0:00:02 > 0:00:04This is the toughest time of year.
0:00:06 > 0:00:07But it can also be the most
0:00:07 > 0:00:10spectacular season in the entire calendar.
0:00:12 > 0:00:14Winter is upon us.
0:00:17 > 0:00:21It's a time when days are short and temperatures can plunge.
0:00:23 > 0:00:25But there are still plenty of ways
0:00:25 > 0:00:27growers can make the most of the season.
0:00:29 > 0:00:31It's the time when the British weather
0:00:31 > 0:00:33throws everything it's got at us.
0:00:33 > 0:00:37And while some animals are hibernating,
0:00:37 > 0:00:39others are bringing new life into the world.
0:00:40 > 0:00:45All this week, we're travelling the length and breadth of the UK...
0:00:45 > 0:00:47How much time have we got, given the tide?
0:00:47 > 0:00:51We've got about an hour-and-a-half before it starts turning.
0:00:51 > 0:00:56..bringing the very best seasonal stories that matter to you.
0:00:56 > 0:00:57It's exciting planting trees.
0:00:57 > 0:01:00Everybody should get the chance to plant a tree. And, you know,
0:01:00 > 0:01:04it's not for us, it's for our children and for their kids.
0:01:04 > 0:01:05HE SHIVERS
0:01:05 > 0:01:10The very warmest of welcomes! This is Countryfile Winter Diaries.
0:01:15 > 0:01:19Here's what's coming up on today's programme.
0:01:19 > 0:01:22Margherita's investigating how getting their hands dirty
0:01:22 > 0:01:26down on the farm could stop children from being excluded from school.
0:01:28 > 0:01:29You've done it!
0:01:29 > 0:01:33In my whole lifetime, I never thought I would be birthing a lamb.
0:01:33 > 0:01:35Paul's braving the cold to help
0:01:35 > 0:01:38protect the future of our woodlands.
0:01:38 > 0:01:43- That's the first one. - Yep. 1,249 to go.
0:01:43 > 0:01:44Phew!
0:01:44 > 0:01:48And I'll be joining in a race against time to investigate
0:01:48 > 0:01:52a now-submerged and fragile prehistoric landscape that's
0:01:52 > 0:01:53at the mercy of the sea.
0:02:00 > 0:02:04We're here all week, celebrating the season amid the stunning scenery
0:02:04 > 0:02:07of the Loch Lomond and the Trossachs National Park.
0:02:07 > 0:02:10But you can't always count on the weather...
0:02:10 > 0:02:14After a day out in the countryside in whatever winter weather
0:02:14 > 0:02:17nature chooses to throw at you, nothing really beats the
0:02:17 > 0:02:22prospect of going home to a nice hot bath and a tasty roast dinner.
0:02:22 > 0:02:27Now, we Brits eat 1.4 billion roast dinners every year.
0:02:27 > 0:02:30But have you ever stopped to consider the impact of all
0:02:30 > 0:02:34that leftover cooking oil when it's routinely poured down the
0:02:34 > 0:02:39kitchen plughole? Well, Keeley has the unenviable task of finding out.
0:02:45 > 0:02:47KEELEY: This eerie landscape
0:02:47 > 0:02:50may look as though it's from a distant planet...
0:02:51 > 0:02:55..but in fact, it's somewhere much closer to home.
0:02:55 > 0:02:57It's lurking beneath our feet,
0:02:57 > 0:03:00and it's made of solid fat.
0:03:03 > 0:03:04Over the winter months,
0:03:04 > 0:03:08the build-up of fat in our sewers reaches epic proportions,
0:03:08 > 0:03:13with a 25% increase in congealed oils going down the kitchen sink
0:03:13 > 0:03:15in just a few months.
0:03:15 > 0:03:18And long after we've polished off the last Yorkshire pud,
0:03:18 > 0:03:21the remains of our Sunday roast linger on...
0:03:22 > 0:03:24..in the form of these - fatbergs.
0:03:24 > 0:03:28These massive lumps of lard that grow in our sewers can become
0:03:28 > 0:03:31as long as a jumbo jet, and if they're not dealt with,
0:03:31 > 0:03:34they can pose a major flood risk downriver.
0:03:35 > 0:03:41The winter floods of 2013 and '14 cost the UK around £1 billion,
0:03:41 > 0:03:46so this is one ticking time bomb that has to be tackled head-on.
0:03:48 > 0:03:52Today, a team of technicians is preparing to enter the sewers below
0:03:52 > 0:03:57London to do battle with one of the country's most notorious fatbergs.
0:03:58 > 0:04:01And lucky me, I'm going with them...
0:04:02 > 0:04:05'Will Randall is in charge of today's operation.'
0:04:05 > 0:04:07So, tell me what we're going to be doing today.
0:04:07 > 0:04:10So, today we're going to take you down and we're going to show you
0:04:10 > 0:04:12some of the problems we have with the fat that's in the sewers.
0:04:12 > 0:04:16Now, I take it from what you're wearing, I can't go down like this.
0:04:16 > 0:04:18- No. We've got some kit for you today.- Excellent!
0:04:18 > 0:04:20We'll get you dressed up, get your safety gear and get ready to go.
0:04:20 > 0:04:22Lovely!
0:04:25 > 0:04:29- So, it's pretty grim down there, is it?- It is... It will be for you.
0:04:29 > 0:04:31For us, we're used to it, we know what to expect.
0:04:31 > 0:04:34- But it's not the nicest place in the world.- OK.
0:04:37 > 0:04:39Can it be quite a dangerous place down there, then?
0:04:39 > 0:04:41It can be very dangerous.
0:04:41 > 0:04:44So, yes, you get lots of sewer gases, it's obviously slippery,
0:04:44 > 0:04:46you've got moving water, so we have to be quite careful.
0:04:46 > 0:04:49Obviously, we always go out in big groups so we've got people at
0:04:49 > 0:04:52the top ready to rescue us if anything nasty happens underground.
0:04:52 > 0:04:55But the main danger is the gases, so we all wear personal
0:04:55 > 0:04:59gas detectors, and those will alarm if the levels get dangerous.
0:04:59 > 0:05:01And if that happens, we're straight back up again?
0:05:01 > 0:05:04If the alarm goes off, we're straight out.
0:05:04 > 0:05:06- Looking good!- Thank you very much!
0:05:06 > 0:05:08He's lying. I know he's lying.
0:05:08 > 0:05:09'Before heading down,
0:05:09 > 0:05:13'I'm given a safety briefing in case things turn bad down there.'
0:05:13 > 0:05:16- OK.- ..all around you, you're safe. Just enjoy it.- Thank you!
0:05:16 > 0:05:19- No problem.- "Enjoy it"! "Enjoy it," he says!
0:05:19 > 0:05:21'Well, it's now or never.
0:05:21 > 0:05:24'Joining us on our investigation is sewer man Tim Henderson,
0:05:24 > 0:05:29'who's been taking the fight to the capital's fatbergs for nine years.
0:05:29 > 0:05:30'Here goes.'
0:05:31 > 0:05:34- That's it. So, put your legs on the ladder.- OK.
0:05:34 > 0:05:36And then start making your way down.
0:05:36 > 0:05:39Just hold on all the way down so you don't slip off.
0:05:43 > 0:05:47- Here we are.- Wow! It's smaller than I thought it would be.- It is small.
0:05:47 > 0:05:49- It opens up a bit as we go further down.- OK.
