0:00:26 > 0:00:29The rolling hills of rural Leicestershire,
0:00:29 > 0:00:32it may look like an oasis of peace and tranquillity,
0:00:32 > 0:00:34but look closer, and it's a hive of activity.
0:00:36 > 0:00:37This field is already bustling.
0:00:37 > 0:00:40We're about to take on a massive challenge
0:00:40 > 0:00:43to start planting the biggest native woodland in the UK.
0:00:43 > 0:00:45It's Team Bradbury versus Team Craven
0:00:45 > 0:00:49and we've got 2,000 of these to get in the ground in just one hour.
0:00:49 > 0:00:52Tucked away in this part of central England
0:00:52 > 0:00:55is a military training camp with a difference.
0:00:56 > 0:01:00These young dogs are hoping to serve Queen and country,
0:01:00 > 0:01:04but have they got what it takes to be the British Army's newest recruits?
0:01:04 > 0:01:05I'll be finding out.
0:01:08 > 0:01:12Tom's in the Highlands of Scotland but he might not be alone for long.
0:01:12 > 0:01:15This beautiful animal, the European lynx,
0:01:15 > 0:01:17once ran wild in this country
0:01:17 > 0:01:20and now there's a plan to remove the bars
0:01:20 > 0:01:23and let them free once again.
0:01:23 > 0:01:27How would we feel to have these guys in a wood near us?
0:01:31 > 0:01:34And Adam's on tenterhooks as he's about to find out
0:01:34 > 0:01:36whether Eric's going to be a dad again.
0:01:36 > 0:01:40We put Eric in with the cows in about June-time
0:01:40 > 0:01:43and hopefully they're all in calf again
0:01:43 > 0:01:46and he'll make me very proud once more.
0:01:46 > 0:01:48Go on. Hey. Hey.
0:01:57 > 0:02:00A rural county known for its open farmland
0:02:00 > 0:02:03and ancient hunting grounds.
0:02:03 > 0:02:05But it's also in the heart of our national forest.
0:02:05 > 0:02:09Eight million trees fill 200 square miles
0:02:09 > 0:02:11in the Leicestershire countryside,
0:02:11 > 0:02:16yet surprisingly, it's one of the least wooded counties in the country.
0:02:17 > 0:02:22What's more, the UK is one of the least wooded countries in Europe.
0:02:23 > 0:02:28The average tree cover in most European countries is 44%.
0:02:28 > 0:02:31But here in the UK, it's only 13%.
0:02:31 > 0:02:35And with a deadly disease currently wiping out our ash trees,
0:02:35 > 0:02:38it's all the more important we protect and expand our native woodlands.
0:02:38 > 0:02:42And that's where the Woodland Trust comes in.
0:02:42 > 0:02:44To celebrate the Queen's Diamond Jubilee
0:02:44 > 0:02:46and to encourage the creation of more woodland,
0:02:46 > 0:02:50they're aiming to plant six million new trees this year.
0:02:50 > 0:02:53They started the project 11 months ago.
0:02:53 > 0:02:56And today in this empty field, they're launching phase two,
0:02:56 > 0:02:59the foundations of the biggest native woodland in the country.
0:02:59 > 0:03:04'Georgina McLeod, project director, is going to tell me more.'
0:03:04 > 0:03:09Georgina, not a lot of trees as we look out across the vista here.
0:03:09 > 0:03:13Absolutely. Which is why we're wanting to plant this fantastic
0:03:13 > 0:03:15500-acre wood here in Leicestershire.
0:03:15 > 0:03:18It's one of the lower wooded counties in the country
0:03:18 > 0:03:20and this is going to make a real difference.
0:03:20 > 0:03:23It's going to join up other areas of woodland in the national forest
0:03:23 > 0:03:26which makes a really connected wood which is great for wildlife
0:03:26 > 0:03:28and hopefully great for everybody that lives here.
0:03:30 > 0:03:31As part of the project,
0:03:31 > 0:03:34the Trust want us all to get down and dirty planting trees.
0:03:34 > 0:03:38By the end of the year, they'll have created hundreds of new woods
0:03:38 > 0:03:40across the country, from Stornoway to Cornwall.
0:03:41 > 0:03:43And why do you think woodlands are so important?
0:03:43 > 0:03:46Why are trees so important to this country?
0:03:46 > 0:03:48Well, they're part of our national landscape.
0:03:48 > 0:03:51We all feel passionately about trees,
0:03:51 > 0:03:54but even more importantly than that, they're vital to life.
0:03:54 > 0:03:56They help us breathe. They clean the air.
0:03:56 > 0:03:59As our climate starts to change, they can help with water,
0:03:59 > 0:04:00they can help with flooding.
0:04:00 > 0:04:03They're not only vital to the way that we live our lives,
0:04:03 > 0:04:06they can give us so much enjoyment as well.
0:04:06 > 0:04:09It's hard to imagine that these empty spaces
0:04:09 > 0:04:11will soon be filled with trees.
0:04:11 > 0:04:15But it doesn't take all that long for a wood to grow.
0:04:15 > 0:04:19This is the deliciously named Pear Tree Wood.
0:04:19 > 0:04:22Just 15 years ago, I'd have been standing in an empty field
0:04:22 > 0:04:26surrounded by more empty fields. Now it's a lovely little forest.
0:04:27 > 0:04:29Chris Williams is site manager.
0:04:29 > 0:04:32He's responsible for keeping this woodland shipshape.
0:04:34 > 0:04:37Chris, just 15 years and yet this woodland seemed so mature.
