0:00:24 > 0:00:27Snowdonia National Park.
0:00:29 > 0:00:31Home to some of our mightiest mountains.
0:00:35 > 0:00:39Its sweeping views have been captivating visitors
0:00:39 > 0:00:41to this part of Wales for centuries.
0:00:43 > 0:00:47These imposing peaks draw in millions of visitors every year.
0:00:47 > 0:00:50Hikers, bikers, climbers, campers.
0:00:50 > 0:00:52And today, I'm having a go at scrambling.
0:00:52 > 0:00:54Apparently no eggs involved!
0:00:54 > 0:00:58Beneath the peaks in a hidden valley lies a natural treasure.
0:00:58 > 0:01:01The Celtic rainforest.
0:01:01 > 0:01:06It's been named as one of the 60 wonders of Snowdonia National Park.
0:01:06 > 0:01:11Here it rains for 200 days of the year and all the mosses
0:01:11 > 0:01:12and the ancient trees
0:01:12 > 0:01:17make it one of the rarest landscapes anywhere in Britain.
0:01:17 > 0:01:20I'll be discovering what's being done to protect this little-known gem.
0:01:22 > 0:01:23Tom's getting to grips with
0:01:23 > 0:01:26one of the countryside's biggest controversies.
0:01:26 > 0:01:31More than a decade after being described as Frankenstein food,
0:01:31 > 0:01:33GM is back in the spotlight,
0:01:33 > 0:01:36but will it be welcome in our countryside?
0:01:36 > 0:01:38Could it deliver us a healthier diet?
0:01:38 > 0:01:42Or even feed the world's hungry?
0:01:42 > 0:01:43I'll be investigating.
0:01:45 > 0:01:49And it's weather for ducks down on the farm,
0:01:49 > 0:01:50but Adam's still as busy as a bee.
0:01:50 > 0:01:52What a beautiful English summer's day.
0:01:52 > 0:01:55It's chucking it down with rain again and my Belted Galloways,
0:01:55 > 0:01:56well, they don't mind.
0:01:56 > 0:01:58They're as tough as old boots.
0:01:58 > 0:02:00Two of the three cows have now calved
0:02:00 > 0:02:03and that means the cows are now ready to get pregnant again.
0:02:03 > 0:02:06So what they need is a husband and, thankfully,
0:02:06 > 0:02:08I've got one arriving this afternoon.
0:02:20 > 0:02:23Snowdonia attracts around eight million visitors a year.
0:02:23 > 0:02:28People come to savour the stunning landscapes or enjoy the thrills
0:02:28 > 0:02:30and spills that this outdoor playground has to offer.
0:02:33 > 0:02:36Covering 823 square miles of North Wales,
0:02:36 > 0:02:39it's been a national park for just over 60 years.
0:02:41 > 0:02:43I'm starting out in the Ogwen Valley,
0:02:43 > 0:02:47on the eastern flank of one of Snowdonia's most imposing peaks.
0:02:48 > 0:02:51Tryfan is one of the tallest mountains in Snowdonia,
0:02:51 > 0:02:52bang on 3,000 feet,
0:02:52 > 0:02:55and they say that you can't reach the summit without, at some stage,
0:02:55 > 0:02:57ending up on all fours.
0:02:57 > 0:02:59Well, today, I'm not going all the way to the top,
0:02:59 > 0:03:02but I think I might get my hands dirty.
0:03:02 > 0:03:05I've done plenty of hill walking in my time
0:03:05 > 0:03:07and a bit of rock climbing but nestling somewhere
0:03:07 > 0:03:12in between is a method of mountain ascent I've never attempted.
0:03:12 > 0:03:13Scrambling.
0:03:13 > 0:03:16Literally showing me the ropes is guide Mike Rain
0:03:16 > 0:03:21from the nearby National Mountain Centre, Plas y Brenin.
0:03:21 > 0:03:24- Hi there, Mike. - Hello, Julia. How are you today?
0:03:24 > 0:03:27I'm good, thank you. I'm just delighted it's not raining.
0:03:27 > 0:03:29- Well, it's in between the showers. - So what have you got planned for me?
0:03:29 > 0:03:31We're going to do some scrambling
0:03:31 > 0:03:33and we're going to head up Tryfan Bach here.
0:03:33 > 0:03:36- Little?- Little Tryfan in English, yeah.- OK.
0:03:38 > 0:03:41'Mike leads the way, making a fairly steep climb look dead easy.'
0:03:44 > 0:03:47Safety rope in place, it's my turn to follow.
0:03:47 > 0:03:48OK, Julia, come on up.
0:03:51 > 0:03:55At its easiest, scrambling begins when the ground gets so steep,
0:03:55 > 0:03:57you have to use your hands.
0:03:57 > 0:03:59But at this level, scrambling is as close to rock climbing
0:03:59 > 0:04:01as you can get.
0:04:03 > 0:04:07There are different classes of scramble, one, two and three.
0:04:07 > 0:04:08And this is Class Three.
0:04:08 > 0:04:11That's the hardest scramble, so it's approaching rock climbing.
0:04:11 > 0:04:14So, it's rock climbing with boots basically.
0:04:15 > 0:04:18You know what, this, for me, is just about right.
0:04:18 > 0:04:21I'm not a natural rock climber. It's just a bit too scary.
0:04:21 > 0:04:25- This is scary enough, but seems achievable.- Good.
0:04:25 > 0:04:27- There are nice, good holds, aren't there?- Yeah.
0:04:27 > 0:04:30There's just one slight problem.
0:04:30 > 0:04:32- When we look up...- That's tougher.
0:04:32 > 0:04:35The holds are a little bit smaller, a little bit further apart.
0:04:35 > 0:04:36It's a little bit steeper.
0:04:36 > 0:04:39We're going to change our rope work technique a little bit.
0:04:39 > 0:04:41I'm going to get you to belay me up this bit.
0:04:41 > 0:04:44- Right, so if you fall, I'm in charge?- Absolutely.
0:04:46 > 0:04:48Over the years,
0:04:48 > 0:04:51some of the world's best have cut their climbing teeth in Snowdonia.
0:04:51 > 0:04:53Even Sir Edmund Hillary and his team trained here
0:04:53 > 0:04:57before their 1953 Everest expedition, so I'm in good company.
0:04:59 > 0:05:04- I'll tell you what, that is a nifty little scramble.- Good, isn't it?
0:05:04 > 0:05:07- It tests you, it really does. - Yeah, not too easy, not too hard.
0:05:07 > 0:05:11- No, that is lovely. This is it. - This is it.
0:05:11 > 0:05:13- Wa-hey!- Fantastic.
0:05:13 > 0:05:17Just come back to here for us. That's lovely. Thank you. Well done.
0:05:19 > 0:05:21- Thank you, Mike.- You're welcome.
0:05:22 > 0:05:23Super-duper.
0:05:23 > 0:05:26Luckily, we made it to the top just before
0:05:26 > 0:05:29the legendary Welsh weather started to close in.
0:05:34 > 0:05:38But, of course, a mountain can be friend or foe,
0:05:38 > 0:05:40and if you're ill-equipped and ill-prepared,
0:05:40 > 0:05:42then you can be a bit stuffed.
0:05:43 > 0:05:48Here on nearby Snowdon, visitor numbers have increased dramatically.
0:05:48 > 0:05:50Nearly 500,000 people each year
0:05:50 > 0:05:53are walking on what's now Britain's busiest mountain
0:05:53 > 0:05:56and that's putting increasing pressure on these guys.
0:05:57 > 0:05:59- Hi, John.- Hello, Julia.
0:05:59 > 0:06:01What are you doing up the mountain on a day like today?
0:06:01 > 0:06:04Well, today is a nice day to be here but there is such a pressure
0:06:04 > 0:06:07on the mountain that we are practising certain skills,
0:06:07 > 0:06:10which we use on a regular basis
0:06:10 > 0:06:12simply because so many people do, unfortunately,
0:06:12 > 0:06:14get into difficulty on Snowdon.
0:06:14 > 0:06:16- In these conditions. - In these conditions.
0:06:16 > 0:06:18And what sort of range are we talking about?
0:06:18 > 0:06:22Give me something reasonably mundane to extreme.
0:06:22 > 0:06:27Well, the mundane one would be simply a twisted ankle. People are stuck.
0:06:27 > 0:06:30Somebody who might be elderly and can't get off,
0:06:30 > 0:06:33to the fact that somebody might be on one of the summit ridges
0:06:33 > 0:06:38on a day like this, where they become cragfast and frightened
0:06:38 > 0:06:40and we have to take them off the hill.
0:06:40 > 0:06:43Cragfast, it just sounds wrong, doesn't it? It sounds frightening.
0:06:43 > 0:06:46'The rise in call outs John and his team are attending on Snowdon
0:06:46 > 0:06:49'means that, as volunteers, they struggle to cope.'
0:06:51 > 0:06:53What do you get out of it personally cos you are volunteers?
0:06:53 > 0:06:58I keep saying that so that people remember what a big deal it is
0:06:58 > 0:07:00and what you're doing for people.