0:05:49 > 0:05:52But they're not always as big as people imagine them, these sewers.
0:05:52 > 0:05:56- I can't smell anything yet.- It never smells as bad as people think.
0:05:56 > 0:05:58- There are some bits further down that smell worse than this.- OK.
0:05:58 > 0:06:01So once we go a little bit further in,
0:06:01 > 0:06:02you'll start to smell some things.
0:06:02 > 0:06:05- OK. Right, you lead the way. - Right, let's go.
0:06:11 > 0:06:15- It's starting to smell a little bit worse now we're here.- Yeah.
0:06:15 > 0:06:17Whereabouts are we? What's this down here?
0:06:17 > 0:06:22This is the Victoria Street sewer, Whitehall Court branch.
0:06:22 > 0:06:24We're right under Whitehall Court itself.
0:06:27 > 0:06:30'The capital's sewer system was built 150 years ago and
0:06:30 > 0:06:34'certainly isn't designed to handle all the waste created by
0:06:34 > 0:06:36'today's huge population.'
0:06:37 > 0:06:42I think I spoke too soon. It absolutely stinks down here.
0:06:42 > 0:06:46And it's full of what I presume is...waste?
0:06:46 > 0:06:48In fact, what exactly is this?
0:06:48 > 0:06:51What you're standing on here is fat and silt and everything
0:06:51 > 0:06:54- that's washed through the sewer. - So, where does all this come from?
0:06:54 > 0:06:57This is all the fat and other items that people put down their sinks and
0:06:57 > 0:07:01toilets at home and from businesses, as well, like restaurants.
0:07:01 > 0:07:04Some of it flows off down the sewer to be treated at the
0:07:04 > 0:07:07treatment works, and lots of it ends up getting stuck along the way
0:07:07 > 0:07:09and deposited in our sewer network.
0:07:09 > 0:07:11Because it's easy for people, isn't it, to do the washing up,
0:07:11 > 0:07:15quickly pop it down the drain? But that's the worst thing they can do.
0:07:15 > 0:07:17What can they do instead?
0:07:17 > 0:07:19What people should do is wait till the fat solidifies,
0:07:19 > 0:07:22put it in a margarine tub or a yoghurt pot or some other
0:07:22 > 0:07:24container and then put it in the bin.
0:07:24 > 0:07:27These are really difficult conditions to work in, aren't they?
0:07:27 > 0:07:29Yeah, at the best of times. When they're like this, yeah.
0:07:29 > 0:07:33The fat and that is about as bad and dirty as the job gets.
0:07:33 > 0:07:36It does pose a lot of dangers and a lot of additional risks.
0:07:36 > 0:07:41And if we have a particularly stormy January after all that fat
0:07:41 > 0:07:43down the drain at Christmas, that could spell disaster, couldn't it?
0:07:43 > 0:07:45Yeah. So, London's got a combined sewer network,
0:07:45 > 0:07:48which means that it's not just waste from people's houses and
0:07:48 > 0:07:51businesses that ends up in here, it's the surface water.
0:07:51 > 0:07:54So when it rains, all the water from the roads and people's roofs
0:07:54 > 0:07:56ends up in the same place.
0:07:56 > 0:07:58But the system isn't big enough to cope with it all,
0:07:58 > 0:08:01so we have overflows that go into the River Thames,
0:08:01 > 0:08:04and what happens is, all this nasty stuff ends up in the river,
0:08:04 > 0:08:06as well, which causes pollution to the Thames.
0:08:06 > 0:08:10So if people don't start behaving, and we keep getting more and
0:08:10 > 0:08:14more stormy weather, you're more likely to have your sewage
0:08:14 > 0:08:17- come back through into your house, aren't you?- Absolutely.
0:08:17 > 0:08:18How time-consuming is this?
0:08:18 > 0:08:21If we had enough time and enough people to do it, we could do
0:08:21 > 0:08:24- this every day for ever and we still wouldn't tackle the problem.- Really?
0:08:24 > 0:08:28- Yeah.- It's that big a problem? - Yeah, it is. It is, yeah.
0:08:28 > 0:08:31'Even with Will and the team working tirelessly to help keep the
0:08:31 > 0:08:35'system flowing, it's clear the problem of all this cooking oil
0:08:35 > 0:08:39'clogging up our sewers is far from being solved.'
0:08:39 > 0:08:41Thank you so much. I tell you what,
0:08:41 > 0:08:45- I don't envy you working down there...- It's our job.- ..every day.
0:08:45 > 0:08:48And I promise I will never put any oil, any fat down the sink.
0:08:48 > 0:08:51- That's good. That's good.- Never again! Never again.- No problem.
0:09:01 > 0:09:03Keeley makes a very good point there.
0:09:03 > 0:09:05Surely we should all do the same.
0:09:05 > 0:09:08And flooding isn't the only way that this time of year
0:09:08 > 0:09:13reminds us of just how destructive the power of water can be.
0:09:18 > 0:09:21Every winter, our shores are battered by storms.
0:09:21 > 0:09:25It's become a race against time to save our coastline and the
0:09:25 > 0:09:27homes along it from the ravages of the sea.
0:09:29 > 0:09:33But it's not just our present that's in danger of disappearing
0:09:33 > 0:09:34beneath the waves.
0:09:34 > 0:09:38Jules is in Essex on an archaeological rescue mission.
0:09:39 > 0:09:41JULES: I'm on Mersea Island,
0:09:41 > 0:09:44rushing to meet a group of archaeologists who've gathered
0:09:44 > 0:09:47to investigate what they believe is a unique historic landscape
0:09:47 > 0:09:51that the winter storms have revealed here on the coast.
0:09:51 > 0:09:54The conditions are perfect, but it is a race against time
0:09:54 > 0:09:58and tide before the next storm could wash it all away for ever.
0:10:01 > 0:10:05Thank you so, so much for coming and for being here very, very early.
0:10:05 > 0:10:09'Oliver Hutchinson is from Coastal and Intertidal Zone
0:10:09 > 0:10:12'Archaeological Network, or CITiZAN for short.
0:10:12 > 0:10:15'He and his team of experts and volunteers are battling to
0:10:15 > 0:10:18'capture this piece of history before it's gone for good.
0:10:18 > 0:10:21'But as the site is only accessible when the tide is out,
0:10:21 > 0:10:23'we're going to have to work fast.'
0:10:23 > 0:10:26Oliver, how much time have we got, given the tide?
0:10:26 > 0:10:30We've got about an hour-and-a-half before it starts turning, which is
0:10:30 > 0:10:32why we want to get a team straight out to the low-water line now.
0:10:32 > 0:10:36So that old adage of time and tide waiting for none of us is
0:10:36 > 0:10:38true today as ever it was!
0:10:38 > 0:10:41It waits for no man, nor does it wait for no archaeologist.
0:10:41 > 0:10:42THEY LAUGH
0:10:42 > 0:10:45'From what Oliver and his team have discovered,
0:10:45 > 0:10:48'they believe this could have been home to an ancient settlement,
0:10:48 > 0:10:50'complete with timber structures.
0:10:50 > 0:10:53'But they don't have long to find out more before the
0:10:53 > 0:10:56'sea that uncovered it will reclaim it.'
0:10:56 > 0:10:59There's no doubt that the further out you go, Oliver,
0:10:59 > 0:11:04- the more treacherous it becomes.- Certainly!
0:11:04 > 0:11:07'Way back in my own ancient past, I studied archaeology,
0:11:07 > 0:11:11'but I never had to get my feet wet like this.'
