0:00:27 > 0:00:29'Beautiful beaches.
0:00:30 > 0:00:31'Weathered heathland.
0:00:32 > 0:00:34'Mysterious woodland.'
0:00:36 > 0:00:40Sea, sand, and nature, all rolled into one.
0:00:42 > 0:00:44'Dorset's South Haven Peninsula is
0:00:44 > 0:00:48'bursting with the sights and sounds of a thriving nature reserve,
0:00:48 > 0:00:51'but without the foresight of one inspirational man
0:00:51 > 0:00:54'it might have been very different.'
0:00:57 > 0:01:01Cyril Diver was the great unsung hero of conservation,
0:01:01 > 0:01:05whose work here in the 1930s set the standard for
0:01:05 > 0:01:07studying nature in the field.
0:01:08 > 0:01:12'I'll be unearthing Cyril Diver's story and meeting
0:01:12 > 0:01:14'the team keeping his legacy alive.'
0:01:15 > 0:01:19And whilst I'm here I'll be looking back through the Countryfile archives
0:01:19 > 0:01:23to see how conservation projects are making a difference
0:01:23 > 0:01:24across the country.
0:01:25 > 0:01:28'From the time Matt got up close and personal
0:01:28 > 0:01:31'with some remarkable rare birds...'
0:01:31 > 0:01:36Well, I've taken some animals for a walk in my time,
0:01:36 > 0:01:38but never a baby crane.
0:01:38 > 0:01:41'..to when Joe tried his hand at fishing in Derbyshire.'
0:01:42 > 0:01:46Look at that! I'm over the moon, but it seems great for the river,
0:01:46 > 0:01:48great for the fish, great for the wildlife.
0:01:49 > 0:01:51'And when Adam and his sheepdog, Peg,
0:01:51 > 0:01:55'helped out with some conservation grazing in Merseyside.'
0:01:55 > 0:01:58Peg's struggling a bit in this terrain,
0:01:58 > 0:02:00with all the rabbit holes and rough scrub.
0:02:00 > 0:02:02She's tripping over a bit.
0:02:04 > 0:02:06'And I'll be sharing the story of
0:02:06 > 0:02:10'where my love of wildlife and conservation all began.'
0:02:11 > 0:02:14I spent some time in Zimbabwe, working out on a farm,
0:02:14 > 0:02:19so I got the chance to canoe on Lake Kariba and down the Zambezi,
0:02:19 > 0:02:20looking for elephants.
0:02:33 > 0:02:36'Sitting on the English Channel just along the coast from Poole,
0:02:36 > 0:02:40'the South Haven Peninsula is an extraordinary haven for nature.
0:02:43 > 0:02:47'The landscape is a mix of heathland...
0:02:47 > 0:02:48'wetland...
0:02:48 > 0:02:50'woodland...
0:02:50 > 0:02:51'and sand dunes,
0:02:51 > 0:02:54'making it one of the most diverse habitats in the country
0:02:54 > 0:02:56'for wildlife.'
0:02:57 > 0:03:01It's also where one of the most important wildlife surveys ever
0:03:01 > 0:03:05was undertaken by a man almost forgotten now,
0:03:05 > 0:03:06Captain Cyril Diver.
0:03:09 > 0:03:13'Cyril Diver was a great champion of conservation.
0:03:13 > 0:03:18'He was an ecologist whose studies of South Haven broke new ground.
0:03:18 > 0:03:22'His interest in natural history started as a young boy,
0:03:22 > 0:03:24'but it was his family holidays to South Haven
0:03:24 > 0:03:27'that inspired his greatest work.'
0:03:27 > 0:03:33Diver's big idea was to study the whole ecosystem, the plants,
0:03:33 > 0:03:35the animals, the environment, the lot.
0:03:40 > 0:03:46'During his pioneering seven-year study he collected 7,000 specimens,
0:03:46 > 0:03:49'from the common red admiral butterfly
0:03:49 > 0:03:52'to the rare and endangered silver studded blue butterfly.
0:03:54 > 0:03:56'It's a staggering collection,
0:03:56 > 0:03:59'and an invaluable resource for today's conservationists.'
0:04:03 > 0:04:06In here is what he would have used.
0:04:06 > 0:04:08This is Diver's actual notebook.
0:04:10 > 0:04:14It's got a ruler across the top and bottom, a compass here in the top,
0:04:14 > 0:04:17there's no worry about flapping pages with these rollers.
0:04:17 > 0:04:21It's even got this leather strap to attach to his wrist as he worked.
0:04:22 > 0:04:25Things are quite similar in the field today
0:04:25 > 0:04:28with recording our findings, but even if you're not into conservation,
0:04:28 > 0:04:31you've got to love the craftsmanship on that.
0:04:37 > 0:04:41'Diver pioneered new field surveying techniques
0:04:41 > 0:04:45'that enabled scientists to be more accurate in their research.
0:04:45 > 0:04:48'He also believed that landscape should be protected for future
0:04:48 > 0:04:52'generations, paving the way for the creation of National Parks.'
0:04:55 > 0:04:57I can see why he fell in love with this place.
0:04:57 > 0:05:00It's an ecologist's dream.
0:05:07 > 0:05:09'Thanks to the vision of Cyril Diver,
0:05:09 > 0:05:13'the whole ecosystem of the South Haven Peninsula has been
0:05:13 > 0:05:14'studied and protected.
0:05:16 > 0:05:19'But not all our native species have been so lucky,
0:05:19 > 0:05:22'as Matt discovered on a visit to Gloucestershire in May
0:05:22 > 0:05:23'a couple of years ago.'
0:05:43 > 0:05:47This spring it's hoped that new life will help boost the slow recovery of
0:05:47 > 0:05:51a mighty bird that has been lost from these wetlands for centuries.
0:05:51 > 0:05:52The common crane.
0:05:55 > 0:05:58'The common, or now not-so-common, crane
0:05:58 > 0:06:01'was wiped out as a breeding bird in the south-west corner of Britain
0:06:01 > 0:06:03'around 400 years ago as a result of hunting
0:06:03 > 0:06:07'and then widespread drainage of the wetlands.
0:06:07 > 0:06:09'But now, to secure the future of the species,
0:06:09 > 0:06:11'for the past five years,
0:06:11 > 0:06:13'95 baby cranes have been hand-reared
0:06:13 > 0:06:16'from eggs sourced from the wild.
0:06:16 > 0:06:19'The work is undertaken here at a purpose-built crane school
0:06:19 > 0:06:22'at the Wildfowl & Wetlands Trust in Slimbridge.'
0:06:23 > 0:06:26Now, we've put in quite a bit of preparation for meeting the cranes.
0:06:26 > 0:06:29I haven't been near my chickens for a whole week
0:06:29 > 0:06:32and all of the camera equipment has been scrubbed and cleaned,
0:06:32 > 0:06:33so I think we're ready.
0:06:36 > 0:06:37'Well, not quite.
0:06:37 > 0:06:40'Next we have to put on these disinfected shoes.
0:06:41 > 0:06:43'And then there's the outfits.'
0:06:45 > 0:06:48Now, all this may look a bit odd, and a bit extreme,
0:06:48 > 0:06:51but I am told it is vital to protect the cranes,
0:06:51 > 0:06:54and it's not just me that's dressed like this.
0:06:54 > 0:06:55Here we are, then, lads.
0:06:57 > 0:06:58There we go.
0:06:59 > 0:07:04'Nigel Jarrett is the lead feathery- fingered expert on the project.
0:07:04 > 0:07:07'With a history of saving species from the brink of extinction,
0:07:07 > 0:07:10'he is one of the surrogate parents to the crane chicks.'
0:07:12 > 0:07:15(I think this might be Nigel, but I can't tell.)
0:07:15 > 0:07:17- (Is it Nigel?)- Yes.- (Hello.) - (How are you doing?)
0:07:17 > 0:07:20- (Yeah, good.)- We don't need to be wearing hoods, by the way,
0:07:20 > 0:07:24- at this point. - Oh, right. OK, hoods down, lads.
0:07:24 > 0:07:26(The reason we're keeping our voices down as well?)
0:07:26 > 0:07:28Yeah, it's because we've got baby cranes behind us
0:07:28 > 0:07:31and it's the reason why we're disguising our bodies
0:07:31 > 0:07:33with this sort of sackcloth costume.
0:07:33 > 0:07:36It's not to look like cranes but to disguise our body shape
0:07:36 > 0:07:40so that the babies that we have grow up thinking they're cranes,
0:07:40 > 0:07:42- and, well, not people anyway, that's the important thing.- (OK.)
0:07:42 > 0:07:44In the crane school behind us,
0:07:44 > 0:07:47we're going to exercise and feed some birds in a second.