0:07:00 > 0:07:03It is a big deal but I think we're all mountaineers.
0:07:03 > 0:07:05We all enjoy being out on the mountains
0:07:05 > 0:07:10and really it's realising that if we didn't do it as mountaineers,
0:07:10 > 0:07:12then it would fall to the police.
0:07:12 > 0:07:17I'd rather be out here than asking a police constable to help on the hill.
0:07:17 > 0:07:19Well, very good work that you do and, so far,
0:07:19 > 0:07:23I haven't had to use you yet, but I'm pleased that you're here.
0:07:23 > 0:07:27- I hope you don't have to, definitely. But enjoy your stay.- Thank you.
0:07:28 > 0:07:31'To reduce pressure on mountain rescue teams,
0:07:31 > 0:07:33'the national park, along with other groups,
0:07:33 > 0:07:36'have launched a free phone app for visitors planning a trip.
0:07:36 > 0:07:38'It's got useful safety advice
0:07:38 > 0:07:41'and invaluable up-to-the-minute weather information
0:07:41 > 0:07:43'for all of Britain's mountain ranges.
0:07:43 > 0:07:46'Details of how to find it are on our website.'
0:07:48 > 0:07:51There's another new initiative being trialled only on Snowdon
0:07:51 > 0:07:55and it's hoped it will help walkers find their way.
0:07:57 > 0:07:58What's this then?
0:07:58 > 0:08:01Defacing the countryside(!)
0:08:01 > 0:08:03What are you doing, Gruff?
0:08:03 > 0:08:06Well, the idea is that we're putting these little discs on stiles
0:08:06 > 0:08:08on the main footpaths on Snowdon.
0:08:08 > 0:08:11- And that's got a grid reference on it.- It does have, yeah.
0:08:11 > 0:08:15- That's a reference where the stile is now.- People get lost at gates?
0:08:15 > 0:08:18They do. The rescue team do deal with a number of calls, not a lot,
0:08:18 > 0:08:20but a number of calls where people are at a stile
0:08:20 > 0:08:22but don't know where they are.
0:08:22 > 0:08:24And how many of these have you got?
0:08:24 > 0:08:27Around 20 at the moment, and this is one of the very last ones.
0:08:27 > 0:08:30- OK, you need to finish it, though. - You can finish it if you like, Julia.
0:08:30 > 0:08:35- Excellent. What do we do? Bit of glue?- A little bit of glue.
0:08:35 > 0:08:37Yeah, a little blob. OK.
0:08:41 > 0:08:45So, what do they mean, 633 and 552?
0:08:45 > 0:08:47Well, every map is broken up into a number of squares.
0:08:47 > 0:08:52- As you can see here, this line is number 63.- Yeah.
0:08:52 > 0:08:55- Then we need to find number 55. - So this is the easy bit.
0:08:55 > 0:09:01- So it's 63 and 55.- That's right. So that puts us into this box here.- OK.
0:09:01 > 0:09:04What about the other two numbers, number three and number two?
0:09:04 > 0:09:06Well, they refer to where you are within that box,
0:09:06 > 0:09:10so you're three in from the left and two up from the top.
0:09:10 > 0:09:13- Got it.- And that's where we are.
0:09:13 > 0:09:15Just by the little green path.
0:09:15 > 0:09:18That's right. That's the big track where these stiles are.
0:09:18 > 0:09:22'Later, my map-reading skills will really be put the test
0:09:22 > 0:09:25'when I attempt to lead a group of walkers safely off the mountain.
0:09:25 > 0:09:27'Oh dear!'
0:09:27 > 0:09:30When it comes to what we grow there are few things more controversial
0:09:30 > 0:09:32than genetically-modified crops,
0:09:32 > 0:09:36but will a new generation of GM crops help change people's minds?
0:09:36 > 0:09:37Here's Tom.
0:09:41 > 0:09:44Here, in Norfolk at least, summer has arrived,
0:09:44 > 0:09:47and with it, a landscape brought to life.
0:09:47 > 0:09:49Fields of wheat and barley stand tall
0:09:49 > 0:09:52with their hope of a bountiful harvest.
0:09:52 > 0:09:58It seems like the green shoots of growth are everywhere.
0:09:58 > 0:10:01But alongside these more familiar sights, in some corners
0:10:01 > 0:10:05of the country, controversial crops are springing up.
0:10:07 > 0:10:10Genetically modified crops first appeared in our fields
0:10:10 > 0:10:15in the 1990s, but they were swiftly uprooted by protesters
0:10:15 > 0:10:19and rejected by a public fearful of what were dubbed Frankenstein foods.
0:10:19 > 0:10:24Now, GM's back on the agenda and I'll be revealing how it's gained
0:10:24 > 0:10:30the support of one of the world's richest and most influential men.
0:10:30 > 0:10:34- This is your greenhouse? - Yes. It's a beauty, isn't it?
0:10:34 > 0:10:38I start my journey with research scientist Katharina Bulling.
0:10:38 > 0:10:41These ones look familiar. These tomatoes look a bit off colour.
0:10:41 > 0:10:44- What's going on?- I know, they do look a bit weird.
0:10:44 > 0:10:47'She's showing me how these purple tomatoes
0:10:47 > 0:10:51'are being genetically bred not for their profit-making potential,
0:10:51 > 0:10:54'but for the health benefits they could give you and me.'
0:10:54 > 0:10:56Why do you want to make tomatoes purple?
0:10:56 > 0:11:01We have taken two genes from Snapdragon, which are responsible
0:11:01 > 0:11:05for this beautiful induction of dark purple pigmentation in tomatoes.
0:11:05 > 0:11:10These pigments, they can prevent a number of chronic diseases,
0:11:10 > 0:11:15including cancer, cardiovascular diseases, diabetes and even obesity.
0:11:15 > 0:11:17If I cut them open,
0:11:17 > 0:11:22you see that the pigmentation goes all the way through.
0:11:22 > 0:11:26Wow! That really is a real purple, bordering on the violet there.
0:11:26 > 0:11:29- It's beautiful. - That's what gives the health,
0:11:29 > 0:11:34- the secret ingredient.- Exactly. - They are quite beautiful.- They are.
0:11:34 > 0:11:37- Although quite weird.- It takes some time to get used to them.
0:11:37 > 0:11:40We may not be eating these tomatoes for some years,
0:11:40 > 0:11:44but it's typical of a new generation of GM,
0:11:44 > 0:11:49healthy hybrids that it's hoped will win over the public.
0:11:51 > 0:11:56Like this, barley with added zinc that boosts the immune system.
0:11:56 > 0:11:59Could that mean beer that's good for you?
0:12:01 > 0:12:04But these endeavours all pale in comparison
0:12:04 > 0:12:07to the work of scientist Giles Oldroyd.
0:12:07 > 0:12:10He's chasing what many see as the holy grail
0:12:10 > 0:12:15of genetic modification, the key to which could lie in the humble pea.
0:12:15 > 0:12:18It may be cutting edge, but you still need to get your hands dirty.
0:12:18 > 0:12:23'We're digging for are root nodules, which are found in peas and beans.
0:12:23 > 0:12:26'They convert nitrogen from the air around us
0:12:26 > 0:12:29'into fuel that makes the plants develop.'
0:12:29 > 0:12:33The availability of nitrogen is one of the big limitations
0:12:33 > 0:12:35to plant growth globally.
0:12:35 > 0:12:37And it's why we apply a lot of nitrogen in the form
0:12:37 > 0:12:41- of fertilisers onto our crop lands. - What is it you want to achieve?
0:12:41 > 0:12:46I want to transfer this capability from pea plants
0:12:46 > 0:12:50to cereals like wheat, maize, rice.
0:12:50 > 0:12:54That would give those cereals, those key staples to feed the world,
0:12:54 > 0:12:57the ability to get their fertiliser from the air.
0:12:57 > 0:13:00Exactly. Make them self-fertilising, essentially.
0:13:02 > 0:13:05If Giles and his team achieve this arable alchemy
0:13:05 > 0:13:08of growing our stable foods without the need for expensive
0:13:08 > 0:13:11nitrogen fertilisers, it would mean less pollution
0:13:11 > 0:13:16and fewer carbon emissions when the fertiliser's both made and used.
0:13:16 > 0:13:19Welcome to the lab, this is where we do the hard work.
0:13:19 > 0:13:21'Chasing this dream is costly,
0:13:21 > 0:13:25'but Countryfile can exclusively reveal that the bid to make history
0:13:25 > 0:13:31'in this laboratory has just secured 10 million of backing from
0:13:31 > 0:13:35'one of the world's most powerful men, Microsoft founder Bill Gates.'
0:13:36 > 0:13:40The reason the foundation is funding the work is because we believe
0:13:40 > 0:13:44it will have a huge benefit to subsistence farmers in Africa.
0:13:44 > 0:13:47In those systems, they have very poor yields
0:13:47 > 0:13:51and most of those poor yields are because of low nitrogen.
0:13:51 > 0:13:54We believe if we can get nitrogen-fixing cereals,
0:13:54 > 0:13:57we can allow them to grow enough food for themselves,
0:13:57 > 0:14:01rather than be dependent on food aid from the developed world.