0:11:11 > 0:11:15So, this is probably as far out as the tide will let us get.
0:11:15 > 0:11:17For today, yeah, and for the height of the tide,
0:11:17 > 0:11:19this is as far as I think we should venture.
0:11:20 > 0:11:22- Oh, look at this!- Wow.
0:11:22 > 0:11:25JULES LAUGHS Do you want me to hold the end of
0:11:25 > 0:11:27- that?- Hold the end of that. - Yeah. There you are.
0:11:27 > 0:11:31- 240 there.- Nearly two-and-a-half metres long?- Yeah.
0:11:31 > 0:11:36I mean, I can't believe it. Look at that. A massive series of oak beams.
0:11:36 > 0:11:38'To the untrained eye,
0:11:38 > 0:11:41'this might just look like a bit of muddy old wood,
0:11:41 > 0:11:42'but to the archaeologist,
0:11:42 > 0:11:46'it's a vital clue left by those who once lived and worked here.'
0:11:46 > 0:11:49I mean, these are really substantial.
0:11:49 > 0:11:51Look at the holes in there, the mortise holes.
0:11:51 > 0:11:53I suspect it's a way of lifting things.
0:11:53 > 0:11:56Rather than trying to get hold of a big bit of wood,
0:11:56 > 0:12:00you can just hook something through and carry it, like that.
0:12:00 > 0:12:05Are we thinking, then, that this is some form of trackway?
0:12:05 > 0:12:07It's that sort of thing, I think.
0:12:07 > 0:12:08'Normally, in archaeology,
0:12:08 > 0:12:13'you'd slowly excavate a site inch by inch to uncover its secrets.
0:12:13 > 0:12:17'But with the tide on its way back in, we just don't have that luxury.'
0:12:17 > 0:12:19What I love about this is that it
0:12:19 > 0:12:22really is genuine rescue archaeology.
0:12:22 > 0:12:24I mean, nothing could be more pressing than the tide
0:12:24 > 0:12:29lapping around our ankles as we try and make sense of this.
0:12:29 > 0:12:32'Luckily, the latest technology is helping to preserve this
0:12:32 > 0:12:35'ancient landscape in a virtual form.'
0:12:35 > 0:12:37We're trying to do some photogrammetry on there,
0:12:37 > 0:12:40so we're trying to create a 3-D model, and that's done by
0:12:40 > 0:12:44basically stitching an awful lot of photographs of the same object,
0:12:44 > 0:12:46the same feature, together in some very smart software.
0:12:46 > 0:12:50And I suppose the key thing about this new 3-D software is that
0:12:50 > 0:12:53it allows you to take back and interpret at your leisure
0:12:53 > 0:12:56or, indeed, future generations can interpret at their leisure.
0:12:56 > 0:13:00It certainly is, and it's perfect for this environment.
0:13:00 > 0:13:04'The team are hoping to create a 3-D map of the whole site to help
0:13:04 > 0:13:06'build up a picture of what it once looked like
0:13:06 > 0:13:08'before it's lost for good.
0:13:08 > 0:13:12'Thousands of years' worth of storms have eroded away the
0:13:12 > 0:13:15'structures and revealed an ancient land surface which could once
0:13:15 > 0:13:18'have supported a small community,
0:13:18 > 0:13:21'and one of the most intriguing finds was down to the keen eyes of
0:13:21 > 0:13:24'local oyster fisherman Daniel French.'
0:13:24 > 0:13:27So, Daniel, you've been fishing oysters out here, well,
0:13:27 > 0:13:29- an entire lifetime, I expect.- Yeah.
0:13:29 > 0:13:32And just the other day, you found something you weren't expecting
0:13:32 > 0:13:35- to find at all.- No, that's right. We found a skull.
0:13:35 > 0:13:38And we knew it was really, really old just by looking at it
0:13:38 > 0:13:40and the holes in it and the
0:13:40 > 0:13:44general condition. And we knew that the archaeologists were interested.
0:13:44 > 0:13:46Were you shocked to find a skull?
0:13:46 > 0:13:49Erm, a little bit. It was a little bit freaky, to be honest.
0:13:49 > 0:13:50JULES LAUGHS
0:13:50 > 0:13:53'Tests revealed that this skull dates back to the Iron Age,
0:13:53 > 0:13:57'between 290 and 350 BC.
0:13:57 > 0:14:00'But more recent evidence is pointing to the possibility
0:14:00 > 0:14:04'that this site may have been occupied even before that.'
0:14:04 > 0:14:06But for you, this is very much a local history, isn't it,
0:14:06 > 0:14:08- as well?- Oh, yes, yes.
0:14:08 > 0:14:10And for me, I'm quite interested in
0:14:10 > 0:14:13the whole...you know, what's gone on before us.
0:14:13 > 0:14:16It really does sort of ring a bell with me, it really interests
0:14:16 > 0:14:20me to find out more about what's gone on in the past.
0:14:20 > 0:14:22'Over the last 2,000 years,
0:14:22 > 0:14:25'the coastline here has receded by nearly half a mile.
0:14:25 > 0:14:28'Now mudflats, this would once have been fertile marshland where
0:14:28 > 0:14:31'people may have hunted or grazed livestock.'
0:14:31 > 0:14:34Well, this looks absolutely fascinating. What have you found?
0:14:34 > 0:14:37We've found the remains of - and I mean remains, fragmentary
0:14:37 > 0:14:40remains - of a brushwood raft, a deliberately constructed raft.
0:14:40 > 0:14:42And you see these twigs.
0:14:42 > 0:14:46Maybe this is a shepherd's hut, maybe it's a seaside villa.
0:14:46 > 0:14:49- We don't know yet.- Well, Gus, we'd better let you carry on recording it
0:14:49 > 0:14:52before the tide does come in.
0:14:52 > 0:14:55'There's less than an hour to go before these fleeting
0:14:55 > 0:14:59'glimpses into the past disappear beneath the waves for another day.
0:14:59 > 0:15:02'But Oliver's team have a cunning plan to turn us
0:15:02 > 0:15:04'all into amateur archaeologists,
0:15:04 > 0:15:09'harnessing our obsession with our smartphones via a new CITiZAN app.'
0:15:09 > 0:15:11That way, anyone walking along the
0:15:11 > 0:15:13beach can record archaeology when they see it.
0:15:13 > 0:15:15So this is bringing in, presumably,
0:15:15 > 0:15:18thousands of observations from all around the coast.
0:15:18 > 0:15:21Yeah, we have received nearly 1,500 new photos of objects -
0:15:21 > 0:15:22things like that.
0:15:22 > 0:15:25It's been an overwhelming response. It's very exciting.
0:15:25 > 0:15:28This is a really savvy idea, Oliver!
0:15:28 > 0:15:30It's one of the largest community archaeology programmes in the
0:15:30 > 0:15:32country, if not THE largest,
0:15:32 > 0:15:34and our volunteer basis is large and it's growing.
0:15:34 > 0:15:38But we need more people to take part. England's coastline is huge,
0:15:38 > 0:15:41there are thousands of undiscovered sites and features all over.
0:15:41 > 0:15:45'It's often said that it's only by understanding the past that
0:15:45 > 0:15:47'we can predict our future.
0:15:47 > 0:15:48'Who knows what lessons the people
0:15:48 > 0:15:51'who lived here might still have for us?
0:15:51 > 0:15:53'But today, our time has run out.'
0:15:53 > 0:15:55Well, clearly there are still a great many questions that
0:15:55 > 0:15:59need to be answered about this now-submerged historic landscape
0:15:59 > 0:16:03and the peoples that once called this part of the coastline home.
0:16:03 > 0:16:06Now, this is a story that could so easily have been forgotten,
0:16:06 > 0:16:11lost in the mists of time, but it's thanks to the team and their efforts
0:16:11 > 0:16:14and their volunteers and their commitment to the past
0:16:14 > 0:16:15that it won't be.
0:16:16 > 0:16:19JOHN: And if you're interested in getting involved in
0:16:19 > 0:16:23a community archaeology project in your part of the country,
0:16:23 > 0:16:26you'll find details on the Countryfile website.
0:16:29 > 0:16:32The Trossachs is home to 22 large lochs,
0:16:32 > 0:16:36and the biggest and most famous of all is of course Loch Lomond.
0:16:38 > 0:16:42Just half an hour north from Glasgow and you're by its bonny banks.
0:16:43 > 0:16:46It's the largest freshwater lake in the UK,
0:16:46 > 0:16:51covering around 27 square miles, and Matt went to have a look around.
0:16:52 > 0:16:56And what better way to explore this place than in one of these?
0:17:00 > 0:17:04Wow. The nose comes up slightly as the power kicks in.
0:17:04 > 0:17:08'This seaplane flies regularly from Glasgow to Loch Lomond, and
0:17:08 > 0:17:13'with water for a runway we can take off and land wherever we like.
0:17:13 > 0:17:15'David West is my pilot.'
0:17:16 > 0:17:18And, David, you've flown jumbos all over the world,
0:17:18 > 0:17:24so how does zipping around here in a seaplane on Loch Lomond compare?
0:17:24 > 0:17:27- I've got to tell you, I love this.- Do you?
0:17:27 > 0:17:29THEY LAUGH
0:17:29 > 0:17:32I'm not saying any more than that. I absolutely adore this.
0:17:32 > 0:17:35- It's that mix of seamanship and airmanship.- Yeah.
0:17:35 > 0:17:39- And look at the landscape. - It's just amazing. It really is.
0:17:39 > 0:17:43It is the oddest feeling, as we're coming in to land,
0:17:43 > 0:17:45that we're just heading into water.
0:17:45 > 0:17:48- And we're on. - Thank you so much.
0:17:48 > 0:17:51No, it was a pleasure to have your company.
0:17:51 > 0:17:55'The loch is dotted with many small islands, some of which are
0:17:55 > 0:17:58'no bigger than a rock. Only two are inhabited.
0:17:58 > 0:18:00'And, having got the lie of the land,
0:18:00 > 0:18:04'I've dropped in on the smaller of the two, Inchtavannach.
0:18:05 > 0:18:08'I'm meeting some four-legged island residents and their owners,
0:18:08 > 0:18:12'the appropriately named Roy Rogers and his partner, Susan Gell.
0:18:12 > 0:18:15'Apparently, their horses like nothing better than
0:18:15 > 0:18:17'a swim in the loch.
0:18:17 > 0:18:20'But first, I need to get to know the animals better.'
0:18:20 > 0:18:23- Roy, how are you doing? All right? - Oh, hello!- Nice to see you.
0:18:23 > 0:18:25- Is there room for a small one in there?- Yes, absolutely.
0:18:25 > 0:18:28- I'm sure she'll let you join us. - Hello, my darling!
0:18:28 > 0:18:29- This is Rosa.- Rosa!
0:18:29 > 0:18:33I have to say, Roy, you have the most incredible existence.
0:18:33 > 0:18:36Of all of the farms and the crofts that I've visited, this one,
0:18:36 > 0:18:39it has to be one of the most exciting.
0:18:39 > 0:18:41- How big is the island? - It's about 200 acres.
0:18:41 > 0:18:44It's about a mile long, roughly, by a quarter of a mile wide.
0:18:44 > 0:18:47- Is anyone else on it, then, apart from yourself?- Just us. Just us.
0:18:47 > 0:18:51Just how we like it. Well, for me, it's...
0:18:51 > 0:18:54To give you an idea, my parents always said I'd be a recluse.
0:18:54 > 0:18:56When I was a kid, I was brought up
0:18:56 > 0:18:58for a while in the Highlands of Scotland.
0:18:58 > 0:19:00And horses came along quite late in life.
0:19:00 > 0:19:02I was 48 before I started with horses.
0:19:02 > 0:19:05Right! And is that where the swimming comes from, then?
0:19:05 > 0:19:07You've got this stretch of water between you and the
0:19:07 > 0:19:09mainland, so you've got to get from one to the other.
0:19:09 > 0:19:13Well, it sort of came in that way, as I'd certainly seen these types of
0:19:13 > 0:19:16people who work with horses doing that sort of thing.
0:19:16 > 0:19:17They just do it naturally.
0:19:17 > 0:19:20But it was primarily because we wanted to get to the other side!
0:19:20 > 0:19:22THEY LAUGH
0:19:22 > 0:19:25Aren't you a beautiful girl? She's saying, "Can I go for a swim?"
0:19:25 > 0:19:27Well, it's not your turn today, is it?
0:19:27 > 0:19:31'No. It'll be Shoshone getting her regular swimming exercise in
0:19:31 > 0:19:33'a very fresh loch.'
0:19:35 > 0:19:39Is that you being acclimatised, Susan, or Shoshone?
0:19:39 > 0:19:40HE LAUGHS
0:19:40 > 0:19:44- Is it nippy?- Just a bit!
0:19:44 > 0:19:46It seems like a very long way away, Roy.
0:19:46 > 0:19:48No, it only takes about four minutes or so.
0:19:48 > 0:19:51And Shoshone's a pretty powerful swimmer, so it won't take long.
0:19:51 > 0:19:54And we have literally swum hundreds of them there.
0:19:54 > 0:19:57- In the winter, though?- Yeah. - In the winter as well, yeah?
0:19:57 > 0:19:59Yeah, we've done it with the snow coming down, and all sorts.
0:19:59 > 0:20:01Susan's not so keen these days!
0:20:01 > 0:20:05If Susan's got to get in the water, I'm not surprised!
0:20:06 > 0:20:10Ooh, this is the moment. Here we go. It's getting deeper.
0:20:12 > 0:20:14And she's...
0:20:14 > 0:20:18- swimming now, is she? - Yeah.- There she is.
0:20:18 > 0:20:20What a good girl!
0:20:20 > 0:20:22And so the technique here, then, Susan, is, what,
0:20:22 > 0:20:25- just to keep her straight with the lead rope?- Yes.
0:20:25 > 0:20:28The main thing is, when we first start swimming them,
0:20:28 > 0:20:32they try and use the boat as a little safety zone,
0:20:32 > 0:20:35so we usually have to push them out, away from the boat,
0:20:35 > 0:20:39and it's getting the distance from the boat that's the important thing.
0:20:39 > 0:20:41And, I mean, it is a wonderful form of exercise,
0:20:41 > 0:20:44- this, anyway, isn't it?- Oh, it's absolutely brilliant, yeah.
0:20:44 > 0:20:48If you've got a lame horse, you can just keep them fit by swimming.
0:20:48 > 0:20:50She sounds like she's taking quite a lot of air there.
0:20:50 > 0:20:55- I mean, she's OK, though, yeah? - Because they close... They swallow.
0:20:55 > 0:20:58You know yourself when you swallow...
