0:00:03 > 0:00:07There's a change in the air and with it comes the most spectacular,
0:00:07 > 0:00:10the most theatrical seasonal show of all.
0:00:12 > 0:00:13Autumn.
0:00:15 > 0:00:17It's a time of fruitfulness, of harvest.
0:00:19 > 0:00:23When our six million acres of woodland come alive with colour.
0:00:25 > 0:00:28It's one of the busiest times of the year across the land.
0:00:29 > 0:00:34And for wildlife, it's a chance to stock up before the harsh winter days ahead.
0:00:35 > 0:00:38All this week, we're travelling the length and breadth of Britain,
0:00:38 > 0:00:42rooting out the very best seasonal stories that matter to you.
0:00:44 > 0:00:49- That's a biggie!- Yeah, that is our family walnut tree.
0:00:49 > 0:00:53This is Countryfile Autumn Diaries.
0:00:58 > 0:01:00Here's what's coming up on today's programme.
0:01:01 > 0:01:05Margherita meets someone with one of Britain's most unusual jobs.
0:01:05 > 0:01:08The first-ever hedgehog officer.
0:01:08 > 0:01:11The current rate of decline, we're at a turning point.
0:01:11 > 0:01:12Now is the time to act.
0:01:12 > 0:01:15Paul finds out how you can turn your leftover lattes
0:01:15 > 0:01:18into an autumnal favourite.
0:01:18 > 0:01:21Wow! It's like an alien landscape.
0:01:21 > 0:01:25And Diana Man investigates why ponies getting inked is bringing
0:01:25 > 0:01:27the circus to the show ring.
0:01:27 > 0:01:29I've never seen anything like it.
0:01:31 > 0:01:35For the many creatures here in the Kielder Forest in Northumberland,
0:01:35 > 0:01:40this place is a safe haven - and autumn, a season of plenty.
0:01:40 > 0:01:44But across the countryside, it's also a season of crime,
0:01:44 > 0:01:46involving gangs and poachers,
0:01:46 > 0:01:49and the cost of rural crime is soaring,
0:01:49 > 0:01:50as Jules has been discovering.
0:01:54 > 0:01:57I've always counted myself very lucky to live in the countryside,
0:01:57 > 0:02:01and whilst most of us like to think that it's a pretty peaceful and
0:02:01 > 0:02:05tranquil place, well, sadly, that isn't always the case.
0:02:05 > 0:02:07These days, like many other parts of the country,
0:02:07 > 0:02:09it is blighted by crime.
0:02:11 > 0:02:15It's big business for gangs who target everything from farms and machinery
0:02:15 > 0:02:17to livestock and wildlife.
0:02:18 > 0:02:21And the cost to the UK economy, well,
0:02:21 > 0:02:24last year it was a staggering £42.5 million.
0:02:26 > 0:02:32Rare breed poultry farmer Andrew Sheppey keeps up to 100 breeds of chicken
0:02:32 > 0:02:35and amongst them is one of the rarest in the world.
0:02:35 > 0:02:37The Burmese bantam.
0:02:37 > 0:02:40Now, you were raided a couple of years ago.
0:02:40 > 0:02:42- Yes, we were.- Tell us what happened.
0:02:42 > 0:02:46Somebody came in and obviously looked through a number of pens,
0:02:46 > 0:02:51but didn't take anything until they found the pen that contained the breeding group
0:02:51 > 0:02:52of these Burmese Bantams.
0:02:52 > 0:02:56And then just took all the breeding females,
0:02:56 > 0:02:59from our actual main breeding pen of these.
0:02:59 > 0:03:01- So it was your Burmese Bantams they were targeting.- Yes.
0:03:01 > 0:03:04- So they absolutely knew what they were looking for. - They knew exactly.
0:03:04 > 0:03:07Were you able to recover your breeding programme?
0:03:07 > 0:03:10We mercifully had another hen in a different building
0:03:10 > 0:03:12and that saved the breed.
0:03:12 > 0:03:14Obviously, the raid came at huge personal cost to you
0:03:14 > 0:03:18- and nearly wiped out the opportunity to breed from these birds.- Yes.
0:03:18 > 0:03:24Is it possible to quantify the value of a live Burmese bantam egg
0:03:24 > 0:03:27- on the open market to the thieves? - Well, at one stage,
0:03:27 > 0:03:32someone who had bought birds from us legitimately was selling
0:03:32 > 0:03:34hatching eggs at £150 for half a dozen.
0:03:34 > 0:03:38With thousands of acres of countryside to protect,
0:03:38 > 0:03:42it is an uphill battle for police forces right across the country,
0:03:42 > 0:03:46but with all of this illegal activity undermining the rural community,
0:03:46 > 0:03:50it is something that law enforcement are determined to disrupt.
0:03:51 > 0:03:55Countryside crime covers a whole gamut of things, from poaching...
0:03:55 > 0:03:59It appears that the dogs have attacked this deer.
0:03:59 > 0:04:00It is certainly poaching.
0:04:00 > 0:04:02..to heritage crime...
0:04:02 > 0:04:04It is a violation really.
0:04:04 > 0:04:06It is an intrusion on something very personal.
0:04:06 > 0:04:08..to rustling.
0:04:08 > 0:04:11I thought I'd better go and have a look myself and I got there
0:04:11 > 0:04:14and there wasn't one sheep left in the field.
0:04:19 > 0:04:20I'm joining up with Lincolnshire Police,
0:04:20 > 0:04:25as they target gangs carrying out a brutal blood sport.
0:04:25 > 0:04:26Hare coursing.
0:04:28 > 0:04:32They went up there, we heard a dog barking.
0:04:32 > 0:04:36It was once a traditional countryside sport but hare coursing,
0:04:36 > 0:04:38the practice of hunting hares with hounds,
0:04:38 > 0:04:42has been banned for more than a decade.
0:04:42 > 0:04:44You weren't going for hares, you say?
0:04:46 > 0:04:49But that hasn't stopped gangs going to great lengths
0:04:49 > 0:04:50to keep this activity alive.
0:04:50 > 0:04:55The East of England's expansive flatlands are home to the brown hare,
0:04:55 > 0:05:00making it a prime target for criminal gangs to carry out the sport.
0:05:03 > 0:05:07But there's a small band of dedicated officers leading the fight
0:05:07 > 0:05:09against illegal activity on farmers' fields.
0:05:12 > 0:05:16The reason we target hare coursing is because it's not just the associated
0:05:16 > 0:05:19criminal damage to crops, it's the fear of crime and intimidation.
0:05:19 > 0:05:24Operation Galileo is a specialist wildlife crime unit,
0:05:24 > 0:05:27supported by police forces across Lincolnshire,
0:05:27 > 0:05:31Cambridgeshire and Suffolk to crack down on hare coursing.
0:05:31 > 0:05:35The intention today is to positively police any incidents of hare coursing
0:05:35 > 0:05:39and by doing that, reducing the fear of crime amongst the local community.
0:05:41 > 0:05:43Well, that's it. The briefing is over.
0:05:43 > 0:05:45We've assembled a team of over ten police cars,
0:05:45 > 0:05:47well over a dozen officers,
0:05:47 > 0:05:50that are now going to comb the entire county of Lincolnshire.
0:05:50 > 0:05:52The weather is set fair.
0:05:52 > 0:05:54It is the perfect day for hare coursing.
0:05:54 > 0:05:59And later on, I'll be on the trail of a suspected hare courser.