0:14:01 > 0:14:03But GM is always controversial.
0:14:03 > 0:14:08Some are sceptical that this dream can deliver all it promises.
0:14:09 > 0:14:14Is there an appetite to stand by genetic modification
0:14:14 > 0:14:16this time around?
0:14:16 > 0:14:20To find out, I've come to the heart of power, Westminster,
0:14:20 > 0:14:24to see whether those with the ear of government think GM
0:14:24 > 0:14:26is a technology worth pursuing.
0:14:28 > 0:14:30As the Government's Chief Scientific Adviser,
0:14:30 > 0:14:35Sir John Beddington's voice rises above the din of debate.
0:14:35 > 0:14:37There are some people who might try
0:14:37 > 0:14:41and stand in the way of this work. What do you say to them?
0:14:41 > 0:14:45I think it's a real pity. The important thing here is evidence.
0:14:45 > 0:14:49The sort of concerns that were raised about GM technology
0:14:49 > 0:14:54some 10-15 years ago, were arguably legitimate concerns.
0:14:54 > 0:14:57Untested, we didn't have the ability to properly screen
0:14:57 > 0:15:01for human health effects, or environmental effects.
0:15:01 > 0:15:05Arguably, the beneficiaries were individual companies. That's changed.
0:15:05 > 0:15:08I think the point about it is that government science
0:15:08 > 0:15:12and characters like the Gates Foundation are funding this work,
0:15:12 > 0:15:15- so it will be available to all. - 'A promise to feed the world
0:15:15 > 0:15:19'and cure our ills seems an offer too good to resist.'
0:15:19 > 0:15:25So, why then do around a half of us remain so unconvinced about GM?
0:15:25 > 0:15:30Could it end up being more of a curse than a cure?
0:15:30 > 0:15:32That's what I'll be investigating later.
0:15:35 > 0:15:39Deep within the Snowdonia National Park is a hidden valley,
0:15:39 > 0:15:42Cwm Mynach, or Valley of the Monk,
0:15:42 > 0:15:45a landscape that's inspired people for hundreds of years.
0:15:45 > 0:15:50It certainly caught the imagination of a young poet, Gruffudd Antur.
0:15:50 > 0:15:55He was one of 60 poets chosen to write about the 60 wonders
0:15:55 > 0:16:00of the Snowdonia National Park to mark its 60th anniversary last year.
0:16:05 > 0:16:09The poem reflects on the mining industry that once thrived
0:16:09 > 0:16:12in the valley, but is now only remembered by the trees.
0:16:14 > 0:16:18And hidden amidst a vast plantation of conifers is something
0:16:18 > 0:16:22very rare indeed, a mystical Celtic rainforest.
0:16:25 > 0:16:29The ancient woodlands battle against the dark, foreboding conifers,
0:16:29 > 0:16:34mosses and lichens softly carpet the forest floor.
0:16:38 > 0:16:43Like all good rainforests, it needs lots of moisture,
0:16:43 > 0:16:48and this part of Wales gets as much as 200 days of rainfall every year.
0:16:48 > 0:16:52But why is that? Weatherman David Lee should have the answer.
0:16:52 > 0:16:56- It's just been raining again, David, in the rainforest.- It has indeed.
0:16:56 > 0:17:00- Why is this part of Wales so wet? - It's the mountains.
0:17:00 > 0:17:02The air comes in off the Atlantic.
0:17:02 > 0:17:06It comes towards Wales, the weather just hits it and starts to rise.
0:17:06 > 0:17:09You've got all this cloud here today.
0:17:09 > 0:17:13As the main weather systems go across, sometimes the westerly
0:17:13 > 0:17:17behind is still quite moist and we can be left with some areas of cloud.
0:17:17 > 0:17:20- This is a cloud, OK? - That's a mountain.
0:17:20 > 0:17:24It's coming across the mountain, as it hits the mountain,
0:17:24 > 0:17:27it rises and some little bits of rain come out.
0:17:27 > 0:17:31It's these extra bits of rain that follow the main rain that keep it
0:17:31 > 0:17:36- damp for so long here. - Doesn't the wind dry things out?
0:17:36 > 0:17:40Here, in amongst the trees, the wind goes and the moisture stays here.
0:17:40 > 0:17:43With the cloud, the sun can't get in either,
0:17:43 > 0:17:45so the moisture stays on the ground.
0:17:45 > 0:17:48It's that moisture that produces perfect conditions
0:17:48 > 0:17:52for some of Britain's most enigmatic flora.
0:17:52 > 0:17:56Clinging to the trees and rocks is a whole other world
0:17:56 > 0:17:58and botanist Ray Woods knows just how important
0:17:58 > 0:18:02the Celtic rainforest is for its survival.
0:18:02 > 0:18:09How is it that this little fragment of rainforest has survived?
0:18:09 > 0:18:11I think we've demonstrated why.
0:18:11 > 0:18:15The blocked scree here, very difficult to walk through.
0:18:15 > 0:18:18The woodlands round here were turned into charcoal,
0:18:18 > 0:18:21but fragments like this may just have survived.
0:18:21 > 0:18:24- Because of all these boulders and moss.- Absolutely.
0:18:24 > 0:18:29As rainforests go, how do you rate this one? How significant is it?
0:18:29 > 0:18:33The British rainforests are amazing. They're so rare now, though.
0:18:33 > 0:18:35If you look at the numbers of species in them,
0:18:35 > 0:18:40they rival some of the best of the tropical forests.
0:18:40 > 0:18:43- This one boulder's got a number of lichen on it.- It's amazing.
0:18:43 > 0:18:45There's this lovely one here.
0:18:45 > 0:18:49This is called the speckled sea storm lichen
0:18:49 > 0:18:52cos the lobes look like the waves on the sea.
0:18:52 > 0:18:55The one next to it is called a smooth loop lichen
0:18:55 > 0:18:58cos its lobes have tiny loops.
0:18:58 > 0:19:04This loves wet, humid conditions. And the liverworts here.
0:19:04 > 0:19:06This one is very rare on a world scale.
0:19:06 > 0:19:09Virtually the entire world population is in the British Isles.
0:19:09 > 0:19:13- What about this one? - This is a much more common one.
0:19:13 > 0:19:15This is the common Tamarisk-moss.
0:19:15 > 0:19:19All these wonderful moss cushions, they keep the soil and rocks moist.
0:19:19 > 0:19:22They colour the landscape. They colour the boulders, the woods.
0:19:22 > 0:19:25You're looking at lichens, mosses and liverworts.
0:19:25 > 0:19:27They are the landscape and they are wonderful
0:19:27 > 0:19:30and I hope more people will appreciate them,
0:19:30 > 0:19:34despite the wonderful, damp, soft weather that they enjoy.
0:19:34 > 0:19:37- They wouldn't be here without it. - Not at all.
0:19:37 > 0:19:40And this rare British rainforest will now be protected
0:19:40 > 0:19:45because the Woodland Trust has bought 1,000 acres of Cwm Mynach.
0:19:48 > 0:19:51- Hello, Kylie.- Hi, John. - What's going on today then?
0:19:51 > 0:19:55I'm pulling some saplings from conifers that were planted
0:19:55 > 0:19:58on this ancient woodland site in the 1950s.
0:19:58 > 0:20:01They are spreading through there rapidly, as you can see.
0:20:01 > 0:20:04- That's quite a job you've got on your hands.- Yes.
0:20:04 > 0:20:07What we really want is to give these sort of things a chance,
0:20:07 > 0:20:09the birch, the rowan, the oak,
0:20:09 > 0:20:12the native broadleaf trees that we want to see growing here.
0:20:12 > 0:20:15Why did the Trust decide to buy this forest?
0:20:15 > 0:20:17This is a fragment of ancient woodland.
0:20:17 > 0:20:21It's a very rare habitat, so we want to allow it to
0:20:21 > 0:20:23move back towards its former glory, really.
0:20:23 > 0:20:25And why concentrate on broadleaves?
0:20:25 > 0:20:27What's wrong with conifers?
0:20:27 > 0:20:31The problem is quite often they've been planted in very dense rows
0:20:31 > 0:20:34on very fragile special habitats, like ancient woodland.
0:20:34 > 0:20:38In the spring, our native wildflowers come up,
0:20:38 > 0:20:39they're looking for the daylight
0:20:39 > 0:20:42and you can see how dark it is under the conifers.
0:20:42 > 0:20:45So, not only are you going to be pulling up all the saplings,
0:20:45 > 0:20:47but you've got these great big things to chop down as well.
0:20:47 > 0:20:50Yes, there are some very large spruce trees behind us.
0:20:50 > 0:20:53- This is a very long-term project, isn't it?- It is.
0:20:53 > 0:20:57I'm expecting to come back here when I'm a very elderly lady
0:20:57 > 0:20:59and see the fruits of my labours.
0:20:59 > 0:21:01But, hopefully, perhaps in 50 years' time,
0:21:01 > 0:21:05the majority of this site will be covered by native broadleaf woodland.