0:20:58 > 0:20:59- SHE GULPS - ..you do that,
0:20:59 > 0:21:02and then they're breathing through the nose rather than their mouths.
0:21:02 > 0:21:07Almost there! It's an incredible rate that she's swimming at.
0:21:07 > 0:21:09She swims fairly fast.
0:21:09 > 0:21:12- Some of the other horses swim a lot slower than her.- Yeah.
0:21:12 > 0:21:13She's one of the fastest.
0:21:13 > 0:21:16And you can see as well she's very buoyant in the water.
0:21:16 > 0:21:18- Her bum sticks up in the water. - That's it, yeah, yeah.
0:21:18 > 0:21:22- Some of the horses, they sink quite low down.- Yeah. Yeah.
0:21:22 > 0:21:24And I think she's got her feet down now, has she?
0:21:24 > 0:21:27Yeah, that's her down now. Yeah, she has. The loch's quite high just now.
0:21:27 > 0:21:30Normally, there's little bits of land.
0:21:32 > 0:21:34SHE LAUGHS
0:21:34 > 0:21:37JOHN: Many of the islands on Loch Lomond are so close to each other
0:21:37 > 0:21:40that swimming is probably the quickest form of getting around.
0:21:40 > 0:21:44Still, in this chilly weather, I'd rather stick with a boat!
0:21:52 > 0:21:55Here in the Loch Lomond and the Trossachs National Park,
0:21:55 > 0:22:00there's not just one but two vast forests.
0:22:00 > 0:22:04But large areas of woodland like this are fast disappearing
0:22:04 > 0:22:05right across Britain.
0:22:05 > 0:22:10Since the 1930s, half of our ancient woods have been lost or damaged.
0:22:10 > 0:22:14Now just over 10% of the UK is covered with trees.
0:22:14 > 0:22:18As well as protecting trees and restoring landscapes,
0:22:18 > 0:22:23the Woodland Trust wants to plant 64 million new trees
0:22:23 > 0:22:25to help redress the balance.
0:22:25 > 0:22:29But what can we do to help? Paul is on the case.
0:22:33 > 0:22:37PAUL: 'I love calm winter days on my smallholding.
0:22:37 > 0:22:41'But just because nature's resting, it doesn't mean I can.
0:22:41 > 0:22:45'Apart from anything else, it's the perfect excuse for me to get
0:22:45 > 0:22:49'the toys out and catch up with a few jobs that I've been neglecting.'
0:22:49 > 0:22:53We've got quite a few willow trees on the land, and if I'm able to and
0:22:53 > 0:22:54they're not too close to the water,
0:22:54 > 0:22:58I can get up there and pollard them, take the weight off the top.
0:22:58 > 0:23:01I forgot last year, I got a bit lazy, and look what happened.
0:23:01 > 0:23:03It got too top-heavy and it split in half.
0:23:03 > 0:23:05So right now, I'm going to take
0:23:05 > 0:23:08these branches off to help it rejuvenate.
0:23:08 > 0:23:12'Back in the autumn, Hamish Thomson from the Woodland Trust gave
0:23:12 > 0:23:15'me some tips on pollarding.
0:23:15 > 0:23:19'But I also want to do my bit to regenerate our precious woodland,
0:23:19 > 0:23:23'so today Hamish is back to give me advice on planting
0:23:23 > 0:23:25'a new area of trees.'
0:23:25 > 0:23:27- Good to see you.- Hello, Paul, how are you doing? You've been busy?
0:23:27 > 0:23:30- Very busy, yeah.- Excellent! - It's looking a lot better.
0:23:30 > 0:23:32- It's looking loads better, isn't it?- Yes.
0:23:32 > 0:23:34- Anyway, you're not here to talk about pollarding.- No.
0:23:34 > 0:23:36You're here to show me how to plant.
0:23:36 > 0:23:40- A great deal of trees arrived the other day.- Yeah? Let's have a look.
0:23:40 > 0:23:42- Can you show me what to do? - Sure.- Come on.
0:23:43 > 0:23:47'The Woodland Trust has several schemes designed to encourage people
0:23:47 > 0:23:50'all over the country to plant trees,
0:23:50 > 0:23:52'and I've signed up for one of them.
0:23:52 > 0:23:56'Hamish has already helped me choose the best trees...'
0:23:56 > 0:24:01- Lots of things.- Yep. - Hawthorn, hazel, field maple.
0:24:01 > 0:24:03'..and worked out how I should plant them.'
0:24:03 > 0:24:06So, when I met you last time, I came up with a bit of a plan.
0:24:06 > 0:24:09We thought we'd start just under the beech trees there,
0:24:09 > 0:24:11where we're going to extend the beech copse, and then link it
0:24:11 > 0:24:13with a hedgerow that goes down the hill to the canal.
0:24:13 > 0:24:16- Yeah, make a corridor for the wildlife.- Yep.
0:24:16 > 0:24:20'And today, he's also agreed to help me out for a bit.'
0:24:20 > 0:24:22Let's make a start.
0:24:22 > 0:24:27'Our first job is to stake out where we're going to plant each tree.'
0:24:27 > 0:24:30- So...- So, what are we doing? Just coming out about a metre?
0:24:30 > 0:24:34Yeah, just stick a stake in, a couple of paces...
0:24:34 > 0:24:37stick another one in. Try and do it randomly.
0:24:37 > 0:24:40It's surprisingly difficult to mark them out randomly.
0:24:40 > 0:24:43You look back and you find it's all in line.
0:24:43 > 0:24:46'Having an expert like Hamish on hand makes
0:24:46 > 0:24:49'me feel confident that what we're doing will make a real difference.'
0:24:51 > 0:24:54It's exciting planting trees. And not only that, you know,
0:24:54 > 0:24:57I'm thinking I'm kind of changing the landscape, in a way.
0:24:57 > 0:25:00- We're ensuring the continuity of it, aren't we?- Yeah!- That's the thing.
0:25:00 > 0:25:02Everybody should get the chance to plant a tree.
0:25:02 > 0:25:05And it's not for us, it's for our children and their kids, as well.
0:25:05 > 0:25:06That next generation.
0:25:06 > 0:25:09And there are lots of schemes with the Woodland Trust available.
0:25:09 > 0:25:12- It's just a matter of finding out what suits you.- There are.
0:25:12 > 0:25:14We've helped you with these through our MOREwoods scheme,
0:25:14 > 0:25:17whereby we can help landowners, and we'll subsidise the cost of the
0:25:17 > 0:25:20trees and the tubes and the stakes. And we'll also give advice, as well.
0:25:20 > 0:25:22But, you know, you might be in town, you might just be
0:25:22 > 0:25:25a community group, so we've got free tree packs for community groups.
0:25:25 > 0:25:27- Yeah.- Schools we can give free trees to, as well.
0:25:27 > 0:25:29What about someone in suburbia who's got
0:25:29 > 0:25:32a decent-sized garden and they want a tree? What do they do?
0:25:32 > 0:25:35Well, actually, we've got a really good web shop now where you
0:25:35 > 0:25:37can just go and buy an individual tree on the website.
0:25:37 > 0:25:40And get all the information about how to plant it,
0:25:40 > 0:25:43- how to look after it.- Yeah. - Well, we've got our work cut out.
0:25:43 > 0:25:46So, let's get spades in the ground and get started.
0:25:46 > 0:25:51'Tree-planting season runs from mid-November to late March,
0:25:51 > 0:25:55'when they're dormant and less susceptible to damage.
0:25:55 > 0:25:57'There's still a knack to getting them in the ground, though.'
0:25:57 > 0:26:00- It doesn't need to take long. - No, it doesn't at all.
0:26:00 > 0:26:03But the first thing to do is to get rid of the grass. Scrape it away.
0:26:03 > 0:26:05Just turn away a top bit of grass.
0:26:05 > 0:26:07And then we want to make the first cut.
0:26:07 > 0:26:09I'm going to hold my handle away from me
0:26:09 > 0:26:11so that the blade goes in straight.
0:26:11 > 0:26:14Just put all my weight on it, jiggle it down. It's got nice, soft soil.
0:26:14 > 0:26:16And then, once you've done that, wiggle it around a bit,
0:26:16 > 0:26:18- take it out and then come and make like the top of a T.- Yeah.
0:26:18 > 0:26:22This time, keep the handle straight so the blade goes in at an angle.
0:26:22 > 0:26:27Push it down again and, as I pull back on that spade,
0:26:27 > 0:26:28the first cut opens up.
0:26:28 > 0:26:32- Look at that!- That's when I get the tree out the bag.
0:26:32 > 0:26:35And we put the roots in there. And as we take the spade out,
0:26:35 > 0:26:39we can feed the tree in, tuck in those few loose ones.
0:26:40 > 0:26:43- Take the spade out. - It swallows it up.
0:26:43 > 0:26:45- And it does, it drops into the hole. - PAUL LAUGHS
0:26:45 > 0:26:48It's really clever. And the most satisfying bit is treading it in.
0:26:48 > 0:26:50We've got to firm it in. We've got to make sure there's
0:26:50 > 0:26:52no air around those roots.
0:26:52 > 0:26:54They need to be in touch with the soil, stop it from drying out.
0:26:54 > 0:26:57Yeah. And make sure all the root is underground,
0:26:57 > 0:27:02- there's no bit sticking up.- Yep. That's it.- There you are.- Job done!
0:27:04 > 0:27:08'Then it's just a matter of putting a stake in and covering the sapling
0:27:08 > 0:27:13'with a tube that will protect it from hungry deer, hare and rabbits.
0:27:13 > 0:27:14'Simple!'
0:27:14 > 0:27:16- This is a job for the kids, actually.- I know.
0:27:16 > 0:27:19- It's good for them. - Yeah, they're at the right level!
0:27:19 > 0:27:22'And unless you're planting in the middle of an exceptionally
0:27:22 > 0:27:27'dry spell, there's no need to water your tree straight away.'
0:27:27 > 0:27:31- That's the first one. - Yeah. 1,249 to go.
0:27:31 > 0:27:32Phew!
0:27:34 > 0:27:38'Luckily, we've managed to magic up a little band of woodland helpers.'
0:27:43 > 0:27:48- Use all your might. Put your boot on it.- That's it!- Push it down.
0:27:50 > 0:27:52Well done, you! That's another one done.
0:27:55 > 0:27:59Drop it right in there. All those roots, tuck 'em in.
0:27:59 > 0:28:02You planted that one! That's your beech tree.
0:28:07 > 0:28:10Many hands make light work. Just look at that site now.
0:28:10 > 0:28:12Isn't that great?
0:28:12 > 0:28:15I think everyone needs a hot chocolate and some marshmallows.
0:28:15 > 0:28:18- Shall we light that fire and get the drinks on the go?- OK.- Come on.
0:28:25 > 0:28:28Thank you so much, everybody. A big thank you to Hamish, as well,
0:28:28 > 0:28:30because we couldn't have done this without you!
0:28:30 > 0:28:32It's brilliant to plant trees.
0:28:32 > 0:28:36Please, please get in touch with the Woodland Trust. YOU plant a tree.
0:28:36 > 0:28:39It makes you feel good, it makes you feel so good. Well done!
0:28:39 > 0:28:43Well done, everyone! Yay! Big cheers!
0:28:43 > 0:28:44Whoo!
0:28:44 > 0:28:47'By planting over 100 trees and shrubs today,
0:28:47 > 0:28:51'we've all done our little bit for Britain's woodlands.'
0:28:51 > 0:28:53- Cheers, everyone. ALL:- Cheers!- Well done.
0:28:55 > 0:28:57Well done, girl.
0:28:58 > 0:29:00JOHN: We Brits are so lucky.
0:29:00 > 0:29:04We can enjoy the most glorious and varied landscapes even in the
0:29:04 > 0:29:05dead of winter.
0:29:05 > 0:29:09But now our countryside is being used to get hundreds of children
0:29:09 > 0:29:12back on the straight and narrow, as Margherita's been discovering.
0:29:15 > 0:29:18MARGHERITA: 'Modern life can be tough on our teenagers,
0:29:18 > 0:29:21'leaving them feeling vulnerable and isolated.
0:29:21 > 0:29:25'On average, 31 children a day are permanently excluded from our
0:29:25 > 0:29:29'schools, and the long-term effect can be devastating.
0:29:29 > 0:29:32'Children who are excluded from school go on to make up
0:29:32 > 0:29:35'over 60% of our prison population.
0:29:36 > 0:29:40'This group of youngsters from central London have embarked
0:29:40 > 0:29:43'on a school trip with a difference.'
0:29:43 > 0:29:46But what I want to know is, how does a week on
0:29:46 > 0:29:49a farm get disengaged kids back on track.
0:29:49 > 0:29:52The guys I'm about to meet are halfway through their stay,
0:29:52 > 0:29:55and I've arrived just in time for breakfast.
0:29:56 > 0:29:59- Hi, everyone. Morning! ALL:- Morning!- Hi.
0:29:59 > 0:30:01What rules do you have to think about when you're on the farm?
0:30:01 > 0:30:04Well, there are quite a few rules here,
0:30:04 > 0:30:06like we're not really allowed to bring any sort of, like,
0:30:06 > 0:30:10chocolates or fizzy drinks or any food from outside the farm.
0:30:10 > 0:30:12- No sugar, huh? - Yeah, none of that!
0:30:12 > 0:30:17Also, you're not allowed any electronics, MP3 players, phones.
0:30:17 > 0:30:20'I wonder how that goes down with teenagers!
0:30:20 > 0:30:22'Many of the children referred here
0:30:22 > 0:30:25'are struggling at school so at risk of exclusion.
0:30:25 > 0:30:29'Ex-teacher Jamie Feilden started the project 12 years ago to
0:30:29 > 0:30:30'tackle the problem head-on.'
0:30:30 > 0:30:33Well, I was lucky enough to grow up in this beautiful countryside
0:30:33 > 0:30:36round here, and I then went to teach in Croydon, in London,
0:30:36 > 0:30:38and that was a bit of a shock to the system.
0:30:38 > 0:30:40I got very excited about the opportunity to bring some of
0:30:40 > 0:30:44the privileges I'd had back home to those children.
0:30:44 > 0:30:47At the moment, we're working with 900 students per year.
0:30:47 > 0:30:50Within two years, we hope to be working with 1,800 students
0:30:50 > 0:30:53per year, because we're going to be operating across four farms.
0:30:53 > 0:30:54And how many more students out there
0:30:54 > 0:30:57do you think are in need of an experience like this?
0:30:57 > 0:31:00We believe there are 30,000 children out there who could
0:31:00 > 0:31:02really benefit at this moment in time.
0:31:02 > 0:31:04'But how does it work?