0:07:47 > 0:07:51We teach cranes from day-old chicks until they are ten weeks old
0:07:51 > 0:07:55how to avoid predators like foxes, what to eat and what not to eat,
0:07:55 > 0:07:56basically how to become cranes
0:07:56 > 0:07:58- that can survive in the British countryside.- (Right.)
0:07:58 > 0:08:01And right now we've got some eggs that are about to hatch.
0:08:01 > 0:08:03(Oh, really? How close are they?)
0:08:03 > 0:08:06- Just round the corner. - Do we need hoods up for this?
0:08:06 > 0:08:10We don't, not at this point.
0:08:10 > 0:08:14'Upon graduation, these cranes will be free to explore the wild.
0:08:14 > 0:08:17'But even before they hatch, they've been on quite a journey.
0:08:19 > 0:08:23'It started 800 miles away in Brandenburg, Germany,
0:08:23 > 0:08:25'as the thriving population of cranes there
0:08:25 > 0:08:27'started to nest in early spring.
0:08:27 > 0:08:30'Eggs were carefully selected under a special licence
0:08:30 > 0:08:31'without depleting the numbers.
0:08:33 > 0:08:35'After sign-off by a local vet,
0:08:35 > 0:08:37'the eggs were transported back to the UK
0:08:37 > 0:08:39'on an 18-hour non-stop road trip,
0:08:39 > 0:08:42'and into the crane school incubator at Slimbridge.
0:08:43 > 0:08:46'Just days later, here they are.'
0:08:46 > 0:08:4915 and 17 and 20 are moving.
0:08:49 > 0:08:50Did you see that?
0:08:50 > 0:08:52- Massive, that was. - Fantastic.
0:08:52 > 0:08:55That's like a baby kicking inside its mummy's tummy.
0:08:55 > 0:08:57That egg is about a week from hatching.
0:08:57 > 0:09:00What's fantastic for me to see is it's the first time that
0:09:00 > 0:09:02we've seen that there's still life in that egg
0:09:02 > 0:09:06after having just been driven 800 miles from Germany two nights ago.
0:09:06 > 0:09:07Wow, look, it's rocking.
0:09:07 > 0:09:09- It's properly...- Amazing.
0:09:09 > 0:09:12It makes the hairs on my neck stand on end every time.
0:09:12 > 0:09:14There's a while to go in this incubator
0:09:14 > 0:09:16but two have actually started to hatch
0:09:16 > 0:09:19and we've got those in this incubator just over here.
0:09:19 > 0:09:21- Even this one?- Yeah, yeah.
0:09:21 > 0:09:24And what I'm about to do is play a bird call,
0:09:24 > 0:09:27the sound that mum and dad make to babies that are hatching,
0:09:27 > 0:09:31and that actually encourages the chick to come out of the shell.
0:09:31 > 0:09:35If I just press it you'll hear a grunt sound.
0:09:35 > 0:09:38(You can hear the baby calling.)
0:09:38 > 0:09:40CHIRPING ON TAPE
0:09:41 > 0:09:44- Is that the little beak there? - That's the beak just coming through.
0:09:44 > 0:09:47And on the end of that beak is something called an egg tooth,
0:09:47 > 0:09:50a little calcified...
0:09:50 > 0:09:54sort of diamond-like thing that is used to break through the shell.
0:09:54 > 0:09:58- Wow.- And then that drops off as soon as the baby has hatched.
0:09:58 > 0:10:01But the feeling that you must get from doing this,
0:10:01 > 0:10:03and, you know, giving them a chance.
0:10:03 > 0:10:04Like any expectant parent,
0:10:04 > 0:10:08that exhilaration, that sort of pride you feel
0:10:08 > 0:10:11isn't really there, cos you're just worried all the time.
0:10:11 > 0:10:13These are the most precious things that we've got.
0:10:13 > 0:10:16We literally have all our eggs in one basket, so to speak.
0:10:16 > 0:10:19The important thing is that these babies come out
0:10:19 > 0:10:23fit, well and healthy and ready to receive food and plenty of exercise,
0:10:23 > 0:10:25which is what we are about to do
0:10:25 > 0:10:28for the birds that have already been hatched.
0:10:28 > 0:10:30'Once the birds are a few days old,
0:10:30 > 0:10:33'it's time to introduce them to their lessons,
0:10:33 > 0:10:35'learning to walk, run, feed and forage.
0:10:35 > 0:10:37'It's all part of the process
0:10:37 > 0:10:40'leading up to their graduation and release.
0:10:40 > 0:10:42'Finally, I get to put me hood up.'
0:10:43 > 0:10:45Oh, my goodness me.
0:10:47 > 0:10:49Now, that is just adorable.
0:10:49 > 0:10:53The ones that we're about to walk are between three and ten days old
0:10:53 > 0:10:55and I think we're going to walk some five-day-olds.
0:10:55 > 0:10:59- I see.- These babies grow up almost a centimetre per day and we need the
0:10:59 > 0:11:02exercise for those legs to grow long and straight.
0:11:04 > 0:11:06'Time for me to be daddy crane.'
0:11:06 > 0:11:11Oh, gosh, look, he's grabbed the whole spoon.
0:11:11 > 0:11:13Let's have a little wander.
0:11:14 > 0:11:16'The chicks are encouraged to exercise
0:11:16 > 0:11:18'by being rewarded with food,
0:11:18 > 0:11:20'fed to them by dummy crane heads.'
0:11:22 > 0:11:25Well, I've taken some animals for a walk in my time,
0:11:25 > 0:11:28but never a baby crane.
0:11:28 > 0:11:29This is wonderful.
0:11:38 > 0:11:43'Dorset's South Haven Peninsula, a Site of Special Scientific Interest,
0:11:43 > 0:11:46'was donated to the National Trust in 1982.
0:11:46 > 0:11:50'The Trust has worked tirelessly to maintain its diverse landscape.'
0:11:54 > 0:11:57And they've been keeping Cyril Diver's legacy alive.
0:12:01 > 0:12:02'I'm meeting Michelle Brown,
0:12:02 > 0:12:05'the ecologist who is leading the Cyril Diver project here.'
0:12:09 > 0:12:11What work has the National Trust been doing?
0:12:11 > 0:12:12Over the last three years,
0:12:12 > 0:12:15we've been surveying the whole of the South Haven Peninsula
0:12:15 > 0:12:17for every species that we can find,
0:12:17 > 0:12:20and the reason we've been doing that is to
0:12:20 > 0:12:23recreate the studies of Cyril Diver in the 1930s.
0:12:23 > 0:12:26The idea is that we can gain an understanding in depth
0:12:26 > 0:12:30of the ecology of the area, how it's changed over the last 80 years,
0:12:30 > 0:12:33and what we need to do to manage the site most effectively.
0:12:33 > 0:12:35What have been the main findings from the survey?
0:12:35 > 0:12:39What changes have been observed since Diver's day?
0:12:39 > 0:12:42In general, we found that the eastern section of the peninsula is
0:12:42 > 0:12:45a very dynamic habitat, it's changing all the time.
0:12:45 > 0:12:49And then over the western side it's remained relatively stable,
0:12:49 > 0:12:51and then in the wetlands water levels have risen,
0:12:51 > 0:12:54and that's created even more seasonal pools which have
0:12:54 > 0:12:56benefited some of the wetland species.
0:12:56 > 0:13:00Have there been any negatives in how the landscape has changed?
0:13:00 > 0:13:01Yes, there have been a few.
0:13:01 > 0:13:04So, over the last few decades we've had an increase in the number of
0:13:04 > 0:13:09non-native species, so species from other countries such as sika deer,
0:13:09 > 0:13:10which are a Japanese species,
0:13:10 > 0:13:15which have now taken over and pushed out the roe deer,
0:13:15 > 0:13:18and we've also had some species such as crassula,
0:13:18 > 0:13:20which is an aquatic plant,
0:13:20 > 0:13:22and that clogs up all the marshes and things like that,
0:13:22 > 0:13:25makes it very difficult for species that need open water.
0:13:25 > 0:13:28What about the good news stories from then till now?
0:13:28 > 0:13:31The heath is much more mature than it was in Diver's day,
0:13:31 > 0:13:34so when Diver surveyed it would have been a much more open environment,
0:13:34 > 0:13:36but now we've got much more scrub,
0:13:36 > 0:13:39and the heather is at a more mature phase.
0:13:39 > 0:13:42That means it's perfect for species such as Dartford warblers,
0:13:42 > 0:13:45nightjars and smooth snakes in particular.
0:13:45 > 0:13:47Excellent. What's next for the survey?
0:13:47 > 0:13:51What we want to do is expand that to the rest of the sites in Purbeck,
0:13:51 > 0:13:56so we will then build up a baseline to compare in another 80 years' time
0:13:56 > 0:13:58- what has changed in that period. - That's good.
0:13:59 > 0:14:02'Playing her part in the wildlife research here is
0:14:02 > 0:14:04'Masters student Lorraine Munns.