0:21:05 > 0:21:09Here's one over here that needs some shifting, I think.
0:21:09 > 0:21:12Maybe this is a bit big for us, though.
0:21:12 > 0:21:13Careful there!
0:21:14 > 0:21:16HE GRUNTS
0:21:16 > 0:21:18- Oh!- Geronimo! Ha-ha!
0:21:18 > 0:21:21One less little pine spruce!
0:21:21 > 0:21:26Just in time, this last fragment of dark, damp, wonderful
0:21:26 > 0:21:31Celtic rainforest has been saved, and now it will thrive and grow.
0:21:33 > 0:21:37This quite stunning rainforest is just
0:21:37 > 0:21:39one of the wonders of Snowdonia,
0:21:39 > 0:21:41and Julia is now meeting Jan Davies
0:21:41 > 0:21:43who set out to photograph all 60 of them,
0:21:43 > 0:21:48as part of the celebrations for the park's 60th anniversary.
0:21:52 > 0:21:55Jan's travelled over 8,000 miles in pursuit of
0:21:55 > 0:21:58perfect pictures of Snowdonia's wonders.
0:21:58 > 0:22:01Now, with the project almost complete, she's offered to show me
0:22:01 > 0:22:02some of her favourites.
0:22:02 > 0:22:04What were you looking for in each location?
0:22:04 > 0:22:09I was looking for a particular detail or an inspiration, light.
0:22:09 > 0:22:12I would draw on my own memories as well,
0:22:12 > 0:22:15because I've lived in Snowdonia and worked here.
0:22:15 > 0:22:18I know this is going to be very tricky, but if I had to push you
0:22:18 > 0:22:22and make you choose your top two photographs, which would they be?
0:22:22 > 0:22:24Well, I particularly like this image
0:22:24 > 0:22:28and this was the first image that I took.
0:22:28 > 0:22:32It's of the wild, the mountain goats, the feral goats of Snowdonia.
0:22:32 > 0:22:34- Stunning lighting here. - It's fantastic.
0:22:34 > 0:22:38And I'd been with this small herd for about four or five hours,
0:22:38 > 0:22:40just hanging out with them.
0:22:40 > 0:22:42It was a really hot day,
0:22:42 > 0:22:46so they didn't want to go out of the shade and I think, finally,
0:22:46 > 0:22:49he just went, "Oh, go on, then. "Take a photo of me."
0:22:49 > 0:22:50THEY LAUGH
0:22:50 > 0:22:53- And that was his pose? - That was his pose.
0:22:53 > 0:22:55The next one that I really love is this one.
0:22:55 > 0:23:00- And this is a natural outcrop of rock here?- Yes.
0:23:00 > 0:23:02It's called The Cantilever.
0:23:02 > 0:23:06There's a lot of photos of this particular place and when I took
0:23:06 > 0:23:10this photo, I really wanted to make a minimal image of a landscape.
0:23:10 > 0:23:14The deadline for our own photographic competition is fast approaching.
0:23:14 > 0:23:16The theme is "walk on the wild side."
0:23:16 > 0:23:18We've had thousands of entries
0:23:18 > 0:23:22and these are just some of the ones that have caught our eye so far.
0:23:32 > 0:23:34It's shaping up to be a fabulous competition so far,
0:23:34 > 0:23:37but you've only got one week left to enter.
0:23:37 > 0:23:38Here's John with the details.
0:23:45 > 0:23:48Our competition isn't open to professionals
0:23:48 > 0:23:51and entries must not have won any other competitions,
0:23:51 > 0:23:55because what we're looking for is original work.
0:23:55 > 0:23:58You can enter up to four photos,
0:23:58 > 0:24:00which must have been taken in the UK.
0:24:00 > 0:24:05Please write your name, address and daytime and evening phone number
0:24:05 > 0:24:09on the back of each photo, with a note of where it was taken.
0:24:09 > 0:24:16And then all you have to do is send your entries to:
0:24:21 > 0:24:23Whoever takes the winning photo,
0:24:23 > 0:24:26as voted for by Countryfile viewers,
0:24:26 > 0:24:29can choose from a range of the latest photographic equipment,
0:24:29 > 0:24:31to the value of £1,000.
0:24:31 > 0:24:35The person who takes the picture the judges like best
0:24:35 > 0:24:38gets to pick equipment to the value of £500.
0:24:39 > 0:24:42The full terms and conditions are on our website, where you'll
0:24:42 > 0:24:46also find details of the BBC's code of conduct for competitions.
0:24:46 > 0:24:48The closing date is July 22nd
0:24:48 > 0:24:52and I'm sorry, but we can't return any entries.
0:24:52 > 0:24:53So, the best of luck.
0:24:55 > 0:24:57Jan, you're a professional photographer,
0:24:57 > 0:24:59so you can't enter our photographic competition
0:24:59 > 0:25:02but you can give our viewers at home some tips,
0:25:02 > 0:25:05which is why I've brought you out into this quite wild weather.
0:25:05 > 0:25:07So where do we start?
0:25:07 > 0:25:11Well, the first thing is to get out and not let the rain stop you.
0:25:11 > 0:25:14Jan wants to show me a simple way to make a photograph
0:25:14 > 0:25:17of moving water look a little more artistic.
0:25:17 > 0:25:21So how will the shutter speed effect taking a photograph
0:25:21 > 0:25:23of this rapidly moving water?
0:25:23 > 0:25:26Well, if you use a fast shutter speed, 500,
0:25:26 > 0:25:29then you're going to get a much sharper image.
0:25:33 > 0:25:36So, if we use a slower shutter speed,
0:25:36 > 0:25:38I'll just adjust my settings...
0:25:38 > 0:25:42With the shutter speed now set at one 60th of a second,
0:25:42 > 0:25:45the movement of the water takes on a whole new look.
0:25:45 > 0:25:49- So it's much milkier. The water looks much milkier.- Yeah.
0:25:49 > 0:25:50I mean, you can really see
0:25:50 > 0:25:54- the movement of the water now, can't you, the swirling?- Yeah, definitely.
0:25:54 > 0:25:56- Nice tip. Thanks, Jan.- Great.
0:25:56 > 0:25:58Shall we go swimming now?
0:25:58 > 0:25:59After you!
0:26:01 > 0:26:04Later on, I'll be up Snowdon in an area known as the Horns,
0:26:04 > 0:26:07getting to grips with life as a mountain leader,
0:26:07 > 0:26:10and here's what else is coming up on the show.
0:26:10 > 0:26:14Down on Adam's farm, Eric the bull's struggling to find his feet.
0:26:14 > 0:26:19Come on, Eric. Up you get, fella. Come on then. Come on, boy.
0:26:19 > 0:26:23- Which leg is it he's lame on? - I think it's front left.
0:26:23 > 0:26:26Can Adam put a spring back into Eric's step?
0:26:26 > 0:26:29And will the weather have us jumping for joy?
0:26:29 > 0:26:32Find out with the Countryfile five-day forecast.
0:26:38 > 0:26:42First, though, Tom's investigating why a new wave of GM research
0:26:42 > 0:26:47promising a healthier, more prosperous future has many of us unconvinced.
0:26:49 > 0:26:51Fields of green turning gold,
0:26:51 > 0:26:56but could these crops one day be grown with genetic modification?
0:26:56 > 0:26:58Only if we want them,
0:26:58 > 0:27:01and the public doesn't exactly seem to hunger for GM.
0:27:01 > 0:27:05So what is it that's worrying us and are those fears justified?
0:27:08 > 0:27:12Many of us see it as unnatural and are worried that eating it could
0:27:12 > 0:27:15somehow make us sick but, in reality, could it?
0:27:16 > 0:27:20Well, across the world, countries including the USA and China
0:27:20 > 0:27:23already grow and eat it with no ill effects.
0:27:23 > 0:27:26But here in Europe, and in Britain in particular,
0:27:26 > 0:27:28we remain stubbornly opposed.
0:27:28 > 0:27:32This is dangerous contamination of the countryside.
0:27:32 > 0:27:35Peter Melchett was one of the demonstrators
0:27:35 > 0:27:39who took direct action to destroy crops back in the 1990s.
0:27:39 > 0:27:43Now the director of policy for the Soil Association,
0:27:43 > 0:27:47he thinks the key question is not should we fear it,
0:27:47 > 0:27:49but is there a future in it?
0:27:49 > 0:27:51How have your opinions changed about GM
0:27:51 > 0:27:55since that famous shot of you decontaminating a field?
0:27:55 > 0:28:01I suppose they've changed in that it seems much less relevant now.
0:28:01 > 0:28:05I think there are more fundamental problems but the key thing is,
0:28:05 > 0:28:10people don't want to eat it and we've got better, newer technologies,
0:28:10 > 0:28:13like one called micro-assisted selection which basically means
0:28:13 > 0:28:15we now understand the DNA.
0:28:15 > 0:28:18We can use conventional normal crop breeding to get these new traits.
0:28:18 > 0:28:22And if you look at all the crops which are starting to solve problems
0:28:22 > 0:28:26for the poor farmers in Africa, they've almost all, if not all,
0:28:26 > 0:28:28been developed not using GM.