0:31:04 > 0:31:06'The team here believes the combination of family,
0:31:06 > 0:31:10'farming and therapy can offer a powerful turning point.'
0:31:10 > 0:31:13Right, so we're going to clean them all out now, OK?
0:31:13 > 0:31:15If you guys actually want to grab the tools...
0:31:15 > 0:31:18- People might see it as just a holiday in the countryside.- Yeah.
0:31:18 > 0:31:20Yeah, it's absolutely not a holiday.
0:31:20 > 0:31:23This is a really tough experience for the young people that come here.
0:31:23 > 0:31:25- Do you want a go at scraping the pen?- Ah, yeah.
0:31:25 > 0:31:26Right, if you come on here...
0:31:26 > 0:31:29Not only are they having to work very hard when they're here,
0:31:29 > 0:31:32they're having to really reflect on themselves and their behaviour.
0:31:32 > 0:31:34What we'll do is we'll make it easier for the other guys and
0:31:34 > 0:31:37we'll push all the muck up to the doorway here, OK?
0:31:37 > 0:31:40And we'll work as a team to push that straw up.
0:31:40 > 0:31:43We hope that we can be a catalyst and a boost to those children,
0:31:43 > 0:31:45so that when they do go back to school they can really engage
0:31:45 > 0:31:48with what they're trying to achieve within the school and they can
0:31:48 > 0:31:51really start to achieve much better than they were before.
0:31:51 > 0:31:56'It's the first time some of the pupils have ever been to a farm.'
0:31:56 > 0:31:58Before, I was kind of thinking I'd regret it,
0:31:58 > 0:32:02because I'm not really the kind of mucky person.
0:32:02 > 0:32:06'But they get their hands dirty in ways they've never done before.
0:32:06 > 0:32:09'13-year-old Sally has been tasked with delivering winter lambs.'
0:32:09 > 0:32:13- What have we got there?- That's a foot.- Yeah. So they're coming.
0:32:13 > 0:32:17So if you grab hold of one of these feet and pull them out a bit, OK?
0:32:17 > 0:32:20That's it. Hold on tight and then pull that down. Well done.
0:32:20 > 0:32:23That's great. Now, we're pulling down in a curve, OK?
0:32:23 > 0:32:26Now the head's out. Well done. That's it. Yes!
0:32:26 > 0:32:29Well done. Now grab some straw and rub it on the chest.
0:32:29 > 0:32:32Great job, Sally. Yeah, the lamb's breathing.
0:32:32 > 0:32:34- HE LAUGHS - You've done it!
0:32:34 > 0:32:36It was amazing how I got to help with birthing the lamb.
0:32:36 > 0:32:39In my whole lifetime, I never thought that I would be
0:32:39 > 0:32:40birthing a lamb.
0:32:40 > 0:32:42I'm proud of myself, cos I never thought I would do that.
0:32:42 > 0:32:44Right, who's next?
0:32:44 > 0:32:47'And 13-year-old Ahmed's lived all his life in the city.'
0:32:47 > 0:32:51When I saw the baby sheep, it was, like, smaller than I thought.
0:32:51 > 0:32:54I didn't think, like, you could have a sheep that small.
0:32:54 > 0:32:58It was, like, different than the usual sheep you'd see on TV.
0:32:58 > 0:33:00'I've never really seen anything like that.
0:33:00 > 0:33:03'When I first saw that people were doing that, I was like,
0:33:03 > 0:33:07' "I do not want to do that, cos it looks disgusting."
0:33:07 > 0:33:09'But it's not just about adorable baby lambs.
0:33:09 > 0:33:12'Some of the bigger animals are also drafted in to help the children
0:33:12 > 0:33:16'learn vital skills they need to cope with pressures back at school.'
0:33:16 > 0:33:18Good girl!
0:33:18 > 0:33:22'Lead therapist Tish has found that horses can really develop
0:33:22 > 0:33:25'the pupils' concentration and problem-solving skills.'
0:33:25 > 0:33:29What is it that's so special about working with these horses?
0:33:29 > 0:33:32Horses have incredibly alert defences,
0:33:32 > 0:33:35because they are used to living in the wild and having predators,
0:33:35 > 0:33:39and so they are hyper-vigilant, like a lot of children,
0:33:39 > 0:33:41they easily get stressed.
0:33:43 > 0:33:46'14-year-old Mo has never been this close to a horse before,
0:33:46 > 0:33:50'but now he's going to have to work with it to guide it through
0:33:50 > 0:33:51'a series of obstacles.'
0:33:51 > 0:33:55Before you go this time, I just want you to think about your next move.
0:33:55 > 0:33:59Good girl. Come on. Good girl!
0:33:59 > 0:34:02And the horse is a mirror for the child, so when
0:34:02 > 0:34:05a child is all over the place, usually the horse will be, too.
0:34:05 > 0:34:08When a child is feeling centred and calm,
0:34:08 > 0:34:11the horse will respond very quickly.
0:34:11 > 0:34:14Now, as you start, think about it, stand up tall.
0:34:14 > 0:34:19They're also big, powerful creatures that kids are usually frightened of,
0:34:19 > 0:34:24and to build that association in a short space of time is
0:34:24 > 0:34:27fantastic for their levels of confidence.
0:34:27 > 0:34:30So it's about facing a situation and overcoming fears,
0:34:30 > 0:34:32realising what you're capable of.
0:34:32 > 0:34:35Realising what you're capable of and not giving up.
0:34:35 > 0:34:39They'll have an experience that becomes something they can
0:34:39 > 0:34:42go back to. It's like a talisman they can hold on to.
0:34:42 > 0:34:46Lovely. Now relax.
0:34:46 > 0:34:49At first, I was really scared, cos it was bigger than I thought.
0:34:49 > 0:34:53Way bigger than I thought. And I didn't really want to do it.
0:34:53 > 0:34:54Yes, good.
0:34:54 > 0:34:56And then remember to breathe.
0:34:56 > 0:34:58It's not in your words, it's in what your body means.
0:34:58 > 0:35:01Me and Rachel started talking about fear and comfort zone,
0:35:01 > 0:35:04and I really, like, felt safe around her, and Danielle was in good hands.
0:35:04 > 0:35:07So I started to get out of my comfort zone and really try
0:35:07 > 0:35:09and pump full effort into it.
0:35:09 > 0:35:13- Has she done it right?- Yeah. - So what do we do?- Good girl!
0:35:13 > 0:35:16'These pupils are only halfway through their week,
0:35:16 > 0:35:19'but they're already feeling the changes.'
0:35:19 > 0:35:22The me before this trip, if someone was to tell me to do things,
0:35:22 > 0:35:26I'd feel I'm being bossed around. But now I see it differently.
0:35:26 > 0:35:29Myself and our staff are astounded by how these children transform.
0:35:29 > 0:35:32They arrive with a really tough exterior. They're living in very,
0:35:32 > 0:35:36very challenging environments in the cities around the UK,
0:35:36 > 0:35:40and very quickly here they manage to soften, work really hard,
0:35:40 > 0:35:43live without mobile phones, they live without sugar.
0:35:43 > 0:35:46But also, we see them leave probably two inches taller in terms
0:35:46 > 0:35:50of their own self-esteem and their understanding of what they
0:35:50 > 0:35:52can achieve back at school and back at home.
0:35:52 > 0:35:55How do you measure if you've been successful with the students or not?
0:35:55 > 0:36:00This year, 87% of those who were at risk of exclusion are no longer
0:36:00 > 0:36:04at risk of exclusion six weeks after the intervention, so for us,
0:36:04 > 0:36:06that's very, very exciting.