0:05:59 > 0:06:01They went up there.
0:06:01 > 0:06:02We heard a dog barking.
0:06:02 > 0:06:04Clear there.
0:06:08 > 0:06:13Well, now, think autumn and one particular prickly little creature
0:06:13 > 0:06:15springs to mind, the hedgehog.
0:06:15 > 0:06:21But in the past 50 years, its numbers have plummeted by a shocking 95%.
0:06:21 > 0:06:25Now though, Britain's first-ever hedgehog officer is hoping
0:06:25 > 0:06:29to reverse that decline, as Margherita has been finding out.
0:06:34 > 0:06:37When we think of wildlife heading towards extinction,
0:06:37 > 0:06:41we often think of rhinos or stunning tigers, like JJ behind me,
0:06:41 > 0:06:45with zoos like this for families to come and visit being the last refuge
0:06:45 > 0:06:47for these endangered species.
0:06:47 > 0:06:52But with one of our own here in the UK fast slipping in numbers,
0:06:52 > 0:06:56could this become the final refuge for our humble hedgehog?
0:06:58 > 0:07:02Thankfully, there's a new hero on the horizon who is dedicated
0:07:02 > 0:07:06to keeping our prickly friends out in the wild and not in a zoo.
0:07:06 > 0:07:11Meet Henry Johnson, the UK's first hedgehog officer.
0:07:11 > 0:07:14So, Henry, how did you become a hedgehog officer?
0:07:14 > 0:07:18Because I'm sure when I was flipping through the book of careers to do at school, that one wasn't in there.
0:07:18 > 0:07:22Yeah, and I haven't come up with a decent joke to follow my introduction.
0:07:22 > 0:07:25But I suppose it's just through working for the organisation I work for,
0:07:25 > 0:07:27which is the People's Trust for Endangered Species.
0:07:27 > 0:07:30What is actually happening to the population of hedgehogs here in the UK?
0:07:30 > 0:07:33It looks as though we've lost about a third of the population
0:07:33 > 0:07:36since the millennium. So we're currently declining quite severely.
0:07:36 > 0:07:38And what can we do in our gardens?
0:07:38 > 0:07:39How can we all help?
0:07:39 > 0:07:43Just gardening with as many different types of plants as possible
0:07:43 > 0:07:47to encourage the things they eat, slugs and caterpillars and beetles and worms,
0:07:47 > 0:07:49so if you have lots of plants, don't pave over your garden,
0:07:49 > 0:07:54then that's really good. They need a surprisingly large amount of room to roam in.
0:07:54 > 0:07:58900,000 square metres of space to have a sustainable population.
0:08:00 > 0:08:05Hedgehogs love gardens, but the average UK garden is only 14 metres square,
0:08:05 > 0:08:09often enclosed by fences, meaning the hedgehogs get trapped.
0:08:09 > 0:08:13Henry is spearheading a new campaign called Hedgehog Street,
0:08:13 > 0:08:17encouraging homeowners to make small holes in their fences, connecting up
0:08:17 > 0:08:21neighbouring gardens to create highways for the hogs to roam.
0:08:22 > 0:08:25If we talk to our neighbours and work as a community,
0:08:25 > 0:08:28then we can ensure these guys stay around for many years to come.
0:08:28 > 0:08:31Yes. The current rate of decline, I think, we're at a turning point,
0:08:31 > 0:08:32so it really is a bit of a call to arms.
0:08:32 > 0:08:35Now is the time to act to try and save them.
0:08:36 > 0:08:39With over a million acres of garden in the UK,
0:08:39 > 0:08:42this could make a big difference.
0:08:42 > 0:08:46Selina Birkenwald is one of 40,000 hedgehog champions who are transforming
0:08:46 > 0:08:50their gardens into a hedgehog superhighway.
0:08:51 > 0:08:55Selina, what is it that you sort of fell in love with about the hedgehog?
0:08:55 > 0:08:58Well, first of all, they are very cute.
0:08:59 > 0:09:03They eat all the slugs in my garden. I have no slugs.
0:09:03 > 0:09:06It is fantastic. They are not a pest to anybody.
0:09:06 > 0:09:09And what have you done to make your garden more hedgehog friendly?
0:09:09 > 0:09:11Let me show you.
0:09:14 > 0:09:18We made tunnels under both fences.
0:09:18 > 0:09:20- Can you see down there? - Yes. Yeah.
0:09:20 > 0:09:22And then another one through there.
0:09:22 > 0:09:25And to make sure the tunnels don't get blocked in the future,
0:09:25 > 0:09:28they've been marked with Henry's handy signs.
0:09:28 > 0:09:31So you've literally got a corridor...
0:09:31 > 0:09:35- A highway.- A highway all the way through your neighbours' gardens as well?- Yes.
0:09:35 > 0:09:37Yes, we have badgered the neighbours,
0:09:37 > 0:09:40they've all been fantastic and they've all become very excited.
0:09:40 > 0:09:42They have hedgehogs.
0:09:42 > 0:09:43Other people tell us they have hedgehogs.
0:09:43 > 0:09:46So now everybody orders food,
0:09:46 > 0:09:49the neighbours over there have one that shouts at them if they don't
0:09:49 > 0:09:51put his food out at the right time of night.
0:09:51 > 0:09:56He goes up to the glass and he makes a noise and they have to rush out with his food.
0:09:56 > 0:09:57They are real little characters,
0:09:57 > 0:10:01and it's wonderful to get children
0:10:01 > 0:10:02and friends involved,
0:10:02 > 0:10:05because these little creatures are too precious
0:10:05 > 0:10:07and need to be saved.
0:10:08 > 0:10:12Next-door neighbour Elliott's certainly doing his bit.
0:10:13 > 0:10:15Hi, Elliott. So who is this for?
0:10:15 > 0:10:17Mr Prickles.
0:10:17 > 0:10:19That's a feast and a half.
0:10:19 > 0:10:22Feeding time for Mr Prickles.
0:10:22 > 0:10:25Mr Prickles will be tucking into nuts and seeds, but you could always
0:10:25 > 0:10:27leave out cat or dog food and some water.
0:10:27 > 0:10:31But no milk, as hedgehogs are lactose intolerant.
0:10:31 > 0:10:34Mr Prickles goes down here.
0:10:34 > 0:10:35Job done. Hedgehogs fed.
0:10:38 > 0:10:41Hedgehog hero Henry has got a job for me, too.
0:10:42 > 0:10:46Henry, what is it about somewhere like this alley behind all
0:10:46 > 0:10:48these houses that they love so much?
0:10:48 > 0:10:53This scruffy bit at the back, they actually need even more so than your beautiful beds, for foraging,
0:10:53 > 0:10:56for nesting, for all the different parts of their life cycle.
0:10:56 > 0:11:00- And this is the time of year they're starting to look for that hibernation...- Yeah, exactly.
0:11:00 > 0:11:03Henry's enlisted another neighbour for the hedgehog highway
0:11:03 > 0:11:06and with the light fading, there's no time to lose.
0:11:06 > 0:11:09We're heading towards their favourite time of day.
0:11:09 > 0:11:12They can't get through this back fence and we really want to connect
0:11:12 > 0:11:14the garden to this network of land here.
0:11:14 > 0:11:17- To make it easier for them. - Yeah, I think down here would be
0:11:17 > 0:11:19- the perfect place... - OK.- ..to put one in.