0:28:29 > 0:28:33So are we wasting our time and money on genetic modification?
0:28:33 > 0:28:36Should we be abandoning it in favour of using cheaper
0:28:36 > 0:28:40and more effective ways of more conventional cross-breeding instead?
0:28:40 > 0:28:43The man who advises the Government isn't convinced.
0:28:43 > 0:28:46Some of those opposed to GM also argue that there are now more
0:28:46 > 0:28:50sophisticated techniques that we can deploy to achieve the same results,
0:28:50 > 0:28:54that plant science doesn't really need GM any more.
0:28:54 > 0:28:56Being quite frank, that's nonsense.
0:28:56 > 0:29:00There are techniques which use the knowledge of plant genomics to
0:29:00 > 0:29:04significantly improve what you might call conventional breeding.
0:29:04 > 0:29:06It's called micro-assisted breeding
0:29:06 > 0:29:09and that actually can genuinely bring benefits,
0:29:09 > 0:29:12but some of the technology that we need to use
0:29:12 > 0:29:15does involve taking genes from one organism into another,
0:29:15 > 0:29:17and that is really, truly important.
0:29:19 > 0:29:22So, according to Sir John, we need both,
0:29:22 > 0:29:24but other battles also rumble on.
0:29:24 > 0:29:28A recent protest at the UK's only open-air GM wheat trial
0:29:28 > 0:29:31criticised scientists for risking cross-contamination
0:29:31 > 0:29:33with conventional crops.
0:29:33 > 0:29:36As an organic farmer of nearly 900 acres,
0:29:36 > 0:29:40this issue is a real concern to Peter Melchett.
0:29:40 > 0:29:43It's not just the contamination of field.
0:29:43 > 0:29:45That can be a problem that depends on the crop.
0:29:45 > 0:29:49What we've found, from experience, in America particularly,
0:29:49 > 0:29:53is that you get contamination at every stage in the food chain.
0:29:53 > 0:29:57So in America they lost the whole of a long grain rice crop
0:29:57 > 0:29:59because the seed was contaminated with a GM variety
0:29:59 > 0:30:03which hadn't been cleared for animal or human consumption.
0:30:03 > 0:30:08It's very difficult, in a complex food chain, to keep things separate.
0:30:10 > 0:30:13Some farmers may be against this research,
0:30:13 > 0:30:15but the National Farmers' Union
0:30:15 > 0:30:18wants to give landowners overall a choice.
0:30:18 > 0:30:22And, across the world, GM now accounts for 10% of
0:30:22 > 0:30:27food crops planted over an area three times the size of France.
0:30:30 > 0:30:34So, do any of these crops make it to Britain?
0:30:34 > 0:30:37Well, in this country, it isn't allowed in our fresh produce,
0:30:37 > 0:30:42but if you think that means your diet's GM-free, think again.
0:30:42 > 0:30:46GM can be used in our animal feed, so it could be eaten by the pigs
0:30:46 > 0:30:51in our breakfast bacon or, indeed, fed to the dairy cows to make milk.
0:30:51 > 0:30:55And GM is also used in the process to make rennet,
0:30:55 > 0:30:57for much of our hard cheese.
0:30:58 > 0:31:03So, if we're happy to eat meat fed on a GM diet, how would we react,
0:31:03 > 0:31:07say, if genetically modified fruit and veg went on sale tomorrow?
0:31:07 > 0:31:09People just don't want to touch them with a bargepole.
0:31:09 > 0:31:11They see them as some Frankenstein food.
0:31:11 > 0:31:16Food industry expert Dr Charlie Clutterbuck works with the supermarkets.
0:31:16 > 0:31:18He says that despite lacking hard facts,
0:31:18 > 0:31:22persistent public fears over the health effects of GM
0:31:22 > 0:31:25inform what shops are prepared to stock on their shelves.
0:31:25 > 0:31:29About two years ago, most of the retailers went to the Government
0:31:29 > 0:31:33and said, "Look, if people want cheap food,"
0:31:33 > 0:31:37and remember this was just after the price hikes of 2008/9,
0:31:37 > 0:31:41"Then we've got to persuade them that GM will keep some of the prices down."
0:31:41 > 0:31:44So, in private, they're saying one thing to the Government
0:31:44 > 0:31:46but in public...
0:31:46 > 0:31:49Yes, they don't want to be seen to be the first ones to
0:31:49 > 0:31:50go down this road.
0:31:50 > 0:31:53And it seems they've got good cause for concern.
0:31:53 > 0:31:56A recent survey showed that six in ten of us
0:31:56 > 0:31:59are worried about genetically modified ingredients in foods.
0:31:59 > 0:32:04And 71% of people think it's important that retailers
0:32:04 > 0:32:08have policies not allowing GM ingredients in food.
0:32:08 > 0:32:11When Sainsbury's brought in tomato paste in the mid-'90s
0:32:11 > 0:32:15alongside traditional tomato paste, saying this is cheaper but it's GM,
0:32:15 > 0:32:17not only did it not sell but everybody got fearful
0:32:17 > 0:32:20because the consumers felt it was toxic.
0:32:20 > 0:32:23- It contaminated the brand? - Completely.
0:32:23 > 0:32:27You advise some retailers today about the world of food.
0:32:27 > 0:32:29- When you say, "Why not GM?" - They recoil in horror.
0:32:29 > 0:32:32They don't want to enter that debate at all.
0:32:36 > 0:32:39It seems that although our world-class scientists
0:32:39 > 0:32:43might be in demand to develop genetic modification,
0:32:43 > 0:32:47out on the street, there's still not much appetite for it yet.
0:32:50 > 0:32:56Something has changed in the 15 years since GM was last on the menu.
0:32:56 > 0:32:59We're now much more worried about whether we'll have
0:32:59 > 0:33:03enough of this - food to feed the world's growing population.
0:33:03 > 0:33:07If GM is going to find a way onto our plates,
0:33:07 > 0:33:13it must be based on fact, not scientific hype or groundless fears.
0:33:16 > 0:33:20Snowdonia is a place of outstanding natural beauty
0:33:20 > 0:33:24and, whilst Julia has been taking in the splendour of the mountains,
0:33:24 > 0:33:27I've been exploring the countryside beneath.
0:33:29 > 0:33:31To many of us, hay meadows,
0:33:31 > 0:33:36with their wonderful mixture of wildflowers and wispy grasses,
0:33:36 > 0:33:37are romantic places.
0:33:37 > 0:33:42They conjure up dreams of hazy summers in days long gone by.
0:33:42 > 0:33:46But, of course, their original purpose was to provide a hay crop
0:33:46 > 0:33:48as fodder for farm animals.
0:33:48 > 0:33:51But they've become a threatened habitat
0:33:51 > 0:33:56and huge swathes of this important natural environment have disappeared,
0:33:56 > 0:34:00presenting a challenge to landowners like the National Trust.
0:34:00 > 0:34:02Are they going to disappear altogether, then?
0:34:02 > 0:34:05No. And we're very keen to do as much as we possibly can
0:34:05 > 0:34:07to ensure that they don't.
0:34:07 > 0:34:08For the last ten years,
0:34:08 > 0:34:11the Trust in Wales has been working hard to try and re-establish
0:34:11 > 0:34:14some of the meadows and look after the special places that
0:34:14 > 0:34:17already exist, and try and make sure we can look after
0:34:17 > 0:34:19species like this, the wood bitter-vetch.
0:34:19 > 0:34:21- That's pretty unusual, isn't it?- It is.
0:34:21 > 0:34:25It's quite a rarity because it needs to have time to set its seed to carry on.
0:34:25 > 0:34:27So if it's too heavily grazed at this time of year,
0:34:27 > 0:34:29then it just doesn't come back.
0:34:29 > 0:34:33- It's a lovely little flower, isn't it?- It is. It is. - What else have we got here?
0:34:33 > 0:34:35We've got the hay rattle, which is parasitic.
0:34:35 > 0:34:38It does take the nutrients from the grasses,
0:34:38 > 0:34:41so it allows these other things to come through.
0:34:41 > 0:34:44And how important do you reckon it is to create
0:34:44 > 0:34:47more and more of these flower-rich meadows?
0:34:47 > 0:34:52Well, I suppose, if you're looking at it from a biodiversity point of view, it's essential.
0:34:52 > 0:34:54There's so many different species here that provide food
0:34:54 > 0:34:57for so many other different species, so much wildlife.
0:34:57 > 0:35:01That's what gives us the opportunity to look after the various wildlife,
0:35:01 > 0:35:04that is significantly important to us here in Snowdonia.
0:35:04 > 0:35:07One National Trust farm that's currently returning
0:35:07 > 0:35:12its meadows to their former glory is Blaen y Nant, Ogwen Valley.
0:35:12 > 0:35:16It's an organic upland farm, run by Shepherd Gwyn Thomas.
0:35:16 > 0:35:21Until now, Gwyn grew ryegrass as silage for his animals.
0:35:21 > 0:35:25Now, you're turning this field back into a classic hay meadow.