0:14:04 > 0:14:05'Today she has set her sights on
0:14:05 > 0:14:08'some of the smaller creatures on the peninsula.
0:14:08 > 0:14:11'It's a good job I love creepy-crawlies.'
0:14:11 > 0:14:13Hi, Lorraine.
0:14:13 > 0:14:15- Hello.- What are you looking at?
0:14:15 > 0:14:18This is Formica rufa, otherwise known as the red wood ant.
0:14:18 > 0:14:20This is a red wood ant nest.
0:14:20 > 0:14:22I've seen this everywhere I go today.
0:14:22 > 0:14:25- There seem to be a lot of them here. - There are.
0:14:25 > 0:14:28It's very interesting because in Cyril Diver's day he mapped
0:14:28 > 0:14:31a few areas where he found Formica rufa,
0:14:31 > 0:14:32but over the last 80 years
0:14:32 > 0:14:35they seem to have spread over the peninsula.
0:14:35 > 0:14:37Is there any explanation about why that might be,
0:14:37 > 0:14:40why their numbers have increased so much?
0:14:40 > 0:14:43They are a woodland species and they like to make their nests,
0:14:43 > 0:14:46as you can see, in clearings in woodland areas.
0:14:46 > 0:14:50They forage in trees like birch and sallow because they harvest the
0:14:50 > 0:14:54honeydew from aphids, so this would be a perfect habitat for them,
0:14:54 > 0:14:57and as the vegetation grows up on the peninsula,
0:14:57 > 0:14:58the wood ant moves with it.
0:14:58 > 0:15:02So if you look down here at the nest you can see, well, thousands,
0:15:02 > 0:15:03just in front of my eyes here.
0:15:03 > 0:15:06Have you any idea how many there might be across the whole site?
0:15:06 > 0:15:10Well, it's believed there could be anything between 100,000
0:15:10 > 0:15:13and 400,000 per nest, including at least 100 queens,
0:15:13 > 0:15:16and we have hundreds of these nests all over the peninsula.
0:15:18 > 0:15:21'So that means if there are 500 nests across the site,
0:15:21 > 0:15:26'there are roughly a skin-crawling 200 million red wood ants.'
0:15:27 > 0:15:30So they build nests like this to incubate their eggs,
0:15:30 > 0:15:33to keep predators away, and to keep the weather out,
0:15:33 > 0:15:35- is that the main function? - That's right, yes.
0:15:35 > 0:15:39They've actually positioned their nests within nice sunlit glades
0:15:39 > 0:15:41within the forest, to keep their nest warm.
0:15:41 > 0:15:44- Fascinating animals, aren't they? - They are.
0:15:44 > 0:15:47Are they causing any harm, are there any major concerns?
0:15:47 > 0:15:50They could be outcompeting other ants, like, for example,
0:15:50 > 0:15:53the very small black ant that you sometimes find in your house
0:15:53 > 0:15:56and which is... The Latin name's Lasius niger.
0:15:56 > 0:15:58They have a really strong symbiotic relationship
0:15:58 > 0:16:01with the silver-sided blue butterfly, which you might see,
0:16:01 > 0:16:04and our beautiful heathland butterfly, which is nationally in decline.
0:16:04 > 0:16:08The ant actually looks after and protects the butterfly larvae
0:16:08 > 0:16:10while it's developing.
0:16:10 > 0:16:15So, potentially, if the red wood ant outcompetes the small black ant,
0:16:15 > 0:16:19we could possibly lose our silver- sided blue butterfly population.
0:16:19 > 0:16:22So keeping on with the research and keeping an eye on things.
0:16:22 > 0:16:23Absolutely.
0:16:30 > 0:16:34Cyril Diver's survey really was the start of conservation
0:16:34 > 0:16:37on this peninsula as we know it today,
0:16:37 > 0:16:42and his legacy will continue through people like Michelle, Lorraine
0:16:42 > 0:16:43and hundreds of volunteers.
0:16:49 > 0:16:51'All across the country,
0:16:51 > 0:16:54'conservation projects are protecting our wildlife,
0:16:54 > 0:17:00'not just on land, but in the air and in our waters,
0:17:00 > 0:17:03'as Joe Crowley discovered last year in Derbyshire
0:17:03 > 0:17:04'when he donned his fishing gear.'
0:17:06 > 0:17:09'The crystal-clear River Lathkill in the Derbyshire Dales.
0:17:12 > 0:17:15'Calm, tranquil and serene.
0:17:16 > 0:17:21'Perfect for uncovering the secrets that lie below the water line.'
0:17:24 > 0:17:27It's at this time of year that blue-winged olives take to the skies
0:17:27 > 0:17:31and tempt hungry wild trout to the surface,
0:17:31 > 0:17:34which gives budding anglers like me a chance,
0:17:34 > 0:17:38so that's exactly the fly I've tied on to try and catch one.
0:17:46 > 0:17:50'Today, when it comes to preserving rivers for our native fish species,
0:17:50 > 0:17:54'there are few finer examples than here along these edges and margins.'
0:17:57 > 0:18:01That's a fish out there, just risen, did you see it?
0:18:01 > 0:18:06'Warren Slaney looks after the 27 miles of river on the Haddon Estate.
0:18:08 > 0:18:10'Ten years ago he decided to stop
0:18:10 > 0:18:12'restocking these waterways with trout
0:18:12 > 0:18:14'and let nature take its course,
0:18:14 > 0:18:17'turning back the clock on a landscape scarred by
0:18:17 > 0:18:18'the heavy hand of industry,
0:18:18 > 0:18:22'and a river suffering from man's interventions.'
0:18:22 > 0:18:24So, Warren, ten years ago,
0:18:24 > 0:18:27you radically changed how you looked after these rivers.
0:18:27 > 0:18:28Why?
0:18:28 > 0:18:31Behind us there's a redundant fish farm.
0:18:31 > 0:18:36We used to put in about 3,000 big fish into the river each year,
0:18:36 > 0:18:39and we stopped doing that because we realised they were first of all
0:18:39 > 0:18:41outcompeting the wild fish,
0:18:41 > 0:18:44they were pushing them out of their territories,
0:18:44 > 0:18:46and then they were leaving themselves,
0:18:46 > 0:18:49so we were ending up with empty rivers, and now,
0:18:49 > 0:18:52instead of stocking fish we let the river grow their own fish.
0:18:53 > 0:18:57In the old days we used to look after the river for the fishermen.
0:18:57 > 0:18:59Now we look after the river for the river,
0:18:59 > 0:19:03and the fishermen have a much better time and they catch far more fish.
0:19:07 > 0:19:10Ooh, yeah. Yes, here we go!
0:19:10 > 0:19:12Well done. Hey, you've done well, actually.
0:19:14 > 0:19:16Look at that.
0:19:16 > 0:19:19I am absolutely chuffed to bits.
0:19:19 > 0:19:21That is a beautiful, beautiful fish.
0:19:21 > 0:19:24Look at the colouration, look at the spots,
0:19:24 > 0:19:26look at that nice sort of golden yellow belly,
0:19:26 > 0:19:29and these are the guys that are thriving here now,
0:19:29 > 0:19:32this is what this policy is all about, not having stocked fish,
0:19:32 > 0:19:35letting wild trout like this come through.
0:19:35 > 0:19:38I'm over the moon, but it seems great for the river,
0:19:38 > 0:19:40great for the fish, great for the wildlife.
0:19:41 > 0:19:45'By sensitively managing the natural ecosystem,
0:19:45 > 0:19:48'wild native fish are abundant here once again.
0:19:54 > 0:19:57'But to really appreciate what's living in this stretch of river,
0:19:57 > 0:20:00'I'm going to have to get wet.'
0:20:00 > 0:20:01Hello, Jack.
0:20:01 > 0:20:04- Hello, Joe.- I've always wanted to float into an interview,
0:20:04 > 0:20:07I think I've just achieved it.
0:20:07 > 0:20:10'Jack Perks is affectionately known as a "fish twitcher".
0:20:12 > 0:20:18'He's filmed and documented more than 40 freshwater fish in the UK,
0:20:18 > 0:20:19'like these grayling,
0:20:19 > 0:20:22'caught on camera in the River Wye in Derbyshire.
0:20:23 > 0:20:27'So, what's he going to make of this section of the river Lathkill?'
0:20:27 > 0:20:29So, Jack, why do you do it?
0:20:29 > 0:20:33Why do you go around the country videoing and photographing fish?
0:20:33 > 0:20:35I suppose, you look at birders, for example,
0:20:35 > 0:20:38I suppose because they're more visible more people are interested in birds,
0:20:38 > 0:20:41but I'm sure if more people did what we're doing right now
0:20:41 > 0:20:43there'd be just as many fish twitchers out there
0:20:43 > 0:20:45looking for all the different fish.
0:20:45 > 0:20:47As soon as you're under it's a different world, isn't it?
0:20:47 > 0:20:50Yeah, it's incredible, immersing yourself.
0:20:50 > 0:20:52I mean, the fish will let you get fairly close.
0:20:52 > 0:20:55- Shall we carry on and see what we get?- Let's have a go.
0:21:08 > 0:21:11- Fantastic, isn't it?- Yeah. - What have you got here?
0:21:11 > 0:21:15Well, it just goes to show all the food that these trout have got.
0:21:15 > 0:21:18It's a collection of caddis fly larvae.
0:21:18 > 0:21:21They make themselves a little cocoon out of debris
0:21:21 > 0:21:23to deter the trout from eating them.
0:21:23 > 0:21:24There's so much life in here.
0:21:24 > 0:21:26If you just stop still for a second
0:21:26 > 0:21:28and really look at your surroundings,
0:21:28 > 0:21:31- you just see it crawling with life, don't you?- Well, it's amazing.
0:21:31 > 0:21:34These trout have got a smorgasbord of food living in here.
0:21:47 > 0:21:50We have just had the most incredible experience.
0:21:50 > 0:21:53These trout were sort of vying for this feeding position.
0:21:53 > 0:21:56There must be a pecking order that they have,
0:21:56 > 0:21:57and one's the head honcho,
0:21:57 > 0:21:59and the others kind of weaving in and out for food.
0:21:59 > 0:22:02It was amazing to see them interact like that, wasn't it?
0:22:02 > 0:22:05Yeah, I've never had an interaction like that with brown trout before.
0:22:05 > 0:22:08- It's probably one of the best I've ever had really.- Really?- Yeah.
0:22:17 > 0:22:20'Conservation is about protecting wildlife,
0:22:20 > 0:22:24'understanding it and appreciating it in its natural environment.
0:22:25 > 0:22:29'Just a few of the reasons that I became a naturalist.
0:22:29 > 0:22:33'From a young age I was intrigued by the world around me.'
0:22:34 > 0:22:38Just like Cyril Diver I fell in love with nature when I was a child,
0:22:38 > 0:22:41and one of my earliest memories is coming across a housefly
0:22:41 > 0:22:44that was stuck to a piece of Sellotape,
0:22:44 > 0:22:47and seeing it as my job to rescue it and set it free,
0:22:47 > 0:22:51so over the next hour, with a little pot of water and some tweezers
0:22:51 > 0:22:56and a cocktail stick I did my best job of freeing the wings
0:22:56 > 0:22:57from the sticky Sellotape,
0:22:57 > 0:23:01and at the end of the experience it was still moving
0:23:01 > 0:23:04although I suspect it probably wasn't alive for much longer.
0:23:05 > 0:23:07And my dad also was quite into nature
0:23:07 > 0:23:10and he built his own incubator to breed chickens,
0:23:10 > 0:23:13and I remember going down before school into his carpentry shed
0:23:13 > 0:23:17and peering through the glass on the top to see the egg tooth
0:23:17 > 0:23:20on the beak of the chick breaking through the egg,
0:23:20 > 0:23:21and coming back after school
0:23:21 > 0:23:25and seeing the progress as these chicks hatched.
0:23:28 > 0:23:31When I got to 18 and my interest in wildlife was growing,
0:23:31 > 0:23:35I spent some time in Zimbabwe working out on a farm for a family
0:23:35 > 0:23:37who also happened to own a safari company,
0:23:37 > 0:23:42so I got the chance to canoe on Lake Kariba and down the Zambezi,
0:23:42 > 0:23:45looking for elephants, crocodiles and hippos,
0:23:45 > 0:23:48and it inspired me enough to go back for my final year at university
0:23:48 > 0:23:50and study elephant conservation.
0:23:52 > 0:23:55'But it's not just big beasts.
0:23:55 > 0:24:00'Even the most humble of creatures are intriguing and important to me.'
0:24:01 > 0:24:05If you look at this, now that the sun's out and the spring's really
0:24:05 > 0:24:09kicking off, there's so many more flying insects out on the wing.
0:24:09 > 0:24:11The hoverflies have come out in this warm weather,
0:24:11 > 0:24:14drawn in to the pollen and nectar of this gorse,
0:24:14 > 0:24:16and they're incredible insects.
0:24:16 > 0:24:18They look a bit like bees and wasps,
0:24:18 > 0:24:21but they're true flies so they don't sting us.
0:24:21 > 0:24:24They've evolved to mimic those insects
0:24:24 > 0:24:28so that their predators don't eat them, which is pretty canny.
0:24:28 > 0:24:31And they are making full use of the pollen and nectar here,
0:24:31 > 0:24:33showing what great pollinators they are.
0:24:33 > 0:24:35And Lord knows, we need plenty of those.
0:24:38 > 0:24:40'My passion for nature grew and grew
0:24:40 > 0:24:44'and then, six years ago, I landed my dream job.'
0:24:52 > 0:24:55Working on Countryfile I've got to travel all across the country,
0:24:55 > 0:24:59seeing close-up a great number of conservation projects
0:24:59 > 0:25:01in many different habitats.
0:25:01 > 0:25:04A couple that really stand out for me was a day that I spent
0:25:04 > 0:25:06just around the corner from here,
0:25:06 > 0:25:10trying to find all five British reptiles in a single day,
0:25:10 > 0:25:13and another was spending time with Peter Smith,
0:25:13 > 0:25:15who runs Wildwood in Kent,
0:25:15 > 0:25:17a man of extraordinary knowledge, passion,
0:25:17 > 0:25:20and someone who has a vision
0:25:20 > 0:25:24and a dream for how wildlife can be in this country.
0:25:24 > 0:25:28It still does strike a sense of excitement and danger in your heart
0:25:28 > 0:25:31when you see one just staring at you as I did just now.
0:25:35 > 0:25:38Today, I rent a five-acre patch,
0:25:38 > 0:25:41and my long-term plan for it is to
0:25:41 > 0:25:44make it as rich a place for wildlife as possible.
0:25:44 > 0:25:49When I found it, it had just thick swards of grass,
0:25:49 > 0:25:51which weren't particularly good for wildlife,
0:25:51 > 0:25:54so the long-term plan is to restore the grassland,
0:25:54 > 0:25:59make it full of flowering plants for as much of the year as possible,
0:25:59 > 0:26:03which will bring in insects, and if you get the insects right,
0:26:03 > 0:26:05you get it right all the way up through the food chain.
0:26:05 > 0:26:08So I started by getting my Dexters,
0:26:08 > 0:26:11which have done a brilliant job of grazing back the grass.
0:26:11 > 0:26:16And I hope one day my tiny patch will be as rich in wildlife
0:26:16 > 0:26:20as Cyril Diver's South Haven Peninsula.
0:26:26 > 0:26:28'I've been lucky enough to witness
0:26:28 > 0:26:30'some incredible spectacles of nature.
0:26:30 > 0:26:34'But one I experienced last summer was like no other.
0:26:39 > 0:26:41'The East Riding of Yorkshire,
0:26:41 > 0:26:44'a magnificent contrasting landscape...
0:26:45 > 0:26:48'..from the gently rolling chalk hills of the Wolds
0:26:48 > 0:26:51'to the fertile plains of Holderness.'
0:26:53 > 0:26:57When you reach the North Sea you're treated to these spectacular white
0:26:57 > 0:27:00cliffs stretching as far as the eye can see
0:27:00 > 0:27:02along the Flamborough Headland.
0:27:04 > 0:27:08'What makes this dramatic coastline extra special are the birds.
0:27:11 > 0:27:14'I've come to the RSPB's Bempton Cliffs reserve
0:27:14 > 0:27:16'in the far north-east of the county,
0:27:16 > 0:27:20'home to the largest mainland seabird colony in the UK.'
0:27:22 > 0:27:25There are about a quarter of a million seabirds here,
0:27:25 > 0:27:28with species like guillemots and razorbills
0:27:28 > 0:27:31and these fabulous gannets all thriving.
0:27:31 > 0:27:34But unfortunately it's not all good news.
0:27:36 > 0:27:41'Kittiwake numbers have crashed by around 50% here in the UK.
0:27:41 > 0:27:45'Across Europe they're on the red list of endangered species.'
0:27:47 > 0:27:49So to gain a greater understanding
0:27:49 > 0:27:51of the decline in numbers at Bempton,
0:27:51 > 0:27:54I am heading out to sea to help with the kittiwake count.
0:27:57 > 0:28:00'I'm with reserve manager Keith Clarkson and his team.'
0:28:02 > 0:28:06In the 1980s, there were 80,000 pairs of kittiwakes
0:28:06 > 0:28:08nesting on these cliffs,
0:28:08 > 0:28:13and yet in 2008 there were barely 36,000 pairs.
0:28:13 > 0:28:15That's a worrying decline.
0:28:15 > 0:28:18What is the thinking behind that decline?
0:28:18 > 0:28:19There's various theories
0:28:19 > 0:28:22that it's going to be inevitably linked to their food,
0:28:22 > 0:28:26and their main food are little sand eels.
0:28:26 > 0:28:28What we think's happening is that
0:28:28 > 0:28:30the sand eel populations are declining
0:28:30 > 0:28:35because the surface sea temperature is increasing,
0:28:35 > 0:28:36with climate change,
0:28:36 > 0:28:40and, as a consequence, that means fewer sand eels for the kittiwakes
0:28:40 > 0:28:42and the declines that we've seen.
0:28:45 > 0:28:49'We've positioned ourselves right under the cliffs for the count.
0:28:49 > 0:28:53'This is only the fifth time it has been done in the last 46 years.'
0:28:55 > 0:28:57Traditionally all that was needed for the count
0:28:57 > 0:29:02was a pair of binoculars, pen, paper and a whole lot of patience,
0:29:02 > 0:29:06but for the very first time they've brought with them a secret weapon.
0:29:12 > 0:29:15'This strange-looking bird belongs to George Doyle.'
0:29:17 > 0:29:20Nice flying, George! That was good! Impressive.
0:29:20 > 0:29:23So this is the very first time this drone will have been used
0:29:23 > 0:29:26- for a count like this?- We believe so, yeah. Certainly in the UK.
0:29:26 > 0:29:29And what about coming into contact with the birds themselves?
0:29:29 > 0:29:31This is one of the reasons why we're doing it,
0:29:31 > 0:29:34is to see what impact it has on the nesting seabirds.
0:29:34 > 0:29:36- Yeah.- And to see if they're interested at all in it,
0:29:36 > 0:29:38which we hope they're not going to be. So we'll see.
0:29:38 > 0:29:41And the idea isn't that the count happens while you're flying,
0:29:41 > 0:29:43but that you record the images to be taken back to base.
0:29:43 > 0:29:45That's right. Someone will do it in an office
0:29:45 > 0:29:48and then they can actually freeze-frame
0:29:48 > 0:29:50and count more accurately than what they can with binoculars.
0:29:50 > 0:29:52- I wish you good luck.- Thank you.
0:29:52 > 0:29:55I'm feeling a bit nervous for you.
0:29:55 > 0:29:57This is going to be great. OK, I'm going to stand back
0:29:57 > 0:30:00- and let you do your thing. - Thank you, thank you.- All right.
0:30:17 > 0:30:20Since this is the very first time it's been done,
0:30:20 > 0:30:24there is a real danger that the birds won't react that well to it.
0:30:24 > 0:30:27In fact, they've had to get special permission to do this from
0:30:27 > 0:30:30Natural England, and will need to prove that they're not disturbing
0:30:30 > 0:30:32the birds and sending them off their nests,
0:30:32 > 0:30:35because if they do, it's all over.
0:30:35 > 0:30:38But if it does work it will revolutionise
0:30:38 > 0:30:41the way bird counts like this are done in the future.
0:30:46 > 0:30:48Keith, how's it going?
0:30:48 > 0:30:53It's remarkable, Ellie, there's no reaction at all from the birds.
0:30:53 > 0:30:54They're not even looking at it.
0:30:54 > 0:30:56Just to have that degree of confidence
0:30:56 > 0:30:59that it's not going to disturb the birds...
0:30:59 > 0:31:02- Yeah.- ..and therefore affect them or affect the count
0:31:02 > 0:31:04is just wonderful news.
0:31:07 > 0:31:09'The drone is a success,
0:31:09 > 0:31:12'but the real test will come back on dry land,
0:31:12 > 0:31:14'when the team analyse the footage.
0:31:14 > 0:31:16'They'll hope to get a much more accurate idea
0:31:16 > 0:31:19'of kittiwake numbers than ever before.'
0:31:22 > 0:31:24'But I can't come all this way without witnessing
0:31:24 > 0:31:29'one of nature's great spectacles -
0:31:29 > 0:31:31'diving gannets.'
0:31:31 > 0:31:34When fishing for food, these incredible birds
0:31:34 > 0:31:38can reach speeds of up to 60mph when they hit the water.
0:31:38 > 0:31:41I'm hoping to capture that very moment.
0:31:43 > 0:31:45'To help me I've brought along
0:31:45 > 0:31:49'Wildlife Photographer Of The Year finalist Steve Race.'
0:31:50 > 0:31:51Good conditions today, Steve?
0:31:51 > 0:31:54- Great conditions, Ellie. - They're amazing, aren't they?
0:31:54 > 0:31:57So what are your tips, then, for getting great shots of these birds?
0:31:57 > 0:31:59Well, today we're going to photograph the gannets
0:31:59 > 0:32:01obviously diving in for fish, really moving fast.
0:32:01 > 0:32:04So we need a fast shutter speed to really freeze the action,
0:32:04 > 0:32:07and once you press down a shutter and hold it down, it will lock on
0:32:07 > 0:32:09and then fire away as many frames as you can and then you'll get lots of
0:32:09 > 0:32:12- images of the gannets coming out. - I'm excited!
0:32:12 > 0:32:17- I've got to get something, haven't I? If there's that many out there. - Absolutely, yeah.
0:32:17 > 0:32:19'The water is baited and it's not long before
0:32:19 > 0:32:21'the first gannets arrive.'
0:32:25 > 0:32:28- Right, here we go.- Here we go.
0:32:28 > 0:32:31They're all coming in now. Here we go, here we go, here we go!
0:32:35 > 0:32:37Go, go. Yeah!
0:32:39 > 0:32:42- Whoa!- Oh, look at that! Right in front of us!
0:32:42 > 0:32:44Brilliant!
0:32:44 > 0:32:48- Look at the sky now!- Whoohoo! There are more and more coming in.
0:32:48 > 0:32:50- Amazing!- This is awesome.
0:33:00 > 0:33:02I've seen lots of wildlife in my life,
0:33:02 > 0:33:06- but this is easily one of those top ten moments.- Absolutely.
0:33:08 > 0:33:11'But as soon as the fish are gone, so are the gannets.'
0:33:14 > 0:33:17- So what do you reckon? - So I reckon that's pretty good.
0:33:17 > 0:33:18It could be an award winner, that one.
0:33:18 > 0:33:22I'm not sure it is! But, you know what, I've had an amazing day.
0:33:22 > 0:33:24- Absolutely.- You've had me choked, it's been brilliant.
0:33:24 > 0:33:26Good, I'm glad you enjoyed it.
0:33:26 > 0:33:28It's just an incredible wildlife spectacle.
0:33:43 > 0:33:47'Not all conservation projects are quite as breathtaking,
0:33:47 > 0:33:49'but every single one, large or small,
0:33:49 > 0:33:54'is vital to help protect our wild spaces for future generations.'
0:33:55 > 0:33:58But all this work wouldn't happen
0:33:58 > 0:34:01without the likes of these volunteers.
0:34:01 > 0:34:03There are more than 200 volunteers
0:34:03 > 0:34:06working for the National Trust on this site,
0:34:06 > 0:34:08but what makes them get involved?
0:34:11 > 0:34:15Gitte Kragh, a PhD student from Bournemouth University,
0:34:15 > 0:34:19has been looking into why volunteers volunteer.
0:34:19 > 0:34:22Today her helpers are a group of local schoolchildren.
0:34:23 > 0:34:26- Hi, Gitte!- Hello.- There's been a flurry of activity down here.
0:34:26 > 0:34:29- Absolutely, everything is happening here.- Lots of success.
0:34:29 > 0:34:32- Absolutely, it's brilliant. - 11 newts.- 11 newts!
0:34:32 > 0:34:34I'm going to take a closer look at those in a minute.
0:34:34 > 0:34:36What is it, do you think, that makes people volunteer?
0:34:36 > 0:34:39It's a lot of different things that make people come in,
0:34:39 > 0:34:41but there are mainly two things.
0:34:41 > 0:34:43So one is that they want to do something worthwhile,
0:34:43 > 0:34:45which are mainly the older people.
0:34:45 > 0:34:48We have a lot of retirees coming into work,
0:34:48 > 0:34:51and they think that nature is so brilliant. They want to spend
0:34:51 > 0:34:55time outdoors and make sure that it's here for the kids as well.
0:34:55 > 0:34:58And also learning, so they really want to learn something about
0:34:58 > 0:35:01what is out in nature because there is so much happening around us.
0:35:05 > 0:35:07So Diver, when he was doing the survey,
0:35:07 > 0:35:09did he tend to employ volunteers?
0:35:09 > 0:35:13No, he actually got a lot of his really expert colleagues to come in.
0:35:13 > 0:35:17He invited them in to work on the project with him
0:35:17 > 0:35:21within their specialities, so they were really focused on their area.
0:35:21 > 0:35:24His family and friends would come in and help him out as well,
0:35:24 > 0:35:27but he never really had more than ten or 20 people with him,
0:35:27 > 0:35:30compared to now, where we have over 200 people.
0:35:30 > 0:35:32- Yeah.- This is amazing.- Would they have been paid or did they
0:35:32 > 0:35:35- do it for the love of it? - No, they did it for the love of it.
0:35:35 > 0:35:37For the love of it. Just like today, right?
0:35:40 > 0:35:42Today it's the children's turn and they're finding lots
0:35:42 > 0:35:47of intriguing species. Cyril Diver would be proud.
0:35:47 > 0:35:49With all this activity they are doing... What are they up to today?
0:35:49 > 0:35:52- A bit of pond dipping? - A bit of pond dipping.
0:35:52 > 0:35:55We've had massive success, there's a lot of newts,
0:35:55 > 0:35:57- the kids obviously get really excited about newts.- Yeah.
0:35:57 > 0:36:00I get really excited about spiders,
0:36:00 > 0:36:02so we have some diving spiders as well.
0:36:02 > 0:36:04Yeah, look at that!
0:36:04 > 0:36:09As well as swimming in the water, they can also walk on land.
0:36:09 > 0:36:12On land they turn completely grey
0:36:12 > 0:36:16and in water they have an air sac around them,
0:36:16 > 0:36:21so it turns a clear colour around the outside of their body.
0:36:21 > 0:36:24- That's fantastic!- Yeah.
0:36:24 > 0:36:26Handfuls of newts.
0:36:26 > 0:36:28Can you tell me about the ones you've got in your hand, Ella?
0:36:28 > 0:36:31- Well, they're all palmate newts... - Right.
0:36:31 > 0:36:34..and the females, they have...
0:36:34 > 0:36:36If you look at the front feet,
0:36:36 > 0:36:39they have the same feet at the back, so they're more claw-like,
0:36:39 > 0:36:42where the males have webbed back feet.
0:36:42 > 0:36:44- That's great. Did you learn that today?- Yeah.
0:36:44 > 0:36:46That's fantastic learning.
0:36:49 > 0:36:52What about you, boys, what do you enjoy about a day like today?
0:36:52 > 0:36:55Well, it's just lovely to be with nature and, like,
0:36:55 > 0:36:58- the day is lovely and everything. - Getting all mucky and stuff.
0:36:58 > 0:37:01I've seen you get mucky! You've been in that water a few times.
0:37:01 > 0:37:04Yeah, we love exploring around the beaches and everything.
0:37:04 > 0:37:06- It's really fun.- Yeah?
0:37:07 > 0:37:09'Gitte and the hundreds of volunteers here
0:37:09 > 0:37:11'are inspiring our next generation
0:37:11 > 0:37:14'of scientists and nature-lovers alike.'
0:37:26 > 0:37:30'It's not just humans protecting our precious environments,
0:37:30 > 0:37:32'sometimes we need a little extra help,
0:37:32 > 0:37:35'especially with big-scale conservation projects -
0:37:35 > 0:37:37'as Adam discovered a few years ago.'
0:37:41 > 0:37:44'The Ainsdale Sand Dunes in Merseyside.
0:37:44 > 0:37:48'For the winter months this is home to a large flock of Herdwicks,
0:37:48 > 0:37:51'brought in from the Lake District.'
0:37:51 > 0:37:54This is the last place you'd expect to find sheep.
0:37:54 > 0:37:56I mean, look at it, there's nothing here, just sand.
0:37:56 > 0:37:58I don't know whether Peg's ever been on a beach before,
0:37:58 > 0:38:01so I'm going to get her used to the environment before
0:38:01 > 0:38:02we go off looking for sheep.
0:38:02 > 0:38:06I'm going to take her down to the sea and see what she thinks. Here, Peg!
0:38:15 > 0:38:17I think I've thrown the stick in a bit far.
0:38:17 > 0:38:20She's a bit wary - it's out of her depth.
0:38:20 > 0:38:22The waves are making her jump a bit.
0:38:22 > 0:38:26I suspect this is all quite new to her.
0:38:26 > 0:38:29She's a brave little dog, though, nothing much fazes her.
0:38:29 > 0:38:32She's very sweet. Come on!
0:38:32 > 0:38:34We're here to do a job, we're not on holiday.
0:38:37 > 0:38:39'The sheep that graze here play an
0:38:39 > 0:38:42'important role in this national nature reserve.
0:38:42 > 0:38:45'Dave Mercer from Natural England is on hand to explain.'
0:38:45 > 0:38:48What a remarkable-looking landscape.
0:38:48 > 0:38:49It is, it's incredible, isn't it?
0:38:49 > 0:38:52- Especially with the sun out like this.- And interesting to see
0:38:52 > 0:38:56the Herdwicks dotted amongst the sand dunes, and it's a huge area.
0:38:56 > 0:38:59I didn't imagine there to be so much vegetation.
0:38:59 > 0:39:01If you left it this would become a birch forest
0:39:01 > 0:39:05and perhaps an oak forest, but a birch forest isn't as rare
0:39:05 > 0:39:07as an open dune landscape.
0:39:07 > 0:39:10So in a way we're halting that succession
0:39:10 > 0:39:13by grazing with the sheep. So they are our walking lawnmowers.
0:39:13 > 0:39:15So how important is this site here?
0:39:15 > 0:39:19It's a Special Area of Conservation, so that's a European designation.
0:39:19 > 0:39:22So that's saying in the whole of Europe
0:39:22 > 0:39:25this site is incredibly important and has to be protected.
0:39:25 > 0:39:28And what sort of rare things are you trying to encourage or protect?
0:39:28 > 0:39:32So we've got a really, really good population of natterjack toads.
0:39:32 > 0:39:35Some years we could have 40 to 50%
0:39:35 > 0:39:37of the whole country's population just on this coast.
0:39:37 > 0:39:39Goodness me! Extraordinary!
0:39:39 > 0:39:43And we have got 473 different species of plant,
0:39:43 > 0:39:46and things like the dog violet can grow.
0:39:46 > 0:39:49Now, that is the food plant for the caterpillar
0:39:49 > 0:39:51of the dark green fritillary butterfly.
0:39:51 > 0:39:54So it's just this web of life that's all connected together, and just
0:39:54 > 0:39:58setting the management can benefit all these amazing creatures.
0:40:03 > 0:40:07'These sand dunes stretch for 13 miles.
0:40:07 > 0:40:10'The sheep are contained in large compartments.
0:40:10 > 0:40:14'Once they've exhausted the grazing in one section, they're moved on.
0:40:14 > 0:40:16'That's where the dogs come in.
0:40:16 > 0:40:19'I'm here to help shepherd Tony Meadow
0:40:19 > 0:40:22'and his assistant Sophie Bray drive this flock to their new home.'
0:40:22 > 0:40:25- Hi, are you Tony?- I am, yes. - You're in charge of the dogs.
0:40:25 > 0:40:26- That's correct, yes. - Who have we got here?
0:40:26 > 0:40:30This one is Molly, five years old, still working very well.
0:40:30 > 0:40:33- And what's your one? - This is Tayto, he's our retired dog
0:40:33 > 0:40:36and we're just there to stop them going in the wrong direction.
0:40:36 > 0:40:39So, I mean, working this terrain must be pretty challenging.
0:40:39 > 0:40:41It's definitely challenging, yes, yes.
0:40:41 > 0:40:44You lose sight of the sheep basically a lot of the time.
0:40:44 > 0:40:46You have sort of scrub, you have soft sand,
0:40:46 > 0:40:48you have hard sand - it's very difficult.
0:40:48 > 0:40:50So, any tips?
0:40:50 > 0:40:52- Climb on a high point, I think, keep an eye on your dog!- Yeah.
0:40:52 > 0:40:54That's all I can say really.
0:40:54 > 0:40:57I don't know whether Peg's ever worked in an environment like this
0:40:57 > 0:40:58before, but it's going to be interesting.
0:40:58 > 0:41:01This will be a good test for her, I think.
0:41:03 > 0:41:06Lie down. Sit, Peg.
0:41:08 > 0:41:11- Away. - HE WHISTLES
0:41:11 > 0:41:12Good girl.
0:41:12 > 0:41:14'Peg might not know this terrain, but she's eager,
0:41:14 > 0:41:16'and she's off like a bullet.'
0:41:16 > 0:41:20- HE WHISTLES - Lie down. Good girl.
0:41:20 > 0:41:22Good girl.
0:41:22 > 0:41:24HE WHISTLES
0:41:24 > 0:41:26So she's started to go around them now and the sheep have
0:41:26 > 0:41:30spotted her already. They're quite lively, these Herdwicks.
0:41:30 > 0:41:32They've already gone behind this sand dune.
0:41:32 > 0:41:37It's really difficult to keep an eye on them. Steady! Lie down!
0:41:39 > 0:41:42It's amazing how you can have the sheep all spread out
0:41:42 > 0:41:44and then as soon as they see a dog and hear the whistling,
0:41:44 > 0:41:46they'll flock together as a group
0:41:46 > 0:41:50and they're running in from all areas of this reserve.
0:41:55 > 0:41:58'The sheep are moving across this terrain with ease,
0:41:58 > 0:42:00'but I'm finding it hard to keep up.'
0:42:00 > 0:42:05- HE WHISTLES - 'And I'm not the only one.'
0:42:05 > 0:42:07Peg's struggling a bit in this terrain,
0:42:07 > 0:42:09with all the rabbit holes and rough scrub.
0:42:09 > 0:42:12She's tripping over a bit.
0:42:12 > 0:42:13Good girl.
0:42:13 > 0:42:15HE WHISTLES
0:42:17 > 0:42:19The sheep are now funnelling down
0:42:19 > 0:42:22towards the corner of the field where the gateway is
0:42:22 > 0:42:26so we're nearly there, and I hope we've got them all.
0:42:26 > 0:42:29Good girl.
0:42:30 > 0:42:32HE WHISTLES
0:42:35 > 0:42:37'Peg and I have got in front of the sheep
0:42:37 > 0:42:40'and Tony and Sophie are driving the flock from behind.'
0:42:41 > 0:42:44- Got them in control now, Tony. - Yeah, seems to be doing the job.
0:42:44 > 0:42:45Come by.
0:42:47 > 0:42:49'Finally we drive the flock through the gate,
0:42:49 > 0:42:54'into a new enclosure where there's fresh grazing.'
0:42:58 > 0:43:01Well, Peg and Molly have done a reasonable job of getting them here,
0:43:01 > 0:43:03and she's holding them up there now.
0:43:03 > 0:43:06The Herdwick's a tough breed, well suited to this?
0:43:06 > 0:43:08They're absolutely brilliant for this reserve.
0:43:08 > 0:43:11Don't have any foot problems, they're a hardy breed,
0:43:11 > 0:43:12and they do really well on this ground,
0:43:12 > 0:43:15even though it's very poor ground. Fantastic sheep.
0:43:15 > 0:43:17I suppose if they can survive in the Lake District,
0:43:17 > 0:43:19then they can survive down by the seaside, can't they?
0:43:19 > 0:43:23Well, that's right. They have an easier winter here and that means they do really well
0:43:23 > 0:43:25when they get back to the lakes in the summer.
0:43:25 > 0:43:27Well, it's been a real experience for me and for Peg
0:43:27 > 0:43:30- and great to meet you.- You too. It's been a great day.
0:43:41 > 0:43:45'I've been exploring the South Haven Peninsula in Dorset
0:43:45 > 0:43:48'finding out about the work and legacy of conservation's
0:43:48 > 0:43:54'great unsung hero - Captain Cyril Diver.
0:43:56 > 0:43:59'One of the challenges that conservationists often face
0:43:59 > 0:44:03'is nature itself, as Helen discovered in Somerset
0:44:03 > 0:44:05'12 months on from the floods.'
0:44:12 > 0:44:16Perhaps surprisingly, wildlife escaped relatively unscathed,
0:44:16 > 0:44:19but now, as you can see, the waters have receded
0:44:19 > 0:44:21and nature is back in all its glory.
0:44:27 > 0:44:31'The Somerset Levels and Moors attract well
0:44:31 > 0:44:34'over 100,000 wildfowl and waders every year,
0:44:34 > 0:44:39'making this one of the top ten UK sites for these birds.
0:44:48 > 0:44:51'To appreciate properly these winter spectacles,
0:44:51 > 0:44:54'I'm joining Tony Whitehead from the RSPB.'
0:44:54 > 0:44:56(That is amazing!)
0:44:56 > 0:44:58They are doing these really sort of
0:44:58 > 0:45:01deliberate movements, a lot of them,
0:45:01 > 0:45:03and that's display. Oh, see that one there?
0:45:03 > 0:45:05- Yeah.- See that? Really distinctive.
0:45:05 > 0:45:07- Look at that.- That's what they do to flirt with a woman?
0:45:07 > 0:45:10Yeah, yeah, yeah. Look, it's really ritualised.
0:45:10 > 0:45:13It's to demonstrate to the female, "Look, I'm a good bloke."
0:45:13 > 0:45:15This is their courting land.
0:45:15 > 0:45:18This is... This is their huge courting land.
0:45:18 > 0:45:21So why is this such a good home for them?
0:45:21 > 0:45:23Well, this, like I say, gives everything they need.
0:45:23 > 0:45:25So you've got the shallow water and
0:45:25 > 0:45:27pools where they can take refuge from predators,
0:45:27 > 0:45:30you've got plenty of feeding for them.
0:45:30 > 0:45:33Presumably flooding, then, didn't affect this process at all?
0:45:33 > 0:45:36No, no. You've got to remember that these birds are adapted to wet
0:45:36 > 0:45:40conditions. They are ducks after all, they float, don't they?
0:45:40 > 0:45:42If they needed to feed they'd just fly to the edges of the flood,
0:45:42 > 0:45:46where they can feed on the grass, just the same as normal.
0:45:46 > 0:45:51'Tony's passion is not just looking at the birds, but also listening.'
0:45:53 > 0:45:58BIRDS TWEETING LOUDLY
0:46:04 > 0:46:06(That is amazing!)
0:46:06 > 0:46:09It's a great site out there but it's also an amazing sound.
0:46:09 > 0:46:11These birds are constantly chattering to one another.
0:46:11 > 0:46:13They're called contact calls and
0:46:13 > 0:46:15it's just a group sort of maintaining
0:46:15 > 0:46:17where they are, but sometimes as well,
0:46:17 > 0:46:20when you get a predator flying over, like a peregrine or something,
0:46:20 > 0:46:23they'll do an alarm call which alerts everybody in the flock
0:46:23 > 0:46:25that there's danger around.
0:46:36 > 0:46:38The floods didn't really affect most birds,
0:46:38 > 0:46:42but for one it was absolutely devastating.
0:46:45 > 0:46:47'The Somerset Levels was once a
0:46:47 > 0:46:50'stronghold for the barn owl in Britain.
0:46:50 > 0:46:53'This majestic, silent night-time hunter
0:46:53 > 0:46:55'swooping down on its unsuspecting prey.
0:46:56 > 0:47:01'Chris Behring is conservation officer at the Hawk and Owl Trust.'
0:47:01 > 0:47:03Meet Bellatrix, the female barn owl.
0:47:03 > 0:47:05She's just over a year old now.
0:47:06 > 0:47:08Her colours are amazing.
0:47:08 > 0:47:11In recent years barn owls have been incredibly rare.
0:47:11 > 0:47:13Certainly down here on the Levels
0:47:13 > 0:47:16they have been affected by the flood water
0:47:16 > 0:47:17and obviously the constant rain.
0:47:17 > 0:47:19The rain affects them because, of course,
0:47:19 > 0:47:24it compromises their silent flight, so they don't go hunting.
0:47:24 > 0:47:26'A combination of not being able to
0:47:26 > 0:47:28'hunt in the rain and then the flooding
0:47:28 > 0:47:31'destroying the habitats of many of the small mammals hunted
0:47:31 > 0:47:35'by the barn owl saw their population plummet.
0:47:35 > 0:47:39'So, with the floodwaters gone, is their food source back?'
0:47:39 > 0:47:41Is this the kind of place that voles would live?
0:47:41 > 0:47:44It should be. If I just part this grass,
0:47:44 > 0:47:48- look at this tunnel going through here.- Oh, I see this.
0:47:48 > 0:47:49This is a well-worn tunnel.
0:47:49 > 0:47:52This has been chewed by something, presumably a vole.
0:47:52 > 0:47:55This has been chewed by the short-tailed vole, yes.
0:47:55 > 0:47:57So there'll be a vole not very far away from here.
0:47:57 > 0:47:59If we can get the farmers and landowners
0:47:59 > 0:48:02just to leave an edge of this long grass,
0:48:02 > 0:48:06and this will retain and boost the vole population.
0:48:06 > 0:48:08These voles can breed really, really quickly,
0:48:08 > 0:48:11if they are given the opportunity.
0:48:11 > 0:48:13'Along with a good source of food,
0:48:13 > 0:48:16'the barn owl needs a good choice of nesting sites,
0:48:16 > 0:48:20'and many of these were destroyed during the floods.
0:48:20 > 0:48:24'One young couple who'd like to see barn owls on their farm is
0:48:24 > 0:48:27- 'Becky Riley and James Hall.' - CLASSICAL MUSIC PLAYS
0:48:27 > 0:48:30'And, yes, they really are playing music to their calves!'
0:48:30 > 0:48:32James, Becky, sorry to interrupt.
0:48:32 > 0:48:37- Hello.- My dad's cows used to get a bit of Radio 2, sometimes Radio 4,
0:48:37 > 0:48:40yours get something much more classy! Why is that?