0:11:19 > 0:11:23Hedgehog Street has so far signed up 10,000 gardens
0:11:23 > 0:11:25to be hog superhighways.
0:11:25 > 0:11:28We're certainly getting to the hedgehogging hour of the day.
0:11:28 > 0:11:29There's not much light left.
0:11:29 > 0:11:32But with 25 million homes across the UK,
0:11:32 > 0:11:34there's still a long way to go.
0:11:34 > 0:11:37OK, officially, a hedgehog superhighway.
0:11:37 > 0:11:39Yeah. Job's a good 'un.
0:11:39 > 0:11:41If you'd like to become a hedgehog champion,
0:11:41 > 0:11:44go to hedgehogstreet.org to find out more.
0:11:51 > 0:11:55Taking a walk through the woods is one of the treats of autumn,
0:11:55 > 0:11:57and if you keep your eyes open,
0:11:57 > 0:11:59you could well spot the season's new fungi.
0:11:59 > 0:12:01Not that you could possibly miss this one!
0:12:01 > 0:12:04And of course, you have to know exactly what you're doing
0:12:04 > 0:12:06before you think of eating them.
0:12:06 > 0:12:11They are one of smallholder Paul Martin's favourite things to eat breakfast.
0:12:11 > 0:12:17But he's about to discover there's a surprising new link between fungi and his morning brew.
0:12:17 > 0:12:20I cannot get the morning going
0:12:20 > 0:12:23without having at least one mug of coffee.
0:12:23 > 0:12:25Sometimes it's two.
0:12:27 > 0:12:31We drink 70 million cups of coffee a day in the UK and it's become
0:12:31 > 0:12:33a £7 billion industry.
0:12:35 > 0:12:38But our love affair with the black stuff generates more than
0:12:38 > 0:12:42half a million tonnes of leftover coffee grounds every year.
0:12:44 > 0:12:49Two blokes in Exeter, down in Devon, have come up with a novel way of
0:12:49 > 0:12:51using our leftover cappuccinos.
0:12:51 > 0:12:53They don't want us to throw anything away.
0:12:53 > 0:12:56They're using spent coffee grounds
0:12:56 > 0:12:59to make one of my autumnal favourites, mushrooms.
0:12:59 > 0:13:02And they've asked me to bring my bike with me,
0:13:02 > 0:13:03so it's in the back.
0:13:05 > 0:13:09Most spent coffee grounds end up in landfill, but friends Eric Jong and
0:13:09 > 0:13:14Adam Sayner saw an opportunity to turn waste into food production.
0:13:14 > 0:13:16Now they're growing mushrooms in the coffee,
0:13:16 > 0:13:19and where they farm their fungi is a little left-field too.
0:13:25 > 0:13:28- Hi, Eric.- Hi, Paul. How are you?- I'm all right, thanks.
0:13:28 > 0:13:31Look, I've cycled into the centre of the city.
0:13:31 > 0:13:33- Where's the farm?- It's just up here, the third floor,
0:13:33 > 0:13:36right in the heart of Exeter, Princesshay.
0:13:36 > 0:13:37- That's an office. - It used to be an office.
0:13:37 > 0:13:39It's now a mushroom farm.
0:13:39 > 0:13:41So, why do I need the bike?
0:13:41 > 0:13:44We'll just go around on a quick bike ride, collect a bit of coffee,
0:13:44 > 0:13:46because we need quite a bit to grow mushrooms with.
0:13:46 > 0:13:49- OK, the penny's dropped now. I see what you're doing.- Follow me.
0:13:49 > 0:13:51- What do you think of the bike? - It's a lovely bike.
0:13:51 > 0:13:53- Vintage.- Classic.
0:13:53 > 0:13:57Every day, Eric cycles round Exeter, collecting spent coffee grounds
0:13:57 > 0:14:00from eight nearby coffee shops.
0:14:01 > 0:14:05So, Eric, I know cycling is hard work, but I guess it saves all
0:14:05 > 0:14:08the parking problems and parking tickets in the city centre.
0:14:08 > 0:14:10Yeah, a van would be a nightmare.
0:14:10 > 0:14:13We don't even need it, because we just collect the buckets on this bike,
0:14:13 > 0:14:16we are done in half an hour because the cafes are so close to the farm.
0:14:16 > 0:14:17Yeah.
0:14:17 > 0:14:22Pedal power is definitely more environmentally friendly than a van, too.
0:14:22 > 0:14:27Last year, Eric collected 34,000 kilos of coffee waste,
0:14:27 > 0:14:30that's more than three million cups of coffee.
0:14:30 > 0:14:33Exeter obviously loves a cappuccino.
0:14:34 > 0:14:37Can I pass you this empty tub, please?
0:14:37 > 0:14:38Thank you.
0:14:38 > 0:14:41So, what do you think of this idea and why have you got involved?
0:14:41 > 0:14:45I think it's great that we can work with a local business
0:14:45 > 0:14:49and provide some natural resources for them.
0:14:49 > 0:14:51What did you do with the coffee before?
0:14:51 > 0:14:53We actually just wasted it.
0:14:53 > 0:14:57So we had maybe 50, 60 kilos of coffee a week
0:14:57 > 0:14:59that just went to waste.
0:14:59 > 0:15:02So, I mean, it's great that we can help someone else out.
0:15:02 > 0:15:04Exactly. And it saves you chucking it as well.
0:15:04 > 0:15:07- Yeah.- So, how much coffee do you sell each day?
0:15:07 > 0:15:10Each day, I mean, we get through about eight kilos of coffee a day.
0:15:10 > 0:15:12- Yeah.- Wow! That's a lot.
0:15:12 > 0:15:16So, it's now good that we can give it to another business.
0:15:16 > 0:15:18And can I have my full tub, please?
0:15:19 > 0:15:22- There we are.- Gosh, that's heavy.
0:15:22 > 0:15:24- Yeah.- That is heavy.
0:15:24 > 0:15:26- Enjoy.- No wonder we've got a trailer!
0:15:26 > 0:15:28Come on then, Eric. Thank you very much.
0:15:28 > 0:15:29Thank you.
0:15:30 > 0:15:32While Eric continues on his pick-ups,
0:15:32 > 0:15:35I've headed back to their city centre farm.
0:15:35 > 0:15:3918 months ago, this was an empty office block just off the high street.
0:15:39 > 0:15:44Now, it's where Eric and Adam produce their latest batch of oyster mushrooms.
0:15:46 > 0:15:48Hi, Adam. I brought you the coffee.
0:15:48 > 0:15:49Perfect.
0:15:50 > 0:15:53Look at that. Fresh from the cafe.
0:15:53 > 0:15:55- There you go.- Cheers.
0:15:57 > 0:15:59The coffee grounds are added to a mixer,
0:15:59 > 0:16:03along with some cut-up straw and then the fungi.
0:16:03 > 0:16:07In here is the mushroom spore, which is kind of the seed of the mushroom.
0:16:07 > 0:16:12It's living on this grain and what we do when we add it into there,
0:16:12 > 0:16:14it just starts to grow across the whole mix.
0:16:14 > 0:16:17Have a little smell. It's a unique smell, isn't it?
0:16:17 > 0:16:21Mushroom spawn carries the fungal cell structure that produces the mushrooms.
0:16:24 > 0:16:29Why do coffee grounds make good mushrooms?
0:16:29 > 0:16:31They've got all of the essential nutrients there
0:16:31 > 0:16:34that the oyster mushrooms need to live on.
0:16:34 > 0:16:38Will it influence the flavour and the taste slightly?
0:16:38 > 0:16:41Yeah, it's a question people often wonder.
0:16:41 > 0:16:44And the answer is no, it tastes the same as if it grows on wood.
0:16:44 > 0:16:46It takes all the carbon, the nitrogen,
0:16:46 > 0:16:49that it would do on wood, just from the coffee instead,
0:16:49 > 0:16:51and it tastes exactly the same.
0:16:51 > 0:16:53Once the mixture has been blended,
0:16:53 > 0:16:56the mix is placed in large plastic growing bags,
0:16:56 > 0:17:00punched with small holes which the mushrooms will eventually grow through.
0:17:00 > 0:17:03Come in here, this is the incubation room.
0:17:03 > 0:17:05Wow! Look at this lot!
0:17:05 > 0:17:07So, what happens to these bags?
0:17:07 > 0:17:10So, once they come in here, it takes them roughly three weeks
0:17:10 > 0:17:12for the spawn to grow across the coffee mixture
0:17:12 > 0:17:14- and eat it up. - And it will look like that.
0:17:14 > 0:17:17Exactly. At the end of that process, they'll be just like this.
0:17:17 > 0:17:20And actually, this one is now ready to take into the fruiting room.
0:17:20 > 0:17:24- And that's the next process. - Exactly.- Incredible. It is so simple.
0:17:27 > 0:17:28This is the fruiting room.
0:17:28 > 0:17:31Wow! It's like an alien landscape. It really is.
0:17:31 > 0:17:34- It's quite amazing to walk into. - That's fantastic.
0:17:34 > 0:17:37As well as the three different varieties of oyster mushroom,
0:17:37 > 0:17:43shiitake mushrooms are cultivated in a mix of coffee granules and sawdust.
0:17:45 > 0:17:47So how much do you grow?
0:17:47 > 0:17:48So, we grow here...
0:17:48 > 0:17:51When this room is full in the middle of summer,
0:17:51 > 0:17:54we grow about 75 kilos a week,
0:17:54 > 0:17:56that's about 300 kilos a month,
0:17:56 > 0:17:59which in quite a small space is an amazing...
0:17:59 > 0:18:00It's incredible.
0:18:02 > 0:18:04To mimic perfect autumn growing conditions,
0:18:04 > 0:18:08the mushrooms are kept out of the sunlight and kept moist.
0:18:08 > 0:18:12From planting to harvest, the mushrooms take five weeks to grow.
0:18:12 > 0:18:16So, perfect little cluster of pink oysters.
0:18:16 > 0:18:21Eric and Adam sell their mushrooms to restaurants and food outlets
0:18:21 > 0:18:23across the whole of the South West.
0:18:23 > 0:18:26I'm quite impressed, because it is a very small space.
0:18:26 > 0:18:29It's a small operation. Yet, you're producing a lot.
0:18:29 > 0:18:31Can anyone do this?
0:18:31 > 0:18:32Could I convert a room at home and do it?
0:18:32 > 0:18:36Yes, once you've learnt how to do it, it's relatively simple to do.
0:18:36 > 0:18:39We also have a kit for people that don't want to go to that much trouble
0:18:39 > 0:18:41and they can just grow themselves at home.
0:18:41 > 0:18:44That sounds like fun. I'd like to try that.
0:18:46 > 0:18:48I love the ethos behind this.
0:18:48 > 0:18:50Locally sourced and grown.
0:18:50 > 0:18:53And reducing waste can only be a good thing.
0:18:53 > 0:18:56I can't wait to get this home to start to grow my own mushrooms.
0:18:56 > 0:18:58The kids are going to love it.
0:19:00 > 0:19:04And with a little care and attention, in two weeks,
0:19:04 > 0:19:07I have my first harvest of home-grown mushrooms.
0:19:08 > 0:19:12Well, look at that, guys. The perfect autumn treat.
0:19:12 > 0:19:14And these mushrooms were grown in the kitchen.
0:19:14 > 0:19:16And that was a cheeky face.
0:19:21 > 0:19:24Today, Jules is investigating rural crime,
0:19:24 > 0:19:29which is costing around £42 million and that figure is rising.
0:19:29 > 0:19:32Criminals are targeting everything, from farm machinery
0:19:32 > 0:19:35to livestock, to wildlife.
0:19:36 > 0:19:39I'm on the front line with Lincolnshire Police,
0:19:39 > 0:19:43cracking down on criminal gangs involved in hare coursing.
0:19:43 > 0:19:47It's an illegal blood sport where dogs are set to catch wild hares
0:19:47 > 0:19:50with bets placed on which dog will make the kill.
0:19:50 > 0:19:53It's a rural crime on the rise,
0:19:53 > 0:19:56with arrests rising threefold last year alone.
0:19:56 > 0:20:00But as Chief Inspector Jim Tyner knows only too well,
0:20:00 > 0:20:03they've still got a lot of ground to cover.
0:20:03 > 0:20:07Lincolnshire is a beautiful county, but there's 2,600 square miles of it.
0:20:07 > 0:20:09A lot of it is flatland, like you see here,
0:20:09 > 0:20:13and waterways, and the flatland is what attracts the hare coursers.
0:20:13 > 0:20:16When the crops are cut in early autumn,
0:20:16 > 0:20:22it's much easier for the gangs to flush out the hares across this open farmland.
0:20:22 > 0:20:25We find the hare coursers come from all over the country and in
0:20:25 > 0:20:28the last season, we had hare coursers from South Wales,
0:20:28 > 0:20:31we had hare coursers from County Durham, from Kent and from Surrey.
0:20:31 > 0:20:32And from all points in between.
0:20:32 > 0:20:35I think many people will be surprised that people will travel
0:20:35 > 0:20:39those sort of distances to pursue their passion for coursing.
0:20:39 > 0:20:41I mean, what are the stakes involved for those who do it?
0:20:41 > 0:20:45Well, last season, we were getting information about stakes up to £20,000 bets.
0:20:45 > 0:20:51Most hare coursers that we come across will have links to other type of crime.
0:20:51 > 0:20:53And then associated with hare coursing as well,
0:20:53 > 0:20:55if hare coursers feel that they are challenged by landowners,
0:20:55 > 0:20:58that can become threatening and intimidating for the farmers.
0:21:03 > 0:21:08Andrew Ward is one farmer who's experienced such threatening behaviour.
0:21:08 > 0:21:12He now blocks access to his fields with hay bales.
0:21:12 > 0:21:14That is a field of drilled oilseed rape there,
0:21:14 > 0:21:16we've had vehicles go across there
0:21:16 > 0:21:18and it's the tyre tracks and the deep ruts
0:21:18 > 0:21:20that they cause and also the plants that they pull up
0:21:20 > 0:21:22when they drive across the fields.
0:21:22 > 0:21:25And they don't just pull into a field and do a small circle.
0:21:25 > 0:21:28They will go across the field and they'll drive 600 yards
0:21:28 > 0:21:30all over the place in that field.
0:21:30 > 0:21:32Have you ever had any direct contact, Andrew,
0:21:32 > 0:21:34with those hare coursing on your land?
0:21:34 > 0:21:36Have you ever caught any in the act?
0:21:36 > 0:21:37Yes, I have.
0:21:37 > 0:21:41I've caught numerous ones in the act but my particular worst case was
0:21:41 > 0:21:45probably four years ago, when I actually was run over by one of
0:21:45 > 0:21:47the vehicles in the middle of the farm.
0:21:47 > 0:21:50It actually injured my leg to the extent
0:21:50 > 0:21:52that I had to go and have hospital treatment,
0:21:52 > 0:21:55which resulted in requiring an operation on my knee.
0:21:55 > 0:21:59Would you tackle hare coursers again if you saw them in person?
0:21:59 > 0:22:01I would not hesitate in tackling them again,
0:22:01 > 0:22:02because it's just not right.
0:22:02 > 0:22:05They are on areas that they shouldn't be, they are trespassing,
0:22:05 > 0:22:07they are doing something that's illegal,
0:22:07 > 0:22:10and they're interfering with my life and my day and I don't think that's right.
0:22:12 > 0:22:15It's clear the police have got a real battle on their hands.
0:22:15 > 0:22:19During last season, running from September through to March,
0:22:19 > 0:22:23the Lincolnshire force received an average of ten reports of hare coursing
0:22:23 > 0:22:24every single day.
0:22:27 > 0:22:29I'm back on Operation Galileo,
0:22:29 > 0:22:33scouring the countryside with wildlife crime officer Nick Willey.
0:22:35 > 0:22:39So, what tricks have you got up your sleeve that can help you identify
0:22:39 > 0:22:41those engaged in hare coursing?
0:22:41 > 0:22:43We've got ANPR in the vehicle,
0:22:43 > 0:22:47those numberplates where vehicles are regular come to light.
0:22:47 > 0:22:49Automatic Number Plate Recognition system.
0:22:49 > 0:22:54- Yeah.- So if a vehicle is known to be used by hare coursers and if it's
0:22:54 > 0:22:58been spotted before, that will automatically come up if you spot it.
0:22:58 > 0:23:00Yeah. Yeah, it gives us a little bit of a heads-up.
0:23:00 > 0:23:05And it's not long before a call comes through.
0:23:05 > 0:23:10'..On the A16 heading towards Spalding...'
0:23:10 > 0:23:13- So, what's happening now?- Someone has just shouted on the radio
0:23:13 > 0:23:16they've spotted a vehicle which he believes is involved with hare coursing.
0:23:16 > 0:23:18There is nobody with the vehicle.
0:23:18 > 0:23:21There's nobody seen round by the fields.
0:23:21 > 0:23:22So...
0:23:26 > 0:23:30With little to go on, any help from the locals is gratefully received.
0:23:31 > 0:23:33Now, this is where...
0:23:33 > 0:23:36- Any hare coursers? - There was a silver saloon...
0:23:36 > 0:23:38- Oh, right. - Three blokes and a dog in it.
0:23:38 > 0:23:40- Excellent.- Are they up there? - They went up there,
0:23:40 > 0:23:43then they went down towards the A52.
0:23:43 > 0:23:44Then we heard the dog barking.
0:23:44 > 0:23:47- Right.- You know that bit that goes towards...
0:23:47 > 0:23:49Yeah, that goes towards... Yeah.
0:23:49 > 0:23:52- OK, lovely, thanks very much. Thank you.- Thanks, mate. Well done.
0:23:54 > 0:23:57In a labyrinth of country lanes and fields,
0:23:57 > 0:24:00keeping on the trail of these criminal gangs can be difficult.
0:24:01 > 0:24:03Clear there. Go, go, go.
0:24:05 > 0:24:09ANC MT Echo 201, we're at the junction with the A52.
0:24:09 > 0:24:13We are now eastbound on the 52.
0:24:13 > 0:24:14If you can give us any better location,
0:24:14 > 0:24:18- we are looking across the fields now.- OK, things have just hotted up.
0:24:21 > 0:24:25A man and his dog have been spotted hiding in the undergrowth.
0:24:26 > 0:24:29At the moment, I'm arresting you on suspicion of trespassing in pursuit of game.
0:24:29 > 0:24:32You do not have to say anything, but it may harm your defence if you
0:24:32 > 0:24:35do not mention when questioned something which you later rely on in court.
0:24:35 > 0:24:38Anything you do say may be given in evidence. Can you give us your hand, please?
0:24:38 > 0:24:43He'll be detained for questioning while the police look for evidence.
0:24:45 > 0:24:48With neighbouring police forces working together,
0:24:48 > 0:24:52the police are making progress, using their powers to seize vehicles
0:24:52 > 0:24:56and even dogs in their effort to end this illegal sport.
0:24:56 > 0:25:00It's just another day in the rural crime world here in Lincolnshire.
0:25:00 > 0:25:03The focus today, of course, has been hare coursing, but there are many
0:25:03 > 0:25:05other areas they have to tackle as well.
0:25:05 > 0:25:08But today, at least, they've got somewhere towards a result.
0:25:12 > 0:25:14Well, now, almost every week,
0:25:14 > 0:25:17there's another new headline about the latest superfood.
0:25:17 > 0:25:21But could one of our everyday favourites be about to join the hallowed ranks?
0:25:21 > 0:25:23Here's Tom.
0:25:27 > 0:25:28Over the years,
0:25:28 > 0:25:33we've become picky about what we want from our fruit and veg.
0:25:34 > 0:25:38We've made apples crisper, sprouts sweeter, beans bigger,
0:25:38 > 0:25:40even grapes without seeds.
0:25:40 > 0:25:43Science has done a lot to improve the taste,
0:25:43 > 0:25:47yield and disease resistance of our crops, but what about growing things
0:25:47 > 0:25:50which are actually better for our health?
0:25:51 > 0:25:53It's called biofortification.
0:25:53 > 0:25:56That means breeding crops to improve their nutritional value.
0:25:56 > 0:26:01It's led to the creation of one special vegetable that's taking
0:26:01 > 0:26:05the health benefits of eating your greens to a whole new level.
0:26:06 > 0:26:08Super broccoli.
0:26:08 > 0:26:11Looks pretty much like the normal stuff, but tests are showing
0:26:11 > 0:26:14this could reduce your cholesterol.
0:26:14 > 0:26:18And it's on course to be the first raw vegetable with European approval
0:26:18 > 0:26:21for its claimed health benefits.
0:26:26 > 0:26:30There are strict rules to ensure any health or nutritional claim on
0:26:30 > 0:26:35a food label is clear, accurate and based on scientific evidence.
0:26:35 > 0:26:38This is to prevent consumers being misled.
0:26:40 > 0:26:44And this broccoli is really being put through its paces.
0:26:44 > 0:26:49They reckon eating around 400g a week, that's about a pound,
0:26:49 > 0:26:52could reduce your cholesterol by 6%.
0:26:52 > 0:26:57Rigorous human trials are almost complete, so about six weeks ago,
0:26:57 > 0:26:59I thought I'd give it a go.
0:27:01 > 0:27:02Thomas Heap, please?
0:27:02 > 0:27:06First job, a quick cholesterol test at my local GP surgery.
0:27:06 > 0:27:09You will feel a sharp scratch, all right?
0:27:09 > 0:27:12High cholesterol can increase your risk of heart disease or having
0:27:12 > 0:27:16a stroke, so I'm hoping the results aren't too bad.
0:27:16 > 0:27:19Your total cholesterol is 6.3,
0:27:19 > 0:27:22so that is a little bit higher than we were talking about.
0:27:22 > 0:27:24We'd prefer it to be 5 or below.
0:27:25 > 0:27:28Not exactly the news I wanted to hear.
0:27:28 > 0:27:30My cholesterol level is a little higher than it should be,
0:27:30 > 0:27:33so I guess I'm a pretty good candidate for this diet.
0:27:36 > 0:27:41A six-week super broccoli diet to see if it makes any difference.
0:27:41 > 0:27:44Luckily, I do quite like broccoli.
0:27:44 > 0:27:45It's good.
0:27:46 > 0:27:50More from my rather unscientific experiment later.
0:27:50 > 0:27:54First, I've come to where the real science is done.
0:27:54 > 0:27:57I'm at the Institute of Food Research in Norwich
0:27:57 > 0:27:59to meet the man behind the broccoli.
0:28:00 > 0:28:02In 1984, a young PhD student
0:28:02 > 0:28:07called Richard Mithen was studying wild brassicas in Sicily.
0:28:07 > 0:28:11He brought one home and wanted to see what would happen when
0:28:11 > 0:28:13he crossed it with the broccoli we buy in the shops.
0:28:15 > 0:28:16Each time you make that cross,
0:28:16 > 0:28:19you're taking a little bit of that wild plant
0:28:19 > 0:28:22and putting it in a kind of broccoli background.
0:28:22 > 0:28:27Now, we just have maybe three or four genes from that wild plant
0:28:27 > 0:28:28in the broccoli.
0:28:28 > 0:28:31Was this a GM process to do this?
0:28:31 > 0:28:33No, no. This is conventional breeding.
0:28:33 > 0:28:36So those three to four genes are enough to do what?
0:28:36 > 0:28:38It's actually only one of those genes,
0:28:38 > 0:28:42and what that does is it increases a particular naturally occurring
0:28:42 > 0:28:46compound, it's called glucoraphanin and it occurs in all broccoli.
0:28:46 > 0:28:50But that gene means that instead of having the normal level,
0:28:50 > 0:28:52it has about three or four times the level.
0:28:52 > 0:28:54And what is that compound doing that's good for my health
0:28:54 > 0:28:57and how does that translate, you believe, into lower cholesterol?
0:28:57 > 0:29:02Well, the bugs in the gut break that molecule down and we absorb
0:29:02 > 0:29:05another compound called sulforaphane.
0:29:05 > 0:29:09And when we absorb that, it's a bit like it retunes our body,
0:29:09 > 0:29:12it gets all our metabolic processes working better.
0:29:12 > 0:29:16If they are working better, we use our fuel more efficiently,
0:29:16 > 0:29:18we feel healthier, and things like cholesterol,
0:29:18 > 0:29:21which may be rather high, they go down.
0:29:21 > 0:29:24- So I'm in the midst of a retune at the moment. - I think you are.
0:29:24 > 0:29:26It'll be interesting to see how are getting on,
0:29:26 > 0:29:27and what the outcome of that is.
0:29:30 > 0:29:34Professor Mithen says what makes his broccoli so special is that it fits
0:29:34 > 0:29:36easily into an ordinary diet.
0:29:36 > 0:29:38Put it in the steamer.
0:29:38 > 0:29:41'I can put that theory to the test.'
0:29:41 > 0:29:44Good, healthy broccoli. Again.
0:29:48 > 0:29:50Today, it's broc-amole.
0:29:50 > 0:29:52Yep, really.
0:29:56 > 0:29:57Doesn't taste too bad.
0:29:59 > 0:30:00And it seems to be popular!
0:30:02 > 0:30:05My broccoli diary is really just a bit of fun,
0:30:05 > 0:30:08but there are official human trials too,
0:30:08 > 0:30:12aimed at gathering enough evidence to apply a European health claim.
0:30:12 > 0:30:17It'll join foods like cholesterol reducing spreads and yoghurt.
0:30:17 > 0:30:21These carry European approved health claims,
0:30:21 > 0:30:24but they're all processed foods.
0:30:24 > 0:30:27What makes the broccoli different is that it's raw.
0:30:28 > 0:30:32A fusion of farming and science has set the ball rolling for
0:30:32 > 0:30:35healthier foods straight from the farmer's field.
0:30:36 > 0:30:42But has eating enhanced broccoli for six weeks had any impact on my cholesterol?
0:30:42 > 0:30:43'Time to find out.'
0:30:43 > 0:30:45You've got a little impish grin on there.
0:30:45 > 0:30:47- You clearly know something.- Yes.
0:30:47 > 0:30:48Well, it's better than it was.
0:30:48 > 0:30:52- Brilliant.- It's gone down. Gone down from 6.3 to 5.77.
0:30:52 > 0:30:54- Quite a reasonable change then. - Yeah.
0:30:54 > 0:30:57'It's gone down by nearly 9%.'
0:30:57 > 0:31:00I'm not sure if I have only the broccoli to thank for that,
0:31:00 > 0:31:02but I'm pretty chuffed.
0:31:02 > 0:31:05Of course, one result from one person doesn't really tell us anything.
0:31:05 > 0:31:11Except that it is possible to incorporate a pound of broccoli into your diet every week.
0:31:14 > 0:31:18Next, the usually traditional world of horse riding is seeing
0:31:18 > 0:31:22something of a new look and it's proving to be quite controversial.
0:31:23 > 0:31:26Diana Man is on the case for us.
0:31:26 > 0:31:27Come on then.
0:31:28 > 0:31:30I've been pony mad all my life,
0:31:30 > 0:31:34and as a result, horses have played a massive part in it.
0:31:34 > 0:31:37I've ridden competitively for well over 20 years
0:31:37 > 0:31:40and recently for Great Britain.
0:31:40 > 0:31:44I started off in eventing and now compete in dressage.
0:31:44 > 0:31:48More than 200,000 riders compete in dressage each year.
0:31:48 > 0:31:51For them, it's about more than just performing well.
0:31:51 > 0:31:54Your horse also has to look great.
0:31:54 > 0:31:56But now there's something different.
0:31:56 > 0:31:58No, not that.
0:31:58 > 0:32:01This. Horse tattoos.
0:32:01 > 0:32:05I'm not sure glitter tattoos aren't just a fashion fad.
0:32:05 > 0:32:09Perhaps one of their creators, Nicole Schneider, can win me over.
0:32:09 > 0:32:10- Hi, Nicole.- Hi, Diana.
0:32:10 > 0:32:13- How are you?- Good. Nice to see you.
0:32:13 > 0:32:14Wow! That's amazing, what you're doing.
0:32:14 > 0:32:16- Thank you.- I've never seen anything like it.
0:32:16 > 0:32:18No, not very many people have.
0:32:18 > 0:32:20No, so how did you first come up with the idea?
0:32:20 > 0:32:24It was the brainchild of our art director, Sally, who, I think,
0:32:24 > 0:32:28was fiddling around with children's glitter tattoos one day,
0:32:28 > 0:32:30and just as a flippant comment said to some friends,
0:32:30 > 0:32:32"Well, I guess you could even put these on horses."
0:32:32 > 0:32:35And it seems, yes, you can put them on horses.
0:32:35 > 0:32:37And here is the result.
0:32:37 > 0:32:39These tattoos don't hurt the horse,
0:32:39 > 0:32:43but should be washed off after 48 hours to avoid any skin irritation.
0:32:45 > 0:32:46And how popular has it proved to be?
0:32:46 > 0:32:49Well, a lot more popular than we could ever have imagined.
0:32:49 > 0:32:53We've got international teams and flags, corporate logos,
0:32:53 > 0:32:58it's eye-catching, it's got very, very popular very quickly.