0:35:25 > 0:35:26Why are you doing that?
0:35:26 > 0:35:30It's been farmed for hundreds of years, with a simple system
0:35:30 > 0:35:33and I'd like to try and revert back to that.
0:35:33 > 0:35:37I think if my grandparents and great-grandparents
0:35:37 > 0:35:43have survived with a good mix of herbs and traditional grasses,
0:35:43 > 0:35:45then I'm sure my animals will benefit.
0:35:45 > 0:35:47So, you'll be returning it, really,
0:35:47 > 0:35:50to the way it was in your grandfather's day.
0:35:50 > 0:35:53I would like to think so, yes. Yes.
0:35:53 > 0:35:58My dream is to maybe one day lay on my back
0:35:58 > 0:36:01listening to the tractor cut the grass,
0:36:01 > 0:36:07and looking around at all these different flowers and grasses,
0:36:07 > 0:36:09and then smelling it after it's been cut.
0:36:09 > 0:36:12Proper hay meadow. Proper old-fashioned hay.
0:36:12 > 0:36:17Although, at the moment, there are only a dozen different plant species,
0:36:17 > 0:36:20in time, Gwyn's hay meadow could have many, many more.
0:36:20 > 0:36:24There are 1,143 native species in Wales and that's official,
0:36:24 > 0:36:29because it's just become the first country in the world
0:36:29 > 0:36:32to collect the DNA of all its flowering plants.
0:36:34 > 0:36:39Behind this amazing endeavour is the National Botanic Garden of Wales.
0:36:39 > 0:36:44And I'm meeting the project's leader, Dr Natasha de Vere.
0:36:46 > 0:36:50- Hello, Natasha.- Hello. - Good to see you.- Hi.
0:36:50 > 0:36:52Now, a fascinating project, this,
0:36:52 > 0:36:57but why do you need to know the DNA of every wild flower in Wales?
0:36:57 > 0:36:59Well, it's the things you can do with it.
0:36:59 > 0:37:00Now that we've got this database,
0:37:00 > 0:37:04whenever we have a tiny fragment of material, a leaf, seed,
0:37:04 > 0:37:07a single pollen grain, we can identify plant species.
0:37:07 > 0:37:10So, for example, we're looking at pollinators.
0:37:10 > 0:37:11We know they're facing huge declines.
0:37:11 > 0:37:15If we could find out where they go, it would help their conservation.
0:37:15 > 0:37:18And we can do that because we can take, say, a bee,
0:37:18 > 0:37:21the pollen it's carried on its body, and use that as a record of its day
0:37:21 > 0:37:25because we can DNA-barcode all the plants it's visited.
0:37:25 > 0:37:27Do you get information from elsewhere?
0:37:27 > 0:37:31This is a sample of, uh, sheep poo that I collected earlier.
0:37:31 > 0:37:35- Sheep poo?!- Sheep poo. - The things you have to do!- Yeah.
0:37:35 > 0:37:36So, with DNA barcoding,
0:37:36 > 0:37:40a farmer might want to know what exactly is his sheep eating.
0:37:40 > 0:37:42So we can DNA-barcode the contents of this
0:37:42 > 0:37:45to find out what the sheep has had for dinner.
0:37:46 > 0:37:50By using DNA profiling, it should be possible to discover
0:37:50 > 0:37:54whether animals choose to eat plants that are good for them.
0:37:54 > 0:37:56Gwyn certainly thinks so.
0:37:56 > 0:37:59Well, I've been hearing, Gwyn, that this small field of yours
0:37:59 > 0:38:02has got a rather unusual name. What is it?
0:38:02 > 0:38:05Well, it's called Hospital Field,
0:38:05 > 0:38:06Cae Ysbyty in Welsh.
0:38:06 > 0:38:12And this is apparently where all the ailing animals were put to recover.
0:38:12 > 0:38:15Funnily enough, I had a young goat, a young goat kid
0:38:15 > 0:38:19that wasn't well, and he wasn't well for two or three days.
0:38:19 > 0:38:22And, being organic, we don't treat them with anything
0:38:22 > 0:38:24unless they're really in need of it.
0:38:24 > 0:38:28So I brought him in here and after three or four days here, grazing,
0:38:28 > 0:38:31he was up and about and he's back with his mother now, doing well.
0:38:31 > 0:38:33So I don't know.
0:38:33 > 0:38:37There are lots and lots of plants within this half an acre
0:38:37 > 0:38:40that can be of benefit to animals.
0:38:40 > 0:38:44But it's not just animals that seem to know which plants make them better.
0:38:44 > 0:38:48People have been harnessing the healing powers of nature
0:38:48 > 0:38:52for centuries, cooking up all kinds of concoctions.
0:38:52 > 0:38:55Well, Pip, as somebody who's studied herbs for many years now,
0:38:55 > 0:38:58you must think there's something special about Hospital Field.
0:38:58 > 0:39:01Well, there's something special about any field which has lots
0:39:01 > 0:39:03of wild plants growing in it,
0:39:03 > 0:39:07and that's because it's an organic farm and it's been left to grow.
0:39:07 > 0:39:09There are many, many species there.
0:39:09 > 0:39:12But many wild species of plants have healing properties.
0:39:12 > 0:39:15- Well, you've brought some of your herbs with you.- Yes.
0:39:15 > 0:39:18We've made a healing salve with plantain. This is plantain.
0:39:18 > 0:39:20It's an anti-inflammatory and healing herb.
0:39:20 > 0:39:25We've shredded it up with beeswax and organic sunflower oil,
0:39:25 > 0:39:28cooked it for a while and then strained some out.
0:39:28 > 0:39:31And this is, what, for cuts and scratches, things like that?
0:39:31 > 0:39:33That's right, yeah. You can put a bit on.
0:39:33 > 0:39:35- Or for skin diseases as well. - Mm-hmm.
0:39:35 > 0:39:37And also for hay fever, you can put it up your nose.
0:39:37 > 0:39:40The beeswax and oil makes a barrier but, also,
0:39:40 > 0:39:42- the plantain is good for the mucous membranes.- Ah.
0:39:42 > 0:39:45- And a lot of hay fever around at the moment.- That's right.
0:39:45 > 0:39:49So, for that reason, we've made a tincture.
0:39:49 > 0:39:53We've got some elderflower, we've got some eyebright,
0:39:53 > 0:39:54and some thyme.
0:39:54 > 0:39:58And then we've used mead because honey's good against hay fever.
0:39:58 > 0:40:01- So here's some that we strained out for you to try, John.- Oh, right.
0:40:01 > 0:40:03Well, I feel a bit of a fraud, Pip,
0:40:03 > 0:40:07because I don't suffer from hay fever, but I do like to mead, so...
0:40:09 > 0:40:13- It actually taste very nice, for medicine.- Yes, absolutely!
0:40:13 > 0:40:15- Absolutely.- Cheers!- Iechyd da!
0:40:18 > 0:40:22Our relationship with plants is a long one.
0:40:22 > 0:40:26We've used them for clothing, for food and for medicine.
0:40:26 > 0:40:28Now, with the help of DNA analysis,
0:40:28 > 0:40:32our knowledge of all they have to offer will only get better.
0:40:43 > 0:40:47From the foothills of Snowdon to the rolling hills of the Cotswolds,
0:40:47 > 0:40:50where the weather's causing havoc on Adam's farm.
0:40:52 > 0:40:54Nice weather for ducks!
0:41:00 > 0:41:03It's raining on my farm.
0:41:04 > 0:41:05Again.
0:41:07 > 0:41:11This is a field that we've left for hay, which is basically
0:41:11 > 0:41:14allowing the grass to grow so it comes up to flowering.
0:41:14 > 0:41:17And then we cut it and let it dry in the sunshine but, of course,
0:41:17 > 0:41:21it's been chucking it down with rain for the last few weeks,
0:41:21 > 0:41:26and the grass has grown long, but now the crop has gone flat
0:41:26 > 0:41:30and, underneath here, it'll start to go mouldy and die off,
0:41:30 > 0:41:32which is just terrible.
0:41:32 > 0:41:36What you want is to cut the grass at its optimum time,
0:41:36 > 0:41:39so there's lots of sugars in it and it makes sweet hay.
0:41:39 > 0:41:42But now, this is not good at all.
0:41:42 > 0:41:43And the forecast is awful.
0:41:43 > 0:41:47Doesn't sound like we're going to get any dry weather for a while.
0:41:47 > 0:41:50Not quite sure what I'm going to do, really.
0:41:50 > 0:41:52Come on, then
0:41:53 > 0:41:55And it's not just us.
0:41:55 > 0:41:57Farmers up and down the country
0:41:57 > 0:42:00are experiencing similar problems this summer.
0:42:05 > 0:42:09Since my belted Galloway calves were born a couple of weeks ago,
0:42:09 > 0:42:11all they've known is rain.
0:42:11 > 0:42:14Not that this hardy breed seem too bothered.
0:42:14 > 0:42:16These are my three belted Galloway calves.
0:42:16 > 0:42:19We've got the three colours, the red, the black and the tan.
0:42:19 > 0:42:23They're really lovely. And they've had two little calves so far.