0:48:40 > 0:48:44It just helps... It seems to keep the cows a lot more contented.
0:48:44 > 0:48:47When they're in the shed here, it gives them something to listen to,
0:48:47 > 0:48:50and they do seem to prefer classical music to any other.
0:48:50 > 0:48:53So what is it about barn owls that you two love, then?
0:48:53 > 0:48:55Well, with everything that's happened here recently,
0:48:55 > 0:48:59to see people coming back, businesses coming back to strength,
0:48:59 > 0:49:03we want to see the wildlife come back to strength as well.
0:49:03 > 0:49:06- It's the whole bundle.- So for you it's kind of one big jigsaw,
0:49:06 > 0:49:08and the barn owls are an important piece of that?
0:49:08 > 0:49:11- They are absolutely an important thing.- Yes, definitely.
0:49:11 > 0:49:14'Well, luckily for Becky and James, help is at hand.
0:49:14 > 0:49:16'Chris is back.
0:49:16 > 0:49:19'He's part of the Community Owls Project,
0:49:19 > 0:49:21'and he's got a special present for James and Becky.'
0:49:21 > 0:49:25- There you go, James, all yours. - Lovely.- One barn owl box.
0:49:25 > 0:49:29- Thank you.- So what makes a good barn for a barn owl box?
0:49:29 > 0:49:32Well, if we look at this one here, the habitat that James and Becky are
0:49:32 > 0:49:35going to be creating is just over the other side of this barn,
0:49:35 > 0:49:37so this barn is going to be really close.
0:49:37 > 0:49:41The other thing about this barn is, look, it's full of hay and straw.
0:49:41 > 0:49:46On a cold day like today, if there's a barn owl hunting out there and he wants to warm up,
0:49:46 > 0:49:49what a better place to warm up is in that stack.
0:49:49 > 0:49:53And when they come into the stack, if they see a box up in the roof,
0:49:53 > 0:49:56they see that dark hole, they're automatically attracted,
0:49:56 > 0:49:59in they go and suddenly you've got a nest establishing.
0:49:59 > 0:50:02And James and Becky don't have to do anything other than set up the box?
0:50:02 > 0:50:05The box, creating the right conditions for the habitat,
0:50:05 > 0:50:09put those two things together and you will have barn owls.
0:50:09 > 0:50:11- Thank you.- Brilliant.
0:50:11 > 0:50:13Right, let's go and work out where this goes, shall we?
0:50:13 > 0:50:15- Lovely.- Have you got it?
0:50:17 > 0:50:19'While some species coped with the flooding,
0:50:19 > 0:50:23'others such as the barn owl will have to be monitored
0:50:23 > 0:50:26'to see if they can recover their numbers.
0:50:26 > 0:50:28'But one thing is for sure,
0:50:28 > 0:50:34'nature is resilient and has a habit of adapting and bouncing back.'
0:50:42 > 0:50:44'Conservation is a continuous process,
0:50:44 > 0:50:49'as our environment is ever-changing.
0:50:49 > 0:50:51'80 years on from Cyril Diver's initial survey,
0:50:51 > 0:50:55'the work here on South Haven Peninsula carries on.
0:50:55 > 0:50:58'Michelle, the National Trust's ecologist
0:50:58 > 0:51:01'is back to take me out onto Little Sea,
0:51:01 > 0:51:04'a natural lake sitting within the peninsula.'
0:51:05 > 0:51:08How has it changed, then, since Diver's day out here?
0:51:08 > 0:51:11Well, the most significant change is the water levels.
0:51:11 > 0:51:14So in Diver's time you could actually wade out,
0:51:14 > 0:51:16and it was probably waist deep at the most,
0:51:16 > 0:51:18whereas here it's significantly deeper.
0:51:18 > 0:51:21And what about what's in the lake, how's that changed?
0:51:21 > 0:51:24Unfortunately, we've had the illegal introduction of carp
0:51:24 > 0:51:27over the last few decades, and that's had a significant effect,
0:51:27 > 0:51:30because the carp are very destructive feeders,
0:51:30 > 0:51:32and that ends up decreasing the biodiversity.
0:51:32 > 0:51:34I guess it's like a wildlife pond at home -
0:51:34 > 0:51:37fish are a disaster if you want more diversity in there.
0:51:37 > 0:51:39- That's exactly right. - What's our plans now?
0:51:39 > 0:51:42- Where are we headed?- We're going to head over to those reeds
0:51:42 > 0:51:45- and just do some water sampling. - Excellent.
0:51:48 > 0:51:53'It's a rare treat to be able to use Cyril Diver's original
0:51:53 > 0:51:55'water-testing equipment.'
0:51:55 > 0:51:58This is a good spot to demonstrate the difference in kit
0:51:58 > 0:51:59between Diver's day and nowadays.
0:51:59 > 0:52:01Yeah, it looks a little bit different.
0:52:01 > 0:52:04It does! It's very elegant, isn't it, this old wooden box?
0:52:04 > 0:52:06These are familiar in science labs
0:52:06 > 0:52:08up and down in schools, aren't they?
0:52:08 > 0:52:11- So we'll take a scoop of this? - Yes, so we just want to fill that
0:52:11 > 0:52:14probably about a third of the way.
0:52:16 > 0:52:19And he was testing what with this bit of kit?
0:52:19 > 0:52:22So he was measuring the salt levels in the water.
0:52:22 > 0:52:25I see, so this is a weighted bulb here
0:52:25 > 0:52:28- and we're seeing how much it's displaced the water.- That's right.
0:52:28 > 0:52:31Without a control, we're not able to read that,
0:52:31 > 0:52:34but it shows what delicate kit he was carrying around.
0:52:34 > 0:52:36It is, and if you feel the weight of it,
0:52:36 > 0:52:40- it's a really heavy bit of kit as well, they're not very practical. - No, very dedicated.
0:52:40 > 0:52:44Whereas today, nice plastic boxes, nice light pieces of kit.
0:52:44 > 0:52:48- Yeah, it's much more practical and easy to use.- So we can read salinity with this one.
0:52:48 > 0:52:51- That's right.- There you go, I'll give you the probe.
0:52:51 > 0:52:54Thank you. So we just angle this into the water.
0:52:54 > 0:52:58- And ask for a read. - And the machine does the rest.
0:52:58 > 0:53:02There you go, that's about 130 microsiemens per centimetre.
0:53:02 > 0:53:06'The probe measures the electrical conductivity of the water.
0:53:06 > 0:53:10'The greater the salt concentration, the higher the number.'
0:53:10 > 0:53:13How has that changed since Diver's day?
0:53:13 > 0:53:16Well, over time the salt levels in the water have
0:53:16 > 0:53:20dropped and that's as a result of sand dunes which isolates Little Sea
0:53:20 > 0:53:22from the seashore itself.
0:53:22 > 0:53:25So gradually the salt levels in the water drop
0:53:25 > 0:53:27and we end up with a freshwater environment.
0:53:27 > 0:53:31- It's a lot of change, isn't it, in that short time?- It is.
0:53:36 > 0:53:39Tell me about the wildlife that you get here now.
0:53:39 > 0:53:41Now we have a lot of freshwater species,
0:53:41 > 0:53:46particularly wetland birds, and we have stickleback, palmate newts,
0:53:46 > 0:53:48water voles and otters,
0:53:48 > 0:53:52and we've also had an increase in dragonfly numbers as a result.
0:53:52 > 0:53:54So if it wasn't for Diver's work here,
0:53:54 > 0:53:56this area would have been developed.
0:53:59 > 0:54:03So what we're aiming to do is to roll out this, effectively this project model,
0:54:03 > 0:54:06across other sites in the National Trust,
0:54:06 > 0:54:08and that means we'll gain a deeper ecological understanding
0:54:08 > 0:54:10of our sites and that will help us
0:54:10 > 0:54:15to understand how we need to manage them more effectively.
0:54:22 > 0:54:24And what about personally, what does it mean to you?
0:54:24 > 0:54:27Personally, to work in such a beautiful environment,
0:54:27 > 0:54:29with so many rare and protected species,
0:54:29 > 0:54:33is just an absolute privilege, so it's incredibly rewarding.
0:54:33 > 0:54:37'Cyril Diver's incredible work was instrumental in how we protect our
0:54:37 > 0:54:38'natural environments.
0:54:38 > 0:54:41'If it wasn't for his pioneering thinking,
0:54:41 > 0:54:44'who knows where our wild spaces would be today.'
0:54:44 > 0:54:48What an insight into the life of an amazing and passionate
0:54:48 > 0:54:51conservationist, whose legacy lives on.
0:54:51 > 0:54:53Well, that's it for this week.
0:54:53 > 0:54:56Next week, Matt and Anita will be in South Devon.
0:54:56 > 0:54:58So, until then, it's goodbye from me.