0:04:37 > 0:04:40Yes, it doesn't take too long for trees to start turning
0:04:40 > 0:04:45from those little saplings into trees like we see around us.
0:04:45 > 0:04:48When we look at these trees now,
0:04:48 > 0:04:50when we're looking at the trunks, they're fairly sturdy,
0:04:50 > 0:04:53but what's going to happen to them in 100 years?
0:04:53 > 0:04:55This is a lovely sturdy, beautiful oak already.
0:04:55 > 0:04:58100 years time, you're talking a girth like that.
0:04:58 > 0:05:01So it's really going to grow really well.
0:05:01 > 0:05:05- Be a really good, big, healthy tree. - Beautiful.- Lovely. Great tree.
0:05:06 > 0:05:10How difficult is it to manage a woodland like this?
0:05:10 > 0:05:13It's not too difficult because woodlands take, as you know,
0:05:13 > 0:05:15many decades to grow.
0:05:15 > 0:05:19It's just a case of monitoring and the maintenance that we do can vary.
0:05:19 > 0:05:23So in some cases we might do tiny little pockets of thinning.
0:05:23 > 0:05:26In other cases, we might coppice and cut back on path edges
0:05:26 > 0:05:30because it improves the habitat diversity of the woodland
0:05:30 > 0:05:33and it keeps the paths open as well so people can get through easily.
0:05:36 > 0:05:40This is the perfect time of year for coppicing.
0:05:40 > 0:05:42Chris works with an organisation run by Clive Forty
0:05:42 > 0:05:47that trains volunteers in practical conservation work.
0:05:47 > 0:05:48Hiya, Clive.
0:05:48 > 0:05:53- Hello, Julia.- Hello. Hello. So this is coppicing at work.- It is, yes.
0:05:53 > 0:05:58- Right.- So we've got a hazel here which we're going to bring down
0:05:58 > 0:06:00to what we call a stool which is...
0:06:00 > 0:06:04This is what we're aiming for at the end. This'll be the end product.
0:06:04 > 0:06:08Nice clean cuts. From this, we'll regenerate new growth.
0:06:08 > 0:06:11'It's generally done every 10 to 15 years. So Pear Tree Wood
0:06:11 > 0:06:13'is getting its first coppice.'
0:06:13 > 0:06:15That's quite a big one.
0:06:15 > 0:06:18'It's a way of harvesting useful wood and generating new growth.
0:06:18 > 0:06:22'It also clears space allowing light down to the forest floor
0:06:22 > 0:06:25'and increasing the health and well-being of the woodland.'
0:06:25 > 0:06:27I think that's even bigger. That's a beauty.
0:06:27 > 0:06:31'Today, this wood will be used to make hedging stakes
0:06:31 > 0:06:33'and habitat piles for insects and small mammals.
0:06:33 > 0:06:36'It's hard to believe that in a little over ten years' time,
0:06:36 > 0:06:40'the empty fields I saw earlier will be a thriving little wood like this one
0:06:40 > 0:06:43'and might well be in need of their very own first coppice.'
0:06:45 > 0:06:48Now, while I finish up here, Tom is in Scotland finding out
0:06:48 > 0:06:52whether or not it's time to bring big cats back to Britain.
0:06:52 > 0:06:53There she goes.
0:07:03 > 0:07:06Solitary.
0:07:06 > 0:07:07Silent.
0:07:07 > 0:07:09Stealthy.
0:07:09 > 0:07:14Once upon a time, the great woodlands of Britain were home to a supreme hunter,
0:07:14 > 0:07:16the European lynx.
0:07:16 > 0:07:21They've been missing from our countryside for more than 500 years.
0:07:21 > 0:07:26But some conservationists think they should now be making a comeback.
0:07:26 > 0:07:28These days, though, the only place you'll spot a live one
0:07:28 > 0:07:30is in a wildlife park.
0:07:31 > 0:07:35But there is talk of reintroducing these amazing creatures
0:07:35 > 0:07:37back into the wild.
0:07:37 > 0:07:40So, what would we be letting ourselves in for?
0:07:40 > 0:07:45To find out, I've come to the Cairngorm's Highland Park for feeding time.
0:07:48 > 0:07:53A few months ago, they welcomed two additions to the lynx family,
0:07:53 > 0:07:55a pair of lynx kittens,
0:07:55 > 0:07:59the first to be born here in 20 years.
0:08:02 > 0:08:06You can't help but feel a bit of an adrenaline tingle as you go in,
0:08:06 > 0:08:09the barrier's removed, but this is how it could be.
0:08:13 > 0:08:16The European lynx is the largest of the lynx family
0:08:16 > 0:08:19and the biggest big cat in Europe.
0:08:19 > 0:08:21- You're very used to this in here?- Oh, yeah.
0:08:21 > 0:08:26'They are formidable hunters, but apart from a few scratches,
0:08:26 > 0:08:31'there are no records of attacks on humans anywhere in the world...
0:08:33 > 0:08:37'..although we've got brooms at the ready as we're on their patch.
0:08:37 > 0:08:41'It's better to be safe than sorry when it comes to protective parents.'
0:08:43 > 0:08:48The trick here is to provide them with a challenge for their dinner,
0:08:48 > 0:08:50not end up being their dinner.
0:08:50 > 0:08:53- That should be all right. - That should be great.
0:08:53 > 0:08:57They're actually fed with venison and some pheasants from a nearby estate.
0:08:57 > 0:09:01Only locally-sourced food will do for this hungry clan.
0:09:01 > 0:09:06- How do they hunt in the wild?- They're what we'd call stealth hunters.
0:09:06 > 0:09:08Because they're forest dwellers,
0:09:08 > 0:09:10they tend to hold a position for a very long time
0:09:10 > 0:09:14and then ambush their prey. So they have a lot of patience.
0:09:14 > 0:09:17- It's a sudden spring, a sudden attack?- Yes.
0:09:17 > 0:09:19It's not like we've seen on the Serengeti with the lions
0:09:19 > 0:09:21- chasing something down? - No. Or the cheetahs.
0:09:21 > 0:09:26These are very different in their method of stalking their prey.
0:09:26 > 0:09:28And how much food do they get through in the wild?
0:09:28 > 0:09:32I believe the estimates are around about, per animal...
0:09:32 > 0:09:36- They will take up to 50 to 60 roe dear a year...- 50 to 60.
0:09:36 > 0:09:38- ..which is quite a lot. - Yeah, it is quite a lot.
0:09:38 > 0:09:42They do however leave pieces behind. But that's also part of the ecosystem.
0:09:42 > 0:09:45That's feeding other animals, even down to slugs and beetles.
0:09:51 > 0:09:55So, why did they disappear from the British countryside
0:09:55 > 0:09:57in the first place?
0:09:57 > 0:10:00Well, recent research points the finger at us.
0:10:01 > 0:10:05They became extinct in the UK, thanks to deforestation and hunting
0:10:05 > 0:10:08more than five centuries ago.
0:10:08 > 0:10:11Ever since the 1970s, though,
0:10:11 > 0:10:14lynx have been reintroduced in several European countries
0:10:14 > 0:10:17including Switzerland, France, Germany and Poland.
0:10:17 > 0:10:19But never here.
0:10:19 > 0:10:24The idea of bringing the lynx back has been rumbling around for some time.
0:10:24 > 0:10:27In fact, there are European directives that encourage
0:10:27 > 0:10:32the reintroduction of native species including large carnivores.
0:10:32 > 0:10:34So, could we really see these big cats
0:10:34 > 0:10:37stalking across our land once again?
0:10:45 > 0:10:48Well, conservationist Roy Dennis thinks so.
0:10:48 > 0:10:52I've come to Glenfeshie in the Highlands to find out why.
0:10:52 > 0:10:55So, do the Scottish Highlands provide a good home for lynx?
0:10:55 > 0:10:59Absolutely. There's no problem with enough food
0:10:59 > 0:11:03and enough places to live. It's solely a social and political issue
0:11:03 > 0:11:06- whether we have the animal back. - So we've got the right geography.
0:11:06 > 0:11:09But why should we reintroduce this big cat?
0:11:09 > 0:11:11I think there's two reasons. One is ecological.
0:11:11 > 0:11:16We need it there as part of the system. And the other is moral.
0:11:16 > 0:11:20As someone who goes around the world, in Indonesia and Australia,
0:11:20 > 0:11:22looking at conservation there,
0:11:22 > 0:11:26I get embarrassed when they ask me what we've done at home.
0:11:29 > 0:11:33Rory thinks lynx could help balance the ecology of our countryside,
0:11:33 > 0:11:35thanks to their taste for venison.
0:11:35 > 0:11:37As we heard on Countryfile earlier this year,
0:11:37 > 0:11:41deer have an appetite for young trees and vegetation.
0:11:41 > 0:11:45In Scotland, to give their forests chance to grow,
0:11:45 > 0:11:48they've had to cull thousands of the animals every year.
0:11:48 > 0:11:53But a top predator like the lynx could naturally do the job for them.
0:11:53 > 0:11:55- Could it really happen here? - Yes, I think so.
0:11:55 > 0:11:59And I think that the community that chose it would become
0:11:59 > 0:12:02one of the famous places of Britain,
0:12:02 > 0:12:04where they restored the lynx.
0:12:09 > 0:12:14There's no doubt that the lynx is a beautiful and exciting creature.
0:12:14 > 0:12:19But a bold idea like this is bound to be a double-edged sword.
0:12:23 > 0:12:24In an area like this,
0:12:24 > 0:12:28final approval has to come from Scottish Natural Heritage.
0:12:28 > 0:12:31But there are plenty of people across the rural community
0:12:31 > 0:12:34who have their own reservations about bringing back the lynx.
0:12:34 > 0:12:40So should we just let sleeping cats lie? I'll be finding out later.
0:12:47 > 0:12:51The county of Leicestershire with its vast areas of rural landscape
0:12:51 > 0:12:56is an ideal place for the armed services to train their animals,
0:12:56 > 0:12:58their horses and their dogs.
0:13:00 > 0:13:04This is the Defence Animal Centre in Melton Mowbray.
0:13:06 > 0:13:09I've been given special permission to find out what goes on
0:13:09 > 0:13:12at this most unusual of military bases.
0:13:17 > 0:13:19'It's 0800 hours, I've shined my shoes
0:13:19 > 0:13:22'and I'm right on time to meet Colonel Richard Pope.'
0:13:22 > 0:13:25What exactly happens here, colonel?
0:13:25 > 0:13:26Here in the equine division,
0:13:26 > 0:13:29it's responsible for procuring horses, training horses,
0:13:29 > 0:13:33training instructors, training farriers for defence.
0:13:33 > 0:13:35So at any one time, how many horses?
0:13:35 > 0:13:39At the moment, I've got probably about 86 horses in work,
0:13:39 > 0:13:41probably another hundred in the field.
0:13:41 > 0:13:43So quite a big engine. And it runs all year round.
0:13:43 > 0:13:47We don't stop for Christmas because obviously there's a lot of animals
0:13:47 > 0:13:49that still need to be looked after, maintained, trained
0:13:49 > 0:13:54and prepared for that continuum of training that we deliver here for defence.
0:13:57 > 0:14:00All these horses are used on home turf,
0:14:00 > 0:14:04looking magnificent on ceremonial duties like Trooping the Colour.
0:14:05 > 0:14:09'But so much horsepower needs a working forge
0:14:09 > 0:14:13'and gaining farrier training is one of the most sought-after jobs in the Army.'
0:14:13 > 0:14:18There's an awful lot of horses at this centre, so obviously, it keeps you pretty busy.
0:14:18 > 0:14:21Our horses are shod on a regular basis.
0:14:21 > 0:14:23Probably every four to six weeks.
0:14:23 > 0:14:28- Do you actually get trained here, the farriers?- We run three courses -
0:14:28 > 0:14:31a basic course, an intermediate course and an advanced course.
0:14:31 > 0:14:35All farriers have to be registered in this country.
0:14:35 > 0:14:36So when your army career is over,
0:14:36 > 0:14:40you can go into civilian life with a pretty good training?
0:14:40 > 0:14:44Absolutely. It's probably one of the best jobs to leave the army with.
0:14:44 > 0:14:46It's a fantastic opportunity.
0:14:46 > 0:14:47What about the actual shoes?
0:14:47 > 0:14:51Do you have lots of different kinds for different purposes?
0:14:51 > 0:14:54That would be a typical shoe that a Cavalry Black would wear in London
0:14:54 > 0:14:58for the road work. What we've got here is a lighter shoe,
0:14:58 > 0:15:02it's a concave shoe and that would allow them to do the faster work,
0:15:02 > 0:15:04the eventing, the showjumping.
0:15:04 > 0:15:08- A bit like car tyres, really. - Absolutely.- Different purposes, different tyres.
0:15:08 > 0:15:10It's got to be fit for purpose.
0:15:12 > 0:15:16Farrier Corporal Michael Wood is taking the advanced course.
0:15:16 > 0:15:21- Better stand back a bit there, John. - Right. OK. Sparks flying.
0:15:21 > 0:15:23Mike, why did you become a farrier?
0:15:23 > 0:15:27I joined the Household Cavalry in 1992.
0:15:27 > 0:15:29Never been near a horse in my life.
0:15:29 > 0:15:32I got thrown, basically, into a 12-week riding course
0:15:32 > 0:15:34and I've not looked back since.
0:15:34 > 0:15:38Discovered how much fun the horses are. Colourful characters.
0:15:44 > 0:15:47Well, that's the horses. Now for the dogs.
0:15:47 > 0:15:52'Staff Sergeant Dan Bowden works with the unit that trains dogs to be
0:15:52 > 0:15:55'the military's four-legged friends.'
0:15:55 > 0:15:59Well, these young Labradors are obviously at the early stages of training, aren't they?
0:15:59 > 0:16:01Are they going to make good army dogs?
0:16:01 > 0:16:04Should do. At this point in their career,
0:16:04 > 0:16:07they're 10 months old - we're happy with them at the minute.
0:16:07 > 0:16:09What kind of things are you looking for in these dogs?
0:16:09 > 0:16:12Drive, confidence, that they're happy to go through a dark tunnel,
0:16:12 > 0:16:16to go over obstacles that they would encounter in a military environment.
0:16:16 > 0:16:19And what kind of purpose will they be put to,
0:16:19 > 0:16:22- once they're trained? - Er, search dog. They'll be searching
0:16:22 > 0:16:24vehicles, roads, buildings, etc - anywhere in the world.
0:16:24 > 0:16:26Wherever the soldiers go, they'll go with them.
0:16:26 > 0:16:30- And how long does the training take? - They're at 10 months now,
0:16:30 > 0:16:33then they'll go onto another section which could take 12-20 weeks,
0:16:33 > 0:16:36depending on the dog's capability. There's no science to it,
0:16:36 > 0:16:39it's literally, when they're ready, we'll pass them out.
0:16:39 > 0:16:43And what percentage of dogs actually pass out at the end of it?
0:16:43 > 0:16:44We don't have a very high failure rate -
0:16:44 > 0:16:47because the selection criteria is so tight,
0:16:47 > 0:16:51we're quite rigid on what we bring in. We've got 223 dogs at present -
0:16:51 > 0:16:53we may only fail 10 of those.
0:16:57 > 0:16:59The dogs live in deluxe kennels
0:16:59 > 0:17:02and go through a tonne-and-a-half of rations every week, as they
0:17:02 > 0:17:06learn the vital roles they will play with Britain's defence forces.
0:17:06 > 0:17:09Beano the spaniel is being trained to search vehicles
0:17:09 > 0:17:13for a target scent. I'm planting some material that could be anything
0:17:13 > 0:17:17from drugs to a bomb - and the dog has to find it.
0:17:17 > 0:17:20I suppose gun dogs are best for this kind of thing?
0:17:20 > 0:17:24Personally, I think gun dogs, but we do use other breeds as well.
0:17:24 > 0:17:26But generally, we will use gun dogs -
0:17:26 > 0:17:28that's what we'll bring into the military.
0:17:28 > 0:17:32- That's what they've been bred for, isn't it, to sniff things out?- Yeah.
0:17:32 > 0:17:35He definitely thought there was something,
0:17:35 > 0:17:37he had suspicions certainly around that brick...
0:17:37 > 0:17:40And he's sitting down, and he's pointing...
0:17:40 > 0:17:44- Good boy.- So that means he definitely identified it.- Yeah.
0:17:44 > 0:17:46Well done, Beano!
0:17:46 > 0:17:49- And he gets a ball as a... - A ball - any reward.
0:17:49 > 0:17:52A ball or whatever - whatever the dog wants
0:17:52 > 0:17:55is what he gets, at the earliest stages, that you saw.
0:17:55 > 0:17:58He gets that because he likes that reward better than anything else.
0:18:03 > 0:18:05Training isn't just here in the centre.
0:18:05 > 0:18:09The Army regularly gets permission from local farmers to use their land
0:18:09 > 0:18:13because putting the dogs through their paces on different terrain
0:18:13 > 0:18:17prepares them for working in all sorts of environments.
0:18:17 > 0:18:21But this exercise seems a bit like mission impossible!
0:18:21 > 0:18:25The dog has to find a weapon that's been hidden somewhere
0:18:25 > 0:18:26in this huge field.
0:18:26 > 0:18:29- So, what's being simulated here? - In this case,
0:18:29 > 0:18:32the dog will carry out a check that he could do anywhere in the world
0:18:32 > 0:18:35- in front of a patrol - mobile or foot.- So, the dog
0:18:35 > 0:18:40is ahead, sniffing out any potential problems that might face the patrol?
0:18:40 > 0:18:43- He's certainly fanning out, isn't he?- Yeah.
0:18:43 > 0:18:45A wide area, either side of his handler.
0:18:45 > 0:18:48The handler will use body language, movement, voice,
0:18:48 > 0:18:50verbal commands, everything.
0:18:50 > 0:18:54If he wants him to go 200 metres, he'll cover the 200 metres.
0:18:54 > 0:18:57- If he only wants him to do 10 metres, he'll do it.- He's found it!
0:18:57 > 0:19:00- Yeah.- He looks to be there now, and he's
0:19:00 > 0:19:04wagging his tail, so that's a pretty clear indication
0:19:04 > 0:19:06to the handler that that's where the weapon is.
0:19:06 > 0:19:10When the handler's happy, he'll give him his reward. It's reward-based.
0:19:10 > 0:19:12The dog won't work unless he finds it fun.
0:19:12 > 0:19:16These days, with modern technology, especially in the military,
0:19:16 > 0:19:20- can you see the dog being replaced ever?- Never, no.
0:19:20 > 0:19:23There's no technology that can do what the dog can do,
0:19:23 > 0:19:26as effectively as the dog can do it at present. So, I can't see it.
0:19:35 > 0:19:37I'm just a few miles west of John,
0:19:37 > 0:19:40on some farmland that's soon to become
0:19:40 > 0:19:43the largest native woodland in Britain.
0:19:43 > 0:19:47When it's finished, all around me will be covered in trees -
0:19:47 > 0:19:53300,000 beautiful, living, breathing trees.
0:19:53 > 0:19:57'It's all part of the Woodlands Trust's ambitious aim
0:19:57 > 0:20:01'to plant six million trees in 2012.
0:20:01 > 0:20:03'And with just six weeks before the end of the year,
0:20:03 > 0:20:06'they've still got a fair way to go.'
0:20:06 > 0:20:08So, we've decided to give them a helping hand,
0:20:08 > 0:20:10or should I say spade?!
0:20:11 > 0:20:14'By the end of the day, this field will be full
0:20:14 > 0:20:16'of thousands of young trees.'
0:20:16 > 0:20:19And John and I are going to attempt to plant 2,000 of them
0:20:19 > 0:20:22within an hour - it's the biggest tree-planting challenge
0:20:22 > 0:20:25that we've ever had on Countryfile. And as if that wasn't enough,
0:20:25 > 0:20:27we're going top have a competition, of course,
0:20:27 > 0:20:30to see who can plant the most saplings within the 60 minutes.
0:20:30 > 0:20:33I've got a good feeling about this - for me, obviously.
0:20:34 > 0:20:37- CHEERING - 'But we're not going it alone.
0:20:37 > 0:20:41'John's joining Leicestershire's finest female young farmers...'
0:20:41 > 0:20:43And this is my team, Team Bradbury!
0:20:43 > 0:20:45MEN CHEER
0:20:45 > 0:20:49'Before we can begin, the site needs to be prepared.
0:20:49 > 0:20:51'Paul Bunton from the Woodland Trust is here
0:20:51 > 0:20:54'to make sure we can plant the saplings quickly,
0:20:54 > 0:20:56'but most importantly, correctly.'
0:20:56 > 0:20:59- Paul, marking your territory, I see! - Hi, Julia!- Hello!
0:20:59 > 0:21:03- Yes!- So, presumably, the placement of the trees is very important.
0:21:03 > 0:21:06It is, that's right. They're all going to be 1.6 metres apart.
0:21:06 > 0:21:08- Exactly!- Nice and precise.- Yeah!
0:21:08 > 0:21:11As you can see down here, we've got the rip lines
0:21:11 > 0:21:15- that we put in this morning... - Yep.- ..so we get the rows
0:21:15 > 0:21:17nicely even and apart.
0:21:17 > 0:21:21The idea is that the site doesn't look like a uniform plantation.
0:21:21 > 0:21:25- It has an element of naturalness about it.- Mm-hm.
0:21:25 > 0:21:29The big question is, how do you plant a tree at speed properly?
0:21:29 > 0:21:32That's right. We've been practising our techniques this morning
0:21:32 > 0:21:35- and we'll go and show you now how to do that.- OK.
0:21:35 > 0:21:39Here we are, Julia, one of the spots we marked earlier.
0:21:39 > 0:21:40Look!
0:21:40 > 0:21:43- Baby oaks!- Yep, that's it.
0:21:43 > 0:21:45- So, we've got good rootage going on. - We certainly have.
0:21:45 > 0:21:47And we're going to plant down here,
0:21:47 > 0:21:51- where we've actually put the spot sprays earlier.- Yep.
0:21:51 > 0:21:55And what is it, four corners, is that the...ch-ch-ch, the technique?
0:21:55 > 0:21:58We do often do that, but because we've got a challenge today,
0:21:58 > 0:22:01to see how many we can plant in an hour, we're going to use a method
0:22:01 > 0:22:02called the tea-planting,
0:22:02 > 0:22:06which is one more advanced from the notch planting.
0:22:06 > 0:22:09I haven't done this before, I'm excited - it's a whole new world!
0:22:09 > 0:22:13- It is!- Show me.- So, if we put our spade, one end of it,
0:22:13 > 0:22:15- exactly on top of the orange spot... - Yep.
0:22:15 > 0:22:18..and push down in - hopefully it won't be too stony.
0:22:18 > 0:22:22Then when we bring our spade out, we put it across this way,
0:22:22 > 0:22:24- so it actually makes a T. - Even I understand that!
0:22:24 > 0:22:28You can see that! And then we want to lift up,
0:22:28 > 0:22:31and if we're lucky, it should open up like that, and we get our tree...
0:22:31 > 0:22:35- Pop that in?- ..and place it on top of the spade there.- Yeah.
0:22:35 > 0:22:39Rest it down on the spade, so all those roots are covered up, then
0:22:39 > 0:22:41as we lower it back down, hopefully - there we are -
0:22:41 > 0:22:43it will all actually go in there nicely,
0:22:43 > 0:22:46then we can firm it down well.
0:22:46 > 0:22:50And if we're really lucky, it should be nice and upright...
0:22:50 > 0:22:52which it is - one tree planted.
0:22:52 > 0:22:55- I'll have a practice run, then.- OK. - Will you bring the...
0:22:55 > 0:22:58- There's your sapling. - ..the tree? So, that way...
0:22:58 > 0:23:01- That's it, top of the T. - OK. Now, we get the T...
0:23:01 > 0:23:03That's it. Right, er...
0:23:03 > 0:23:05- All the shafts in.- There we go.
0:23:05 > 0:23:07Lift that back... Fantastic.
0:23:07 > 0:23:11Yep, that's opened up - so then we push our tree in there.
0:23:11 > 0:23:13- OK, and release.- Yep, that's it.
0:23:13 > 0:23:15- There we go. - And then push that down.
0:23:15 > 0:23:18Give it a really nice, firm... That's it.
0:23:21 > 0:23:23- Fantastic.- A little bit wonky!
0:23:25 > 0:23:28I'm going to have another sneaky little go,
0:23:28 > 0:23:30just to get my hand in before the challenge.
0:23:30 > 0:23:33Here's what else is coming up on the programme.
0:23:33 > 0:23:37John's got his hands full moving some cows to pastures new.
0:23:37 > 0:23:40Now, if Adam was here, no problem!
0:23:40 > 0:23:43But Adam's got problems of his own.
0:23:44 > 0:23:47Just taking Eric and his cows up to the handling pens.
0:23:47 > 0:23:49Eric gets pretty wound up by the other bulls
0:23:49 > 0:23:52when I'm moving him through these paddocks,
0:23:52 > 0:23:54so I have to keep him going quite quickly,
0:23:54 > 0:23:56otherwise we'll have a fight on our hands.
0:23:56 > 0:23:59And we have the Countryfile forecast for the week ahead.
0:24:10 > 0:24:14The spectacular Scottish Highlands, where winter comes early -
0:24:14 > 0:24:17a precious wilderness, and a haven for wildlife,
0:24:17 > 0:24:21but could this landscape become even wilder?
0:24:21 > 0:24:26Tom's been investigating some big ideas about some big cats.
0:24:30 > 0:24:34The European lynx, a formidable predator,
0:24:34 > 0:24:39that last stalked the woodlands of Britain more than 500 years ago.
0:24:39 > 0:24:41Earlier, we heard how some conservationists
0:24:41 > 0:24:43would love to see these secretive creatures
0:24:43 > 0:24:46prowling our landscape once again.
0:24:46 > 0:24:48Those in favour of a big cat revival
0:24:48 > 0:24:51think it will help restore the natural balance
0:24:51 > 0:24:53by keeping deer numbers down.
0:24:53 > 0:24:57It's a proposal that's now starting to be considered
0:24:57 > 0:24:59by the Cairngorms National Park Authority,
0:24:59 > 0:25:02but not everyone's convinced.
0:25:02 > 0:25:07The problem is what's on this big cat's menu.
0:25:07 > 0:25:11In the wild, they tend to take wild animals like this,
0:25:11 > 0:25:14but in a landscape that overlaps with farming,
0:25:14 > 0:25:18they could find some easier things that take their fancy -
0:25:18 > 0:25:20and that's when they come into conflict with humans...
0:25:21 > 0:25:24COW BELLOWS
0:25:24 > 0:25:27..humans like Alastair Maclennan, who farms sheep and cattle
0:25:27 > 0:25:30in the shadow of the Cairngorms.
0:25:31 > 0:25:36Despite impressive conservation and environmental credentials,
0:25:36 > 0:25:40he's just not convinced by the idea of a lynx reintroduction.
0:25:43 > 0:25:45What about your sheep - do you seriously believe
0:25:45 > 0:25:49that they're at risk if there were lynx around? They're quite big sheep,
0:25:49 > 0:25:51- and I'm not sure about that, but... - Lambs?
0:25:51 > 0:25:55Definitely, yeah. And calves, even. Lynx are a big cat,
0:25:55 > 0:25:58they can grow to 30 kilos, and they supposedly can kill something
0:25:58 > 0:26:01that's three-to-four times their size.
0:26:01 > 0:26:03So, I mean, that's bigger than these sheep.
0:26:03 > 0:26:07And you pride yourself on this farm for being good for other wildlife
0:26:07 > 0:26:10as well - do you think the lynx could impact on them?
0:26:10 > 0:26:13Yeah, I think we've got vulnerable species here already -
0:26:13 > 0:26:16capercaillie, wildcat, for example -
0:26:16 > 0:26:19and lynx will definitely impact on them.
0:26:19 > 0:26:22Capercaillie's almost extinct, so is wildcat.
0:26:22 > 0:26:25There just isn't the habitat left. Lynx need huge territories,
0:26:25 > 0:26:30a minimum of 25 kilometres square - where is the habitat to put them?
0:26:38 > 0:26:43But what about the other people whose job it is to manage the land?
0:26:43 > 0:26:46Gamekeepers and estate managers have mixed feelings.
0:26:46 > 0:26:48Donnie Broad and head stalker James Barry
0:26:48 > 0:26:52manage more than 21,000 acres near Pitlochry.
0:26:52 > 0:26:55Much of their business comes from deer-stalking.
0:26:55 > 0:26:59I've joined them today to catch a glimpse of what could be
0:26:59 > 0:27:01on the menu for lynx.
0:27:02 > 0:27:05We've spotted a hind in front of us on this ridge.
0:27:05 > 0:27:08We're going to head out with the wind in our face
0:27:08 > 0:27:11- and try and close in a bit. - Oh, she's moving.
0:27:11 > 0:27:13She's moving, yes, she's moving.
0:27:13 > 0:27:16'We won't be pulling the trigger today,
0:27:16 > 0:27:19'but if lynx are brought back,
0:27:19 > 0:27:24'Donnie will want the freedom to keep them in line by doing just that.'
0:27:26 > 0:27:29So, what do you think about having lynx in this landscape?
0:27:29 > 0:27:32I'm in favour, I'm in favour of lynx reintroductions.
0:27:32 > 0:27:34It's just how it's done.
0:27:34 > 0:27:37There's advantages, especially with roe deer,
0:27:37 > 0:27:41the lynx could keep the deer out of the dense undergrowth
0:27:41 > 0:27:43and allow the regeneration of the trees
0:27:43 > 0:27:46without having to have too drastic a cull.
0:27:46 > 0:27:49They could suppress the fox population, which could have
0:27:49 > 0:27:52a net benefit to us, game-shooting and sheep-farming.
0:27:52 > 0:27:55The downside is, they also predate sheep.
0:27:55 > 0:27:58So, it's how you deal with these issues.
0:27:58 > 0:28:01Probably, a responsible, very quick licensing system
0:28:01 > 0:28:04to deal with problem impacts would be the way to do it.
0:28:04 > 0:28:08So you're saying you're in favour of the idea in principle,
0:28:08 > 0:28:12but not if they got kind of godlike, absolute protection -
0:28:12 > 0:28:15- then you can't deal with them?- No.
0:28:15 > 0:28:18The whole landscape is managed, we manage all the populations,
0:28:18 > 0:28:20all the land's used for something.
0:28:20 > 0:28:24- So they'd have to form part of a managed population.- Yeah.
0:28:24 > 0:28:27And that means even occasionally, in your view,
0:28:27 > 0:28:30being able to shoot them, even though you've recently introduced them?
0:28:30 > 0:28:33Yes, I think that's the only realistic way to go forward.
0:28:35 > 0:28:39So, farmers fear for livestock, gamekeepers want strict controls,
0:28:39 > 0:28:43but conservationists are still hoping for a big cat revival.
0:28:43 > 0:28:47And the lynx? Well, they were simply born to hunt.
0:28:47 > 0:28:49And that could be a blessing or a curse,
0:28:49 > 0:28:51depending on which side of the fence you're on.
0:28:51 > 0:28:54But is this all pie in the sky? Will we ever really
0:28:54 > 0:28:58see lynx reintroduced into the British countryside?
0:28:59 > 0:29:04One man who can answer that question is Dr David Hetherington.
0:29:04 > 0:29:06He's been working on a report for the
0:29:06 > 0:29:10Cairngorms National Park Authority, due out early next year,
0:29:10 > 0:29:13highlighting some of the issues of reintroduction.
0:29:13 > 0:29:16- 'This is lynx habitat?- Yes, it is...'
0:29:16 > 0:29:18I see no reason why lynx reintroduction
0:29:18 > 0:29:20couldn't happen in Scotland.
0:29:20 > 0:29:22It's happened in several human-modified landscapes
0:29:22 > 0:29:25throughout central and western Europe,
0:29:25 > 0:29:26so lynx don't need wilderness,
0:29:26 > 0:29:29- and they can live in a human environment.- One thing we heard
0:29:29 > 0:29:32from the gamekeeper was that he wasn't against lynx,
0:29:32 > 0:29:35but almost he wanted the right to shoot them -
0:29:35 > 0:29:37which seemed a bit perverse, but perhaps you can help me out...?
0:29:37 > 0:29:40We've got to be practical and say, if lynx do create
0:29:40 > 0:29:43an acute problem, and there's repeated losses of sheep -
0:29:43 > 0:29:46then I think there has to be some form of recourse, action
0:29:46 > 0:29:49or prevention that the land manager can take.