0:32:58 > 0:33:02Now, I'm used to making sure my horse is well turned out,
0:33:02 > 0:33:05but are glitter tattoos a step too far?
0:33:07 > 0:33:09Hannah Henderson doesn't think so.
0:33:09 > 0:33:11She's part of the Irish polo team.
0:33:11 > 0:33:13For the last two years,
0:33:13 > 0:33:17she's been decorating her pony's hindquarters for polo matches.
0:33:17 > 0:33:20- Hi there.- Hi.- Nice to meet you. - And you.
0:33:20 > 0:33:23This is really impressive, what we are seeing out here.
0:33:23 > 0:33:27Just tell me a little bit what these ponies are doing.
0:33:27 > 0:33:28This is young horse chukkers,
0:33:28 > 0:33:30the end of our main summer polo season.
0:33:30 > 0:33:32The professionals now would have the opportunity,
0:33:32 > 0:33:35while the ground is dry and we have this fabulous autumn weather,
0:33:35 > 0:33:37to give the young horses a runaround,
0:33:37 > 0:33:41and educate them in what we might expect of them next season.
0:33:41 > 0:33:43A lot of preparation goes into making sure those horses look well
0:33:43 > 0:33:45and are well cared for, that they are clean
0:33:45 > 0:33:48and washed for each game and made to look very smart.
0:33:48 > 0:33:51But I can see with these ones, you've gone one step further.
0:33:51 > 0:33:53What is it with these tattoos you've got on them?
0:33:53 > 0:33:55So, this is a new thing
0:33:55 > 0:33:57that I've been introduced to two years ago.
0:33:57 > 0:34:00Sponsors have enjoyed putting their logos on the horses,
0:34:00 > 0:34:03through to the international circuit where the Irish team have enjoyed
0:34:03 > 0:34:05seeing their flags flying high in Germany,
0:34:05 > 0:34:07and we took them to snow polo.
0:34:07 > 0:34:10So it kind of brings the team together,
0:34:10 > 0:34:13it also helps them stand out on the pitch, amongst the other players.
0:34:13 > 0:34:15So, what sort of feedback have you had about them?
0:34:15 > 0:34:17Reporters have asked about the product and
0:34:17 > 0:34:20individuals on the side of the pitch have asked about them,
0:34:20 > 0:34:22a little girl might say, "Mummy, I want that on my pony."
0:34:22 > 0:34:24So it's great all round.
0:34:26 > 0:34:30This might seem bonkers, but adornment of horses isn't new.
0:34:30 > 0:34:35For centuries, horses at ceremonial events have been dressed up to the nines.
0:34:35 > 0:34:38Are you going to show me how to do one of these then?
0:34:38 > 0:34:40- Yeah.- OK, are we going over that side?
0:34:40 > 0:34:43We're going to pick this pony over here.
0:34:43 > 0:34:49Last year, a national equestrian survey revealed a drop in rider numbers.
0:34:49 > 0:34:52A downturn that's also been noted by Sport England.
0:34:52 > 0:34:55It is all on, girls? Is it stacked everywhere?
0:34:55 > 0:34:58I think we've missed its nose as well, don't miss the nose.
0:34:58 > 0:35:01So, could the chance of creating your own fairy tale pony
0:35:01 > 0:35:03get youngsters into riding again?
0:35:03 > 0:35:05So, what colour are we going to do this?
0:35:05 > 0:35:07We are going to do silver on the tail.
0:35:07 > 0:35:09Silver on the tail?
0:35:09 > 0:35:11- It's going to be a bit of a rainbow pony, eh?- Yeah.
0:35:11 > 0:35:13Shall I do a little bit of that one?
0:35:13 > 0:35:16- Attention to the artistic directors here!- Yes.
0:35:16 > 0:35:20- Well, that looks pretty good to me. - Now, I'll peel it off.
0:35:20 > 0:35:22No, not that end!
0:35:22 > 0:35:23You have to do it right.
0:35:23 > 0:35:25You have to do it in the direction...
0:35:25 > 0:35:27Both of you do it together, please.
0:35:27 > 0:35:28- There you go.- Wow!
0:35:28 > 0:35:30Good job, girls.
0:35:30 > 0:35:31Look at that.
0:35:31 > 0:35:34Well done. Now, shall we give the pony a name?
0:35:34 > 0:35:36- Glittery.- Glittery.
0:35:36 > 0:35:39I think I'm a little bit taken by them now.
0:35:41 > 0:35:43I normally keep all my stuff rather plain,
0:35:43 > 0:35:45but I can maybe see it on my horse's quarters.
0:35:45 > 0:35:48I don't know what the judge would think, though.
0:35:50 > 0:35:51Well, I have to say,
0:35:51 > 0:35:54I wasn't convinced about the whole idea of glitter tattoos
0:35:54 > 0:35:57on ponies, but having been here and seen them for myself,
0:35:57 > 0:36:00I can see they're loads of fun and I can see exactly why the girls
0:36:00 > 0:36:03enjoy them and they use them for the polo team.
0:36:03 > 0:36:05Only time will tell
0:36:05 > 0:36:07whether we're going to see them more in the equine world.
0:36:12 > 0:36:16Now, with the nights drawing in and Halloween almost upon us,
0:36:16 > 0:36:18I went to the Usk Valley in Wales
0:36:18 > 0:36:22in search of one little mammal that only comes out at night.
0:36:23 > 0:36:25Hidden deep in these woods
0:36:25 > 0:36:28is the biggest roost of lesser horseshoe bats
0:36:28 > 0:36:30anywhere in Western Europe.
0:36:30 > 0:36:33A team of guardians is pushing at the boundaries to protect them,
0:36:33 > 0:36:37and I've been invited to the secret location of this roost
0:36:37 > 0:36:40to find out how they're making a big difference
0:36:40 > 0:36:42to the lives of these tiny mammals.
0:36:45 > 0:36:47Weighing as little as 5g,
0:36:47 > 0:36:49this is one of the smallest bats in Europe.
0:36:49 > 0:36:52It's named after its horseshoe shaped nose,
0:36:52 > 0:36:54which it uses to amplify its calls.
0:36:54 > 0:36:59These bats feed under the shelter of tree tops and fly along hedgerows,
0:36:59 > 0:37:02feasting on midges and other small insects.
0:37:02 > 0:37:05Because we've been grubbing up hedgerows at an alarming rate,
0:37:05 > 0:37:08the species is in trouble, except here in South Wales,
0:37:08 > 0:37:11where its habitat has largely survived.
0:37:14 > 0:37:1719th-century stone buildings with slate roofs
0:37:17 > 0:37:19are the favourite roosting spot for these bats,
0:37:19 > 0:37:22so this place is ideal for them,
0:37:22 > 0:37:25and there is no less than 900 living on the top floor,
0:37:25 > 0:37:30and what makes it even more special is that this is a maternity unit.
0:37:30 > 0:37:33More lesser horseshoe bats are born in this disused building
0:37:33 > 0:37:36than in any other roost in the country.
0:37:36 > 0:37:40The Vincent Wildlife Trust, which keeps guard here,
0:37:40 > 0:37:41aims to encourage even more.
0:37:41 > 0:37:44Henry Schofield is the trust's bat expert.
0:37:44 > 0:37:48Why are these bats so very particular about where they live?
0:37:48 > 0:37:52Well, historically, they used to roost in caves all year round.
0:37:52 > 0:37:54But they've actually adopted human structures
0:37:54 > 0:37:56that mimic those original roosts.
