0:00:28 > 0:00:30The season lays out her earthy delights.
0:00:36 > 0:00:41Leaves crunch underfoot and mellow sun ripples through russet tones.
0:00:46 > 0:00:49Autumn has arrived.
0:00:49 > 0:00:53We'll be exploring the wealth of riches this season unearths
0:00:53 > 0:00:56and I'll be discovering new life on our shores.
0:00:59 > 0:01:02- That's it. Go on. - Good.- Enough?- Yeah.
0:01:04 > 0:01:07Matt will be revelling in the wonder of our woodlands.
0:01:07 > 0:01:10Do you see the way that looks a little bit like a surfboard?
0:01:10 > 0:01:12- Oh, yeah.- And where would you find a surfboard?
0:01:12 > 0:01:16- At the beach.- There you go.
0:01:16 > 0:01:20And Adam's at a harvest worth its weight in gold.
0:01:20 > 0:01:22That's probably worth £100.
0:01:22 > 0:01:24Goodness me! That's just remarkable, isn't it?
0:01:44 > 0:01:46MATT: As summer fades away across the land,
0:01:46 > 0:01:50our trees and woodlands are exploding in a riot of colour.
0:01:58 > 0:02:00It's the perfect time to head outdoors
0:02:00 > 0:02:05to soak up the golden autumn sunshine before winter takes hold.
0:02:11 > 0:02:12Just stunning.
0:02:12 > 0:02:16Autumn has always been my favourite time of year.
0:02:16 > 0:02:20Growing up on our farm, our woodlands were a big part of my childhood.
0:02:20 > 0:02:22I mean, what kid doesn't love kicking up leaves,
0:02:22 > 0:02:25building dens and going on the best adventure?
0:02:33 > 0:02:34Here in Oxfordshire,
0:02:34 > 0:02:38a project is evolving that champions Britain's woodlands.
0:02:38 > 0:02:40Yes. What kind of bird do you think this might have come from?
0:02:40 > 0:02:43- A pigeon.- Yeah, I think you're right.- A pigeon!
0:02:47 > 0:02:52Today, the Woodland Trust's Matt Larsen-Daw is inspiring these young autumn detectives.
0:02:52 > 0:02:55Can anyone tell me what kind of tree this leaf comes from?
0:02:55 > 0:02:58- Yes.- An oak tree.- It is an oak tree. Well done. So...
0:02:58 > 0:03:01Well, Matt, it's always good to get out of the classroom when you're at school.
0:03:01 > 0:03:05- Absolutely.- But this looks like one of the best autumn lessons you could ever have.- Yeah.
0:03:05 > 0:03:07They've got good weather and a beautiful woodland.
0:03:07 > 0:03:10- Yeah.- And we think things like this are really, really important.
0:03:10 > 0:03:14I mean, they learn more. They have a better time. It's great for their mental health.
0:03:14 > 0:03:18But also, it's a way to ensure that they are actually more connected to woods and trees,
0:03:18 > 0:03:21and if we don't instil that kind of wonder in them at
0:03:21 > 0:03:24this age, they're not going to be interested when they get older,
0:03:24 > 0:03:26they're not going to be the ones that stand up for trees,
0:03:26 > 0:03:29- and that's what we really need in this country.- Sure.
0:03:29 > 0:03:30At this time of year,
0:03:30 > 0:03:33there are a lot of treasures to find in our woodlands,
0:03:33 > 0:03:36and one has a very special significance.
0:03:37 > 0:03:40Well, the children are finding all sorts of great things here today,
0:03:40 > 0:03:42and one of them ran up to me not so long ago
0:03:42 > 0:03:45- and delivered this wonderful little globe.- Oh, yes.
0:03:45 > 0:03:46Fascinating thing, isn't it?
0:03:46 > 0:03:49These are fascinating, and when kids find these they normally assume
0:03:49 > 0:03:52it's some kind of fruit, or maybe a nut, and what's really interesting,
0:03:52 > 0:03:54and this often makes them drop it,
0:03:54 > 0:03:57is that it's actually basically a wasp nest.
0:03:57 > 0:03:59So this is an oak gall.
0:03:59 > 0:04:02They've been used for centuries as a way of making ink,
0:04:02 > 0:04:04and that's what the Magna Carta was written in.
0:04:04 > 0:04:07- Is that right?- That's what the Domesday Book is written in.
0:04:07 > 0:04:11And, really importantly, it's what the Charter Of The Forest was written in, in 1217.
0:04:13 > 0:04:17Written at a time when great swathes of our woodland was owned by the king,
0:04:17 > 0:04:21people could find themselves on the wrong side of the law for collecting firewood,
0:04:21 > 0:04:25hunting or grazing their animals in the royal forests.
0:04:25 > 0:04:28The Forest Charter changed everything,
0:04:28 > 0:04:33protecting the rights of common people and taking away the harsh penalties.
0:04:33 > 0:04:35And if you read the Charter Of The Forest,
0:04:35 > 0:04:38a lot of it is about the things that people actually needed
0:04:38 > 0:04:40to be able to go and do in woodland, or with trees.
0:04:40 > 0:04:41Like collecting firewood...
0:04:41 > 0:04:44Collecting firewood, which was called estover in those days,
0:04:44 > 0:04:48and pannage, so, collecting acorns, beech nuts, or letting their pigs graze on them.
0:04:48 > 0:04:54And that's how they get through the winter. So, really important to people's livelihood.
0:04:54 > 0:04:56On the 800th anniversary of the original,
0:04:56 > 0:04:59with many of our forests more at risk than ever,
0:04:59 > 0:05:04the Woodland Trust wanted a new charter, with relevance today.
0:05:04 > 0:05:08So, we've actually created this new charter from stories that people have sent in
0:05:08 > 0:05:10about why trees and woods are important to them.
0:05:10 > 0:05:14We collected more than 60,000 over the course of about a year and a half.
0:05:14 > 0:05:18What we wanted to do was give some principles which people can get behind
0:05:18 > 0:05:21that allow them to stand up for trees before they're at risk.
0:05:22 > 0:05:25- Hello.- Hello, buddy. What have you got there?
0:05:25 > 0:05:29- Have you got something exciting? - Eight, nine...
0:05:29 > 0:05:33If the enthusiasm of these young explorers is anything to go by,
0:05:33 > 0:05:36our woodlands should be in safe hands.
0:05:36 > 0:05:37When I was your age, right,
0:05:37 > 0:05:40the way I used to remember about beech was because you see the way
0:05:40 > 0:05:43that looks a little bit like a surfboard?
0:05:43 > 0:05:45- Oh, yeah.- And where would you find a surfboard?
0:05:45 > 0:05:47- At the beach. - Ah!- There you go.
0:05:49 > 0:05:52- Who built this?- Over here! - Who did? You did?
0:05:52 > 0:05:54Come and show us around.
0:05:55 > 0:05:57Well, that does look cosy.
0:05:57 > 0:06:00There's a massive storm coming. Watch out. Ready?
0:06:00 > 0:06:03Here's some more rain. Ah!
0:06:04 > 0:06:08Later I'll be seeing how the Woodland Trust's new charter for
0:06:08 > 0:06:11trees, woods and people is being immortalised by a master craftsman.
0:06:26 > 0:06:28ELLIE: This is the season of plentiful colour...
0:06:30 > 0:06:32..and bountiful harvests.
0:06:34 > 0:06:38After this year's spring sun and summer rains,
0:06:38 > 0:06:43autumn is the time when Mother Earth offers the fruits of her labours,
0:06:43 > 0:06:46when the fields, the hedgerows and the orchards
0:06:46 > 0:06:49are full of crops that are ripe for the picking.
0:06:49 > 0:06:53But we're not the only ones to benefit from nature's bounty.
0:06:55 > 0:07:00Right now our wildlife is making the most of the seasonal offerings.
0:07:00 > 0:07:03With winter just around the corner, this orchard provides
0:07:03 > 0:07:07a veritable feast in preparation for the cold months ahead.
0:07:09 > 0:07:12Here at Tewin Orchard Nature Reserve in Hertfordshire
0:07:12 > 0:07:16it's the perfect place for wildlife to pile on the pounds,
0:07:16 > 0:07:20including one of our most striking wild animals.
0:07:23 > 0:07:27Badgers. They evoke strong feelings in many.
0:07:27 > 0:07:32Some believe they threaten livelihoods as carriers of bovine TB,
0:07:32 > 0:07:34but for one man they're a source of great joy.
0:07:37 > 0:07:40They're incredibly shy and cautious creatures,
0:07:40 > 0:07:43but this is one of the few places in the country where you can get within
0:07:43 > 0:07:46a few feet of these nocturnal animals.
0:07:46 > 0:07:52Not only that, they happen to have a badger champion living right next door.
0:08:00 > 0:08:03Michael Clark is passionate about badgers.
0:08:05 > 0:08:08In his 50-year career as an illustrator and designer,
0:08:08 > 0:08:11he's worked for publications like Punch and Private Eye.
0:08:12 > 0:08:15His intricate studies of badgers have offered
0:08:15 > 0:08:19ground-breaking insights into their biology and behaviour, and for the
0:08:19 > 0:08:23last 45 years he's been warden of the nature reserve next to his home.
0:08:23 > 0:08:26- Michael, hello. - Hello. Come and sit down.
0:08:26 > 0:08:29- What a creative space you're working in here.- Nice to see you.
0:08:29 > 0:08:32- Working on a fabulous piece of badgers.- Yeah, I'm just drawing
0:08:32 > 0:08:34the cubs that were born in our set at the nature reserve here.
0:08:34 > 0:08:37Oh, fantastic. Have you always been interested in badgers?
0:08:37 > 0:08:39Yeah, right from childhood.
0:08:39 > 0:08:42That picture there shows me with a cub that was injured,
0:08:42 > 0:08:46and we looked after it and put it back in the wild.
0:08:46 > 0:08:48They called me Badger Boy, the farmers there.
0:08:48 > 0:08:50That continued into adulthood?
0:08:50 > 0:08:53That's right. When we came to live here, which is now a nature reserve,
0:08:53 > 0:08:57the sett was a centrepiece for people to come and watch,
0:08:57 > 0:09:01in the end, where we converted an old stable to become a hide.
0:09:01 > 0:09:04So, it's been a long association with badgers here.
0:09:04 > 0:09:07Why badgers rather than any other British mammal?
0:09:07 > 0:09:12Well, they are amazingly present here, because we virtually live with them.
0:09:12 > 0:09:15I go out and I see their tracks and trails every day.
0:09:15 > 0:09:20They are one of the most characteristic of our wild mammals in the countryside.
0:09:20 > 0:09:23They really are a delight to be with.
0:09:28 > 0:09:33This Wildlife Trust reserve is one of a handful of historic orchards left in Hertfordshire -
0:09:33 > 0:09:37a precious habitat, perfect for the badgers.
0:09:37 > 0:09:41But they also receive a little extra encouragement, thanks to Michael.
0:09:42 > 0:09:44So what have they got tonight? What's their food?
0:09:44 > 0:09:47Well, this is a dog food, dog biscuit,
0:09:47 > 0:09:52peanuts and some lovely birdseed that's got a taste of aniseed in it,
0:09:52 > 0:09:53which really attracts the badgers.
0:09:53 > 0:09:56Do they ever take advantage of all of this wonderful fruit?
0:09:56 > 0:09:58Well, they do like the plums, particularly.
0:09:58 > 0:10:01They eat the whole plum with the stone in it, but then they go
0:10:01 > 0:10:04under the apples and find the invertebrates under them, and
0:10:04 > 0:10:07eventually when the apples are really soft they'll eat the apples, too.
0:10:07 > 0:10:09There's plenty of feasting going on at the moment.
0:10:12 > 0:10:16With dusk fast approaching, it's time to settle into the hide.
0:10:16 > 0:10:19Any disturbance, and the shy badgers will stay away.
0:10:23 > 0:10:28The hide has become a favourite spot for badger watchers from all over the country.
0:10:28 > 0:10:32- Got the best seats in the house. - Yeah, we have.- Showtime.
0:10:34 > 0:10:39But the key to successful badgers spotting is to wait and stay very, very quiet.
0:10:41 > 0:10:48- BOTH WHISPER:- About time, yeah. - Just a flash of white across the back.
0:10:48 > 0:10:51There we go. There is some movement just back there.
0:10:52 > 0:10:57You can see it continually smelling, trying to scent what's going on.
0:10:57 > 0:10:59Ah, yes!
0:10:59 > 0:11:01It hasn't noticed the camera.
0:11:01 > 0:11:03Look how cautious this one is.
0:11:04 > 0:11:08There's one right in the middle out back, just going across.
0:11:08 > 0:11:11Oh, yes. Well done. Well spotted.
0:11:11 > 0:11:13- Oh!- There we go, bouncing along.
0:11:14 > 0:11:17Their favourite meal is earthworms,
0:11:17 > 0:11:19comprising more than half their diet,
0:11:19 > 0:11:22but, as omnivores, badgers will take advantage
0:11:22 > 0:11:25of any additional food source like this.
0:11:26 > 0:11:30They are feeding very happily.
0:11:30 > 0:11:32- It's lovely, yeah. - It's wonderful to see.
0:11:32 > 0:11:36They are fattening up for autumn, putting on a lot of weight.
0:11:37 > 0:11:41So, that's one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight.
0:11:41 > 0:11:44- Eight! - Eight so far in the area.
0:11:47 > 0:11:50Their acute senses of smell and hearing
0:11:50 > 0:11:52warn them of potential danger,
0:11:52 > 0:11:56so getting this close to wild badgers is truly extraordinary.
0:11:58 > 0:12:01That was me. That was me. Oh, what have I done?!
0:12:01 > 0:12:03- I moved my head too fast. - They saw something out there.
0:12:03 > 0:12:06- I think I moved my head.- No, it's just a fox coming or something.
0:12:07 > 0:12:12- But that's... You see how shy they are.- Yeah, yeah.
0:12:12 > 0:12:15- Anyway - coming back. - The peanuts are too attractive.
0:12:17 > 0:12:22If that had been a human coming down, a poacher or something,
0:12:22 > 0:12:25they would not be back, probably, for an hour.
0:12:25 > 0:12:27The strong smell of a human...
0:12:27 > 0:12:29Do you know how many there are in this clan?
0:12:29 > 0:12:31Somebody counted 14.
0:12:31 > 0:12:33- 14?- At one time, yeah.
0:12:35 > 0:12:38To see eight out together like this is very special.
0:12:38 > 0:12:40It is. Oh, I'm glad. I'm so glad.
0:12:49 > 0:12:52At the end of this season, when the temperatures drop,
0:12:52 > 0:12:57these badgers will spend a lot more time underground and eat a lot less,
0:12:57 > 0:13:00so the weight will just fall off them.
0:13:00 > 0:13:05That's why it's so important that they eat as much as possible now.
0:13:05 > 0:13:11And that's why it's heart-warming for me to see them enjoy all that autumn has to offer.
0:13:25 > 0:13:27This is the season of change,
0:13:27 > 0:13:30when the colours of our landscape transform.
0:13:31 > 0:13:36For Olivia Lomenech Gill, it's an inspirational time.
0:13:36 > 0:13:39She's woven her creative magic to conjure up the artworks for the
0:13:39 > 0:13:45much-anticipated illustrated edition of JK Rowling's Fantastic Beasts And Where To Find Them.
0:13:45 > 0:13:51Growing up in this rural setting, Olivia has always drawn upon the countryside around her,
0:13:51 > 0:13:54whether it's the everyday or the extraordinary.
0:13:54 > 0:13:56I live here in north Northumberland,
0:13:56 > 0:13:58just on the edge of the national park in the Cheviots,
0:13:58 > 0:14:01and I work as an artist and an illustrator and printmaker.
0:14:08 > 0:14:10This is very much a reference book, a textbook.
0:14:10 > 0:14:13It's really like compiling a dictionary of beasts.
0:14:13 > 0:14:14There is no narrative at all.
0:14:14 > 0:14:17There's quite a lot of creatures which I read as, sort of,
0:14:17 > 0:14:21reimaginings of real creatures,
0:14:21 > 0:14:24so, I felt I was suddenly stepping into the world of fantasy,
0:14:24 > 0:14:28but as a very literal artist I draw from life wherever possible,
0:14:28 > 0:14:30and I find it really hard to make things up.
0:14:30 > 0:14:32So that was a quite interesting challenge.
0:14:34 > 0:14:38I think my first starting point was really to go straight to
0:14:38 > 0:14:41the early Renaissance zoology books.
0:14:41 > 0:14:45I'd like to think that the etchings in this modern bestiary
0:14:45 > 0:14:49somehow make a little nod to the early printed books
0:14:49 > 0:14:53of the people who were studying the quite mad zoology of the time.
0:14:57 > 0:15:00Every chance I had to draw from a real life creature,
0:15:00 > 0:15:03I, sort of, seized with both hands.
0:15:03 > 0:15:05We have a really good shellfish company in Berwick.
0:15:05 > 0:15:11They left me a crab and I had him sat on my studio table for a day.
0:15:12 > 0:15:14And it's just when you start looking, really,
0:15:14 > 0:15:17at how complex they are as a life form...
0:15:17 > 0:15:20The really ancient nature of them... They're sort of prehistoric.
0:15:23 > 0:15:27The more you look and the more you familiarise yourself with something,
0:15:27 > 0:15:29the more it becomes extraordinary,
0:15:29 > 0:15:31and I always had written in the front of my sketchbook,
0:15:31 > 0:15:34I think it's a Confucius expression, which is,
0:15:34 > 0:15:36"The wise man marvels at the commonplace."
0:15:45 > 0:15:48I was very much inspired by a trip to Coquet Island.
0:15:48 > 0:15:50Because we know Paul, the RSPB warden,
0:15:50 > 0:15:53I was able to go out in the boat to look at the island,
0:15:53 > 0:15:55which is just off the coast at Amble.
0:15:55 > 0:15:57It's purely a bird reserve.
0:15:58 > 0:16:02You've got the staithes where they used to tie up the old coal boats.
0:16:04 > 0:16:07The cormorants are literally posed on those posts every day
0:16:07 > 0:16:08with their wings drying,
0:16:08 > 0:16:12and they have these postures which are just very, very sculptural.
0:16:13 > 0:16:16In fact, the cormorant was partly the inspiration
0:16:16 > 0:16:19for the creature that features on the cover of the book,
0:16:19 > 0:16:20which is called the Occamy.
0:16:24 > 0:16:25Where we live, we are very lucky,
0:16:25 > 0:16:28because we have, most days of the year, quite extraordinary light.
0:16:30 > 0:16:33We're busy watching about 200 seals in front of us now.
0:16:35 > 0:16:38One of the things I've noticed going in towards them
0:16:38 > 0:16:41is that the landscape straight away is becoming more dramatic.
0:16:41 > 0:16:45Coquet is really special because it's a place that nobody can land,
0:16:45 > 0:16:49and it's a very small island, and it's quite flat.
0:16:49 > 0:16:53But it gave me the idea for the isolation that one experiences,
0:16:53 > 0:16:54I think, on any island,
0:16:54 > 0:16:58but also the idea of possibly hiding a creature such as
0:16:58 > 0:16:59the Hebridean Black Dragon.
0:16:59 > 0:17:03And this I depicted as part of an island landscape,
0:17:03 > 0:17:04a bit bigger than Coquet Island,
0:17:04 > 0:17:08partly based, probably, on the Cuillin Mountains in Skye,
0:17:08 > 0:17:09and I liked the idea.
0:17:09 > 0:17:11I put a fishing boat just passing the island.
0:17:11 > 0:17:14The idea that the dragon could be there,
0:17:14 > 0:17:17invisible or possibly visible, and acknowledged,
0:17:17 > 0:17:20and the idea that there are these things hiding in the landscape
0:17:20 > 0:17:22that we might not always be aware of.
0:17:33 > 0:17:37I would say a third of the Beasts book involves etching.
0:17:37 > 0:17:41I like the way that the alchemy of printmaking somehow matches
0:17:41 > 0:17:44the magical properties of some of the beasts in the book.
0:17:48 > 0:17:50Coming out of that project,
0:17:50 > 0:17:54I do find that I'm glad more now to examine what is around me
0:17:54 > 0:17:59in terms of the wildlife that we are lucky enough to be surrounded by,
0:17:59 > 0:18:05and I hope to do many more works based on, possibly not fantastic beasts, but real ones.
0:18:16 > 0:18:21MATT: Earlier, I heard how 800 years after the original Forest Charter was created,
0:18:21 > 0:18:27the Woodland Trust has devised a modern version to help protect our trees.
0:18:27 > 0:18:29Tomorrow the brand-new charter will be revealed,
0:18:29 > 0:18:32and it's going to go on display next to the original charter,
0:18:32 > 0:18:38and the Woodland Trust are asking people to sign the charter online.
0:18:38 > 0:18:42And so, with a promise to plant a tree for every name added to the list,
0:18:42 > 0:18:45I want to do my bit.
0:18:45 > 0:18:49- Me!- Come round here. Put a little bit round the side. - Hey, I can't see!
0:18:50 > 0:18:52Get your boots in there. Give it a good stamp.
0:18:52 > 0:18:55And all the care and attention doesn't end here,
0:18:55 > 0:18:57because these trees will get continual health checks,
0:18:57 > 0:19:01and I think the next health check's going to be in about six months' time.
0:19:01 > 0:19:04But when are we going to know when six months' time is?
0:19:04 > 0:19:08- What about the Countryfile calendar? - What, sold in aid of Children In Need?
0:19:08 > 0:19:10- ALL:- Yeah! - Perfect.
0:19:10 > 0:19:12And it just so happens that I've got a pen here,
0:19:12 > 0:19:15so, while I mark up where six months is,
0:19:15 > 0:19:18here's John with all the details of how you can get your hands on one of these.
0:19:18 > 0:19:22- You've found a worm, have you? - Yeah!- Well, everything's got to live somewhere.
0:19:24 > 0:19:28JOHN: It costs £9.50, including free UK delivery.
0:19:28 > 0:19:33You can go to our website, where you'll find a link to the order page.
0:19:33 > 0:19:39Or you can phone the order line on...
0:19:45 > 0:19:49If you prefer to order by post, then send your name,
0:19:49 > 0:19:50address and a cheque to...
0:20:04 > 0:20:07A minimum of £4.50 from the sale of each calendar
0:20:07 > 0:20:10will be donated to BBC Children In Need.
0:20:22 > 0:20:24ELLIE: There's something magical about autumn.
0:20:24 > 0:20:28As our countryside prepares for the descent into the long winter,
0:20:28 > 0:20:32Mother Nature puts on the most amazing spectacle.
0:20:33 > 0:20:36But it's not only the trees getting involved.
0:20:37 > 0:20:40There's one flower that's blooming at this time of year,
0:20:40 > 0:20:43which is literally worth its weight in gold...
0:20:46 > 0:20:51..and Adam's in the Delamere Forest in the heart of Cheshire to discover this treasure.
0:20:55 > 0:20:58I love the autumn. It's such a vibrant time of year.
0:20:58 > 0:21:02And as most plants are starting to shut down for the winter,
0:21:02 > 0:21:06these little gems are just coming into flower and poking their heads through.
0:21:06 > 0:21:11and what's remarkable is that they produce the most expensive spice in the world - saffron.
0:21:19 > 0:21:22Our love affair with saffron goes back a long way.
0:21:22 > 0:21:29It's been cultivated all around the world and has been used in cookery for more than 3,500 years.
0:21:29 > 0:21:32To find out more about this wonderful spice,
0:21:32 > 0:21:35Peter Gould is showing me his blooming marvellous crop.
0:21:35 > 0:21:37- Peter, hi.- Oh, hi, Adam. How are you doing?
0:21:37 > 0:21:41It's really lovely to see these beautiful flowers at this time of year.
0:21:41 > 0:21:43Yeah, these are our crocus flowers,
0:21:43 > 0:21:45so these are our saffron-producing flowers.
0:21:45 > 0:21:48And they are just starting to get going now.
0:21:48 > 0:21:51And why are they flowering at this time of year?
0:21:51 > 0:21:54So, they are an autumn plant, and they basically...
0:21:54 > 0:21:57They stay dormant in summer and then they are waiting for a drop
0:21:57 > 0:22:02in temperature and longer darkness in the day. Once we get that, they
0:22:02 > 0:22:06will start shooting up and then they will start producing their flowers.
0:22:06 > 0:22:07And where does the saffron come from?
0:22:07 > 0:22:11So, if we look at this particular flower,
0:22:11 > 0:22:15we have the female reproductive part here, which is the red part,
0:22:15 > 0:22:17and that's the part we're interested in.
0:22:17 > 0:22:22And is it right that, by weight, then, it's more expensive than gold?
0:22:22 > 0:22:25Yes. It's because of the amount of labour that goes into
0:22:25 > 0:22:29picking them and producing them that it costs so much money.
0:22:29 > 0:22:35So, in this jar here we've got probably 1,000 flowers that have been picked and processed,
0:22:35 > 0:22:38and that's probably worth £100.
0:22:38 > 0:22:41Goodness me. That's just remarkable, isn't it?
0:22:41 > 0:22:44- It is, yeah.- I might just pop this in my pocket. PETER LAUGHS
0:22:51 > 0:22:55During the Middle Ages, England was a major saffron producer,
0:22:55 > 0:22:59but by the turn of the 17th century the crop started to decline,
0:22:59 > 0:23:02and the spice eventually disappeared from our fields altogether.
0:23:04 > 0:23:08Pete is determined to revive this ancient tradition,
0:23:08 > 0:23:10but what happened to our saffron industry?
0:23:10 > 0:23:14Pete's brother Doug, a joint partner in the business, has some answers.
0:23:14 > 0:23:16- Hi, Adam.- Good to see you. - Good to see you.
0:23:16 > 0:23:20- My word, you're doing really well.- I know, I know. Hard at it since the sun came up this morning.
0:23:20 > 0:23:23Beautiful. So, what happened to our saffron industry?
0:23:23 > 0:23:29Well, it used to be quite a big industry back in the Middle Ages, notably in Saffron Walden.
0:23:29 > 0:23:32But unfortunately what happened is it doesn't like sitting in water,
0:23:32 > 0:23:36and it got waterlogged, and there was flooding, and it got corm rot,
0:23:36 > 0:23:38and then ever since then it's kind of died out.
0:23:38 > 0:23:42So we're really trying to, sort of, bring a resurgence back into the industry.
0:23:42 > 0:23:45So, who are your competitors, then?
0:23:45 > 0:23:48Well, 90% of the production, it comes from Iran.
0:23:48 > 0:23:53There's other producers in Spain and Greece and other parts of the world, but it's mainly Iran.
0:23:53 > 0:23:56I guess the problem with saffron and competition is,
0:23:56 > 0:23:58because it's such an expensive spice,
0:23:58 > 0:24:01it gets mixed with a lot of material to bulk up the weight,
0:24:01 > 0:24:06so there have even been cases of things like horsehair being added in,
0:24:06 > 0:24:09tobacco, which has been stained with food colouring.
0:24:09 > 0:24:12So the difference with ours, I guess, is that you know it's completely pure.
0:24:12 > 0:24:14It's 100% pure red strands.
0:24:20 > 0:24:22During the autumn, flowers emerge daily,
0:24:22 > 0:24:25and the harvesters need to pick them while they're their peak.
0:24:27 > 0:24:31It's backbreaking work, but every picker has a spine-saving technique.
0:24:31 > 0:24:34Some shuffle along on their bottoms,
0:24:34 > 0:24:36while others kneel.
0:24:36 > 0:24:39There's normally no excuse to lie down on the job, but when you're
0:24:39 > 0:24:42harvesting saffron flowers, anything goes.
0:24:45 > 0:24:48The next process is just as time-consuming.
0:24:48 > 0:24:50The saffron itself needs to be carefully extracted.
0:24:53 > 0:24:56So that's the flowers picked. What's next?
0:24:56 > 0:24:59So we're onto the next stage now which is the processing element.
0:24:59 > 0:25:03This is literally where we're taking the flowers and carefully
0:25:03 > 0:25:06removing the red filaments, which are the saffron strands itself,
0:25:06 > 0:25:08and then it's ready for drying.
0:25:08 > 0:25:12Yeah, so basically we take this now and we dry it at a low temperature
0:25:12 > 0:25:16and then it goes in our glass jars and then it matures over the next couple of months.
0:25:16 > 0:25:21- So, matures like a wine? - Yeah, yeah. So if you tried it just after picking,
0:25:21 > 0:25:24it wouldn't really have much flavour or aroma.
0:25:24 > 0:25:25You need those couple of months
0:25:25 > 0:25:28just to really develop those qualities of the saffron.
0:25:34 > 0:25:37As we've heard, saffron isn't cheap,
0:25:37 > 0:25:39but luckily you don't need to use much.
0:25:41 > 0:25:45Professional chef Ellis Barry is a fan of local food
0:25:45 > 0:25:47and regularly uses saffron from this farm.
0:25:47 > 0:25:50- Ellis, hi, good to see you. - Adam, hi, how are you doing? - Really well, thanks.
0:25:50 > 0:25:53Thanks for joining us on such a windy day in the middle of a field.
0:25:53 > 0:25:57- Great British barbecue weather! - What are you cooking, then? - I've got some wild sea bass,
0:25:57 > 0:26:01I've got home-grown vegetables, and we're using Cheshire saffron for a saffron sauce.
0:26:01 > 0:26:04So a nice little pinch into the sauce itself, and that will
0:26:04 > 0:26:06make it go into a nice golden colour.
0:26:06 > 0:26:12You get really floral and honey-like flavours, and it's very versatile.
0:26:12 > 0:26:15You know, it goes well with pretty much anything.
0:26:15 > 0:26:19Great in stews, great as a sauce on here, but also I use it in desserts.
0:26:19 > 0:26:22Not only is it local, it's actually a great product.
0:26:22 > 0:26:26You know, it's up there with the best saffrons in the world, I'd say.
0:26:26 > 0:26:29- And is it worth it's weight in gold? - I think so. It definitely is.
0:26:29 > 0:26:32But you don't have to use a lot, you know?
0:26:32 > 0:26:35It's literally a pinch and a pinch goes a long way.
0:26:35 > 0:26:37Those smells are coming off there...
0:26:37 > 0:26:40- When's it ready to eat?- Give me a minute or two and we'll be laughing.
0:26:40 > 0:26:43- Or you'll be laughing. - THEY LAUGH
0:26:46 > 0:26:49Ellis adds the finishing touches, and the dish is ready to taste.
0:26:51 > 0:26:52Right, the moment of truth.
0:26:57 > 0:26:59Mmm, that is full of flavour.
0:26:59 > 0:27:01You can taste that sort of honey, the sweetness.
0:27:01 > 0:27:04Yeah, it's a big flavour, you know? It's very rounded.
0:27:04 > 0:27:05It almost finishes the dish off.
0:27:05 > 0:27:09That's beautiful. Well it's lovely to think you've got this autumn crocus,
0:27:09 > 0:27:13a beautiful flower, producing this rich, red saffron.
0:27:13 > 0:27:16A beautiful colour, beautiful plate of food. You can't beat it.
0:27:16 > 0:27:19- Let's have a bit more. - It's all yours.
0:27:40 > 0:27:44ELLIE: Just off the Pembrokeshire coast lies Skomer Island.
0:27:44 > 0:27:48It's beautiful, wild and remote.
0:27:48 > 0:27:50A perfect combination for wildlife.
0:27:51 > 0:27:54But as autumn takes hold,
0:27:54 > 0:27:57this exposed dot of land bears the brunt of the elements.
0:27:59 > 0:28:01Hardly an ideal time to raise young.
0:28:03 > 0:28:07Yet this is the season when Atlantic grey seals give birth to their pups.
0:28:12 > 0:28:14From the relative comfort of this boat,
0:28:14 > 0:28:19it's really hard to imagine how harsh this environment can be.
0:28:19 > 0:28:22At its worst, huge winds and crashing waves
0:28:22 > 0:28:26batter the shore, and for a newborn seal pup,
0:28:26 > 0:28:28it's a matter of life and death.
0:28:35 > 0:28:39Keeping a close eye on the pups are wardens Ed Stubbins and Bee Bucher.
0:28:41 > 0:28:46For nine months of the year, Skomer Island is their home and their office.
0:28:48 > 0:28:52Autumn's the time for one of their biggest tasks - the annual seal count.
0:28:54 > 0:28:59Today, they're surveying one of the most popular seal hot spots on the island.
0:29:01 > 0:29:03- Bee, Ed, hello.- Hello.
0:29:03 > 0:29:06So, Bee, we are in peak pupping season now, are we?
0:29:06 > 0:29:08Yeah, absolutely. It's really busy.
0:29:08 > 0:29:10So, end of September, beginning of October is extremely busy.
0:29:10 > 0:29:12We've got 180 pups at the minute.
0:29:12 > 0:29:15Wow. And how are their numbers doing here on Skomer?
0:29:15 > 0:29:18They are doing really well. They're not just stable,
0:29:18 > 0:29:22but there is a slow overall trend upward.
0:29:22 > 0:29:25Given that their numbers seem to be doing OK,
0:29:25 > 0:29:27why do you need to continue with this monitoring?
0:29:27 > 0:29:30Well, you need to monitor for a long time so that you know what is normal,
0:29:30 > 0:29:33and then you can pick up when it's not normal any more.
0:29:33 > 0:29:36And of course then they are like indicators of the marine environment.
0:29:36 > 0:29:40So, if the seals are doing badly, then probably the sea is doing badly as well.
0:29:40 > 0:29:44As long as they are doing well, we can kind of assume that the seas are doing well as well.
0:29:44 > 0:29:47That's good. Now, to monitor them you have to actually get down onto the beach which, well,
0:29:47 > 0:29:51there's no steps on Skomer - it's going to be a bit of a challenge getting close to them.
0:29:51 > 0:29:53How do we get down there?
0:29:53 > 0:29:57- Um, so, we're just going to pop down a slope onto the beach.- Yep.
0:29:57 > 0:30:02But we've got to be really careful, because we're going to be going over sea bird burrows
0:30:02 > 0:30:05- which we don't want to collapse. - That's a true conservationist, Ed.
0:30:05 > 0:30:09You're not worried about us, don't worry about us, make sure you don't stand on a burrow.
0:30:09 > 0:30:11Definitely. It's all about the birds and the wildlife here.
0:30:11 > 0:30:15- Quite right, too. OK, so head up this way?- Yeah. - OK, let's give it a go.
0:30:18 > 0:30:23Most of the spots are pretty difficult to access, and at the mercy of the tides.
0:30:25 > 0:30:29- Careful, careful here to stay really close to these rocks.- OK.
0:30:30 > 0:30:35So, there's only a small window of opportunity to do the count before the tide turns.
0:30:35 > 0:30:39It's easy to spot the pups in their newborn white coat,
0:30:39 > 0:30:42but don't be fooled by the cute and fluffy appearance -
0:30:42 > 0:30:45even the youngest pups can be feisty.
0:30:45 > 0:30:48Oh, right. We're here.
0:30:48 > 0:30:50A good attitude to have if you want to survive.
0:30:54 > 0:30:58The first few weeks of a seal pup's life are critical.
0:30:58 > 0:31:01It's a time that they need to build up condition.
0:31:01 > 0:31:04The mother's milk contains 50% fat,
0:31:04 > 0:31:07allowing them to stack on up to two kilograms a day,
0:31:07 > 0:31:11and that's important because, in just three short weeks,
0:31:11 > 0:31:15they are weaned, they moult and they are on their own,
0:31:15 > 0:31:19out in the ocean hunting and fending for themselves.
0:31:19 > 0:31:21So, it's no surprise not all of them make it.
0:31:24 > 0:31:28Around one in five pups die before they are weaned.
0:31:28 > 0:31:32That can be down to natural mortality, predators or bad weather.
0:31:35 > 0:31:39But Ed and Bee will record every pup they find, dead or alive.
0:31:41 > 0:31:42This one looks really small.
0:31:45 > 0:31:48- He doesn't seem happy to see us. - That's a shame.
0:31:48 > 0:31:53As part of the survey, the pups get a colourful mark to help identify them.
0:31:53 > 0:31:56A moment's discomfort, but it's vital work.
0:31:59 > 0:32:02Grey seals are among the rarest on the planet,
0:32:02 > 0:32:04but almost half of the world population
0:32:04 > 0:32:06is found in the British Isles.
0:32:08 > 0:32:11Extra laws were introduced in 1970 to protect seals.
0:32:11 > 0:32:14Since then, numbers have more than doubled,
0:32:14 > 0:32:18and seal rockeries like Skomer have played a large part in that recovery.
0:32:20 > 0:32:24So, we're going to do this one yellow red.
0:32:24 > 0:32:25Looks at me.
0:32:27 > 0:32:29- Red on the right?- OK.
0:32:29 > 0:32:32- Red on the right definitely, Ed? - Red on the right, yeah, that's it.
0:32:33 > 0:32:36Closer. That's it.
0:32:36 > 0:32:38Got a bit of wind. Is that all right?
0:32:38 > 0:32:39And then get a little bit closer.
0:32:39 > 0:32:42Leave a gap, and get a little bit closer with the can.
0:32:42 > 0:32:45That's it. Perfect.
0:32:45 > 0:32:46- Happy?- Yeah.- It's arty.
0:32:46 > 0:32:50Give it another bit more with the yellow, yeah. Perfect.
0:32:50 > 0:32:52- I feel like that's art, there.- Yeah.
0:32:58 > 0:33:03Each tag is unique, ensuring the pups don't get counted twice.
0:33:03 > 0:33:08Notes and photos are taken and the information is entered into a national database.
0:33:09 > 0:33:12The Skomer survey has been going for more than 30 years,
0:33:12 > 0:33:16making it one of the longest running studies of grey seals in the world,
0:33:16 > 0:33:19and one of the most comprehensive.
0:33:19 > 0:33:22Pups here are surveyed from birth until weaning,
0:33:22 > 0:33:28so it offers a highly accurate picture of survival rates and breeding success.
0:33:28 > 0:33:31So, it seems like quite a strange time to pup, in the autumn,
0:33:31 > 0:33:35- when the weather starts to get a bit choppy and the swell and the winds pick up.- Yeah.
0:33:35 > 0:33:36Why do you think they do it now?
0:33:36 > 0:33:40I think it's because when they, when this species evolved,
0:33:40 > 0:33:43they evolved in places where there was a lot of ice in winter,
0:33:43 > 0:33:47so seal pups on ice would be really well camouflaged.
0:33:47 > 0:33:49But the species expanded and now they're down here.
0:33:49 > 0:33:52But even still, given that the weather can get a bit wild,
0:33:52 > 0:33:55I presume some pups are lost to that wild weather.
0:33:55 > 0:33:58Yeah, they are. Some die in strong storms,
0:33:58 > 0:34:01and when you watch them, it's absolutely heartbreaking.
0:34:01 > 0:34:05They get literally smacked against the cliff faces and the next morning
0:34:05 > 0:34:07you come down and there's nothing left.
0:34:07 > 0:34:10And they're such hardy creatures, absolutely incredible.
0:34:10 > 0:34:13So, very, very often they survive and you can see the mums, how good they are.
0:34:13 > 0:34:15They are in the water with their pups.
0:34:15 > 0:34:18They push them back up to the beach, they crawl under them
0:34:18 > 0:34:22and let them ride on their backs so they can have a break, because, of course, they need to breathe air.
0:34:25 > 0:34:29With the tide on the turn, it's time to leave the seals in peace.
0:34:29 > 0:34:31For the next few weeks,
0:34:31 > 0:34:35Ed and Bee will be returning each day to record more new arrivals.
0:34:46 > 0:34:49Sadly, in a cruel turn of events,
0:34:49 > 0:34:52the survey was cut short just days after our visit.
0:34:52 > 0:34:55You may find some of the following images distressing.
0:35:02 > 0:35:05Exposed to the worst of the elements,
0:35:05 > 0:35:09Skomer was hit by Storm Ophelia, closely followed by Storm Brian.
0:35:12 > 0:35:17Buildings were badly damaged as the wind and waves pounded the island,
0:35:17 > 0:35:21and, tragically, the storms took a huge toll on the seals.
0:35:21 > 0:35:24Of 180 pups that had been counted to date,
0:35:24 > 0:35:27only 33 were spotted in the aftermath.
0:35:28 > 0:35:32Autumn can be both beautiful and brutal.
0:35:32 > 0:35:35What nature gives, it can also take away.
0:35:37 > 0:35:42The Welsh Wildlife Trust is now raising funds to counter the effects of the storms,
0:35:42 > 0:35:46but only time will tell if the Skomer population will make a good recovery.
0:35:46 > 0:35:50We hope to return next spring to see for ourselves.
0:35:55 > 0:35:58Everyone will be hoping for better weather in the week ahead,
0:35:58 > 0:36:00so, let's find out with the Countryfile Forecast.
0:37:10 > 0:37:13MATT: Across the land, autumn is unfurling
0:37:13 > 0:37:16and we've been exploring its wealth of treasures.
0:37:18 > 0:37:21While Ellie's be meeting some new arrivals on Skomer...
0:37:22 > 0:37:25..I've been hearing about the new Charter For Trees, Woods And People.
0:37:28 > 0:37:30- There you go. So now we know... - Shake my hand, my friend.
0:37:30 > 0:37:32So many different kinds of tree in this wood.
0:37:34 > 0:37:38The charter has been shaped by thousands and thousands of different
0:37:38 > 0:37:42people's ideas, and whittled down to a final ten,
0:37:42 > 0:37:47which will be engrained in oak and stand proud in our landscape as a lasting legacy.
0:37:59 > 0:38:02And, in keeping with the theme of woodland,
0:38:02 > 0:38:06each of the ten principal poles will be carved with words and images
0:38:06 > 0:38:10which represent our special relationship with trees.
0:38:10 > 0:38:12These poles will be placed around the UK
0:38:12 > 0:38:16to immortalise the ideas of the new charter.
0:38:16 > 0:38:21Creating these towering totems is woodcarver and sculptor, Simon Clements,
0:38:21 > 0:38:24with a helping hand from Brian Hempstead.
0:38:24 > 0:38:27- Now then, lads, how are we doing? - Good.- You all right?
0:38:27 > 0:38:29- Yeah, I'm fine, thanks. - Nice to see you, Simon.
0:38:29 > 0:38:32My word, this looks tremendous, what you are doing here.
0:38:32 > 0:38:34It smells gorgeous in here, as well.
0:38:34 > 0:38:37Yeah? We don't really notice it any more. We've been doing it for a while.
0:38:37 > 0:38:42- Right. But it's green oak? - Yes, green oak from Windsor.
0:38:42 > 0:38:45They come to us with the bark on. We strip the bark off.
0:38:45 > 0:38:47They then get rounded out,
0:38:47 > 0:38:50then we start carving once we've got a nice working surface.
0:38:50 > 0:38:52Yeah, it's so tactile, isn't it? Just standing here you can't help but...
0:38:52 > 0:38:56- Well, people do, don't they? - And what's the story with this one, then?
0:38:56 > 0:38:58Cos you can see all these different images,
0:38:58 > 0:39:01there's words on here, and the chain of strapping around it?
0:39:01 > 0:39:02This is the champion pole.
0:39:02 > 0:39:07- This is the pole that ties all the others together.- OK.
0:39:07 > 0:39:11And the chain symbolises the way trees tie the environment together.
0:39:11 > 0:39:14They lock the earth, they lock the water into the earth,
0:39:14 > 0:39:15and they have the same effect on the air.
0:39:15 > 0:39:18So, this one's almost finished, then?
0:39:18 > 0:39:20Yes, almost done. We have a few little details left to do.
0:39:20 > 0:39:22We've got some stag beetles to carve on this side.
0:39:22 > 0:39:25I don't know whether you want to get involved in that?
0:39:25 > 0:39:26Oh, I would love to, yeah.
0:39:26 > 0:39:29We'd love it if you could. The next thing we've got to do, though,
0:39:29 > 0:39:30is roll the pole.
0:39:30 > 0:39:32Each pole weighs a tonne and a half,
0:39:32 > 0:39:35so, turning them needs to be done carefully by hand
0:39:35 > 0:39:37to line-up the design for carving.
0:39:37 > 0:39:39A pinch more. That'll do.
0:39:39 > 0:39:42The champion pole will stand proud at Lincoln Castle,
0:39:42 > 0:39:45where the new charter will take pride of place
0:39:45 > 0:39:46alongside the original.
0:39:46 > 0:39:48Great stuff.
0:39:49 > 0:39:52- OK, I think we're about ready to start with the chisels. - Let's get carving.
0:39:52 > 0:39:55You only want to go in a couple of millimetres.
0:39:55 > 0:39:58- That's it?- Would you go deeper? - No, that's fine.
0:39:58 > 0:40:00It goes in nice, doesn't it, when it's fresh?
0:40:00 > 0:40:02It does. It's very easy to cut.
0:40:04 > 0:40:06It's already feeling very therapeutic.
0:40:06 > 0:40:08- SIMON CHUCKLES - Good.
0:40:08 > 0:40:12You can come and help me with the other 11.
0:40:12 > 0:40:16We are using a V tool now, and what we're doing is we're drawing a line.
0:40:17 > 0:40:19You've lost me for the rest of the day now.
0:40:26 > 0:40:29Do you know though, it's that thing, because the whole sentiment of this
0:40:29 > 0:40:33charter is that connection between people, between trees,
0:40:33 > 0:40:35the woodlands that are around them.
0:40:35 > 0:40:40And for you now, as a woodcarver, to be a big part of this, it must be quite a good feeling?
0:40:40 > 0:40:44- A strong connection?- It is. It's a special stuff, this, wood.
0:40:44 > 0:40:46As a species, we're hard-wired to this material.
0:40:46 > 0:40:49This is the material we used first.
0:40:49 > 0:40:52You know, before we used bone, before we used stone or metals, We used wood.
0:40:52 > 0:40:57And you watch people when they're walking through the streets or walking past trees.
0:40:57 > 0:41:00They'll just stroke them as they go past,
0:41:00 > 0:41:06and I do think we all have this, almost an innate connection with this material.
0:41:06 > 0:41:08It's magic, though, to have your mark on this thing.
0:41:08 > 0:41:10I mean, I feel incredibly proud to have, you know,
0:41:10 > 0:41:12done my little stag beetle there.
0:41:12 > 0:41:14Yeah, sort of half a stag beetle.
0:41:14 > 0:41:17Yeah, the stag beetle with no legs that looks like a bottle opener.
0:41:17 > 0:41:20That's the one. I'll remember that.
0:41:28 > 0:41:30Well, that's all we've got time for for this week.
0:41:30 > 0:41:32Next week, to mark Remembrance Sunday,
0:41:32 > 0:41:35we'll be discovering the so-called "Idle Women",
0:41:35 > 0:41:38and the all-important part they played in World War II.
0:41:38 > 0:41:39Hope you can join us then.