0:42:23 > 0:42:25There's one more due to calve but, sadly,
0:42:25 > 0:42:28I lost my belted Galloway bull a couple of years ago to TB.
0:42:28 > 0:42:32So I went up to the Yorkshire Dales in search of a new one.
0:42:32 > 0:42:34Adam, how are you doing? BOTH: Good to see you again.
0:42:34 > 0:42:39In the shadow of Malham Cove, I met my old college mate Neil Heseltine.
0:42:39 > 0:42:42We gathered his herd off the hill and I selected a bull.
0:42:42 > 0:42:45I quite like the look of that black one there.
0:42:46 > 0:42:51I was so impressed by Neil's herd that I bought a bull from him, and he's bringing it down.
0:42:51 > 0:42:54It's arriving this afternoon, which is very exciting.
0:42:54 > 0:42:56I love getting new animals on the farm.
0:42:56 > 0:42:59But Neil has warned me that he's a bit of a feisty fella.
0:42:59 > 0:43:03On the farm, jobs stack up whatever the weather.
0:43:03 > 0:43:06We're still halter-training my two budding movie stars,
0:43:06 > 0:43:10Kylie and Kyla, for their walk-on parts in a new TV drama.
0:43:10 > 0:43:12- Walk on.- Walk on, then.
0:43:12 > 0:43:16We're getting them used to a few voice commands.
0:43:16 > 0:43:18They're making good progress and, between them,
0:43:18 > 0:43:20they can pull a cart now.
0:43:22 > 0:43:25Oh, this weather! It's horrendous, isn't it?
0:43:25 > 0:43:27BOTH: Walk on, then.
0:43:27 > 0:43:29It's all practice, practice, practice with these two.
0:43:29 > 0:43:31Just so they get used to pulling the cart,
0:43:31 > 0:43:33we're adding more weight every day.
0:43:34 > 0:43:37And they're coming along quite well.
0:43:37 > 0:43:40- BOTH:- Walk on. Walk on.
0:43:40 > 0:43:41That's it.
0:43:42 > 0:43:45ADAM LAUGHS
0:43:45 > 0:43:48OK, the idea is to not have too much tension in the rope.
0:43:48 > 0:43:52You have to pull to get them to go but, once they're walking,
0:43:52 > 0:43:54- the reward is to slacken off.- Yeah.
0:43:56 > 0:44:00So, if they carry on at this rate, they'll be stealing the show.
0:44:00 > 0:44:01HE WHISTLES
0:44:02 > 0:44:05- Round here and back onto the track. - 'Job done.
0:44:05 > 0:44:08'And, right on cue, Neil's arrived with my bull.'
0:44:14 > 0:44:16Beautiful job!
0:44:17 > 0:44:19That'll be all right there.
0:44:21 > 0:44:24- How are you, Neil?- OK. Good to see you again. How's things?
0:44:24 > 0:44:26- How was the journey? - It's been great, actually, yeah.
0:44:26 > 0:44:29- Much better than I thought, to be honest.- How's the bull?
0:44:29 > 0:44:32He's all right, actually. He seems to have travelled down really well.
0:44:32 > 0:44:35In fact, we just pulled up earlier and he was laid down in the trailer.
0:44:35 > 0:44:39He was just a little bit frisky, like I said when we inspected him,
0:44:39 > 0:44:42but he seems to have calmed down a bit so, hopefully,
0:44:42 > 0:44:43he won't go through the fences!
0:44:43 > 0:44:47Let's hope so! I don't want a mad Yorkshire beast with me.
0:44:47 > 0:44:49I've been looking forward to seeing him. Has he got a name?
0:44:49 > 0:44:51Yeah. He's called Butland's Cracker.
0:44:51 > 0:44:54- Cracker?- Yeah, short for crackers. - Great(!)
0:44:54 > 0:44:58You've sold it to me, he's going to do so well. Crackers. Crikey!
0:44:58 > 0:44:59Let's see how he goes.
0:44:59 > 0:45:04- I've got the cows here so he should be able to walk down the tailboard and see them.- Yeah, yeah.
0:45:04 > 0:45:07He'll just go to them and, hopefully, he'll settle down overnight.
0:45:13 > 0:45:16You'll have to see if he looks any different, Adam.
0:45:28 > 0:45:31Oh, you lively beast! Go on.
0:45:31 > 0:45:33Go on, boy. Stand back a bit.
0:45:33 > 0:45:35Go on, boy.
0:45:36 > 0:45:37Go on, boy.
0:45:37 > 0:45:39NEIL WHISTLES
0:45:40 > 0:45:42Go on, boy.
0:45:46 > 0:45:47ADAM LAUGHS
0:45:47 > 0:45:50God! He's... I can see why you called him Crackers.
0:45:50 > 0:45:51He's looking good, Neil.
0:45:51 > 0:45:54I wasn't quite sure what to do there.
0:45:54 > 0:45:55I'm glad I had a stick in my hand.
0:45:55 > 0:45:57Yeah! It's a good job you did have, to be honest.
0:45:57 > 0:46:00Erm, yeah, I think the journey's obviously just unsettled him
0:46:00 > 0:46:03a little bit, but he looks to have calmed down now,
0:46:03 > 0:46:05and he's got a cow or two to keep him company.
0:46:05 > 0:46:06Yeah, that's what he needs.
0:46:06 > 0:46:09You can never be too careful with them, though, you know.
0:46:09 > 0:46:11- You've got to always respect bulls. - Absolutely.
0:46:11 > 0:46:15'There's no doubting his condition. He's a fine looking beast.
0:46:15 > 0:46:18'Neil's also had him tested for TB and other diseases,
0:46:18 > 0:46:20'and he's 100 percent healthy.'
0:46:20 > 0:46:23I've got a few jobs to do on the farm. Fancy giving me a hand?
0:46:23 > 0:46:25- Yeah, no problem. Guided tour? - That's it.
0:46:28 > 0:46:30From one bull to another.
0:46:31 > 0:46:34My Highland bull Eric has gone lame.
0:46:34 > 0:46:36He's hurt his hoof and I'm worried
0:46:36 > 0:46:39the damp weather has caused an infection.
0:46:39 > 0:46:41I want to take a closer look but,
0:46:41 > 0:46:44to do that, we need to walk him to the cattle crush.
0:46:44 > 0:46:47So, Eric's gone a bit lame, just when you needed him to do some work?
0:46:47 > 0:46:50Yeah, he's just gone a bit sore on his front foot,
0:46:50 > 0:46:52so you might be able to give me a hand with that.
0:46:52 > 0:46:55- Well, let's have a try. He doesn't look too keen, does he?- No.
0:46:55 > 0:46:58Come on, then, Eric. Up you get, fella. Come on, then. Come on, boy.
0:46:59 > 0:47:01- He's lovely and quiet. - Which leg is it he's lame on?
0:47:01 > 0:47:04I think it's front left. Let's just walk him up and see.
0:47:04 > 0:47:06Yeah, it's looking that way, yeah.
0:47:06 > 0:47:08You'd think that would encourage him to bull cows,
0:47:08 > 0:47:10- cos he could take the weight off his front foot!- Yeah!
0:47:10 > 0:47:12ADAM LAUGHS
0:47:12 > 0:47:15Stand on his back legs all day!
0:47:15 > 0:47:18I wonder whether we should take him with a cow so he's got a bit of company.
0:47:18 > 0:47:20Yeah, I think he'll be a bit quieter, won't he!
0:47:20 > 0:47:23- If we bring that cow and her little...- Has she got a calf?
0:47:23 > 0:47:24Oops!
0:47:26 > 0:47:30Come on, then. Don't make life more difficult for yourself.
0:47:30 > 0:47:31Come on, then. Good boy.
0:47:31 > 0:47:34- Slightly more placid than old Cracker, isn't he?- Yeah.
0:47:34 > 0:47:38'To help keep Eric calm, I'm bringing along a cow and her bull calf,
0:47:38 > 0:47:41'little Magee, one of Eric's sons born earlier this year.'
0:47:41 > 0:47:42HE MOOS
0:47:42 > 0:47:44Go on, Magee!
0:47:44 > 0:47:47Go on. Go on. Take him on.
0:47:48 > 0:47:50HE MOOS
0:47:57 > 0:47:59That's it.
0:48:01 > 0:48:04- He's got a big fat neck.- He has!
0:48:05 > 0:48:08That was easier than I thought.
0:48:08 > 0:48:11We've had some terrible lameness in our sheep.
0:48:11 > 0:48:14- Their feet just haven't got dry. - No.- Come on, fella.
0:48:14 > 0:48:17- Well, it's the worst thing, isn't it, for feet, the weather?- Yeah.
0:48:17 > 0:48:21So if I just see if I can persuade him to lift his foot up. That's it.
0:48:22 > 0:48:25Woah now. There now. There's a good fella.
0:48:25 > 0:48:29With cloven-footed animals, like cattle, goats and sheep,
0:48:29 > 0:48:30they have two big toes,
0:48:30 > 0:48:34and with a gap in between in the muddy conditions we've had,
0:48:34 > 0:48:40the wet weather, it can get infected in between, and can be smelly.