0:37:56 > 0:37:59And they've moved in here in large numbers.
0:37:59 > 0:38:02The team has converted this building into a top spec bat roost.
0:38:02 > 0:38:06Reroofed with new windows and special entrances,
0:38:06 > 0:38:08the bats shelter safely here.
0:38:08 > 0:38:10And at what stage are they now?
0:38:10 > 0:38:14Well, they are a few months old now, so they're flying.
0:38:14 > 0:38:16They're practically the same size as the adults.
0:38:16 > 0:38:19And they'll be out foraging,
0:38:19 > 0:38:22probably still following the mothers in some cases,
0:38:22 > 0:38:25to foraging areas and learning the terrain around here.
0:38:25 > 0:38:27At twilight, they'll emerge.
0:38:27 > 0:38:30So, under the watchful eye of Henry,
0:38:30 > 0:38:31we are setting up our night-vision cameras.
0:38:31 > 0:38:35I'll be coming back later, hoping to catch a glimpse.
0:38:35 > 0:38:37But while it's still light,
0:38:37 > 0:38:40I'm going to check out another project the trust is taking on,
0:38:40 > 0:38:42an unexpected landmark that's here
0:38:42 > 0:38:45because the valley has always been a gateway to Wales.
0:38:46 > 0:38:48It's hard to make it out,
0:38:48 > 0:38:51but this was actually a Second World War pillbox,
0:38:51 > 0:38:54now heavily camouflaged by decades of vegetation,
0:38:54 > 0:38:58but it's one of several that were built along the River Usk
0:38:58 > 0:39:00to defend against invasion.
0:39:00 > 0:39:05Now though, it would make a very nice piece of real estate for bats.
0:39:06 > 0:39:08Right. Into the darkness.
0:39:08 > 0:39:12'Project officer Jane Sedgley is sizing it up.'
0:39:12 > 0:39:15This is like a man-made cave, isn't it?
0:39:15 > 0:39:18Well, it is. It's as close to a cave as you can get, I think.
0:39:18 > 0:39:22Is there any sign that bats have been in here, do you think?
0:39:22 > 0:39:25Well, the most obvious thing to look for is droppings.
0:39:25 > 0:39:27Anything around here?
0:39:27 > 0:39:31I'm not sure what a bat dropping looks like.
0:39:31 > 0:39:34A little bit like a mouse dropping, that sort of thing.
0:39:34 > 0:39:36- Very small.- Oh!
0:39:36 > 0:39:39- Yeah. That's one there. Look at that.- Oh, yeah.
0:39:39 > 0:39:41What sort of bat do you reckon left that?
0:39:41 > 0:39:43- It's the lesser horseshoe. - OK.
0:39:43 > 0:39:47It's like a string of sausages divided in the middle,
0:39:47 > 0:39:48so very distinctive.
0:39:48 > 0:39:49Very descriptive!
0:39:49 > 0:39:54So, what can you do to make it more attractive for bats?
0:39:54 > 0:39:55Well, there's lots of windows here,
0:39:55 > 0:39:58so I think we'll block some of them up,
0:39:58 > 0:39:59because it could be very draughty.
0:39:59 > 0:40:02- They don't like a draught. - Absolutely not.
0:40:02 > 0:40:05They are looking for somewhere nice and cosy to come and hang up in the night,
0:40:05 > 0:40:08digest their food, have a bit of a groom and a rest,
0:40:08 > 0:40:09and then off out again.
0:40:11 > 0:40:16As the light fades, the bats over at the maternity roost are stirring.
0:40:16 > 0:40:19Our night-vision kit is set
0:40:19 > 0:40:22and Henry can tell just when they'll be ready to leave.
0:40:22 > 0:40:25As you can hear, there is some activity in there already.
0:40:25 > 0:40:26This is a bat detector.
0:40:26 > 0:40:29This is picking up the bats' echolocation calls,
0:40:29 > 0:40:31and turning them into a sound we can hear.
0:40:31 > 0:40:34Because obviously, it is well above our hearing.
0:40:34 > 0:40:37The bats have obviously woken up and they're flying around in there.
0:40:37 > 0:40:39So I think in the next five or ten minutes,
0:40:39 > 0:40:40we'll see the first bats coming out.
0:40:40 > 0:40:42I'm very excited by this.
0:40:42 > 0:40:45You must have seen a hundred times. A thousand times maybe.
0:40:45 > 0:40:46But I've never seen it.
0:40:46 > 0:40:49It always excites me, but we've had two going out already.
0:40:49 > 0:40:50Oh, yes.
0:40:52 > 0:40:54And back in again.
0:40:55 > 0:40:57And back in again.
0:40:57 > 0:41:01Soon, night has fallen and the whole roost is taking to the sky.
0:41:02 > 0:41:04(They're so quick.)
0:41:08 > 0:41:11Do we need a licence to be so close?
0:41:11 > 0:41:14You need a licence to go in the roost and to handle the bats,
0:41:14 > 0:41:17but we are sat out here, away from the roost,
0:41:17 > 0:41:19and the cameras we're using are all using infrared.
0:41:19 > 0:41:22It is all set up remotely.
0:41:22 > 0:41:24We're not causing them any disturbance.
0:41:24 > 0:41:28- So it's quite all right to be doing what we're doing.- Yes.
0:41:34 > 0:41:37There's another one.
0:41:37 > 0:41:38How far will they travel?
0:41:38 > 0:41:40Well, usually, they stay within about 2km of the roost,
0:41:40 > 0:41:44but we've radio tracked these bats and some of them go up to
0:41:44 > 0:41:466km, which is quite a distance for a small animal.
0:41:46 > 0:41:49And they'll be back in the roost after a couple of hours?
0:41:49 > 0:41:51Yeah. At this time of the year, yes.
0:41:51 > 0:41:54In the middle of the summer, they'll stay out all night.
0:42:01 > 0:42:05Will the pups come back here to have their babies?
0:42:05 > 0:42:08Yes, they will. That's why these roosts build up.
0:42:08 > 0:42:12This maternity colony is made up of mothers and daughters and sisters
0:42:12 > 0:42:15and aunts and nieces, so they are all interrelated.
0:42:17 > 0:42:21'Before long, the last of this huge bat family is heading out to feed.
0:42:21 > 0:42:23'Tonight's bat watch has come to an end.'
0:42:25 > 0:42:29So now, the night sky is once again bat territory.
0:42:29 > 0:42:32And it's good to know that in this corner of the UK at least,
0:42:32 > 0:42:37this small, incredibly vulnerable little creature is doing well,
0:42:37 > 0:42:39and keeping down the midges.
0:42:40 > 0:42:42And that's all we have time for today,
0:42:42 > 0:42:45but I do hope you can join us again at the same time tomorrow,
0:42:45 > 0:42:52when Margherita finds out how man's best friend could help with your child's reading.
0:42:52 > 0:42:54A dog never interrupts and he never corrects.
0:42:54 > 0:43:00Whenever I get snuggled up with him, he makes me concentrate.
0:43:00 > 0:43:03Paul gets to grips with a sensitive ram.
0:43:03 > 0:43:06It should be about 30-40 centimetres.
0:43:06 > 0:43:09I'll take your word for that. I don't have a tape.
0:43:10 > 0:43:14And I'll be discovering why autumn is the season of the spider.
0:43:14 > 0:43:16Until the same time tomorrow, bye-bye.