0:00:25 > 0:00:28For the first time ever, there are more of us
0:00:28 > 0:00:30living in cities than in the country.
0:00:31 > 0:00:34But that doesn't mean our vistas are being concreted in -
0:00:34 > 0:00:39there are vital spaces for nature to thrive in cities, like right here
0:00:39 > 0:00:43in London, where I'll be getting up close to some rare wildlife.
0:00:46 > 0:00:49This week, we're looking at cities.
0:00:49 > 0:00:51Their green spaces,
0:00:51 > 0:00:54their wildlife,
0:00:54 > 0:00:56and how we make room for both.
0:00:58 > 0:01:02Sean is on a mission with the wildlife team at Manchester Airport.
0:01:02 > 0:01:04LOUD SQUAWKING
0:01:04 > 0:01:06Yeah, I'm finding that quite distressing.
0:01:06 > 0:01:09I can't imagine what the rooks feel like. It's quite loud, isn't it?
0:01:09 > 0:01:13James takes to Liverpool's rooftops in search of his five a day.
0:01:13 > 0:01:16So we're planting a yellow chard today, straight into the water.
0:01:16 > 0:01:18This is a little bit DI...
0:01:18 > 0:01:20What's this? Polystyrene foam that's floating on top of the water?
0:01:20 > 0:01:23These are actually insulation boards.
0:01:23 > 0:01:25Tom's finding out that air pollution isn't just
0:01:25 > 0:01:27a problem in the city.
0:01:27 > 0:01:31If you can imagine having a bit of cellophane put over your mouth
0:01:31 > 0:01:36with a few pinpricks, that's what it feels like trying to get air.
0:01:36 > 0:01:39And away from the city, Adam's hearing how farming has
0:01:39 > 0:01:42turned one former servicemen's life around.
0:01:42 > 0:01:46Some of my sort of darkest periods, I've literally slept in the
0:01:46 > 0:01:48cow shed along with the cow.
0:01:48 > 0:01:51There is a cow out there that, you could probably say, saved my life.
0:02:00 > 0:02:03From the New Forest to Snowdonia...
0:02:05 > 0:02:08..to the South Downs,
0:02:08 > 0:02:11our national parks encompass some beautiful landscapes.
0:02:12 > 0:02:16But could that include our biggest city, London?
0:02:17 > 0:02:20There's more green space here than you might expect.
0:02:20 > 0:02:23It may not have the mountains of the Lake District or the wilderness
0:02:23 > 0:02:27of Dartmoor, but I'm here to meet a man who firmly believes that our
0:02:27 > 0:02:33capital could be, and should be, the world's first national park city.
0:02:33 > 0:02:36One of its greenest spaces is the Parkland Walk,
0:02:36 > 0:02:40an old railway line-turned-nature reserve in North London.
0:02:40 > 0:02:44It's where I'm meeting explorer Daniel Raven-Ellison.
0:02:44 > 0:02:48He's behind the push to get London declared a national park.
0:02:49 > 0:02:51So, Daniel, how do you marry a national park with a city?
0:02:51 > 0:02:53That doesn't make sense in my head.
0:02:53 > 0:02:57So, fundamentally, this is about improving the health of all
0:02:57 > 0:02:59Londoners, no matter how wild they are.
0:02:59 > 0:03:02And it's about creating a giant movement that anyone can
0:03:02 > 0:03:03join in with.
0:03:03 > 0:03:05Surely national park is self-explanatory -
0:03:05 > 0:03:09it's just beautiful, wild, expansive green space, and a city is a city.
0:03:09 > 0:03:11Well, I see it slightly differently.
0:03:11 > 0:03:14So I think that what's more important is what are
0:03:14 > 0:03:17the purposes and aims of a national park, you know,
0:03:17 > 0:03:21for better conservation, for better understanding and enjoyment.
0:03:21 > 0:03:23And applying those to London,
0:03:23 > 0:03:26which I don't just see London as a city, London is a landscape.
0:03:26 > 0:03:30It's very different from desert or rainforest or coral reefs.
0:03:30 > 0:03:33But it's no less valuable than those other kinds of landscape.
0:03:33 > 0:03:36So as we have more people living in the city, it's absolutely vital that
0:03:36 > 0:03:40we properly protect, properly fund and properly care for these places.
0:03:40 > 0:03:44In order to achieve this, Daniel's come up with four main aims.
0:03:45 > 0:03:49First one is to make the city far greener.
0:03:49 > 0:03:53Second aim, to get far more of us active and outdoors.
0:03:53 > 0:03:57A third aim, which is to create a new identity for London.
0:03:57 > 0:04:00You know, London is world-famous as a cultural, a financial
0:04:00 > 0:04:01and a political centre,
0:04:01 > 0:04:05but actually, we have 2,000 years of history as an ecological centre.
0:04:05 > 0:04:06So what's the fourth point, Dan?
0:04:06 > 0:04:11So, the fourth aim is to inspire far more people who live
0:04:11 > 0:04:14in this city and other cities to visit the countryside
0:04:14 > 0:04:16and to enjoy our family of protected areas,
0:04:16 > 0:04:20our Areas of Outstanding National Beauty, and our national parks.
0:04:20 > 0:04:24Ordnance Survey have mapped all the green spaces in London.
0:04:24 > 0:04:26I'm getting a first look.
0:04:29 > 0:04:33What it does is it shows Londoners London as an entire landscape
0:04:33 > 0:04:36and shows residents and visitors all these fantastic
0:04:36 > 0:04:38places that they can go out and explore in.
0:04:38 > 0:04:40So, what percentage of London is green?
0:04:40 > 0:04:45So, incredibly, 49.5% of London is the green
0:04:45 > 0:04:47and blue parts of London.
0:04:47 > 0:04:50So the blue part is the rivers, the reservoirs and the canals,
0:04:50 > 0:04:52the ponds.
0:04:52 > 0:04:55And the green part of that figure are the millions of gardens,
0:04:55 > 0:04:583.8 million gardens across the capital.
0:04:58 > 0:05:03- The natural nature reserves, the parklands.- 49.5%?
0:05:03 > 0:05:0449.5%
0:05:04 > 0:05:08That's huge, I wasn't expecting that at all, that's really surprisingly.
0:05:08 > 0:05:10In London there are 8.8 million people,
0:05:10 > 0:05:13so if every Londoner added one metre of green space to the
0:05:13 > 0:05:17city by planting up one square metre of plants or something like that,
0:05:17 > 0:05:20or just pulling up a paving slab and letting that go wild,
0:05:20 > 0:05:23then the majority of London would become green.
0:05:23 > 0:05:25But maybe most importantly, it would
0:05:25 > 0:05:27just make the city more enjoyable and more beautiful to be in.
0:05:27 > 0:05:29- It's just a win-win, really, isn't it?- Right.
0:05:29 > 0:05:31I love this map, by the way.
0:05:31 > 0:05:33It's a gorgeous map. As a geeky geographer, I love this map.
0:05:33 > 0:05:34Yeah, me, too.
0:05:36 > 0:05:39The Parkland Walk is precisely the kind of green space Daniel
0:05:39 > 0:05:43wants to see more of in London.
0:05:43 > 0:05:44It's a natural wonderland.
0:05:48 > 0:05:50Cheek by jowl with hustle and bustle.
0:05:57 > 0:06:01This is a perfect example of Daniel's guiding philosophy,
0:06:01 > 0:06:04that the urban ecosystem is just as diverse
0:06:04 > 0:06:07and rich as anything in the country.
0:06:07 > 0:06:10It's London's longest and thinnest nature reserve,
0:06:10 > 0:06:14but it started life, 150 years ago, as a railway line.
0:06:14 > 0:06:16TRAIN APPROACHES
0:06:16 > 0:06:18WHISTLE BLASTS
0:06:20 > 0:06:23I think I might have missed the train.
0:06:23 > 0:06:26The trains have long gone, now nature has taken over.
0:06:26 > 0:06:28I'm meeting the local conservationists who keep it
0:06:28 > 0:06:30looking good.
0:06:31 > 0:06:35Nature has reclaimed this land and it's flourishing, transforming this
0:06:35 > 0:06:40disused relic of industrialisation into this stunning path.
0:06:40 > 0:06:43But nature has had a helping hand along the way.
0:06:46 > 0:06:49Volunteers have been quietly nurturing the space for more
0:06:49 > 0:06:51than 30 years.
0:06:54 > 0:06:56- Hello, everybody. Hello, Cathy.- Hello, Anita.
0:06:56 > 0:06:59- How are you doing?- Good. - Everyone's hard at work.
0:06:59 > 0:07:03Yes, they are hard at work making the place beautiful for all of us.
0:07:03 > 0:07:04In the late 1980s, there was a
0:07:04 > 0:07:09plan to build a major road down the Parkland Walk, and there was a huge
0:07:09 > 0:07:12campaign, which is when the Friends of the Parkland Walk was born.
0:07:12 > 0:07:16Hurray! You are the people, you're one of the first people responsible.
0:07:16 > 0:07:18We have our roots as a campaigning group,
0:07:18 > 0:07:20but now we are a conservation group.
0:07:20 > 0:07:22Well, look, as a Londoner, and as somebody who
0:07:22 > 0:07:25believes in creating more green spaces and getting people out and
0:07:25 > 0:07:28being one with nature, I feel I should do some volunteering with
0:07:28 > 0:07:30- you. Should I just get stuck in? - Yeah, get stuck in.
0:07:32 > 0:07:36I am always inspired by volunteers who give up their precious time,
0:07:36 > 0:07:40and I am proud to be able to do my bit
0:07:40 > 0:07:43to clean up a bit of nature in my city.
0:07:49 > 0:07:52It's hard to imagine a more urban-sounding problem
0:07:52 > 0:07:54than air pollution,
0:07:54 > 0:07:56but as Tom's been finding out, its causes and effects are not
0:07:56 > 0:08:00just found in our busiest cities, but also our remotest countryside.
0:08:07 > 0:08:10The countryside, where you'd expect to breathe cleaner,
0:08:10 > 0:08:12fresher air than in our towns.
0:08:16 > 0:08:20Concerns over emissions in our cities are well-known,
0:08:20 > 0:08:23with around 40,000 premature deaths attributed to air
0:08:23 > 0:08:26pollution every year in the UK.
0:08:26 > 0:08:29But what if I was to tell you that most of the air
0:08:29 > 0:08:31pollution in northern Europe comes from agriculture?
0:08:37 > 0:08:42The atmosphere has no boundaries, we all share the air we breathe
0:08:42 > 0:08:45and any pollutants it contains.
0:08:45 > 0:08:49And here in the country, the biggest one is ammonia.
0:08:49 > 0:08:52It comes from agricultural emissions such as muck, and combines
0:08:52 > 0:08:57with urban pollution like diesel fumes to form toxic particles.
0:08:59 > 0:09:03For some, the result of that poisonous mix is very painful.
0:09:03 > 0:09:06Like lung disease sufferer Jenny Ellingford.
0:09:08 > 0:09:10Even here in rural Sussex,
0:09:10 > 0:09:13she fights a daily battle with air pollution.
0:09:13 > 0:09:17If you can imagine having a bit of cellophane put over your mouth
0:09:17 > 0:09:22with a few pinpricks, that's what it feels like trying to get air.
0:09:22 > 0:09:25People might be surprised that in an environment as beautiful
0:09:25 > 0:09:29and apparently clean as this that you get these kind of problems.
0:09:29 > 0:09:33You know, when you go into the town or the city, you know that
0:09:33 > 0:09:35you've got that traffic pollution.
0:09:35 > 0:09:41But here, particularly when they do what we call muck spreading,
0:09:41 > 0:09:43it's very acrid.
0:09:43 > 0:09:47And it hurts to actually breathe it in,
0:09:47 > 0:09:50it's almost as if it's burning my windpipe.
0:09:52 > 0:09:54Traditionally, slurry has been spread on crops
0:09:54 > 0:09:57and pasture to provide nutrients to the soil.
0:09:58 > 0:10:01But this increases the release of ammonia.
0:10:03 > 0:10:08Just walking outside the door... Oh, God, it just hits me so badly.
0:10:08 > 0:10:12And that can be a reason for not going out,
0:10:12 > 0:10:16because I think, "Oh, if I go out, I'm just going to end up in trouble,
0:10:16 > 0:10:20"so I might just as well stay home and at least I know I'm safe."
0:10:22 > 0:10:25Livestock farming is responsible for 80% of Britain's
0:10:25 > 0:10:27ammonia emissions.
0:10:30 > 0:10:33That's why I'm at such a glamorous location meeting
0:10:33 > 0:10:35Professor David Fowler from the
0:10:35 > 0:10:39Centre for Ecology and Hydrology just outside Edinburgh.
0:10:39 > 0:10:42I guess when you're around here, you realise that where there's muck,
0:10:42 > 0:10:44there's gas, and you can smell it in the air.
0:10:44 > 0:10:47Yes, there's lots of ammonia here, released from the muck hill,
0:10:47 > 0:10:52mainly when they make the muck hill and they distribute it on the land.
0:10:52 > 0:10:54So, if I had my kind of magic ammonia goggles on here,
0:10:54 > 0:10:56I could actually see it coming off the pile?
0:10:56 > 0:11:00Yes, there would be a plume of ammonia going over us, yes.
0:11:00 > 0:11:02And is ammonia itself dangerous?
0:11:02 > 0:11:05Ammonia is benign in small concentrations.
0:11:05 > 0:11:08But when it turns in the atmosphere into particles,
0:11:08 > 0:11:10then it becomes more of a hazard.
0:11:12 > 0:11:15What makes it harmful to us is the combination of pollutants
0:11:15 > 0:11:17like diesel fumes with that ammonia gas.
0:11:19 > 0:11:22I can see farmers thinking, "Oh, I'm getting blamed again."
0:11:22 > 0:11:25It's a traditional feature of farming, if you like.
0:11:25 > 0:11:28Farmers have been doing this for centuries.
0:11:28 > 0:11:30Farmers are just doing their job, growing food
0:11:30 > 0:11:34and working within the regulations that they need to do.
0:11:34 > 0:11:37Most of the emission occurs as it's supplied.
0:11:37 > 0:11:40If it's distributed on the land, on a hot sunny day, and just
0:11:40 > 0:11:43left there, it will gradually release its ammonia to the air.
0:11:43 > 0:11:47A loss to the farmer and a loss to the environment.
0:11:49 > 0:11:53Ammonia and diesel fumes both contain high levels of nitrogen.
0:11:53 > 0:11:56It's the most common element in the air
0:11:56 > 0:11:59and a vital source of nutrients for plants.
0:11:59 > 0:12:02But the extra emissions that we're adding are cooking up
0:12:02 > 0:12:04trouble in our atmosphere.
0:12:05 > 0:12:08Well, this is the very definition of field science, and David is going
0:12:08 > 0:12:14to help me demonstrate how pollution from farming can cause a problem.
0:12:14 > 0:12:16So in here we've got ammonia,
0:12:16 > 0:12:19and this is equivalent to what we saw coming off the dung heap?
0:12:19 > 0:12:21A little more concentrated, but it's the same stuff.
0:12:21 > 0:12:22In here we've got nitric acid, which is
0:12:22 > 0:12:26- like what comes off cars and other pollutants from traffic.- Absolutely.
0:12:26 > 0:12:28So when we mix the two...
0:12:28 > 0:12:30Do it carefully.
0:12:33 > 0:12:34Whoa.
0:12:34 > 0:12:36And what is that I'm looking at that there?
0:12:36 > 0:12:40That's ammonium nitrate particles, formed as the nitric acid
0:12:40 > 0:12:42combines with the ammonia.
0:12:42 > 0:12:45So that is a very concentrated example of what's
0:12:45 > 0:12:46happening in the atmosphere around us
0:12:46 > 0:12:50- when you mix pollutants from farming with traffic?- Absolutely.
0:12:50 > 0:12:53The plume of ammonia downwind of that muck hill will be making
0:12:53 > 0:12:56particles with the nitric acid in the air.
0:12:56 > 0:13:00I've already seen the damaging effect these particles can
0:13:00 > 0:13:04have on people, especially the old, young or already sick,
0:13:04 > 0:13:06but even without other pollutants,
0:13:06 > 0:13:10the ammonia released is also affecting our environment.
0:13:10 > 0:13:14On this pristine piece of blanket bog in East Lothian,
0:13:14 > 0:13:17the Centre for Ecology and Hydrology are running a long-term
0:13:17 > 0:13:21experiment on how this gas affects plants.
0:13:21 > 0:13:23These pipes here release ammonia.
0:13:23 > 0:13:25- So there's actual ammonia coming out of those holes?- Absolutely.
0:13:25 > 0:13:27And when the wind's in this direction,
0:13:27 > 0:13:29it's carrying the ammonia down this transect.
0:13:29 > 0:13:35And you can see here, it's turned the land into grassland.
0:13:35 > 0:13:37And the heather has all died.
0:13:37 > 0:13:41- And the grass and the area has grown very well.- Well, you're not kidding.
0:13:41 > 0:13:43It looks like a heather moorland up there,
0:13:43 > 0:13:44and a grass heathland here.
0:13:44 > 0:13:47And for a good few metres up there.
0:13:47 > 0:13:51I can see it helps the grassy species, but across the country,
0:13:51 > 0:13:54are there other things that are helped by this kind of environment?
0:13:54 > 0:13:56Yes, certainly.
0:13:56 > 0:14:00Nettles, brambles, but more subtly, species diversity declines.
0:14:00 > 0:14:02By contaminating the atmosphere, we're
0:14:02 > 0:14:05changing the species composition of the UK.
0:14:07 > 0:14:11It would be easy to blame the farmers for ammonia emissions,
0:14:11 > 0:14:13but you do have to feel for them a bit in all this.
0:14:13 > 0:14:17After all, manure is quite a natural product, whereas the
0:14:17 > 0:14:21chemical alternatives come at a greater cost to the environment.
0:14:21 > 0:14:25So is there a way of using the nutrients that manure provides
0:14:25 > 0:14:27but with lower emissions?
0:14:27 > 0:14:29That's what I'll be looking into later.
0:14:37 > 0:14:40Where does our countryside end and the city begin?
0:14:42 > 0:14:47At the margins, where rural meets urban.
0:14:47 > 0:14:49A place where the natural world butts up
0:14:49 > 0:14:51against the forces of progress.
0:14:55 > 0:14:59Like airports, an essential part of any major city.
0:15:02 > 0:15:06But they inevitably have an impact upon the environment.
0:15:06 > 0:15:08And that has to be managed.
0:15:12 > 0:15:15This is Runway 2 at Manchester Airport.
0:15:15 > 0:15:16Before it was built,
0:15:16 > 0:15:19it was at the centre of a storm of environmental protest.
0:15:19 > 0:15:21Now, it's at the centre of a nature trail.
0:15:23 > 0:15:26The nature trail, just yards from the runway,
0:15:26 > 0:15:28is a tranquil place for locals to wander.
0:15:28 > 0:15:30But it wasn't always this peaceful.
0:15:36 > 0:15:41Manchester Airport are destroying the countryside for profit!
0:15:41 > 0:15:45Back in 1997, protesters opposed to a second runway dug in.
0:15:45 > 0:15:48The path of the new runway would cut through the Bollin river valley,
0:15:48 > 0:15:52destroying ancient native woodlands and important wildlife habitat.
0:15:54 > 0:15:57The airport had to pull out all the stops to minimise the impact.
0:16:06 > 0:16:0920 years on, the River Bollin passes right under the runway
0:16:09 > 0:16:12through this wildlife-friendly tunnel.
0:16:14 > 0:16:19There are fish passes, roofs for bats
0:16:19 > 0:16:22and a log corridor for small mammals and reptiles.
0:16:26 > 0:16:28Down on the trail, nature seems little disturbed.
0:16:33 > 0:16:36Adam Perry is part of Manchester Airport's environment team.
0:16:37 > 0:16:41Wow, Adam, what a fantastic spot. It's quite weird to
0:16:41 > 0:16:43think we're only a few hundred metres away from the airport.
0:16:43 > 0:16:45It's beautiful, isn't it?
0:16:45 > 0:16:48Really quiet and peaceful, and that really was quite important to us
0:16:48 > 0:16:52as an airport to deliver something of value to the local communities.
0:16:53 > 0:16:57We monitor all of the ecological works we do here at the airport.
0:16:57 > 0:17:01And we know that we've got a really healthy watercourse with
0:17:01 > 0:17:04small invertebrates right at the bottom in the soils
0:17:04 > 0:17:07and the gravels, and we've got brown trout, as well, swimming quite
0:17:07 > 0:17:10happily underneath the runway and through the tunnel.
0:17:10 > 0:17:14And otters, which is really quite an exciting thing.
0:17:14 > 0:17:17So it's important that the river is kept free from pollution.
0:17:19 > 0:17:22No easy thing with a runway directly overhead.
0:17:22 > 0:17:26Keeping contaminated run-off out of the river involves major
0:17:26 > 0:17:28engineering and constant monitoring.
0:17:29 > 0:17:32I'm with Mark Stewart from the environment team,
0:17:32 > 0:17:33who's about to test the water.
0:17:35 > 0:17:37Well, Mark, the River Bollin looks lovely and clean.
0:17:37 > 0:17:40- How do you keep it that way?- Well, we're going to take a sample, Sean.
0:17:40 > 0:17:42So we'll have a look and see how clean it is.
0:17:44 > 0:17:47If you could just drop this into the flow down there.
0:17:47 > 0:17:48OK.
0:17:50 > 0:17:53And as you can see, when you bring this up, this time of year,
0:17:53 > 0:17:57- this will be absolutely perfectly clear.- Yeah, I can see.
0:17:57 > 0:17:59And what we'll do is decant it into this,
0:17:59 > 0:18:03and then we'll send this away to the laboratory for it to be analysed.
0:18:04 > 0:18:08As you can see, it's as clear as tap water, that.
0:18:08 > 0:18:12- And that is the run-off from the runway?- Run-off from Runway 2, yes.
0:18:12 > 0:18:15That's coming off the airfield now and discharging into the river.
0:18:15 > 0:18:17And that's tested how often?
0:18:17 > 0:18:21It's tested online, so it's every six minutes our machines
0:18:21 > 0:18:23are taking a sample, a sample of that, and that's being analysed
0:18:23 > 0:18:28continuously, and it gives us real-time data every six minutes.
0:18:30 > 0:18:33If there's a spillage involving anything from jet fuel to toilet
0:18:33 > 0:18:38waste, even the foam used by the airport's firefighters, it takes
0:18:38 > 0:18:40just six minutes to completely seal off
0:18:40 > 0:18:42all the drainage from the airport.
0:18:45 > 0:18:49The polluted surface water is then diverted and contained in storage
0:18:49 > 0:18:53tanks and reservoirs, before being pumped away to treatment works.
0:19:02 > 0:19:05But keeping a lid on the wider environmental impact involves
0:19:05 > 0:19:07getting everybody on board.
0:19:09 > 0:19:13We work with everybody who works on the airfield to make sure that,
0:19:13 > 0:19:15for example, they're turning off the vehicle engines
0:19:15 > 0:19:17when they're not actually moving.
0:19:17 > 0:19:19Perhaps more significantly,
0:19:19 > 0:19:21with the airlines who operate here at the airport.
0:19:21 > 0:19:25So they, too, switch off their engines when they can. So you might
0:19:25 > 0:19:30see aircraft taxiing to or from the runway with just one engine running.
0:19:30 > 0:19:32And that's great for the airline because it saves them fuel
0:19:32 > 0:19:35and cost, but it's also fantastic for the airport
0:19:35 > 0:19:38and our local communities because it reduces carbon emissions,
0:19:38 > 0:19:41it improves local air quality and it's also a little bit quieter.
0:19:46 > 0:19:50Walking the line where city and countryside meet,
0:19:50 > 0:19:52where both appear to be getting along just fine.
0:20:06 > 0:20:09Our towns and cities are densely populated.
0:20:09 > 0:20:12And all those mouths need to be fed.
0:20:12 > 0:20:17The food that feeds the city comes mainly from the countryside.
0:20:17 > 0:20:20But what if the future was different?
0:20:20 > 0:20:22Here in Liverpool, they like to innovate.
0:20:23 > 0:20:27With an expanding global population, the need to find new
0:20:27 > 0:20:31ways to feed ourselves is becoming increasingly urgent.
0:20:31 > 0:20:34And if you're a city dweller, the vast majority of your food
0:20:34 > 0:20:39will be coming from distant rural farms, both in the UK and abroad.
0:20:39 > 0:20:43And that can clock up some serious road miles and air miles.
0:20:43 > 0:20:44But there is an alternative.
0:20:47 > 0:20:50And it's right here in the heart of the city.
0:20:50 > 0:20:53Acres and acres of rooftops
0:20:53 > 0:20:57and disused spaces that could be given over to growing food.
0:20:57 > 0:21:01Farm Urban is a pioneering scheme that's running trials
0:21:01 > 0:21:04on Liverpool University's rooftop.
0:21:04 > 0:21:07The system they're using goes back to ancient China.
0:21:07 > 0:21:11It's called aquaponics. So what is it exactly?
0:21:11 > 0:21:15Well, it's a combination of two well-known farming practices -
0:21:15 > 0:21:19fish rearing and vegetable growing, with each system helping the other.
0:21:22 > 0:21:24Here's how it works.
0:21:24 > 0:21:27Fish are kept in big tanks, happily swimming around, feeding
0:21:27 > 0:21:29and producing waste.
0:21:29 > 0:21:32The water they swim in is passed through a filter,
0:21:32 > 0:21:38where bacteria can put harmful ammonia in the waste into nitrates.
0:21:38 > 0:21:40That nitrate-rich water feeds food crops,
0:21:40 > 0:21:43before the clean water is then returned to the fish.
0:21:46 > 0:21:49This system was installed by scientists Paul Myers
0:21:49 > 0:21:53and Jens Thomas, who first met while studying for PhDs.
0:21:53 > 0:21:56But the idea was sparked by a familiar problem.
0:21:58 > 0:22:00Paul, how did this all start?
0:22:00 > 0:22:03It was actually my 2½-year-old daughter Bella that
0:22:03 > 0:22:05I've got to thank for all of this.
0:22:05 > 0:22:09So I was trying to get her to eat salad and drink kale smoothies.
0:22:09 > 0:22:12- Tough job.- It's a hard sell. So she was having none of it.
0:22:12 > 0:22:15And then I put a small aquaponic system in my kitchen
0:22:15 > 0:22:18and she took an interest in the fish and she wanted to feed them.
0:22:18 > 0:22:21And then she started to smell and taste the leaves.
0:22:21 > 0:22:23And now every morning, she wakes up
0:22:23 > 0:22:26and she's excited to feed the fish, and we pick the leaves
0:22:26 > 0:22:28and put them in a blender with an apple and some honey.
0:22:28 > 0:22:30One thing led to another
0:22:30 > 0:22:34and then we ended up installing this system up on the Guild of Students.
0:22:34 > 0:22:37So, Jens, how does this compare with regular agriculture?
0:22:37 > 0:22:39It's different - is it superior in some ways?
0:22:39 > 0:22:42It's a very efficient form of agriculture,
0:22:42 > 0:22:44we can grow stuff much quicker than in conventional agriculture.
0:22:44 > 0:22:46But the main thing is, it allows us
0:22:46 > 0:22:48to grow food in places where we wouldn't normally grow food.
0:22:48 > 0:22:50So here we can grow food right where it's needed,
0:22:50 > 0:22:52right next to the people that are buying it.
0:22:52 > 0:22:54The way food is currently produced is inefficient
0:22:54 > 0:22:58and unsustainable, and its distribution is really wasteful.
0:22:58 > 0:23:01So we want to change all that. There's no transportation involved,
0:23:01 > 0:23:03and that means we can optimise the food for the flavour
0:23:03 > 0:23:07and nutrition, rather than the fact that it needs to be transported.
0:23:07 > 0:23:09This is all a bit DI... What is this?
0:23:09 > 0:23:11Polystyrene foam that's floating on top of the water?
0:23:11 > 0:23:13These are actually insulation boards.
0:23:13 > 0:23:17This whole system here was the first system we ever built.
0:23:17 > 0:23:20And we got a budget of £2,000 from the university to do
0:23:20 > 0:23:24a student start-up around sustainability.
0:23:24 > 0:23:27So we begged, borrowed and stole tanks and scaffolding
0:23:27 > 0:23:31and planks and built the aquaponic system you see here today.
0:23:36 > 0:23:38Paul and Jens have taken their aquaponic systems
0:23:38 > 0:23:40out into the community.
0:23:41 > 0:23:45There's a unit installed at Alder Hey Children's Hospital, where the
0:23:45 > 0:23:49young patients can enjoy the calm fascination of the fish
0:23:49 > 0:23:52while salad grows above.
0:23:52 > 0:23:55It's hoped the system will soon provide the hospital cafe
0:23:55 > 0:23:57with all its leafy greens.
0:24:00 > 0:24:03This eye-catching structure is at the entrance of
0:24:03 > 0:24:07Liverpool Life Sciences college.
0:24:07 > 0:24:09Where Ian Parry is the principal.
0:24:11 > 0:24:13Ian, this is super striking, tell me about this.
0:24:13 > 0:24:16So this is our double helix aquaponic system that the students
0:24:16 > 0:24:19designed for us just over four years ago.
0:24:19 > 0:24:22Very much to sit as a centrepiece to the student services area.
0:24:22 > 0:24:25So, the kids not only built this, they designed it, as well?
0:24:25 > 0:24:29They did, they worked with Farm Urban, and our engineering students
0:24:29 > 0:24:32and biology students worked together to actually put this together.
0:24:32 > 0:24:35And what do the students get out of understanding
0:24:35 > 0:24:36aquaponics and urban farming?
0:24:36 > 0:24:38I think it's about bringing those things to life,
0:24:38 > 0:24:41it's about our engineering students actually being given
0:24:41 > 0:24:44a real-life task, working alongside our biologists in a project
0:24:44 > 0:24:47team and bringing it to life and making it real.
0:24:47 > 0:24:49When I was a student and I was learning science,
0:24:49 > 0:24:51it could be quite difficult to figure out what the
0:24:51 > 0:24:54relevance of this is to your everyday life.
0:24:54 > 0:24:55And when it comes to the food on your plate,
0:24:55 > 0:24:58- it doesn't get any more relevant than that.- Absolutely.
0:25:00 > 0:25:03If urban farming is the future, then it's important that the next
0:25:03 > 0:25:06generation of scientists is already on the case.
0:25:09 > 0:25:11Here in the college laboratory,
0:25:11 > 0:25:15Ben's one student looking at the effect of temperature on aquaponics.
0:25:15 > 0:25:18So, Ben, I love a bit of geeky science kit. What's going on here?
0:25:18 > 0:25:21Basically we've got two incubators - one's at a 20 degree,
0:25:21 > 0:25:22one's at a 30 degree.
0:25:22 > 0:25:26And we're testing how much it affects the bacteria
0:25:26 > 0:25:28which we use in the filtration system.
0:25:28 > 0:25:30We're basically seeing how fast they switch
0:25:30 > 0:25:34ammonia into the nitrates and nitrites
0:25:34 > 0:25:36in those different temperatures -
0:25:36 > 0:25:40mainly to see if it would be more viable in colder regions
0:25:40 > 0:25:43or hotter regions as a way of growing food.
0:25:43 > 0:25:46So you could set up the same system in Antarctica or in Dubai,
0:25:46 > 0:25:50- and it's about figuring out how that exactly works?- Yeah.
0:25:55 > 0:25:57Deep in the basement of the college,
0:25:57 > 0:26:00food is being grown in various prototype systems.
0:26:02 > 0:26:05And the children from a local primary school have
0:26:05 > 0:26:07arrived for a workshop with college students.
0:26:10 > 0:26:13They get given the basic components,
0:26:13 > 0:26:18so two storage bins from a certain Scandinavian home store,
0:26:18 > 0:26:21some do-it-yourself plumbing kit, and a pump.
0:26:21 > 0:26:23The rest is down to ingenuity.
0:26:26 > 0:26:30They have to figure out how to build an aquaponic production pod,
0:26:30 > 0:26:34like this one, without any instructions at all.
0:26:35 > 0:26:38I think that's the thing that pumps the air into the tank for the fish.
0:26:41 > 0:26:44As someone who tends not to bother with instructions,
0:26:44 > 0:26:47I'm all for just giving it a go and seeing what happens.
0:26:49 > 0:26:54- What are these?- You tell me. Try and think what they could be used for.
0:26:54 > 0:26:57We don't like to step in very much, it's only if
0:26:57 > 0:26:58they're really struggling.
0:26:58 > 0:27:01We'll try and ask them questions that could prise
0:27:01 > 0:27:04the answer from them themselves, and I think it helps them
0:27:04 > 0:27:07understand it more if they figure it out themselves.
0:27:07 > 0:27:10How is the water going to get from the bottom tank to the top tank?
0:27:11 > 0:27:12Um...
0:27:17 > 0:27:20Humanity is going to urgently need the best
0:27:20 > 0:27:24and brightest minds to work on food solutions for the future.
0:27:24 > 0:27:27Who knows, maybe it's all starting in a Liverpool basement.
0:27:32 > 0:27:35Or maybe on the rooftops, where crops are already
0:27:35 > 0:27:38growing that will travel food feet instead of food miles.
0:27:45 > 0:27:49Earlier, we heard how air pollution is affecting the countryside.
0:27:49 > 0:27:53Emissions from livestock farming are posing a threat to our health
0:27:53 > 0:27:58and our ecosystems. But can a change in approach help turn things around?
0:27:58 > 0:27:59Here's Tom.
0:28:09 > 0:28:12The use of slurry and manure as a fertiliser on farmland
0:28:12 > 0:28:14creates ammonia gas, which is
0:28:14 > 0:28:17a major contributor to air pollution across the UK.
0:28:20 > 0:28:23The pollution can be harmful for us.
0:28:23 > 0:28:28It just felt as if my lungs were just closing up
0:28:28 > 0:28:32and this horrible feeling of suffocation.
0:28:32 > 0:28:36And it's damaging our ecosystem.
0:28:36 > 0:28:37Manure isn't a bad thing.
0:28:37 > 0:28:39In fact, the organic matter it contains -
0:28:39 > 0:28:43and I seem to be sinking into - is vital for soil health.
0:28:43 > 0:28:46But it can also emit harmful gases.
0:28:46 > 0:28:49That's why I'm looking into how farmers can still use slurry,
0:28:49 > 0:28:54but in a way that emits less, wastes less and still gives great results.
0:28:55 > 0:28:58Could it be that rather than spreading it on the soil,
0:28:58 > 0:29:01we inject it directly where it's needed?
0:29:01 > 0:29:04On this Cambridgeshire farm, run by Gavin Hughes,
0:29:04 > 0:29:05they're giving it a go.
0:29:07 > 0:29:11Soil scientist John Williams explains how it works.
0:29:11 > 0:29:13So, what am I looking at behind me here?
0:29:13 > 0:29:16Well, you are looking at some slurry being spread with precision
0:29:16 > 0:29:19application equipment, which is
0:29:19 > 0:29:22supplying wonderful plant nutrients to the soil.
0:29:24 > 0:29:27Applying slurry in a spray produces high levels of ammonia gas
0:29:27 > 0:29:30and wastes a lot of the nutrients.
0:29:30 > 0:29:33Whereas this system is targeting it straight at the roots.
0:29:35 > 0:29:37They're injecting it into the ground
0:29:37 > 0:29:40and putting it right on the soil surface, so we're able to
0:29:40 > 0:29:43get the slurry exactly where the crops need the nutrients.
0:29:43 > 0:29:46We're minimising the ammonia-emitting surface
0:29:46 > 0:29:50area of the slurry, so we're reducing the ammonia emissions,
0:29:50 > 0:29:54typically by anything up to around about 50%, compared with
0:29:54 > 0:29:56conventional surface broadcasts.
0:29:56 > 0:29:58As a farmer, Gavin, what do you make of it? Are you convinced?
0:29:58 > 0:30:03I'm tempted. It's clearly a useful tool for us.
0:30:03 > 0:30:04But I guess it costs a bit,
0:30:04 > 0:30:06and a lot of dairy farmers are up against it.
0:30:06 > 0:30:09Contractors can pick these up, spread their cost over a larger
0:30:09 > 0:30:12area, so as individual dairy farmers,
0:30:12 > 0:30:14we have to look at the value it's going to give us.
0:30:14 > 0:30:16So although a contractor rate might be slightly higher, we're
0:30:16 > 0:30:20going to get a better return through better utilisation of slurry.
0:30:23 > 0:30:25In countries that have more intensive livestock farming,
0:30:25 > 0:30:29like Holland and Denmark, ammonia emissions are strictly
0:30:29 > 0:30:33regulated, and techniques like this are standard.
0:30:33 > 0:30:35But in the UK, we're lagging behind.
0:30:37 > 0:30:39Aside from what goes on in the field,
0:30:39 > 0:30:43are there other things farmers could be doing to cut pollution?
0:30:43 > 0:30:46It is important to have sufficient storage capacity
0:30:46 > 0:30:48for slurry, so that we're not spending the slurries
0:30:48 > 0:30:50at the wrong time of the year.
0:30:50 > 0:30:52It's important to spread the slurries in the spring
0:30:52 > 0:30:55to minimise the risk of nitrate-leeching losses.
0:30:55 > 0:30:58Also, there is potential to cover slurry stores to reduce
0:30:58 > 0:31:00the ammonia emissions which come from the slurry stores.
0:31:00 > 0:31:03Put all these things together, it seems to me that it is possible
0:31:03 > 0:31:06for farming to reduce its contribution to air pollution
0:31:06 > 0:31:08- whilst still producing plenty of food.- Absolutely.
0:31:08 > 0:31:10No, there is plenty of potential there.
0:31:11 > 0:31:15In the last few days, the Government has published its plans
0:31:15 > 0:31:16to tackle air pollution.
0:31:16 > 0:31:19New petrol and diesel vehicles, for instance,
0:31:19 > 0:31:22will be banned from 2040.
0:31:22 > 0:31:25But there is no mention at all of agricultural emissions.
0:31:25 > 0:31:28So are they taking the issue seriously enough?
0:31:30 > 0:31:36Andrea Lee, a Healthy Air Campaigner for ClientEarth, doesn't think so.
0:31:36 > 0:31:38Agricultural emissions, especially ammonia emissions,
0:31:38 > 0:31:40are a serious health concern.
0:31:40 > 0:31:44And the Government has recently said it is on track to actually miss
0:31:44 > 0:31:47its legal obligations, the targets it has to hit by 2020.
0:31:47 > 0:31:49So we think that it's got three years
0:31:49 > 0:31:51to try and tackle this problem.
0:31:51 > 0:31:53They should just get on and inject some urgency
0:31:53 > 0:31:55into dealing with the problem.
0:31:55 > 0:31:58Is voluntary enough, or is it time for the regulatory stick?
0:31:58 > 0:32:00We would favour there to be regulation,
0:32:00 > 0:32:04but also support from the Government to help farmers, you know,
0:32:04 > 0:32:08manage their farms, contribute less to the problem.
0:32:08 > 0:32:12Just 20% of UK farms contribute 85% of ammonia emissions
0:32:12 > 0:32:14for the whole of the UK.
0:32:14 > 0:32:17So you could do a lot, actually, by really targeting the support
0:32:17 > 0:32:20and focusing on these key farms.
0:32:20 > 0:32:24When pressed about their plans to tackle emissions from agriculture,
0:32:24 > 0:32:27the Government gave us this response...
0:32:47 > 0:32:51Back in Sussex, those changes can't come too soon for Jenny,
0:32:51 > 0:32:57whose lung condition means she has to check her oxygen levels daily.
0:32:57 > 0:33:00Over the last three weeks,
0:33:00 > 0:33:03my oxygen levels have been about 88,
0:33:03 > 0:33:05which is not very good.
0:33:06 > 0:33:09If I actually went to A&E, they'd keep me in.
0:33:09 > 0:33:12So you think, for farmers, now they know about these things,
0:33:12 > 0:33:14they could be making little adjustments
0:33:14 > 0:33:15that could help quite a lot?
0:33:15 > 0:33:20I really believe that, if we could find another way of fertilising
0:33:20 > 0:33:24our fields without causing breathing problems,
0:33:24 > 0:33:25it would be really wonderful.
0:33:29 > 0:33:32Whatever the source, air pollution doesn't respect the boundary
0:33:32 > 0:33:34of town and country
0:33:34 > 0:33:37and emissions from agriculture can harm our health
0:33:37 > 0:33:40and even change plant life.
0:33:40 > 0:33:42Tackling it won't be easy
0:33:42 > 0:33:45but, done right, we could achieve the win-win
0:33:45 > 0:33:49of more nutrients reaching the crop
0:33:49 > 0:33:51and less air pollution in the atmosphere.
0:33:57 > 0:34:02Finding green space for nature can be tricky in the city.
0:34:04 > 0:34:08So what if the water supply could double up as wildlife habitat?
0:34:08 > 0:34:12At this reservoir in the heart of Hackney in North London,
0:34:12 > 0:34:16drinking water and wildlife are natural neighbours.
0:34:16 > 0:34:19This is Woodberry Wetlands.
0:34:19 > 0:34:23Once upon a time, this place was all barbed wire and fences,
0:34:23 > 0:34:26but lucky Londoners have just gained access to it
0:34:26 > 0:34:30for the first time in more than 180 years.
0:34:33 > 0:34:35Built in the 19th century,
0:34:35 > 0:34:40the reservoir was always closed to the public...until recently.
0:34:41 > 0:34:43Working with Thames Water,
0:34:43 > 0:34:47London Wildlife Trust has carefully built an urban oasis.
0:34:49 > 0:34:55One local lad taking full advantage of the new access is Nathan Legall.
0:34:55 > 0:34:59So, Nathan, a Londoner born and bred, and now a wildlife ranger?
0:34:59 > 0:35:01Yeah, I'm here working on the reserve
0:35:01 > 0:35:04and helping to protect this for nature and for local people.
0:35:04 > 0:35:07Why is it so important to have something like this
0:35:07 > 0:35:09in the heart of a city?
0:35:09 > 0:35:13Green space in London is very precious.
0:35:13 > 0:35:16When you come from the main road, you would not expect
0:35:16 > 0:35:18to see this spectacle of wildlife that you have here.
0:35:18 > 0:35:21People always come here, and when they come through the main entrance,
0:35:21 > 0:35:24they have to stand there, just simply in awe.
0:35:24 > 0:35:27Having a reserve like this right in the heart of London
0:35:27 > 0:35:29is almost unheard of.
0:35:29 > 0:35:32- Yeah! - We are in Zone 2 of London,
0:35:32 > 0:35:35literally get off the Tube at Manor House, Zone 2,
0:35:35 > 0:35:37and then walk 10 minutes down the road, and here you are.
0:35:37 > 0:35:40You could put it on your tourist trail of London, couldn't you?
0:35:40 > 0:35:42You could go and see Buckingham Palace,
0:35:42 > 0:35:44Houses of Parliament, jump on a Tube,
0:35:44 > 0:35:46- Woodbury Wetland Reserve. - Absolute must-see.
0:35:48 > 0:35:50Later on, I'll be exploring the wetlands
0:35:50 > 0:35:52with an unusual photographer.
0:35:54 > 0:35:56But first, we're catching up with Adam,
0:35:56 > 0:35:59who has been in Lincolnshire meeting up with an ex-serviceman
0:35:59 > 0:36:03who is helping to repair the lives of fellow veterans through farming.
0:36:12 > 0:36:17Wide-open spaces and nutrient-rich soils
0:36:17 > 0:36:21make Lincolnshire an agricultural land of plenty.
0:36:24 > 0:36:28Walking in the quiet countryside across this lovely old meadow
0:36:28 > 0:36:32gives a feeling of peacefulness in this corner of Britain.
0:36:32 > 0:36:35And it's this sense of calm that's found in the landscape
0:36:35 > 0:36:37that has helped one local farmer
0:36:37 > 0:36:40turn his life around after nearly 20 years at war.
0:36:45 > 0:36:48Jamie Quinn served in the RAF ground forces
0:36:48 > 0:36:51during both the Belize and the Falklands conflict.
0:36:52 > 0:36:57Then, in 1998, he was discharged with post-traumatic stress disorder.
0:36:59 > 0:37:01He struggled for more than a decade,
0:37:01 > 0:37:03and gradually, his condition worsened.
0:37:03 > 0:37:07He was unable to work and his life was turned upside down.
0:37:11 > 0:37:13- You must be Jamie. - Yeah, hello, Adam.
0:37:13 > 0:37:15Good to see you. What a lovely Jersey cow.
0:37:15 > 0:37:16Yeah, she calved last week...
0:37:16 > 0:37:19- VOICEOVER:- The turning point came in January this year when,
0:37:19 > 0:37:21with the help of his friends and family,
0:37:21 > 0:37:24Jamie took on a 100-acre tenanted farm.
0:37:25 > 0:37:28So how did you come about taking on this farm?
0:37:28 > 0:37:33Well, I worked out that, at my age and with my disabilities,
0:37:33 > 0:37:35going into paid employment
0:37:35 > 0:37:38was probably not a viable option any more,
0:37:38 > 0:37:43and worked out that my skill set was suitable towards agriculture.
0:37:43 > 0:37:48And then, lo and behold, two miles from home, 97 acres came up.
0:37:48 > 0:37:50And our offer was accepted.
0:37:50 > 0:37:53Jamie, can you explain where you were
0:37:53 > 0:37:56when you were at your worst, really, about a year ago?
0:37:56 > 0:38:00Um...well, I was...
0:38:01 > 0:38:05..isolating myself, not talking to people.
0:38:05 > 0:38:08Personal hygiene was not a high priority.
0:38:08 > 0:38:10In some of my, sort of, darkest periods,
0:38:10 > 0:38:13I have literally gone and moved in
0:38:13 > 0:38:15with the cattle for two or three days,
0:38:15 > 0:38:18and actually slept in the cow shed, along with cow.
0:38:18 > 0:38:21They are, yeah... There is a cow out there
0:38:21 > 0:38:23that you could probably say saved my life.
0:38:23 > 0:38:25There is a relation, do you think,
0:38:25 > 0:38:28between what you have learnt in the forces
0:38:28 > 0:38:30- to working on a farm? - Oh, yeah, absolutely.
0:38:30 > 0:38:33Not least of which, we're used to being out in all weathers
0:38:33 > 0:38:37and we are all used to working with anything from a spade
0:38:37 > 0:38:40right the way up to some quite sophisticated equipment.
0:38:40 > 0:38:43Farming is a very stressful occupation.
0:38:43 > 0:38:46It could be that it's the right sort of stress for that individual.
0:38:48 > 0:38:50Jamie is still on his first year at the farm,
0:38:50 > 0:38:54but has already taken on a herd of Aberdeen Angus and Lincoln Reds.
0:38:56 > 0:38:58Come on.
0:38:58 > 0:39:00These are calves that we bought in,
0:39:00 > 0:39:04a mixture of Hereford crosses with Dairy Shorthorns
0:39:04 > 0:39:08and Aberdeen Angus crossed with the Holstein.
0:39:08 > 0:39:11Recently, we have just gotten into the Lincoln Reds,
0:39:11 > 0:39:14which are ideal for me
0:39:14 > 0:39:20because the Lincoln Red has a reputation for being easy-calving.
0:39:20 > 0:39:24Saves on vet bills, quiet and placid,
0:39:24 > 0:39:26and a frugal animal.
0:39:26 > 0:39:29That's great. They'll make lovely cows for breeding, won't they?
0:39:29 > 0:39:31Yeah, I particularly like these ones.
0:39:31 > 0:39:35In fact, we're looking at probably keeping one ourselves
0:39:35 > 0:39:38to expand the herd in due course.
0:39:38 > 0:39:40But, obviously, we've got to keep the bank manager happy
0:39:40 > 0:39:42in these early days.
0:39:42 > 0:39:43So it's about cash flow, moving stock through?
0:39:43 > 0:39:45Absolutely, yeah.
0:39:46 > 0:39:49Now Jamie is helping others like himself to get back on track.
0:39:52 > 0:39:55Today, he has invited three fellow ex-servicemen to the farm
0:39:55 > 0:39:56to teach them the ropes.
0:40:07 > 0:40:10- VOICEOVER:- Penny Connorton from the charity Farm-Able
0:40:10 > 0:40:15helps veterans struggling with PTSD to find work on farms like Jamie's.
0:40:15 > 0:40:19Penny, can you explain to me what PTSD is all about,
0:40:19 > 0:40:22and what these guys are experiencing?
0:40:22 > 0:40:24Post-traumatic stress can be flashbacks, nightmares,
0:40:24 > 0:40:27waking up in the night screaming.
0:40:27 > 0:40:30It can come out years after the actual trauma
0:40:30 > 0:40:33and the average time is usually about 14 years.
0:40:33 > 0:40:3714 years later? Seems like an extraordinarily long time.
0:40:37 > 0:40:40- Jamie seems to be getting on very well on this farm.- Yeah.
0:40:40 > 0:40:42How is it helping, do you think?
0:40:42 > 0:40:44Just having the space and the freedom around
0:40:44 > 0:40:49to be able to choose what he does, how he works, and at his own pace.
0:40:49 > 0:40:53It's a wonderful healing mechanism.
0:40:54 > 0:40:56And also being together with the guys
0:40:56 > 0:40:58that know what they're going through.
0:40:58 > 0:41:01They've all been somewhere in a war situation,
0:41:01 > 0:41:05and so they all have this camaraderie.
0:41:05 > 0:41:07And it isn't just about the veteran,
0:41:07 > 0:41:08it's the families, too.
0:41:08 > 0:41:10Everybody is affected in that family unit.
0:41:10 > 0:41:15If you can get the understanding and coping mechanisms within the family,
0:41:15 > 0:41:17and bring them to something like this,
0:41:17 > 0:41:20the successes are amazing.
0:41:20 > 0:41:23Kevin served in the Navy for 13 years
0:41:23 > 0:41:25and saw conflict in the Falklands,
0:41:25 > 0:41:29while more recently, Gary completed several tours in Iraq.
0:41:33 > 0:41:35Do you mind me asking, you know,
0:41:35 > 0:41:37how you got into the position you were in?
0:41:37 > 0:41:42It goes back to a long way, about '82.
0:41:42 > 0:41:45I don't want to go too deeply into it,
0:41:45 > 0:41:47but I will say that the ship I was on
0:41:47 > 0:41:49was the first one sunk in the Falklands.
0:41:49 > 0:41:52And what it is about the farm environment,
0:41:52 > 0:41:53do you think, that helps you?
0:41:53 > 0:41:56I've never been into farms, and yet,
0:41:56 > 0:42:01I come here and I can forget anything and everything.
0:42:01 > 0:42:03For most people, we're in Civvy Street,
0:42:03 > 0:42:06and we've got no idea what people in the military have gone through.
0:42:06 > 0:42:10How do you adapt to that, coming home?
0:42:10 > 0:42:13I think that is one of the most difficult parts,
0:42:13 > 0:42:16especially for me, was when I left the tours behind,
0:42:16 > 0:42:18it was trying to adapt to becoming a civilian again
0:42:18 > 0:42:21when, really, you've still got that mind-set.
0:42:21 > 0:42:25At the time, I went back to what I knew, and that was still drinking.
0:42:25 > 0:42:27The best thing to do, in my opinion,
0:42:27 > 0:42:29instead of leaving it until the very last minute -
0:42:29 > 0:42:31until the money has ran out and the beer's ran out
0:42:31 > 0:42:33and all your options have kind of run out -
0:42:33 > 0:42:35just get out there, be around like-minded people.
0:42:35 > 0:42:38Be around the people who have been through what you've been through.
0:42:38 > 0:42:41- Had a good time today?- Yeah, it's been a really good time, yeah.
0:42:41 > 0:42:44Surprisingly. I wouldn't have saw myself on a farm, to be honest.
0:42:44 > 0:42:46So it's a bit of a shock. But, yeah, it's good.
0:42:48 > 0:42:51So I'll give you a little tip. If you have your hand like that,
0:42:51 > 0:42:54you can just put their legs in your hand,
0:42:54 > 0:42:57- and then they'll just sit on you like that.- Let's have a try.
0:42:57 > 0:42:58Quick learner. Beautiful.
0:42:58 > 0:43:00- Look at that.- Whoa!
0:43:03 > 0:43:06Jamie has even started reviving some age-old farming practices
0:43:06 > 0:43:08to keep the veterans on their toes.
0:43:10 > 0:43:14Jamie, this is brilliant. How did you get into training oxen?
0:43:14 > 0:43:17- It was a bet with the local farmer. - Really?!- Yeah.
0:43:17 > 0:43:18Come on, missus. Walk on.
0:43:18 > 0:43:21He had a calf that had lost its mother - it was a Hereford.
0:43:21 > 0:43:24He said, "Well, if you can train it as a draft animal,
0:43:24 > 0:43:25"you can have it."
0:43:25 > 0:43:29- And we were both sober at the time! - ADAM LAUGHS
0:43:29 > 0:43:32We used to have a few on the farm back home,
0:43:32 > 0:43:33but we haven't got any at the moment.
0:43:33 > 0:43:35It's lovely to see them working.
0:43:35 > 0:43:37- Whoa!- Good girl.
0:43:37 > 0:43:40It's something that's completely new to them.
0:43:40 > 0:43:42Everybody is on the same level.
0:43:42 > 0:43:45Having to work with the land, not against it,
0:43:45 > 0:43:47with the animal, not against her,
0:43:47 > 0:43:49and together as a team.
0:43:49 > 0:43:51And, obviously, the odd mistake happens,
0:43:51 > 0:43:54and that is fair game for a bit of leg pulling and banter.
0:43:54 > 0:43:56THEY LAUGH
0:43:58 > 0:44:01With Jamie's help, Farm-Able hope to get two veterans
0:44:01 > 0:44:05working on farms in every county in the UK,
0:44:05 > 0:44:09enabling homeless or troubled heroes to connect with the land.
0:44:11 > 0:44:12It's been great meeting the guys
0:44:12 > 0:44:15and interesting that many tenanted farms like this one
0:44:15 > 0:44:18would have been used originally to provide work
0:44:18 > 0:44:20for heroes returning from World War I.
0:44:20 > 0:44:23And now Jamie, who has also served for Queen and country,
0:44:23 > 0:44:27is using the land and animals to help inspire others.
0:44:27 > 0:44:30He's sharing his experiences and knowledge of farming
0:44:30 > 0:44:34to help repair the lives of many of his fellow veterans.
0:44:39 > 0:44:44ANITA: This week, we're celebrating the green spaces in our cities,
0:44:44 > 0:44:48like Woodberry Wetlands in Hackney - one of London's greenest.
0:44:48 > 0:44:51A reservoir that's a wildlife reserve,
0:44:51 > 0:44:54a secret pocket of countryside from a time
0:44:54 > 0:44:57when all around would have been fields.
0:44:57 > 0:45:01Now open to the public for the first time in 200 years,
0:45:01 > 0:45:02it's a big hit with the locals.
0:45:04 > 0:45:06This group of grandparents and grandchildren
0:45:06 > 0:45:08visit as often as possible.
0:45:08 > 0:45:11So, Carol, how important is it to have this on your doorstep?
0:45:11 > 0:45:13It's really important. Some of these children -
0:45:13 > 0:45:15well, most of the children - haven't got gardens.
0:45:15 > 0:45:18They haven't got these facilities, and we're very fortunate,
0:45:18 > 0:45:19and we've never looked back.
0:45:19 > 0:45:22We come here about twice a week, and the children love it.
0:45:22 > 0:45:25They get so much out of it, it's untrue, you know?
0:45:25 > 0:45:27This is the garden that I never had.
0:45:29 > 0:45:32- What have we got?- Snail. - A snail?
0:45:32 > 0:45:33There we go.
0:45:35 > 0:45:39There's one local resident with a view I can't wait to see.
0:45:39 > 0:45:42Daphne Hart has lived here for nearly 40 years.
0:45:42 > 0:45:46- Amazing. - Wait till I open the window.
0:45:46 > 0:45:47There you go.
0:45:47 > 0:45:50Wow. What an incredible view.
0:45:50 > 0:45:53Yeah, I love it. I absolutely love it.
0:45:53 > 0:45:56I don't have to go for a ride to the country.
0:45:56 > 0:45:58I've got it all here.
0:45:58 > 0:46:00I've got the greenery, I've got the water.
0:46:00 > 0:46:03Words can't explain how I feel.
0:46:03 > 0:46:05I think it's...phantasmagorical.
0:46:05 > 0:46:09- It's beyond words, I think... - It's a great word.
0:46:09 > 0:46:10..but it is wonderful.
0:46:10 > 0:46:14And whoever comes up here cannot believe that,
0:46:14 > 0:46:16you know, this view.
0:46:16 > 0:46:18My mother used to say, when she used to come up here,
0:46:18 > 0:46:21she used to say, "You need never be depressed.
0:46:21 > 0:46:24"When you look at this window, you have all the four seasons."
0:46:24 > 0:46:28And I feel so privileged to be able to live here.
0:46:28 > 0:46:29You are very, very lucky.
0:46:29 > 0:46:32- Yeah.- Let's just have a look at the wildlife.
0:46:32 > 0:46:34- Look at those beautiful birds. - Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah.
0:46:34 > 0:46:36We're in London, you know?
0:46:36 > 0:46:39- I can't believe we are in Hackney. - Yeah.
0:46:39 > 0:46:40I can't believe it.
0:46:40 > 0:46:42- Would you ever move?- Never.
0:46:42 > 0:46:44Never, never, never, never.
0:46:44 > 0:46:45Never move.
0:46:45 > 0:46:47I don't live too far away, so I'm going to pop in
0:46:47 > 0:46:49for a cup of tea every now and again, for this...
0:46:49 > 0:46:51- For the conversation, obviously. - Oh, shut up.
0:46:51 > 0:46:54- The company and the view. - Yeah, yeah, yeah, you schmoozer!
0:46:54 > 0:46:56THEY LAUGH
0:46:56 > 0:47:00But it is not just the people who love the green space.
0:47:00 > 0:47:03There is a wide variety of wildlife returning to the land.
0:47:04 > 0:47:07Earlier, I met Nathan Legall,
0:47:07 > 0:47:09a ranger for the London Wildlife Trust.
0:47:09 > 0:47:12That's still a working reservoir, isn't it, and always has been?
0:47:12 > 0:47:14Yeah. So if you live anywhere north of the Thames,
0:47:14 > 0:47:17some of your drinking water actually comes from Woodberry.
0:47:17 > 0:47:20It wasn't always as clean as this, though, was it?
0:47:20 > 0:47:23No, unfortunately, at one point they actually used chlorine
0:47:23 > 0:47:26to clean the water, and that meant the reserve
0:47:26 > 0:47:29basically became devoid of any wildlife and plants.
0:47:29 > 0:47:32So when they stopped doing that,
0:47:32 > 0:47:34the reserve bloomed with wildlife once again.
0:47:34 > 0:47:36So what kind of species do you have here?
0:47:36 > 0:47:40We actually have around 109 different bird species
0:47:40 > 0:47:42that visit in any average year.
0:47:42 > 0:47:46Aside from the birds, there are some pretty special invertebrates
0:47:46 > 0:47:48making their home here, too.
0:47:48 > 0:47:51So what we have are a range of different moth species.
0:47:51 > 0:47:54We actually have a family of moths called wainscots.
0:47:54 > 0:47:58So wainscots actually make use of our reed bed habitat here.
0:47:58 > 0:48:02And reed beds are very infrequent in the city.
0:48:02 > 0:48:04And who is this one? This is beautiful.
0:48:04 > 0:48:07So that is an elephant hawk-moth.
0:48:07 > 0:48:10- Very beautiful pink and greenish-yellow.- It's stunning.
0:48:10 > 0:48:14The fact that the area's been left to do its own thing
0:48:14 > 0:48:18and the plants have been able to take over and bloom
0:48:18 > 0:48:21means that we get a range of invertebrates here
0:48:21 > 0:48:23that you wouldn't get outside.
0:48:23 > 0:48:25So these moths are evidence that this place
0:48:25 > 0:48:27is a vibrant hub for nature?
0:48:27 > 0:48:31Yeah, so what we do is manage the reserve in a nature-sensitive way.
0:48:31 > 0:48:34So every year, we see changes in the different birds
0:48:34 > 0:48:37and different species of plants and invertebrates that we get here.
0:48:37 > 0:48:40So every year, we're seeing an increase in diversity.
0:48:42 > 0:48:44Such an abundance of nature has caught the eye
0:48:44 > 0:48:46of an award-winning wildlife photographer.
0:48:50 > 0:48:54Sam Hobson specialises in capturing the unexpected in the city.
0:49:00 > 0:49:04- Hello, Sam.- Hi.- Good to see you. - How are you doing?
0:49:04 > 0:49:06Have you seen anything spectacular?
0:49:06 > 0:49:08I've just been watching the common terns.
0:49:08 > 0:49:11It's not a bird you'd expect to see in the middle of London.
0:49:11 > 0:49:14So why did you choose to photograph wildlife in a city?
0:49:14 > 0:49:16It's not the first place you'd think.
0:49:16 > 0:49:19I grew up in London, so I guess I'd seen wildlife everywhere,
0:49:19 > 0:49:21and I'd come home with these tales of,
0:49:21 > 0:49:23"Oh, I just saw this thing round the corner."
0:49:23 > 0:49:25I didn't feel like people believed me.
0:49:25 > 0:49:29So picking up the camera was my way of just showing
0:49:29 > 0:49:32there's nature all around us - it's right on your doorstep.
0:49:37 > 0:49:40I really try and make a point of including some background,
0:49:40 > 0:49:43some context, that shows it's, you know,
0:49:43 > 0:49:46somewhere familiar to a city dweller.
0:49:46 > 0:49:47So does this excite you, then,
0:49:47 > 0:49:50the fact that we got the reserve and buildings all around?
0:49:50 > 0:49:51There's tonnes of potential here.
0:49:51 > 0:49:54- I have had a little recce, and I've wandered around the whole bit.- Yeah.
0:49:54 > 0:49:57So there's a really beautiful spot I'd like to take you to.
0:49:57 > 0:49:59- OK, brilliant. - See what you think.- OK, perfect.
0:50:16 > 0:50:18So if you've been inspired to do some wildlife photography
0:50:18 > 0:50:21and step outside your front door, whether it be rural or urban,
0:50:21 > 0:50:23you'll want to know what the weather's doing.
0:50:23 > 0:50:26Here is the Countryfile forecast for the week ahead.
0:51:07 > 0:51:11We're taking a look at our cities and their green spaces.
0:51:22 > 0:51:23Here at Manchester Airport,
0:51:23 > 0:51:26we have seen how the staff work hard to look after the wildlife
0:51:26 > 0:51:29just outside the perimeter fence.
0:51:33 > 0:51:36Being so close to nature has its advantages,
0:51:36 > 0:51:39and it has its disadvantages, too.
0:51:39 > 0:51:44Bird strikes are a threat during takeoff and landing.
0:51:44 > 0:51:45It's not good for the birds
0:51:45 > 0:51:47and it's really not good for the jet engines,
0:51:47 > 0:51:49and that is why there's a team of wildlife experts
0:51:49 > 0:51:54patrolling this area around the runways 24 hours a day.
0:51:59 > 0:52:03Meet Scarecrow, Manchester Airport's crack wildlife team.
0:52:03 > 0:52:05These lot never rest,
0:52:05 > 0:52:08permanently on duty, scanning the skies and grasslands,
0:52:08 > 0:52:12looking for birds and other wildlife around the runways
0:52:12 > 0:52:14that could pose a danger.
0:52:14 > 0:52:17It's all part of the job for Paul Kennedy.
0:52:17 > 0:52:20Paul. Busy at work?
0:52:20 > 0:52:23Our objective, obviously, is to keep the airfield safe
0:52:23 > 0:52:25and free from bird activity.
0:52:25 > 0:52:27It's essential that we keep the actual runway
0:52:27 > 0:52:29clear of all wildlife.
0:52:32 > 0:52:35And this is what a bird strike looks like.
0:52:36 > 0:52:39A few years ago, we had a Thomson taking off,
0:52:39 > 0:52:40and just on departure
0:52:40 > 0:52:42there was a bird ingested
0:52:42 > 0:52:43into the number two engine.
0:52:45 > 0:52:47And the crew were fabulous, the captain was so calm.
0:52:47 > 0:52:50- CAPTAIN:- Mayday, Mayday, Mayday.
0:52:50 > 0:52:52Thomson 253H, engine failure.
0:52:52 > 0:52:54We are continuing with north-westerly,
0:52:54 > 0:52:56and then inbound towards Wallasey.
0:52:56 > 0:53:00Went and flew off around the Wirral to burn fuel off for a wee while,
0:53:00 > 0:53:02then came back, calm as anything.
0:53:05 > 0:53:07And if there's a problem, what can you do?
0:53:07 > 0:53:09How much power have you got to stop flights?
0:53:09 > 0:53:13Well, if there is a major problem, as in say, for example...
0:53:15 > 0:53:19..I thought there was a flock of birds near or on the runway,
0:53:19 > 0:53:22I am in constant contact with the tower,
0:53:22 > 0:53:24and I would warn them and, if need be,
0:53:24 > 0:53:27I would ask them to send the next aircraft to go around,
0:53:27 > 0:53:30or hold the aircraft before departure.
0:53:33 > 0:53:36So when they get the call from you, they know it's serious.
0:53:36 > 0:53:37- It's serious, yeah.- Yeah.
0:53:40 > 0:53:44Like all of Team Scarecrow, Paul is trained in wildlife behaviour,
0:53:44 > 0:53:46and he has some clever kit at his disposal
0:53:46 > 0:53:48to scare away unwanted visitors.
0:53:50 > 0:53:53This machine plays the distress calls
0:53:53 > 0:53:55of the airport's most common birds.
0:53:56 > 0:54:00We just move the pointer towards the bird that we want to scare away.
0:54:00 > 0:54:02We've got the rook.
0:54:02 > 0:54:05And you'll hear the noise. It's quite loud - be careful.
0:54:05 > 0:54:07LOUD SQUAWKING
0:54:07 > 0:54:09Yeah, I mean, I'm finding that quite distressing.
0:54:09 > 0:54:11- I can't imagine what the rooks feel like.- Yeah!
0:54:11 > 0:54:14- It is quite loud, isn't it? - Yes, it's loud.
0:54:14 > 0:54:16We have the lapwing.
0:54:16 > 0:54:17LOUD WARBLING
0:54:19 > 0:54:23And then, or else, we could have the common gull.
0:54:23 > 0:54:25LOUD CHATTERING
0:54:27 > 0:54:29What if that doesn't work, Paul?
0:54:29 > 0:54:32Well, if that doesn't work, then we have to bring out the big guns.
0:54:32 > 0:54:34- Could I just pass you those? - Protect my ears.- Just put those on.
0:54:34 > 0:54:37- You have to wear the cool glasses as well, do you?- Oh, thanks very much.
0:54:37 > 0:54:39SEAN LAUGHS
0:54:45 > 0:54:47PROJECTILE BANGS
0:54:47 > 0:54:49- So a double bang...- Yeah.
0:54:49 > 0:54:52- ..and that's definitely going to scare them away, isn't it?- Yeah.
0:54:52 > 0:54:55- But what if that doesn't happen? - If that doesn't happen,
0:54:55 > 0:55:00- then...we have to go to Plan Z. - What's Plan Z?
0:55:00 > 0:55:04Plan Z is a secret method.
0:55:04 > 0:55:07And...and you're not supposed to show this to anybody.
0:55:07 > 0:55:10So...you have to do this with me.
0:55:10 > 0:55:12- Come on!- Yee-haw! - THEY LAUGH
0:55:15 > 0:55:16That's brilliant.
0:55:16 > 0:55:20You get to do your job and act like a child.
0:55:20 > 0:55:21- LAUGHING:- A dream job.
0:55:23 > 0:55:24Well, that's it for this week.
0:55:24 > 0:55:26I hope you've enjoyed our focus on our cities.
0:55:26 > 0:55:28Anita, what's coming up next week?
0:55:28 > 0:55:30Well, Sean, next week,
0:55:30 > 0:55:33Ellie will be looking at the power of flowers.
0:55:33 > 0:55:35It's going to be BLOOMING great.
0:55:35 > 0:55:36We'll see you then.