0:36:06 > 0:36:08So you're really transforming lives with this project.
0:36:08 > 0:36:12We believe that this can be transformational.
0:36:12 > 0:36:14You really get to show your true colours.
0:36:14 > 0:36:17It showed me I can do anything that I put my mind-set to.
0:36:17 > 0:36:20I learnt that I'm not really the person I thought I am.
0:36:20 > 0:36:23I learnt new things about myself, things I didn't know.
0:36:23 > 0:36:27You leave the farm with something and bring it back to London.
0:36:27 > 0:36:31It's been amazing to see the children in their element and
0:36:31 > 0:36:33the power of nature at work.
0:36:36 > 0:36:38JOHN: 'Powerful indeed.
0:36:38 > 0:36:42'Now, many of us like to capture the beauty of our countryside on camera,
0:36:42 > 0:36:46'and this may be the perfect time to get out and about with yours.
0:36:46 > 0:36:48'Wildlife cameraman Richard Taylor-Jones
0:36:48 > 0:36:52'has filmed all over the world, including the Scottish Highlands.
0:36:52 > 0:36:54'And he's got some top tips for
0:36:54 > 0:36:57'taking pictures of British wildlife in winter.'
0:37:03 > 0:37:06When I'm in Scotland, three species really come to mind,
0:37:06 > 0:37:09and that's the red squirrel, the red deer and the crested tit.
0:37:09 > 0:37:13And winter is the best time to film them, I think,
0:37:13 > 0:37:16because of one simple thing - they're hungry.
0:37:25 > 0:37:28So, a very friendly group of conservationists have come to
0:37:28 > 0:37:31the woodland here and they've set up a feeding station.
0:37:31 > 0:37:33You've got this lovely, big mesh of peanuts here
0:37:33 > 0:37:36which the birds are going to absolutely love,
0:37:36 > 0:37:39and then just over behind me we have a squirrel-feeding box.
0:37:39 > 0:37:42And a squirrel will come and sit on this platform here,
0:37:42 > 0:37:47use its head to flip the lid up and get to the lovely peanuts inside.
0:37:52 > 0:37:55Well, it hasn't taken long before we've got coal tits...
0:37:57 > 0:38:01..which are distinctive by the lovely white stripe
0:38:01 > 0:38:03down the back of their head.
0:38:03 > 0:38:05And then... Look at this!
0:38:05 > 0:38:07Masses of long-tailed tits!
0:38:08 > 0:38:10They've almost sort of...
0:38:10 > 0:38:13Yeah, they've completely taken over the feeder.
0:38:13 > 0:38:16And actually, a crested tit, the bird I was after, has just
0:38:16 > 0:38:20snuck in whilst I wasn't looking and it's over by the squirrel-feeder.
0:38:20 > 0:38:24It's gone underneath the squirrel-feeder and is feeding
0:38:24 > 0:38:26that way because the long-tails
0:38:26 > 0:38:30have just completely hogged the bird-feeder.
0:38:35 > 0:38:38The crested tits are a real treat.
0:38:38 > 0:38:41They're a specialist of the Caledonian pine forests,
0:38:41 > 0:38:45and there are probably only about 1,500 breeding pairs in the
0:38:45 > 0:38:47whole of the UK.
0:38:47 > 0:38:51They're quite common here in Scotland, but, you know,
0:38:51 > 0:38:54nationally, they're incredibly scarce.
0:38:54 > 0:38:59So an absolute treat and a real symbol of the Scottish woods here.
0:39:04 > 0:39:05(Here we go!)
0:39:13 > 0:39:16Lovely, lovely animal.
0:39:19 > 0:39:22Now, you'll notice that there's actually
0:39:22 > 0:39:25a bit of grey in his coat, and that's not because he's halfway
0:39:25 > 0:39:27between a red or a grey squirrel.
0:39:27 > 0:39:29This is what happens to red squirrels in the wintertime.
0:39:29 > 0:39:33They have a summer coat, which they moult out in the autumn,
0:39:33 > 0:39:37for a thicker, warmer winter coat that has a greyish tinge to it.
0:39:41 > 0:39:44And he's doing exactly what I'd hoped. He's using his head to flip
0:39:44 > 0:39:47up that lid and reach down to grab some nuts.
0:39:47 > 0:39:50- TRAFFIC ROARS PAST - And you can hear the road,
0:39:50 > 0:39:53you can hear cars whizzing behind me,
0:39:53 > 0:39:55so, you know, it just goes to show you
0:39:55 > 0:39:57these aren't difficult animals to see.
0:39:57 > 0:40:00You could just park up, hop out and see this
0:40:00 > 0:40:02very, very easily for yourself.
0:40:11 > 0:40:15Red squirrels and crested tits - tick.
0:40:15 > 0:40:18Two down, one to go - the red deer. And I have a plan.
0:40:34 > 0:40:38How's about that for a truly Scottish winter scene,
0:40:38 > 0:40:41a beautiful herd of red deer stags?
0:40:41 > 0:40:46There's got to be at least 20 up there. And these are wild animals.
0:40:46 > 0:40:49Normally, I'd never be able to get this close to them.
0:40:49 > 0:40:51But there's a very good reason why I can,
0:40:51 > 0:40:54and it's all down to the keeper here.
0:41:17 > 0:41:19You can see that there's one of the stags here who
0:41:19 > 0:41:24has a really curved antler at the top. He's called Droopy, apparently.
0:41:24 > 0:41:27And the reason that he's got the antler like that is probably that
0:41:27 > 0:41:29it was damaged when it was growing.
0:41:29 > 0:41:33It's very, very soft material, as it initially comes out of the head,
0:41:33 > 0:41:38and it probably just got a knock and it sent it in the wrong direction.
0:41:38 > 0:41:42But of course, the stag will lose those antlers and then grow
0:41:42 > 0:41:44a whole new set next summer.
0:41:45 > 0:41:48So it's a deformity that probably isn't going to cause him
0:41:48 > 0:41:51a problem for long, if it's even caused him a problem at all.
0:41:52 > 0:41:56So, there you go, three animals in one day - red squirrels,
0:41:56 > 0:41:59red deer and crested tits.
0:41:59 > 0:42:01It just goes to show that winter can be
0:42:01 > 0:42:04a great time to get out and watch wildlife.
0:42:11 > 0:42:14And that's it today from this beautiful national park, where
0:42:14 > 0:42:19melted snow and heavy rain has turned gentle streams into
0:42:19 > 0:42:22surging torrents. But that's winter for you.
0:42:24 > 0:42:28Join us tomorrow, when Paul asks what can be done to halt the
0:42:28 > 0:42:32return of a deadly disease that could cost us millions...
0:42:32 > 0:42:35It must be very worrying for you right now. This is your livelihood.
0:42:35 > 0:42:37Yes, it is our livelihood.
0:42:37 > 0:42:40..Jules braves the cold and goes outdoor swimming...
0:42:40 > 0:42:44That rush of feeling that I've done something that my brain is
0:42:44 > 0:42:49saying is a really bad idea but my body is now saying thanks.
0:42:49 > 0:42:53..and Keeley digs in to discover how best to survive a mountain blizzard.
0:42:53 > 0:42:55If you want, you can pull the door shut.
0:42:55 > 0:42:59I'll leave the door open for now. I feel a bit safer with the door open!
0:42:59 > 0:43:01See you again next time.