0:48:40 > 0:48:43Although, actually, that doesn't smell too bad.
0:48:43 > 0:48:44It's a little bit warm.
0:48:46 > 0:48:49The way he's touching when you touch between the cleats,
0:48:49 > 0:48:52would make you think he is a little bit sore.
0:48:52 > 0:48:55- Yeah, that's sore. He doesn't like that, does he?- No, no.
0:48:55 > 0:48:57Let's get a bit of spray in there.
0:48:57 > 0:48:59This is an antiseptic spray.
0:49:04 > 0:49:08'To be on the safe side, I'm giving him an antibiotic as well,
0:49:08 > 0:49:10'to clear up any infection.'
0:49:10 > 0:49:13There's a good boy. Hardly felt a thing, did he?
0:49:13 > 0:49:15No, he didn't flinch at all.
0:49:20 > 0:49:23- It's amazing how they learn to handle that.- Yeah, it is, isn't it?
0:49:27 > 0:49:28Go on, then.
0:49:30 > 0:49:33- Hopefully, we've done a bit of good, - Well, I hope so, yes.
0:49:33 > 0:49:37- That injection'll help. If there is any infection there, that should get on top of it.- Yeah.
0:49:37 > 0:49:40We'll leave him by the pens for a day or two and just see how he gets on.
0:49:40 > 0:49:43- Great. Well, thanks for your help. - Yeah, no problem.
0:49:43 > 0:49:46Next week, I'll be visiting a dairy farm that's run by robots.
0:49:46 > 0:49:48Any excuse to get out of the wet!
0:49:52 > 0:49:55When you're out here in Snowdonia, you need to be prepared.
0:49:55 > 0:49:57Right clothing, map, compass,
0:49:57 > 0:50:00and then you hope and pray that Mother Nature is going to play fair.
0:50:00 > 0:50:03I'm on my way to meet some trainee mountain leaders
0:50:03 > 0:50:05who are learning to navigate in all weathers.
0:50:05 > 0:50:09But, first, here's the Countryfile forecast for the next five days.
0:51:50 > 0:51:57.
0:52:10 > 0:52:13The mountains of Snowdonia are the perfect playground
0:52:13 > 0:52:14for lovers of the great outdoors.
0:52:14 > 0:52:17But if you come here ill-prepared or ill-equipped,
0:52:17 > 0:52:19the consequences can be serious.
0:52:19 > 0:52:23It sounds obvious but when things turn bad,
0:52:23 > 0:52:27the ability to find your way off the mountain can save your life.
0:52:27 > 0:52:30Here on Snowdon's privately-owned eastern slopes,
0:52:30 > 0:52:33I'm joining a group who are learning how to do just that.
0:52:33 > 0:52:35- Hello. ALL:- Hello.- What are we up to?
0:52:35 > 0:52:38Well, we're trying to work out where we are and we're doing that by
0:52:38 > 0:52:42trying to identify some features on the ground.
0:52:42 > 0:52:46What we can then do is pick out those features and try and match them to what we see on the map.
0:52:46 > 0:52:50And that'll help give us a much better fix and a clearer picture of exactly where we are.
0:52:50 > 0:52:54Does this come naturally to all of you? Are you a good map reader?
0:52:54 > 0:52:58- Er, no, I've had to learn the skills.- And easy or hard?
0:52:58 > 0:53:00It is just a lot of practice.
0:53:00 > 0:53:05I'm a bit out of practice myself so Carlo begins by explaining how
0:53:05 > 0:53:07to match the landscape to features on the map.
0:53:09 > 0:53:12If we look out in front of us here, what have we got?
0:53:12 > 0:53:14- We've got a lake, we've got water... - Yeah.
0:53:14 > 0:53:16And what have we got over there?
0:53:16 > 0:53:18- We've got a bridge, a footpath.- Yeah.
0:53:18 > 0:53:21And can we pick those features out on the map?
0:53:21 > 0:53:24Well, I'm guessing that that's that one. Am I right with scale?
0:53:24 > 0:53:26- Yeah, that's right.- Yeah?
0:53:26 > 0:53:30But in order to help confirm that as well, or confirm it further,
0:53:30 > 0:53:34we've actually got some really good what we call topographical features.
0:53:34 > 0:53:37Lumps and bumps might be another way of describing that.
0:53:37 > 0:53:42The lumps and bumps are shown on the map by the faint brown contour lines.
0:53:42 > 0:53:46The closer together they are, the steeper the hill.
0:53:46 > 0:53:47We can then turn the map
0:53:47 > 0:53:51so that it all kind of fits with everything that we see around us.
0:53:51 > 0:53:53What it now allows us to do is have a better picture
0:53:53 > 0:53:56of the scenery in front of us compared to the map.
0:53:56 > 0:53:59And, from that, we can now start to work out exactly where we are.
0:54:01 > 0:54:02Now we know where we are,
0:54:02 > 0:54:06we can start navigating ourselves off the mountain.
0:54:06 > 0:54:09This bit is pretty straightforward because, fortunately,
0:54:09 > 0:54:11we can see exactly where we're going.
0:54:11 > 0:54:14That's fairly simple, obviously.
0:54:14 > 0:54:17We followed the map, we could see where we were going, which helped.
0:54:17 > 0:54:19But it's getting a bit misty now.
0:54:19 > 0:54:21One of the little skills that we could use now,
0:54:21 > 0:54:24given the fact that it's getting a little bit more misty,
0:54:24 > 0:54:28is to use a compass bearing and that would then allow us to stay on track,
0:54:28 > 0:54:31even if the mist does come down and we start to lose visibility.
0:54:33 > 0:54:36With our compasses set, Lucy takes the lead.
0:54:37 > 0:54:39Come on, guys. Keep up!
0:54:41 > 0:54:42Quite bossy, isn't she?
0:54:42 > 0:54:44JULIA CHUCKLES
0:54:44 > 0:54:46Are you a natural born leader, Lucy?
0:54:46 > 0:54:47I try my best!
0:54:51 > 0:54:56Luckily, it's not getting mistier, but Lucy hasn't chosen an easy route.
0:54:56 > 0:55:01It's very damp underfoot now. Quite boggy, which makes it hard work.
0:55:01 > 0:55:03I'm quite pleased I'm not leading this group.
0:55:03 > 0:55:07'Hmm, think I spoke too soon.'
0:55:07 > 0:55:09How do you fancy your turn now, Julia?
0:55:09 > 0:55:11I knew you were going to say that.
0:55:11 > 0:55:13Well, really, it's up to these guys,
0:55:13 > 0:55:15because what time do you want to be home?
0:55:15 > 0:55:17- Got all day.- Great(!)
0:55:17 > 0:55:19- Well, why don't we do a nice, easy leg?- OK.
0:55:19 > 0:55:23From here, and it's quite realistic given the conditions,
0:55:23 > 0:55:26why don't you take us from here down to the car park,
0:55:26 > 0:55:30where we can pick up the vehicles, go and have a nice cup of tea?
0:55:30 > 0:55:34Just remember - hot cut of tea, hot cup of tea, hot cup of tea. Follow me, guys.
0:55:34 > 0:55:36Mountain leader!
0:55:38 > 0:55:41With the car park almost in sight, it's pretty easy from here on in.
0:55:41 > 0:55:44Had it been a misty day, or night-time,
0:55:44 > 0:55:47it would have been a different story.
0:55:47 > 0:55:50You see, I always make sure that I go out with somebody who's very good
0:55:50 > 0:55:54with a map and a compass, because I seriously would not survive.
0:55:56 > 0:56:00It's so easy for the weather to close in
0:56:00 > 0:56:02and for you to look around
0:56:02 > 0:56:06and just not have a clue about where to go next.
0:56:10 > 0:56:14See, I'm lucky. It's brightened up. Visibility is good.
0:56:14 > 0:56:17I can actually see my destination. It's all worked out very well.
0:56:17 > 0:56:21- Come on, guys. We really are nearly there.- Yes! Let's go!
0:56:21 > 0:56:24This is it. Solid ground.
0:56:25 > 0:56:29It might not have been the toughest navigational challenge in the world,
0:56:29 > 0:56:33but at least it's given me a chance to brush up those vital map reading skills.
0:56:33 > 0:56:35- How did we do, Carlo? - Well done. Very good.- Yeah?
0:56:35 > 0:56:38- Everybody's done really well today. - Well done, guys.
0:56:38 > 0:56:40Thank you very much for sharing your experience with me.
0:56:40 > 0:56:43- I'm sure you're all going to be expert leaders one day.- Thank you.
0:56:43 > 0:56:45That's it from Snowdonia.
0:56:45 > 0:56:48Next week, I'm going to be reunited with Mr Baker in Shropshire,
0:56:48 > 0:56:50the birthplace of the modern-day Olympic Games.
0:56:50 > 0:56:53And you can guess there will be games of our own to be played.
0:56:53 > 0:56:56But, now, I'm going to navigate my way to a hot bath. Bye-bye.
0:57:15 > 0:57:19Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd