:00:23. > :00:29.Autumn - a kaleidoscope of colour, before the slow descent into winter.
:00:30. > :00:33.For many, it's a season to wind down, but in our woodlands,
:00:34. > :00:38.nature's having a final flourish, bursting with ripe treasure.
:00:39. > :00:41.In today's special celebration of the season,
:00:42. > :00:44.we're going to put on our boots, kick through the crisp leaves,
:00:45. > :00:49.and explore the fruits of our forests.
:00:50. > :00:52.Anita's exploring the wonder of walnuts...
:00:53. > :01:01...John catches a glimpse of some rare hazel dormice...
:01:02. > :01:08.because this is the first time I've ever seen a dormouse.
:01:09. > :01:16...Naomi hears how conkers nearly helped us win the war...
:01:17. > :01:20...and Adam pigs out with celebrity chef Cyrus Todiwala.
:01:21. > :01:39.Can't come and cook lunch for me tomorrow as well, can you?
:01:40. > :01:43.I'm in the depths of East Sussex. At least, I think I am.
:01:44. > :01:45.I've got a map, but there aren't any road names.
:01:46. > :01:52.It's more like a floor plan of a wild supermarket.
:01:53. > :01:54.Well, I've been invited round for dinner
:01:55. > :01:58.about living off the fruits of our forests.
:01:59. > :02:01.Now, where you may see a thicket, a stream, and a few trees,
:02:02. > :02:07.he sees a meat counter, a vegetable aisle, and a salad bar.
:02:08. > :02:10.In his mid-20s, Nick Weston gave up the rat race
:02:11. > :02:14.as a jobbing chef in the city, and set himself a challenge -
:02:15. > :02:17.to move back to the countryside, build a treehouse,
:02:18. > :02:22.and stay in it for six months, living off the land.
:02:23. > :02:31.Every day, he kept a diary, detailing his steep learning curve.
:02:32. > :02:37.Pigeons have a reputation for being reasonably bulletproof.
:02:38. > :02:40.I waited until the bird gave me a profile of his head,
:02:41. > :02:44.GUNSHOT WINGS FLAP
:02:45. > :02:49.The pigeon folded, and dropped like a stone to the forest floor.
:02:50. > :02:52.I feel Mother Nature was smiling on me.
:02:53. > :02:54.Either that, or the pigeon was depressed,
:02:55. > :03:06.Well, Nick has since upgraded, and he's built a bigger treehouse,
:03:07. > :03:08.but as he's now married with a young baby,
:03:09. > :03:11.he uses it to teach others how to get back to nature,
:03:12. > :03:19.And, according to these three, he's just up here on the left.
:03:20. > :03:24.Morning, Matt. How are you doing? This is mightily impressive!
:03:25. > :03:28.Good to see you, mate. Good to see you. Oh, who's this, down here?
:03:29. > :03:31.This is Bea. Hello, Bea. She's our little truffle dog.
:03:32. > :03:33.Goodness, what a place you've got here, Nick! Lovely, isn't it?
:03:34. > :03:36.So, you've got a kitchen here, then? Yep, this is our wood-fired kitchen.
:03:37. > :03:39.In here, we've got the grill, clay oven, got a built-in smoker.
:03:40. > :03:42.And I'm glad to see you've got the coffee on as well. Yes, indeed.
:03:43. > :03:43.Which is great. Most important bit.
:03:44. > :03:45.So where did all this idea come from, Nick?
:03:46. > :03:50.So, I mean, originally, I worked as a chef in London,
:03:51. > :03:53.I got to the point where I wanted to get
:03:54. > :03:56.a bit closer to my ingredients, and do hunting, fishing,
:03:57. > :04:01.so it was kind of about being a 21st century hunter-gatherer.
:04:02. > :04:04.Were you quite outdoorsy as a kid, though?
:04:05. > :04:10.so it sort of partnered quite well with the challenge I'd set myself.
:04:11. > :04:13.And of course, the whole point is seasonality. Mm.
:04:14. > :04:16.You're eating what's fresh at that time of year,
:04:17. > :04:19.so the way that your food must change through the year
:04:20. > :04:21.must be quite an exciting thing for you, from a chef's perspective.
:04:22. > :04:24.I mean, that is the amazing thing about doing this,
:04:25. > :04:26.cos you are so close to the ingredients,
:04:27. > :04:29.and we do, throughout the year... Every month,
:04:30. > :04:32.there's a new plant that comes in, or a new part of a plant.
:04:33. > :04:34.This time of year, obviously, some fruits, nuts,
:04:35. > :04:37.which is always a very exciting time of year.
:04:38. > :04:40.And, so, what's on the menu today, Nick?
:04:41. > :04:43.So, today we have some pheasant and some partridge.
:04:44. > :04:46.We've got some of Bea's truffles that she found. Oh, good stuff.
:04:47. > :04:48.But then we're going to have to go and forage some ingredients
:04:49. > :04:54.Let's go shopping! Let's go shopping indeed.
:04:55. > :04:56.'Needless to say, this is a private woodland,
:04:57. > :05:03.'and Nick has permission from the landlord to forage.'
:05:04. > :05:05.The important thing, I think, with foraging,
:05:06. > :05:17.Flavour-wise, you can have a little nibble of it.
:05:18. > :05:23...slightly, kind of, aromatic. Oh, yeah, that's good.
:05:24. > :05:28.Its Latin name is Achillea millefolium,
:05:29. > :05:30.cos it's believed that Achilles used to use this
:05:31. > :05:38.'A bit of sorrel and vetch, and we've got ourselves a wild salad -
:05:39. > :05:47.'though I think Bea wants fish for dinner.'
:05:48. > :05:50.So, we've got our pheasants and we've got our partridge,
:05:51. > :05:53.and then we've got another ingredient,
:05:54. > :05:56.which is over there, and over there, which is fire,
:05:57. > :06:01.so that's all our wild elements for the dish.
:06:02. > :06:03.OK. And how long do you expect this to take, then,
:06:04. > :06:05.before it's on a plate, ready to eat?
:06:06. > :06:19.Cos we're going from scratch, about an hour. OK. Sounds good.
:06:20. > :06:23.I'm not the only one making the most of autumn's abundance today.
:06:24. > :06:32.to meet a man growing a crop that's a tough nut to crack.
:06:33. > :06:38.an ancient 300-acre estate on the edge of the Somerset Levels,
:06:39. > :06:44.once owned by the medieval abbots of Glastonbury.
:06:45. > :06:46.Today, the estate is in the hands of Roger Saul.
:06:47. > :06:53.Roger has championed the use of the age-old grain spelt.
:06:54. > :06:56.But this autumn marks the first commercial harvest
:06:57. > :07:06.In a nutshell, Roger's growing walnuts.
:07:07. > :07:10.So this farm has an ancient heritage,
:07:11. > :07:13.and is that something that you've consciously tried to recreate?
:07:14. > :07:15.was I had a look at the history and said,
:07:16. > :07:20."Could we recreate, in some way, that mixed economy organic farm?"
:07:21. > :07:24.So, as I set out, I had sheep, cattle,
:07:25. > :07:31.You don't really think of walnuts as being traditionally very British.
:07:32. > :07:34.No, and very much, they'd have come from Persia, I suppose, originally,
:07:35. > :07:38.but as I was doing building work in the house,
:07:39. > :07:41.we were going through a really old wall,
:07:42. > :07:47.a scallop shell, chicken bones, and they were all stuffed in,
:07:48. > :07:51.where the monk had been putting in plaster to make the wall.
:07:52. > :07:54.Clearly, they'd been here 500 years ago, or more.
:07:55. > :07:57.So, how old is this tree behind us? Can I have a closer look?
:07:58. > :08:00.Yeah, this tree would have been... We planted these 12 years ago.
:08:01. > :08:03.Here's one that's already fallen down. OK.
:08:04. > :08:07.That's the husk, and in here, you've got...
:08:08. > :08:13.That's not quite ready yet. It's still very damp.
:08:14. > :08:21.Right. So, that's now what we call a wet walnut. OK.
:08:22. > :08:24.It really is brain-shaped. You know, so if you look at...
:08:25. > :08:28.It's brain food as well, isn't it? Yeah.
:08:29. > :08:38.Delicious though they are, with 200 trees to harvest,
:08:39. > :08:43.entrusted to gather Roger's first commercial crop -
:08:44. > :08:46.farmhand Gemma Dart and manager Rowan Norman.
:08:47. > :08:48.Hello, Rowan. Hiya. How are you doing?
:08:49. > :08:50.All right. Good to see you. Yes, and you.
:08:51. > :08:54.No, we harvest walnuts with tractors nowadays. I thought you beat them?
:08:55. > :08:57.Not any more, thankfully. Let me show you this thing.
:08:58. > :09:01.Apple shaker, from cider orchards. Right.
:09:02. > :09:03.So, we hook it up to the trees, and shake them all down.
:09:04. > :09:05.And how do you collect the walnuts, then?
:09:06. > :09:08.We then collect the walnuts off of a tarpaulin that we lay on the floor.
:09:09. > :09:11.We sweep them into a big pile, and shovel them into boxes.
:09:12. > :09:16.This is our very first time. All right, well, let's do it.
:09:17. > :09:19.Let's give it a go. Let's hook it up.
:09:20. > :09:31.Let's just hope harvesting this new crop with traditional methods works.
:09:32. > :09:55.Oh, right, I'd better get out from under the tree!
:09:56. > :10:01.He's done a good job. The system works.
:10:02. > :10:06.And there we have the first ever walnut harvest.
:10:07. > :10:10.I feel a bit queasy after that. ROWAN CHUCKLES
:10:11. > :10:13.Having collected all the nuts from the ground,
:10:14. > :10:15.we've ended up with a good few boxfuls,
:10:16. > :10:22.before drying in Roger's own home-spun fashion.
:10:23. > :10:24.OK, Roger, so what's this bit of the process?
:10:25. > :10:30.So, we've got a tray of walnuts at each level. Oh, fantastic.
:10:31. > :10:32.So these'll be in here... Depending on what the weather's been like,
:10:33. > :10:36.they'll probably be in here for up to 24 hours. Yep.
:10:37. > :10:41.No, but it just takes the moisture down by about 20%,
:10:42. > :10:45.and then we put it out here, just to air dry,
:10:46. > :10:48.and this netting is to keep the squirrels off.
:10:49. > :10:54.again depending on how much moisture there is in the air.
:10:55. > :10:56.And how many do you think you'll have this year?
:10:57. > :10:59.Should be somewhere between 300 and 400 kilos.
:11:00. > :11:04.those 200 trees should produce about five to ten tonnes.
:11:05. > :11:06.Well, it's been fascinating seeing the whole process,
:11:07. > :11:16.Roger's toasting some of last autumn's haul
:11:17. > :11:24.So you're just replacing the pine nuts with the walnuts?
:11:25. > :11:28.That looks like a nice paste coming on, there.
:11:29. > :11:30.Let's just pop a bit of that in there.
:11:31. > :11:35.Let's pop some more Parmesan in there. Yes, please.
:11:36. > :11:41.And I think the walnuts are just about ready.
:11:42. > :11:49.Smells so good! This is going to be great. I can tell.
:11:50. > :11:55.Fingers crossed. Fingers crossed.
:11:56. > :12:01.That is delicious. You can't get fresher or more seasonal than this.
:12:02. > :12:11.Somerset walnuts... On the Somerset Levels. On the Somerset Levels.
:12:12. > :12:15.Autumn's certainly a plentiful time in the trees and hedgerows,
:12:16. > :12:19.but beneath the display, there's inevitably decay.
:12:20. > :12:22.Tim Shepherd is a botanist and cameraman
:12:23. > :12:25.who's captured some of the most famous time-lapse sequences
:12:26. > :12:42.His footage offers a window to a little-seen autumnal underworld.
:12:43. > :12:47.Looks like an earth ball that's got some parasitic fungus growing ON it.
:12:48. > :12:51.It's pretty much the only toadstool that you'll find
:12:52. > :12:54.that is more or less guaranteed to kill you.
:12:55. > :12:57.I was really lucky at school, to have an amazing teacher,
:12:58. > :13:02.and we went a bit mad, and we spent a whole term on fungi.
:13:03. > :13:05.And it just got me so excited about this other world,
:13:06. > :13:10.It sort of looks like a piece of raw meat,
:13:11. > :13:13.and it's actually a beefsteak fungus.
:13:14. > :13:15.Fungi do crop up at different times of year,
:13:16. > :13:19.but the autumn is just so much better than any other time,
:13:20. > :13:23.and it's really down to their biology, because of humidity.
:13:24. > :13:27.I've found this amazing bracket fungus.
:13:28. > :13:31.It's very important for the fungus to release its spores
:13:32. > :13:34.when it's humid, and then the spores can survive
:13:35. > :13:38.for a long time in the air, and spread a long way.
:13:39. > :13:41.The puffballs release their spores by raindrops landing on them,
:13:42. > :13:51.and the energy of the raindrop puffs the spores out the top.
:13:52. > :14:01.A lovely row of sulphur tuft along here.
:14:02. > :14:06.Time lapse is great, cos it reveals things that you can't see.
:14:07. > :14:09.You're just speeding up the action, that's all it is, really.
:14:10. > :14:13.Reducing a day or two into a few seconds.
:14:14. > :14:16.And then you can see exactly how they're growing,
:14:17. > :14:28.Slime moulds are just a fascinating group. Very common in the autumn.
:14:29. > :14:32.They're not animals, and they're not plants. They're really unique.
:14:33. > :14:34.And it creeps about really quite quickly.
:14:35. > :14:42.They pulse, they look sort of like an alien creature, in time lapse.
:14:43. > :14:45.If I collect something and take it into the studio,
:14:46. > :14:48.then I can control all the conditions that it's growing under.
:14:49. > :14:52.I can make sure that the lighting is consistent.
:14:53. > :14:55.And, as long as I've got the right conditions
:14:56. > :14:59.hopefully it'll grow, and you'll get a lovely shot.
:15:00. > :15:04.I've got a lovely old building which my studio is in.
:15:05. > :15:10.It's an old sawmill. It's full of old sets and bits and bobs.
:15:11. > :15:14.You could say my studio is a bit haphazard.
:15:15. > :15:19.But, what really matters is what the camera sees.
:15:20. > :15:27.Most of my fungi shots end up with a set being built
:15:28. > :15:33.inside a, like, a little mini greenhouse type arrangement.
:15:34. > :15:37.Then the fungus has got its 100% humidity.
:15:38. > :15:42.It's just a stills camera, and you just take one frame at a time,
:15:43. > :15:59.and replay them back at 25 frames per second.
:16:00. > :16:02.It's not until you actually sequence the shot and play it back,
:16:03. > :16:05.you realise what's happened in between.
:16:06. > :16:09.And, very often, there's some amazing surprises.
:16:10. > :16:12.You have to sort of make it up as you go along, really,
:16:13. > :16:32.I'm not a boffin, but I'm a... I don't know what I am!
:16:33. > :16:35.If you've been inspired to get out and take some autumnal photos,
:16:36. > :16:44.Tweet us, and you never know, you might even see them on the show.
:16:45. > :16:46.Now, they're the very essence of autumn -
:16:47. > :16:49.horse chestnut trees, laden with conkers -
:16:50. > :16:58.this humble nut can pack a punch in more ways than one.
:16:59. > :17:01.Green, spiky orbs, containing precious treasure.
:17:02. > :17:05.Every year, the horse chestnut gives up its fruit -
:17:06. > :17:07.but they don't lie abandoned for long.
:17:08. > :17:10.We've been soaking them in vinegar, baking them,
:17:11. > :17:13.and threading them on a string for generations,
:17:14. > :17:15.each autumn, children and adults alike,
:17:16. > :17:20.battling it out in a game of conkers.
:17:21. > :17:24.But these tough nuts haven't just been used for childhood fun.
:17:25. > :17:30.110 years ago, they were called upon for a far more serious battle.
:17:31. > :17:37.It was 1915, and our country was at war.
:17:38. > :17:40.The British Army was facing a crisis.
:17:41. > :17:44.Continuous, fierce fighting had led to a chronic shell shortage,
:17:45. > :17:49.guns only firing as few as four shells a day.
:17:50. > :17:54.To create firepower, the government needed a propellant called cordite,
:17:55. > :17:59.but a key ingredient, acetone, was in short supply.
:18:00. > :18:11.which, when fermented, could produce the much-needed acetone.
:18:12. > :18:14.And who better to collect them but children?
:18:15. > :18:17.The Ministry of Munitions released an urgent demand
:18:18. > :18:21.to schools and Scout groups up and down the land.
:18:22. > :18:29.Thousands of tonnes of conkers were collected and sent for processing.
:18:30. > :18:32.So how did they conjure up an explosive material
:18:33. > :18:38.Dr Kristy Turner is a chemist from the University of Manchester.
:18:39. > :18:43.Loving this woodland science lab. Very nice.
:18:44. > :18:46.So, can you tell me, how did you go from one of these
:18:47. > :18:49.into something used to fire shells and bullets?
:18:50. > :18:52.So, in World War I, they did this by doing a fermentation process
:18:53. > :18:54.which is what you we're going to show you here. OK.
:18:55. > :18:57.In the war, they used bacteria to do the fermentation,
:18:58. > :19:03.but today, to make it a bit easier, we're going to use yeast.
:19:04. > :19:06.The bacteria and water would be added to the conkers
:19:07. > :19:11.enzymes getting to work to create the acetone.
:19:12. > :19:19.So we're going to have to filter the solids from it.
:19:20. > :19:24.the next step was to distil the acetone mixture to make it pure.
:19:25. > :19:28.Only then would it be mixed with other explosive ingredients
:19:29. > :19:31.to make the spaghetti-like strings of cordite.
:19:32. > :19:35.But the grand ambition for conkers wasn't to be.
:19:36. > :19:39.On this small lab scale that we have here,
:19:40. > :19:42.but when they scaled it up to factory scale,
:19:43. > :19:44.it didn't work too well, and in the end
:19:45. > :19:47.they abandoned the process after about three months.
:19:48. > :19:52.may not have left a dent in the history books,
:19:53. > :19:58.but their traditional use as a tool for fun is as strong as ever.
:19:59. > :20:01.And it's the tiny village of Southwick in Northamptonshire
:20:02. > :20:12.for those who are nuts about conkers.
:20:13. > :20:15.For decades, the World Conker Championships
:20:16. > :20:18.has drawn competitors from all over the globe
:20:19. > :20:30.and I think I need to find out a bit more from King Conker,
:20:31. > :20:33.who I believe is this gentleman in green here.
:20:34. > :20:38.Now, should I call you King? Yes, if you wish, for the day.
:20:39. > :20:40.So, can you tell me, how did this all get started?
:20:41. > :20:45.Well, it started many years ago - 1965 to be precise.
:20:46. > :20:50.it was a windy day, they couldn't fish,
:20:51. > :20:54.so they decided to go to the public house, have a drink.
:20:55. > :20:56.Conkers were falling outside the public house,
:20:57. > :21:01.From there on, it became a yearly event,
:21:02. > :21:04.and it's multiplied and multiplied and multiplied.
:21:05. > :21:09.Well, my role is probably keep order, make everybody happy,
:21:10. > :21:11.try to advise people how to play conkers,
:21:12. > :21:13.and just hope everybody has a good time.
:21:14. > :21:15.COMMENTATOR: He's not invoking the rule.
:21:16. > :21:24.Struggling with that knee injury, but soldiering on at the age of 81.
:21:25. > :21:28.Richard Howard has been chief umpire -
:21:29. > :21:32.but his connection to conkers goes back much further.
:21:33. > :21:36.I'm nearly 75. I've been playing it all my life,
:21:37. > :21:42.And in fact, my father and his family
:21:43. > :21:46.used to actually collect conkers during the First World War.
:21:47. > :21:49.Looks like I've picked the right guy for some tips, then.
:21:50. > :21:54.You don't have a choice of conker. Thank you.
:21:55. > :21:58.We gather them within the week leading up to Conker Day,
:21:59. > :22:04.How many do you collect? About 2,000 to 2,500.
:22:05. > :22:10.Three hits each until the conker is knocked off.
:22:11. > :22:13.And you better keep your string at the right length.
:22:14. > :22:20.It's got to be eight inches between the knuckle and the nut.
:22:21. > :22:34.Careful. I'm going to yellow card you. Oh, oh...
:22:35. > :22:39.Well, that's my conker career shattered.
:22:40. > :22:43.Luckily there are some people here who know what they're doing.
:22:44. > :22:48.as well as some rather eccentric costumes.
:22:49. > :22:54.to the thousands who come to this tiny village every autumn?
:22:55. > :23:00.I see people here from all round the country every year.
:23:01. > :23:03.And it's this beautiful setting, a village atmosphere.
:23:04. > :23:07.I can't get enough of it. HE LAUGHS
:23:08. > :23:10.One by one, hopeful champions are knocked out.
:23:11. > :23:13.COMMENTATOR: This, for the world title, Tom Dryden.
:23:14. > :23:19.Until a new Conker Queen and King are eventually crowned.
:23:20. > :23:27.The humble conker has had an eventful history,
:23:28. > :23:34.And now, as this eccentric event shows,
:23:35. > :23:38.they're still giving pleasure to people all over the world.
:23:39. > :23:46.An autumn tradition that will hopefully never grow old.
:23:47. > :23:49.Well, thanks to the Countryfile calendar,
:23:50. > :23:54.we'll know when to start prepping for next year's World Championships.
:23:55. > :23:56.If you haven't got one yet, here's all the details.
:23:57. > :24:00.It costs ?9.50, including free UK delivery.
:24:01. > :24:04.where you'll find a link to the order page.
:24:05. > :24:14.Or you can phone the order line on...
:24:15. > :24:17.Well, last year's calendar was a record breaker,
:24:18. > :24:20.raising over ?2 million, and it goes without saying,
:24:21. > :24:25.this year, with your help and the help of these beautiful photos,
:24:26. > :24:30.we want to continue that amount of support.
:24:31. > :24:43.then send your name, address and a cheque to...
:24:44. > :24:48.And please make your cheques payable to "BBC Countryfile Calendar".
:24:49. > :24:51.A minimum of ?4 from the sale of each calendar
:24:52. > :24:59.will be donated to BBC Children In Need.
:25:00. > :25:02.Autumn is as fruitful as it is flamboyant.
:25:03. > :25:08.vital fuel to get animals through the winter.
:25:09. > :25:12.Not to mention the odd calorific crumble for us.
:25:13. > :25:20.autumn also presents a last-minute opportunity to pig out.
:25:21. > :25:22.I'm delivering some pigs to a farming friend of mine,
:25:23. > :25:25.and I've already overloaded some Tamworths and Iron Age,
:25:26. > :25:27.and next, we've got this litter of Berkshires
:25:28. > :25:30.and some Gloucestershire Old Spots too.
:25:31. > :25:32.And these old-fashioned breeds fell by the wayside
:25:33. > :25:36.because of fast-growing, modern pork production.
:25:37. > :25:39.But now, thankfully, they're coming back into their own
:25:40. > :25:45.It's really lovely to be able to take these rare breeds
:25:46. > :25:49.to a farm that's going to appreciate them.
:25:50. > :25:51.The piglets are going just down the road
:25:52. > :26:03.Farmer Simon Wilson sells his rare breed meat
:26:04. > :26:09.But his methods of rearing them are very traditional.
:26:10. > :26:11.Good to see you again. Good to see you.
:26:12. > :26:13.This is lovely for them in here. Yeah, it's perfect.
:26:14. > :26:16.They've got three acres to run around in here. Wow, lucky pigs.
:26:17. > :26:19.Hoovering up woodland nuts and berries
:26:20. > :26:22.not only gives their meat great texture and taste,
:26:23. > :26:25.it also clears the woodland floor, allowing regeneration.
:26:26. > :26:27.Simon, they're instantly relaxed, aren't they?
:26:28. > :26:31.If they were in the natural situation,
:26:32. > :26:36.If they were just native pigs, they'd be in a forest or woodland.
:26:37. > :26:40.And is that why these more ancient, sort of, traditional British breeds
:26:41. > :26:42.like this kind of environment, do you think?
:26:43. > :26:44.I think so. They wouldn't be happy indoors.
:26:45. > :26:46.They need to be outside, rooting around.
:26:47. > :26:48.They've got more hair and more fat, haven't they?
:26:49. > :26:51.They've got the wherewithal to survive out here.
:26:52. > :26:53.And the flavour is in the fat, you know,
:26:54. > :26:55.so we don't mind a little bit of extra fat.
:26:56. > :26:59.there's plenty of food for them, isn't there?
:27:00. > :27:03.There's acorns, blackberries, there's even the briars,
:27:04. > :27:06.they'll eat those, and the fallen leaves. Nothing's wasted.
:27:07. > :27:07.And they'll rootle in the ground as well?
:27:08. > :27:10.Yeah, there's worms and slugs in the ground.
:27:11. > :27:12.They've all got their heads down already.
:27:13. > :27:14.They're looking really happy, aren't they?
:27:15. > :27:19.the porkers would take about five months to rear. Yeah.
:27:20. > :27:22.Well, we're looking at six to seven months,
:27:23. > :27:26.because we're producing a premium product.
:27:27. > :27:30.They want to know where the animals are living? Yeah, they want a...
:27:31. > :27:33.They want free-range pork. That's really quite important.
:27:34. > :27:36.Well, if I was going to be a pig, reared outdoors,
:27:37. > :27:40.This is lovely, isn't it? This is a happy place, isn't it?
:27:41. > :27:47.It's good for the pigs, good for the woodland,
:27:48. > :27:49.and especially good for the customer.
:27:50. > :27:56.Simon sells his woodland-reared pork locally in his farm shop.
:27:57. > :28:02.What I'd like is some of your free-range woodland pork mince. Yes.
:28:03. > :28:04.A couple of kilos, if you've got some of that. Couple of kilos.
:28:05. > :28:12.Thanks very much. Thank you very much.
:28:13. > :28:15.Being able to buy meat of this quality and provenance
:28:16. > :28:18.is a real treat, but to make the most of the flavours,
:28:19. > :28:21.you don't want me cooking it. We need to bring in the professionals.
:28:22. > :28:25.Right, I'd better get him paid for this.
:28:26. > :28:28.Back at my farm, I'm meeting up with celebrity chef
:28:29. > :28:31.and rare breed enthusiast Cyrus Todiwala.
:28:32. > :28:34.Look very docile, don't they? Yeah, they're nice and quiet.
:28:35. > :28:39.for his contribution to the hospitality industry.
:28:40. > :28:44.who's embraced the qualities of our rare breeds in his dishes.
:28:45. > :28:50.His series The Incredible Spice Men brought together the best
:28:51. > :28:54.of what British ingredients and Indian spices have to offer.
:28:55. > :28:57.Cyrus, when my father first started keeping rare breeds
:28:58. > :29:01.it was all about saving them from extinction.
:29:02. > :29:04.Sure. But you're more about giving them a purpose, aren't you?
:29:05. > :29:08.in the sense that he actually had vision
:29:09. > :29:11.beyond what was required at the time.
:29:12. > :29:13.To save them from absolute extinction,
:29:14. > :29:18.It sounds rather strange, but the more of the rare breed
:29:19. > :29:22.you demand as a meat, the more the chances of the breed surviving.
:29:23. > :29:24.And for you? What are your favourites?
:29:25. > :29:27.Oh, my favourites. Manx Loaghtan, for example. The sheep.
:29:28. > :29:31.I think they are as interesting to look at as they are to cook.
:29:32. > :29:34.They are absolutely mad, I think, when I tried to catch one once.
:29:35. > :29:37.So Manx Loaghtan, I've got very fond of at the moment.
:29:38. > :29:41.And is it about educating farmers, chefs, AND the public?
:29:42. > :29:44.I think we need to start with the public,
:29:45. > :29:46.because the public dictate how food trends go,
:29:47. > :29:49.and I think that's where the value comes in.
:29:50. > :29:51.If people will start to demand, "Where did that come from?
:29:52. > :29:54."Who farmed it? Where was it grown? What did it eat?"
:29:55. > :29:58.That makes the bond between the customer and the chef closer,
:29:59. > :30:01.but, again, the third party involved is the farmer
:30:02. > :30:04.for his producing such high-quality produce
:30:05. > :30:11.I couldn't agree more. I'm loving what you're saying.
:30:12. > :30:15.'And what better way to appreciate such fine British produce
:30:16. > :30:20.'than to use Cyrus' expertise to knock up a batch of spicy sausages?'
:30:21. > :30:28.'But first, we need to know what we're working with.'
:30:29. > :30:31.So, Cyrus, as an Indian chef, you're famed for your spices,
:30:32. > :30:34.but you're cooking this without any seasoning at all so far.
:30:35. > :30:38.No, so, that's the way I like to understand my meat better.
:30:39. > :30:40.It's very important that I get the flavour of the meat in my mouth,
:30:41. > :30:44.for me, to work the spicing - or I could get over-enthusiastic,
:30:45. > :30:46.as I would, normally, and chuck it all in,
:30:47. > :30:50.and then realise, "What have I done? I can't taste the meat any more.
:30:51. > :30:52."All I'm tasting is the chilli, the ginger, the garlic."
:30:53. > :30:54.Yes. But I want the meat to stand true.
:30:55. > :30:58.which is reared with passion and love and affection...
:30:59. > :31:01.You need to be careful. You need to be careful.
:31:02. > :31:04.We want juiciness. And look at that.
:31:05. > :31:08.OK, what you're seeing is the juiciness coming through.
:31:09. > :31:10.See, if you look at that. Look at all that.
:31:11. > :31:19.You see? How good that meat is? Really juicy, really soft.
:31:20. > :31:22.And the meat itself is so flavoursome. Mm.
:31:23. > :31:24.It is full of flavour, isn't it? Yeah.
:31:25. > :31:28.What you're tasting there is purity in its best form.
:31:29. > :31:32.What you're tasting is what's gone into making that animal grow
:31:33. > :31:35.from there to there, before it comes to us.
:31:36. > :31:38.Now what will you do with the spices to enhance the flavour?
:31:39. > :31:41.For that sausage, we are going to saute some onion.
:31:42. > :31:49.They are very basic, but they enhance meat.
:31:50. > :31:52.'Seeing a top chef like Cyrus at work
:31:53. > :31:56.'makes you appreciate how he values ingredients like this woodland pork.
:31:57. > :32:02.'I'm just glad to have played my part in rearing it.'
:32:03. > :32:04.This is my contribution, I'm not very good at the chopping.
:32:05. > :32:07.No, you still have to make the sausages, my dear sir.
:32:08. > :32:10.Have you made sausages before, are you good at that? I tried once.
:32:11. > :32:14.On a professional machine, and it flew 50 yards.
:32:15. > :32:18.Well, between us, we might make a right hash of it.
:32:19. > :32:30.This is good fun. Oh, we've lost one, we've lost one.
:32:31. > :32:44.'Little touches like poaching the sausages before grilling them
:32:45. > :32:47.'gives you some clue as to how far Cyrus will go...'
:32:48. > :32:50.That is showing how great we are as sausage makers.
:32:51. > :32:53.'..to get the best out of his bangers.'
:32:54. > :32:55.Well, it's lovely, the energy and effort
:32:56. > :32:58.that farmers put into producing their food,
:32:59. > :33:01.and then chefs like you put so much passion into cooking it well.
:33:02. > :33:08.And if you didn't have customers who appreciated good food,
:33:09. > :33:15.'Some of my pigs, given the top chef treatment by Cyrus.
:33:16. > :33:25.Now, think about it. 100% meat, no bread, nothing in it.
:33:26. > :33:28.And just to arrange a few slices on top, like that, like that,
:33:29. > :33:37.I can't wait. Are you ready for this?
:33:38. > :33:53.but those spices you put in are really bringing it out.
:33:54. > :33:57.You can't come and cook lunch for me tomorrow as well, can you?
:33:58. > :34:12.Just absolutely wonderful, thank you so much.
:34:13. > :34:15.'Today, we're exploring the fruits of our forests,
:34:16. > :34:21.'autumnal treasures ripe for the picking.
:34:22. > :34:24.'I've been learning about the wonders of walnuts
:34:25. > :34:31.'Joining in with the harvest is Catherine Lewis from Cardiff -
:34:32. > :34:34.'but she's not here for the delicious, nutritious nuts,
:34:35. > :34:40.'but for their inedible outer husks.'
:34:41. > :34:44.Why would anyone be interested in the husk?
:34:45. > :34:47.This is full of tannins, tannic acid,
:34:48. > :34:49.which is great for dyeing cloth and making ink,
:34:50. > :34:54.so you can see my hands are already stained pretty quickly with it.
:34:55. > :34:57.See, I thought tannin was something you just found in wine and tea.
:34:58. > :34:59.Yeah, it's found in wine because the wine's stored in oak barrels,
:35:00. > :35:02.and oak trees and chestnut trees and walnut trees
:35:03. > :35:07.are all really high in tannic acid, which is a dye.
:35:08. > :35:09.'Back in Catherine's studio in Wales,
:35:10. > :35:14.'she starts transforming the husks into creative colorants.
:35:15. > :35:16.'It's an Aladdin's cave filled to the brim
:35:17. > :35:24.Catherine, this place is perfect, isn't it? Thank you.
:35:25. > :35:27.It's just what you'd imagine... An art den.
:35:28. > :35:30.Yeah, an artist's studio-to-be. I've got a pinny for you.
:35:31. > :35:33.Thank you very much. This was dyed with blackberries and indigo.
:35:34. > :35:37.Oh, wow. So you did this as well? It's gorgeous.
:35:38. > :35:38.Right, so what are we doing, Catherine?
:35:39. > :35:41.We're going to be using the walnuts we collected at Sharpham Park
:35:42. > :35:45.And we're just going to cut them up and put them into water.
:35:46. > :35:49.Some natural dyes need what's called a mordant,
:35:50. > :35:51.which helps the dye stick to the fabric,
:35:52. > :35:55.but walnuts don't need anything. And does it have to be fresh?
:35:56. > :35:59.For dyeing fabrics, I've found they work best fresh, yeah.
:36:00. > :36:02.So this is the best time of year to be doing this?
:36:03. > :36:04.Yeah, it's really good to get them straight off the tree,
:36:05. > :36:07.straight into the water, and get the fabric in there, yeah.
:36:08. > :36:10.And how do you know what strength of colour you're going to get?
:36:11. > :36:13.You don't, really. It's a bit of trial and error, yeah.
:36:14. > :36:16.Sometimes I leave them in soaking overnight,
:36:17. > :36:19.sometimes you can get a really great colour in an hour,
:36:20. > :36:22.it's a little bit of alchemy, really.
:36:23. > :36:24.It is alchemy, I love that you said that,
:36:25. > :36:28.because this does feel like a little alchemist's studio-to-be.
:36:29. > :36:31.'Catherine's chemistry does spin gold. Not from lead,
:36:32. > :36:35.'but various seasonal plants, like daffodils.
:36:36. > :36:38.'And complementing the walnuts' dark hues,
:36:39. > :36:45.'Catherine uses woad plants to produce indigo blues.
:36:46. > :36:47.'The walnut husks are gently simmered
:36:48. > :36:50.'to reduce the liquid and enrich the colour.'
:36:51. > :36:52.So we're going to do some fabric dyeing now.
:36:53. > :36:57.This is an old parachute? Yeah, from an old parachute, yeah.
:36:58. > :37:02.So these will become scarves, like the one I'm wearing now.
:37:03. > :37:04.So, depending on what type of fabric you use,
:37:05. > :37:07.this is the colour palette you can get from the walnuts.
:37:08. > :37:12.and then coming down to cotton and linen.
:37:13. > :37:15.And they're all really different. And they were all dyed exactly
:37:16. > :37:23.'We're using the ancient Japanese technique of kanoko shibori,
:37:24. > :37:27.'better known in the West as tie-dye.
:37:28. > :37:33.'It should create a series of circles. Fingers crossed.'
:37:34. > :37:37.So we're going to do that a few times. As many as you fancy doing.
:37:38. > :37:49.'the silk is quickly soaked to ensure a consistent final colour.'
:37:50. > :37:54.So we're going to take it out of the water and put it into the dye.
:37:55. > :37:58.And I'll give it a little stir, shall I? Yeah.
:37:59. > :38:08.And now it's going to be a pretty tie-dye scarf.
:38:09. > :38:11.'Not only do walnuts produce beautiful fabric dyes,
:38:12. > :38:15.'but richly coloured inks for writing and printing.
:38:16. > :38:18.'Catherine carefully adds a few magic ingredients.
:38:19. > :38:23.'Gum arabic to thicken, iron sulphate to make the ink permanent,
:38:24. > :38:35.'alcohol for preservative, and even juniper for scent.'
:38:36. > :38:42.There's a mesh that's had a photographic image put on there,
:38:43. > :38:46.and this is a walnut tree. Perfect. Of course it is.
:38:47. > :38:49.And the tree that these walnuts came from, actually. Ah!
:38:50. > :38:52.So I'm just using recycled cotton bedsheets.
:38:53. > :38:55.I'm just going to put some of the ink on there.
:38:56. > :38:58.OK, so you're going to lift your squeegee up and put it behind,
:38:59. > :39:03.and then about a 45 degree angle, and pull it slowly down towards you.
:39:04. > :39:18.Oh, wow. It's worked. Fantastic. Walnut ink, walnut tree. Beautiful.
:39:19. > :39:22.'And the scarf hasn't turned out too bad, either.'
:39:23. > :39:36.'From food to fashion to calligraphy,
:39:37. > :39:40.'the humble walnut is the gift that keeps on giving.'
:39:41. > :39:44.And is this quill for me? It is. And so you just dip it in.
:39:45. > :39:48.Just dip in, give it a little tap to take any excess ink off.
:39:49. > :39:50.I'm going to write something, I'm just going to go for it.
:39:51. > :39:52.I'm going to write something for Countryfile.
:39:53. > :40:02.It's a lovely autumn brown. Isn't it?
:40:03. > :40:08.Very good. Where is she going with this?
:40:09. > :40:15.I'm actually just using this quill, letting it do its thing.
:40:16. > :40:19.Very good. "Countryfile is nuts for autumn."
:40:20. > :40:34.'that take advantage of autumn's rich pickings. Fish do, too.
:40:35. > :40:36.'We caught up with wildlife photographer Jack Perks
:40:37. > :40:49.'in Nottingham, as he filmed this seasonal wonder beneath the water.'
:40:50. > :40:53.I used to quite enjoy fishing from an early age, like 11, 12.
:40:54. > :40:57.And I'd come down here on the brook, catch little tiddlers.
:40:58. > :41:01.It seemed like this giant river that had these monster fish
:41:02. > :41:06.And it was just great when you'd peer over
:41:07. > :41:10.and you'd see in the willows these chub cruising by like submarines.
:41:11. > :41:18.That really drove my interest in fish.
:41:19. > :41:20.Fairham Brook, it's quite an odd place.
:41:21. > :41:24.It's this mosaic of habitats that come wild, urban, wild, urban,
:41:25. > :41:28.and they just mesh together to make this really strange looking place.
:41:29. > :41:39.Really, it's an urban oasis, it's a wildlife corridor.
:41:40. > :41:42.Autumn's a fantastic time on the river.
:41:43. > :41:45.This is certainly the time of year that I look forward to most,
:41:46. > :41:48.particularly now we're just starting to see the leaves threatening
:41:49. > :41:52.to turn yellow and those kind of golden hues.
:41:53. > :41:56.The main thing that I focus on is freshwater fish.
:41:57. > :41:59.They're just amazing, they have all these interesting behaviours
:42:00. > :42:06.and different lifestyles - they're just fascinating.
:42:07. > :42:08.Underwater photography really appealed to me,
:42:09. > :42:17.just cos it was a way of showing off these fish.
:42:18. > :42:20.The fish don't particularly want to be photographed,
:42:21. > :42:22.so that meant using things like camera traps -
:42:23. > :42:25.so, having small cameras weighted down on the bottom
:42:26. > :42:28.and then leaving them be for however long,
:42:29. > :42:36.and then watching what fish come in to investigate.
:42:37. > :42:41.Other times, I'll get in the river and I'll snorkel.
:42:42. > :42:46.other times I've had them almost come in and nibble my finger,
:42:47. > :42:50.really, really curious, which we don't tend to think of with fish,
:42:51. > :42:59.this big, gangly thing, floating in the river.
:43:00. > :43:02.It's all about the blackberries along the river bank
:43:03. > :43:09.and, in particular, chub gorge on them.
:43:10. > :43:12.But I just love watching them wait under these blackberry bushes
:43:13. > :43:22.They're straight in there, filling themselves silly on fruit.
:43:23. > :43:26.I mean, the word "chubby" comes from chub,
:43:27. > :43:34.Elderberries they'll eat, hawthorn berries...
:43:35. > :43:38.It's quite weird, fish that eat fruit, but they do.
:43:39. > :43:44.and of course that's important for them for the winter
:43:45. > :43:48.to pack on the weight when there might not be as much food around.
:43:49. > :43:51.They love the autumn, and I'm almost sorry when it's over,
:43:52. > :44:07.without them scoffing all these berries!
:44:08. > :44:10.Back in East Sussex, I'm with chef Nick Weston,
:44:11. > :44:17.And I'm getting very hands-on with some pheasant and partridge
:44:18. > :44:24.So we're going to focus mainly on the breast.
:44:25. > :44:26.The thing about pheasants, I mean, they are such...
:44:27. > :44:28.Just coming into season, beginning of October,
:44:29. > :44:33.so it's a really good wild meat to use, and so plentiful.
:44:34. > :44:38.Nick's approach to butchery is very much in the field...
:44:39. > :44:40...and a quick warning, if you're squeamish, look away now!
:44:41. > :44:44.So if we lay the bird down on the floor like that
:44:45. > :44:50.and get one foot really nice and close into the breast,
:44:51. > :44:54.and then same on the other side like that,
:44:55. > :44:58.now if you grab the legs around there, quite firmly...
:44:59. > :45:07.And then what happens is you end up with two bits of birds,
:45:08. > :45:14.that crown and the breast, which we're going to take out,
:45:15. > :45:17.so all you have to do is go to your chopping board
:45:18. > :45:23.So you just run your knife in right up
:45:24. > :45:30.So, you know, that's a really nice chunk of meat,
:45:31. > :45:34.and that's about as free-range and wild as you can really get.
:45:35. > :45:40.Next up, the partridge. So, just going against the grain, as it were.
:45:41. > :45:45.Just literally pulling them straight out, like that.
:45:46. > :45:56.Of course, Nick's not one for convention,
:45:57. > :45:59.so we're roasting the partridge over fire...on a sycamore branch.
:46:00. > :46:03.The thing is, cos this is kind of spring-loaded,
:46:04. > :46:06.it keeps these birds on here really nice and snug.
:46:07. > :46:16.Though Nick is passionate about eating wild,
:46:17. > :46:19.he freely admits nature often needs a helping hand.
:46:20. > :46:23.It's not all about using just foraged ingredients.
:46:24. > :46:26.You'd probably end up having not a particularly great meal
:46:27. > :46:29.if you didn't use things you can get from the supermarket,
:46:30. > :46:33.because game has very little fat, so adding in things like butter,
:46:34. > :46:38...is just a wonderful way of keeping it nice and moist
:46:39. > :46:49.While the partridge roast over the fire,
:46:50. > :46:52.Nick does his cheffy bit with the pheasant.
:46:53. > :46:54.He opens it up, adds a shaving of truffle
:46:55. > :47:15.They look done. Shall I bring them over? Yes, please!
:47:16. > :47:24.You can't really beat that smoky flavour.
:47:25. > :47:30.Our wild salad, some pickled carrot to garnish
:47:31. > :47:35.and that's our partridge dish done.
:47:36. > :47:48.Look at that, eh? That's autumn on a plate, isn't it?
:47:49. > :47:51.Right, let's stop looking at it and get eating it.
:47:52. > :47:58.Joining us upstairs for our autumnal feast are Nick's wife Claire
:47:59. > :48:05.Look at this beautiful display of wonderful colour and gorgeous food.
:48:06. > :48:07.Do you eat like this all the time, Claire?
:48:08. > :48:09.Pretty much, yes, pretty much. Do you?
:48:10. > :48:14.I have to say though, I'm not a massive fan of game or truffles!
:48:15. > :48:18.Right. Two of the things I have on tap! Well, that's fair enough.
:48:19. > :48:21.But I think we should certainly give it a go.
:48:22. > :48:27.It looks beautiful, it smells delicious.
:48:28. > :48:36.That's good, isn't it? That is actually very, very good.
:48:37. > :48:39.It's very tasty, that. And you butchered it. Mm.
:48:40. > :48:44.It's about trying to get it all on a plate and capture that season
:48:45. > :48:48.and I think with those two, we've certainly done that. Yeah.
:48:49. > :48:50.Do you know what, I'll do the washing up in just a moment.
:48:51. > :48:54.If you wouldn't mind. I will quite literally wipe the slate clean!
:48:55. > :48:58.But before that, I'm just going to link to the weather!
:48:59. > :49:00.Yes, if you are planning an autumn adventure
:49:01. > :49:03.then you're going to need to know what the weather's got in store,
:49:04. > :49:05.so here's the five-day forecast for the week ahead.
:49:06. > :49:39.Has been very dry, 14% average rainfall, also dry in Pershore. Most
:49:40. > :49:42.of the rain on the east coast, way born more than average, the showers
:49:43. > :49:46.have been hit and miss and brought in on an easterly wind. We still
:49:47. > :49:50.have an easterly wind right now, the wind will be lighter overnight but
:49:51. > :49:55.there is more cloud in the southern half of the UK so it won't be as
:49:56. > :49:58.cold, not likely to get the fog, we will get showery bursts of rain in
:49:59. > :50:01.the south-west. Further north with breaks in the cloud it will be
:50:02. > :50:14.culled enough for a touch of frost and patchy
:50:15. > :50:18.fog and a few light showers coming into eastern parts of Scotland,
:50:19. > :50:21.perhaps. As we head into Monday the first fog Emma North will lift and
:50:22. > :50:23.we will get sunshine coming through. Further south, Midlands, Wales
:50:24. > :50:25.southwards there will be more cloud than today hence the chance of
:50:26. > :50:27.showery bursts of rain clipping south-west Wales and especially the
:50:28. > :50:29.south-west and potential flaws in torrential and perhaps thundery
:50:30. > :50:32.downpours, not far away at all. That is something to watch. No more than
:50:33. > :50:34.the odd spot of rain in the south-east, dried but much more
:50:35. > :50:38.cloud, as they will be further north through the Midlands and across
:50:39. > :50:43.Wales but in northern England it may stay dry with a few showers around.
:50:44. > :50:49.More of Scotland will be dry, the winds will be lighter so the showers
:50:50. > :50:53.not coming as far inland. Light winds on Tuesday, frost and fog in
:50:54. > :50:57.Scotland, Northern Ireland and northern England, only slowly
:50:58. > :51:01.lifting. Further south, not as much cloud, the cloud will be thinning,
:51:02. > :51:05.more of us will get sunshine, very few showers around, 15 or so in the
:51:06. > :51:08.South, 11 or 12 degrees in the North. As we head into Wednesday we
:51:09. > :51:24.start to see a change. We have some stronger winds coming in across
:51:25. > :51:27.northern parts of the UK, not easterly but westerly wind and the
:51:28. > :51:30.weather front arriving. It will not give much rain at all but the rain
:51:31. > :51:32.will trickle down across Scotland, Northern Ireland and into northern
:51:33. > :51:34.England and North Wales together with strong and gusty winds. Further
:51:35. > :51:36.south and east lighter winds and dry, early mist and fog and
:51:37. > :51:39.sunshine. The weather will start to change from mid week onwards.
:51:40. > :51:41.Looking to the other side of the Atlantic, there is colder air
:51:42. > :51:45.digging down from eastern parts of Canada. But there is warm air moving
:51:46. > :51:49.northwards closer to the UK and the clash is strengthening the jet a
:51:50. > :51:54.powerful jet stream developing later in the week. The position of the jet
:51:55. > :51:58.stream means that to the south high pressure builds in and that will be
:51:59. > :52:02.dominant across the southern half of the UK. Stronger winds on Thursday
:52:03. > :52:06.across the North colour may be outbreaks of rain over the hills but
:52:07. > :52:11.gusty winds to the east of high ground. Further south across the UK
:52:12. > :52:14.the winds will be brighter, -- lighter but temperatures rising
:52:15. > :52:18.across the board. Friday sees the threat of rainbow are mainly the
:52:19. > :52:23.hills of western Scotland, cloud in other areas, the best sunshine in
:52:24. > :52:28.the east and temperatures of 13-16d. By the end of the week of the high
:52:29. > :52:31.pressure will build in and push rain to the north-west of the UK. There
:52:32. > :52:37.will not be much rain over the week ahead. We start off pretty chilly,
:52:38. > :52:39.some patchy frost, fog and sunshine too. From midweek less likely to
:52:40. > :52:47.have frost and fog because it will JOHN: Autumn,
:52:48. > :52:59.one of nature's greatest displays. A final fanfare before
:53:00. > :53:03.the cold sets in. And for hibernating hazel dormice,
:53:04. > :53:08.the race is on to stock up on the fruits of the forest
:53:09. > :53:14.before winter takes its hold. For thousands of years,
:53:15. > :53:17.they've survived everything that's been thrown at them,
:53:18. > :53:21.but now dormice are on the brink. In just 16 years, in the UK, their
:53:22. > :53:26.numbers have dropped by a third. there is hope for these
:53:27. > :53:34.endearing creatures. are owned by the People's Trust
:53:35. > :53:38.for Endangered Species and they're on the front line in the
:53:39. > :53:43.fight to help our native dormice. Ian White is the trust's
:53:44. > :53:46.Dormouse Officer. that makes it such
:53:47. > :53:51.a safe haven for dormice? Well, we manage this woodland
:53:52. > :53:54.by coppicing it, and there's just really good
:53:55. > :53:58.and important understory There's no deer on the island
:53:59. > :54:03.to eat all this regrowth, so it actually comes back
:54:04. > :54:05.really well and creates a really
:54:06. > :54:07.good habitat for dormice and a range of other species,
:54:08. > :54:08.as well. Dormice have been known to double
:54:09. > :54:11.their body weight in autumn as they build up for that
:54:12. > :54:14.risky time, hibernation. If it's a mild winter,
:54:15. > :54:17.they can actually wake up and every time they wake up,
:54:18. > :54:21.they lose energy, they can only do that so many times
:54:22. > :54:25.before they can no longer survive. So what kind of percentage
:54:26. > :54:27.do you reckon Well, from the long-term monitoring
:54:28. > :54:31.programme we've looked at, it looks like between 40 and 70%
:54:32. > :54:34.of dormice won't survive over the winter. Goodness me, that's
:54:35. > :54:38.a shocking percentage, isn't it? Certainly the biggest killer of
:54:39. > :54:41.dormice in this country Ian and his team are giving dormice
:54:42. > :54:49.a helping hand by pioneering The woodlands that still exist are
:54:50. > :54:58.becoming more and more fragmented. Where there are fragmentations
:54:59. > :55:00.of woodland, we can actually use this
:55:01. > :55:02.to connect those up, as they live
:55:03. > :55:06.in the tree and shrub canopy - it helps them move
:55:07. > :55:08.between woodlands. A number of wildlife bridges have
:55:09. > :55:11.been put up throughout the country, but this is the first one
:55:12. > :55:14.that's been shown to be used by wild dormice,
:55:15. > :55:17.so it's quite exciting. 24 cameras monitor the area
:55:18. > :55:20.every night, and the dormice certainly seem to
:55:21. > :55:24.like their new high-level crossing. And Ian's brought along some proof,
:55:25. > :55:29.to show me. that they seem to prefer
:55:30. > :55:40.the bridge to the ground. The woods also have more than
:55:41. > :55:43.600 nest boxes that give vital shelter for the
:55:44. > :55:48.dormice as they breed and sleep. So this is a dormouse nest
:55:49. > :55:52.because of the green leaves on top. That is a telltale sign, is it? Yes,
:55:53. > :55:55.definitely. Oh, look, there's one. There's another one there.
:55:56. > :55:58.Two. Two so far. There's another one inside,
:55:59. > :56:01.as well. Wow. 'We're in luck -
:56:02. > :56:05.a mum and her two young.' So this is a juvenile dormouse.
:56:06. > :56:08.What sort of age would that be? This would be born this year,
:56:09. > :56:11.probably about six weeks old. that they use to feel their way
:56:12. > :56:16.around the woodland at night and big eyes, again,
:56:17. > :56:18.to help them see at night. There's his tail. They've got quite
:56:19. > :56:23.long tails, haven't they? They're our only small mammal
:56:24. > :56:25.with a furry tail. to check they're building up
:56:26. > :56:29.well for hibernation. that have been through one
:56:30. > :56:36.hibernation. So, Mum is weighing in at 21.5g,
:56:37. > :56:39.so, heavier. And they're quite safe
:56:40. > :56:41.in these bags, aren't they? Yes, there's plenty of food,
:56:42. > :56:43.the amount of time we'll be, there's plenty of air
:56:44. > :56:45.in there for them. The young male is also
:56:46. > :56:46.looking healthy, so Ian is hopeful for this
:56:47. > :56:50.family's chances over winter. I must tell you, Ian, that this is
:56:51. > :56:54.quite a moment for me, because during my time
:56:55. > :56:57.on Countryfile, and looked into them and never found
:56:58. > :57:02.anything inside - this is the first
:57:03. > :57:05.time I've ever seen a dormouse Though numbers have gone down
:57:06. > :57:11.dramatically in recent years, The right kind of woodland
:57:12. > :57:14.management and new ideas like the dormouse
:57:15. > :57:17.bridge here at Briddlesford That and a coldish winter,
:57:18. > :57:25.so they keep on sleeping. Well, the native dormouse certainly
:57:26. > :57:29.needs our protection, against its invading
:57:30. > :57:34.non-native cousin, which is currently causing
:57:35. > :57:36.many problems for people living on the
:57:37. > :57:39.Chiltern Hills? Well, find out more about that
:57:40. > :57:41.and many other things by tuning in to
:57:42. > :57:44.Countryfile Autumn Diaries every morning this week
:57:45. > :57:50.on BBC One at 9:15. It's the most sensational season
:57:51. > :57:53.of them all... FIREWORKS EXPLODE
:57:54. > :57:56...autumn. it's a chance to stock up before
:57:57. > :58:04.the harsh winter days ahead. We'll be bringing you the seasonal
:58:05. > :58:07.stories that matter Well, hope you can join us then,
:58:08. > :58:27.but for now, goodbye.