:53 > 0:33:56The first thing is if you take your dog for a walk,
0:33:56 > 0:33:59you should just check it for ticks when you get back.
0:33:59 > 0:34:02And particularly places like the ears, quite common biting sites.
0:34:02 > 0:34:04Around the head.
0:34:04 > 0:34:06- Yeah.- And then underneath the armpits.
0:34:06 > 0:34:08- Yeah.- And you can't just basically try and feel for them.
0:34:08 > 0:34:11I mean, normally when they are swollen, you can feel them.
0:34:11 > 0:34:15You can. It takes about 24 hours for the pathogens to go from the tick
0:34:15 > 0:34:18into the dog. So if we can get that tick off as soon as possible,
0:34:18 > 0:34:21we minimise the risk of disease in the dog.
0:34:21 > 0:34:23And if in any doubt, go and talk to your vet.
0:34:23 > 0:34:27But let's just say, for whatever reason, Teddy got a tick and he got
0:34:27 > 0:34:29Lyme disease, what would be the symptoms that we're looking for?
0:34:29 > 0:34:31Well, if you notice changes in behaviour,
0:34:31 > 0:34:34if the animal is looking more lethargic, if it is off its food,
0:34:34 > 0:34:37if it is not its normal lively self, then, take it to a vet straightaway,
0:34:37 > 0:34:40explain that it's been in a tick-infested area and maybe it had a tick bite
0:34:40 > 0:34:42and get the vet to check it out thoroughly.
0:34:42 > 0:34:45Certainly, lethargy and being off his food is something we'd
0:34:45 > 0:34:47definitely notice with Teddy.
0:34:48 > 0:34:52There's no doubt that catching Lyme disease is a worrying prospect but
0:34:52 > 0:34:55there are ways you can minimise your risk of getting it.
0:34:55 > 0:34:57When you go out for a walk,
0:34:57 > 0:35:00wear long trousers and always tuck them into your socks.
0:35:00 > 0:35:02Opt for light colours.
0:35:02 > 0:35:04They will show up ticks far better.
0:35:04 > 0:35:08Spray your skin and clothes liberally with insect repellent and
0:35:08 > 0:35:11when you get home, check thoroughly for ticks.
0:35:16 > 0:35:20Well, sadly, there's no escaping the fact that ticks are a real issue.
0:35:20 > 0:35:23And if you are unlucky enough to be bitten by one that happens to be
0:35:23 > 0:35:27carrying Lyme disease, you should take immediate action.
0:35:27 > 0:35:29Go and see your GP.
0:35:29 > 0:35:32But on no account should you worry about coming out here and enjoying
0:35:32 > 0:35:34the great British countryside.
0:35:34 > 0:35:36As with everything else, when it comes to safety,
0:35:36 > 0:35:40a bit of care and common sense will go an awfully long way.
0:35:40 > 0:35:43Ready, Ted? Yeah, good boy. Come on.
0:35:50 > 0:35:55One countryside danger we are fully aware of is posed by certain kinds
0:35:55 > 0:35:56of wild mushroom and of course,
0:35:56 > 0:36:00mushrooms are abundant in our woodlands at this time of year.
0:36:00 > 0:36:06But with some experts claiming that mushrooms could have unexpected hidden powers,
0:36:06 > 0:36:11maybe it's time to reassess the fungi at our feet.
0:36:11 > 0:36:14Paul is on the trail of an unlikely story.
0:36:16 > 0:36:20I'm a big fan of the humble mushroom and now that autumn's here,
0:36:20 > 0:36:25fungus of all shapes and sizes is adding colour and texture,
0:36:25 > 0:36:28not to mention a hint of mystery, to our woodlands.
0:36:28 > 0:36:32But little did I know that these harbingers of the changing season
0:36:32 > 0:36:38may actually have the kind of magical powers you would expect to find in a fairy tale.
0:36:38 > 0:36:41I've come to the borders of Wiltshire and Somerset to meet
0:36:41 > 0:36:45someone who believes mushrooms can help trees communicate.
0:36:45 > 0:36:47I think I'm going to need some convincing.
0:36:50 > 0:36:54Mycologist Michael Jordan is an expert in fungi.
0:36:54 > 0:36:57So I'm hoping he can shed some light on rumours they are a kind of
0:36:57 > 0:36:59broadband for trees.
0:36:59 > 0:37:01Nicknamed the woodwide web.
0:37:02 > 0:37:04On a damp, misty autumn day,
0:37:04 > 0:37:08these woods look really magical, don't they?
0:37:08 > 0:37:11Yeah, you can understand why, in days gone by, there were all kinds
0:37:11 > 0:37:14of myths and legends associated with woodland.
0:37:14 > 0:37:17Yeah, but it is a bit of a romantic myth, isn't it?
0:37:17 > 0:37:19That trees talk to each other?
0:37:19 > 0:37:22I mean, there is some kind of communication, something is happening.
0:37:22 > 0:37:24There is a communication, yeah, no doubt about it.
0:37:24 > 0:37:27But them actually sort of putting a canister into a tube like in the
0:37:27 > 0:37:30department store and sending it round to accounts,
0:37:30 > 0:37:32doesn't really work at all.
0:37:32 > 0:37:35There is a communication channel between trees
0:37:35 > 0:37:37and it's in the form of a fungus.
0:37:37 > 0:37:40- Really?- Yup. That's called a mycelium.
0:37:40 > 0:37:46- OK.- And that actually bonds with the roots of the trees and that
0:37:46 > 0:37:48communicates from, in a way, from one tree to another.
0:37:48 > 0:37:52But it's exchange of materials rather than information.
0:37:52 > 0:37:56The fungus is critically important to the tree and in many ways,
0:37:56 > 0:37:58the tree is equally important to the fungus.
0:37:59 > 0:38:01Mycelium is incredibly delicate.
0:38:01 > 0:38:05So it's not a great idea to go digging about for it.
0:38:05 > 0:38:09The best way to see it is under the bark of a rotten log.
0:38:09 > 0:38:11And it just looks like a sort of loose cotton wool.
0:38:11 > 0:38:13- Yeah.- And that is a mycelium.
0:38:13 > 0:38:15So you've got some puffballs, look.
0:38:15 > 0:38:17Which are a kind of fungi
0:38:17 > 0:38:20and mycelium connects them all.
0:38:20 > 0:38:22Wow! It's incredible, isn't it, really?
0:38:22 > 0:38:26I mean, there's a whole ecosystem here that you are unaware of.
0:38:26 > 0:38:30And this miniature ecosystem of puffballs linked by mycelium on the
0:38:30 > 0:38:33surface, is replicated below ground.
0:38:33 > 0:38:36Mycelium can extend several metres,
0:38:36 > 0:38:40to connect the same species of mushroom across the forest floor.
0:38:40 > 0:38:43And it's those fungi that we are on the hunt for now.
0:38:43 > 0:38:45There is some of what we are talking about.
0:38:47 > 0:38:50The Latin name for this is Trichoderma.
0:38:50 > 0:38:54And what you have to appreciate is that these are purely the fruits.
0:38:54 > 0:38:56They are like the apple on the tree.
0:38:56 > 0:38:59What is going on under the ground, which you can't see,
0:38:59 > 0:39:01is this extensive network,
0:39:01 > 0:39:04this cotton wool-like network called the mycelium.
0:39:04 > 0:39:09And that is what is extending way out beyond these fungi...
0:39:09 > 0:39:11How does it actually feed off the tree?
0:39:11 > 0:39:17The fungus actually forms a net around the very fine root tips of the tree
0:39:17 > 0:39:22and it penetrates the cells of the root tips and this is where the
0:39:22 > 0:39:23exchange takes place.
0:39:23 > 0:39:27Fungus is drawing food from the tree,
0:39:27 > 0:39:32which means that it doesn't have to start dissolving dead material
0:39:32 > 0:39:36around itself, to generate its own food.
0:39:36 > 0:39:38It can cash in on the food in the tree.
0:39:38 > 0:39:42And the fungus in return, is providing the tree with water.
0:39:42 > 0:39:46And one of the astonishing things about these is that the mycelium,
0:39:46 > 0:39:51the network, can store something like ten times the amount of water as a 60-foot beech tree,
0:39:51 > 0:39:57so in the times of shortage, the tree can cash in on the fungus.
0:39:57 > 0:40:01The fungus can also assimilate things like phosphates,
0:40:01 > 0:40:05which the tree finds much more difficult to produce.
0:40:05 > 0:40:07Brilliant. Living in harmony.
0:40:07 > 0:40:10They need each other. So your advice would be, if you are walking in a
0:40:10 > 0:40:14wood like this and you come across mushrooms like that, leave well alone.
0:40:14 > 0:40:18Don't pick them because you will ruin the whole of the mycelium network.
0:40:18 > 0:40:22Yeah, I mean, there's been a huge expansion of people picking mushrooms to eat.
0:40:22 > 0:40:25And actually, it does damage in two ways.
0:40:25 > 0:40:31One, it reduces the chance of the mushroom spreading itself by spores...
0:40:31 > 0:40:34- Yeah.- ..but also, you put a pair of size tens,
0:40:34 > 0:40:37whack them down over and over on the same soil,
0:40:37 > 0:40:40it will compact it and it will destroy the mycelium.
0:40:40 > 0:40:41So, leave well alone.
0:40:41 > 0:40:45- If you want mushrooms, grow your own, basically.- Yes.
0:40:46 > 0:40:50The wild-foodie lobby might not approve but that is really the message,
0:40:50 > 0:40:52leave them alone, when they are in the woods.
0:40:52 > 0:40:56Well, I'm all for keeping our autumn woods just as nature intended.
0:40:56 > 0:41:00Last year, I had a go at growing mushrooms from a kit.
0:41:00 > 0:41:06But this year, I'm trying something a little more ambitious, with a log like this.
0:41:06 > 0:41:10I'm using it to grow fungi from wooden plugs infused with
0:41:10 > 0:41:12shiitake mushrooms.
0:41:13 > 0:41:16What I'm going to do is I'm going to drill a hole in here, with this
0:41:16 > 0:41:19drillbit, which suits that size plug,
0:41:19 > 0:41:22insert that into the log and seal it over and then these plugs will
0:41:22 > 0:41:27inoculate this log and hopefully, give me some shiitake mushrooms.
0:41:27 > 0:41:28I hope it works.
0:41:28 > 0:41:31If you fancy having a go at this yourself,
0:41:31 > 0:41:35make sure you use a fresh log from a thick-bark deciduous tree.
0:41:35 > 0:41:38The resin of some conifers is actually antifungal.
0:41:38 > 0:41:40So best avoided.
0:41:40 > 0:41:43The mushrooms are going to love this.
0:41:43 > 0:41:47Also, check for damaged bark before you get started and lastly,
0:41:47 > 0:41:51never use a piece of wood that's already got mushrooms growing on it.
0:41:51 > 0:41:55Well, that looks OK. There's about 12 plugs in this little log.
0:41:55 > 0:41:58All I've got to do now is seal them in.
0:41:58 > 0:42:01And for that, I'm using some melted wax.
0:42:01 > 0:42:05And what this does... is it stops them from drying out.
0:42:07 > 0:42:09That should harden off pretty quickly.
0:42:12 > 0:42:14And now it's just a matter of bagging it up
0:42:14 > 0:42:18and putting it somewhere cool and damp, like a garden shed.
0:42:20 > 0:42:22So, hopefully in a couple of weeks' time,
0:42:22 > 0:42:25I'll have a lovely crop of shiitake mushrooms to try.
0:42:25 > 0:42:26And I cannot wait.
0:42:31 > 0:42:32And on that bountiful note,
0:42:32 > 0:42:38it's time to say goodbye - but please do join us again for more Countryfile Diaries tomorrow.
0:42:38 > 0:42:41When Keeley will be uncovering Britain's deadliest garden.
0:42:41 > 0:42:43It's called Ricinus communis.
0:42:43 > 0:42:45- Ah, ricin, poison.- Ricin.
0:42:45 > 0:42:47- The deadliest poison known to man. - Really?
0:42:47 > 0:42:50And the arrival of new piglets at Paul's smallholding...
0:42:50 > 0:42:53There you go. You are getting little grunts there. That means they are happy.
0:42:53 > 0:42:56..inspires him to discover if hogs are as smart
0:42:56 > 0:42:58as dogs at the pig Olympics.
0:42:58 > 0:43:01OK, through here, come on. No, we missed that one.
0:43:01 > 0:43:03Over the... Over the...
0:43:03 > 0:43:04Come on, come on. No, no, no.
0:43:06 > 0:43:10And I'll be finding out what's been making our country roads so dangerous.
0:43:11 > 0:43:13Until then, goodbye.