0:29:49 > 0:29:51By making the lynx some sort of sacred cow -
0:29:51 > 0:29:54and you've basically got to let it do what it wants -
0:29:54 > 0:29:56is actually going to be counterproductive.
0:29:56 > 0:29:59It's not going to be helpful, and you will end up
0:29:59 > 0:30:02with a lot of tension and conflict, and I don't think that's necessary.
0:30:02 > 0:30:06Whatever the conclusions of David's report,
0:30:06 > 0:30:11it'll be at least another decade before the lynx can roam free.
0:30:12 > 0:30:16So, will lynx return and reclaim the throne
0:30:16 > 0:30:18as the kings of our jungle?
0:30:18 > 0:30:23Nature seems ready. The question is, are we?
0:30:28 > 0:30:31JOHN: Julia and I are exploring Leicestershire,
0:30:31 > 0:30:33a county where the locals
0:30:33 > 0:30:36are making the most of its beautiful countryside.
0:30:39 > 0:30:41I'm on my way to Cossington Meadows -
0:30:41 > 0:30:44it's 200 acres of wetland nature reserve,
0:30:44 > 0:30:47just seven miles from the city centre of Leicester.
0:30:47 > 0:30:50Actually, it's a bit of a local secret, you've got to look carefully
0:30:50 > 0:30:54for the sign, they tell me, otherwise you could drive straight past.
0:30:54 > 0:30:57In fact, that's it there.
0:31:02 > 0:31:06This is a nature-lover's haven, but it hasn't always been like this.
0:31:06 > 0:31:09To find out more, I'm meeting Michael,
0:31:09 > 0:31:12from the Rutland and Leicestershire Wildlife Trust.
0:31:12 > 0:31:14- The sound of silence here. - That's right.
0:31:14 > 0:31:17It's a wonderful place for local people to come and escape to.
0:31:17 > 0:31:20It's only been a nature reserve for about 10 years. Before then,
0:31:20 > 0:31:24this was a very busy, very noisy, active gravel pit.
0:31:24 > 0:31:27- They just filled it in and you took it over?- That's right.
0:31:27 > 0:31:29So, how deep is it now, then?
0:31:29 > 0:31:32It's quite shallow, John. It can't be more than three or four feet deep.
0:31:32 > 0:31:36That encourages a wide variety of wildlife, that likes
0:31:36 > 0:31:39those sorts of shallow water conditions - little egrets,
0:31:39 > 0:31:42herons - and a wide variety of fish as well.
0:31:45 > 0:31:50Cossington Meadows is something of a triumph for the wildlife trust,
0:31:50 > 0:31:53but actually it forms part of a bigger jigsaw,
0:31:53 > 0:31:57designed to form a wildlife corridor along the River Soar.
0:31:58 > 0:32:01What you're doing, then, is creating kind of stepping stones
0:32:01 > 0:32:04for wildlife to move up and down safely.
0:32:04 > 0:32:06That's exactly it, John.
0:32:06 > 0:32:09The problem is, unless you can do that, a lot of wildlife is
0:32:09 > 0:32:12confined to just small patches of land,
0:32:12 > 0:32:14and then it's more vulnerable.
0:32:14 > 0:32:20Well, I've got a map in here which will explain it a little easier.
0:32:20 > 0:32:23The green patches of land are Wildlife Trust nature reserves
0:32:23 > 0:32:26and the river links them all together.
0:32:26 > 0:32:29So, what we're trying to do is to create this big area that
0:32:29 > 0:32:34will enable these wildlife to move in between these individual
0:32:34 > 0:32:35nature reserves.
0:32:35 > 0:32:38That looks like quite a big stumbling block there?
0:32:38 > 0:32:39Quite the contrary,
0:32:39 > 0:32:43because that is a farm where we work very closely with the farmer there.
0:32:43 > 0:32:45And does the same apply here?
0:32:45 > 0:32:48The yellow over here is a country park, which is also
0:32:48 > 0:32:52managed for its wildlife value, so what we have been able to do here
0:32:52 > 0:32:58is to create an area of about 1,000 acres that has got wildlife value.
0:32:59 > 0:33:03The long-term plan is to try to extend this wildlife corridor
0:33:03 > 0:33:05all the way down the river valley.
0:33:05 > 0:33:08You might think a reserve like this needs a lot of people power
0:33:08 > 0:33:10to keep it all in check, but it doesn't.
0:33:10 > 0:33:14What it does need, are Exmoor ponies.
0:33:18 > 0:33:21These hardy animals play a crucial part in managing
0:33:21 > 0:33:25the landscape by creating a perfect habitat for many
0:33:25 > 0:33:27kinds of wildlife, and it seems to be working.
0:33:30 > 0:33:33Well, Chris, I never expected to see a whole herd of Exmoors
0:33:33 > 0:33:35here in Leicestershire. They are pretty rare, aren't they?
0:33:35 > 0:33:39They are, we thought, "Well, we need a species of animal to help graze
0:33:39 > 0:33:43"Cossington Meadows," and these just looked ideal.
0:33:43 > 0:33:45What is special about the way they graze, then?
0:33:45 > 0:33:46Well, they eat anything.
0:33:46 > 0:33:49Thistle heads, nettles and they will eat the coarse grasses,
0:33:49 > 0:33:51they will even eat small trees.
0:33:51 > 0:33:55So they prevent the whole site from turning into woodland.
0:33:55 > 0:33:56Perfect lawn mower, really, then.
0:33:56 > 0:33:59Perfect. If you left them here, this would be a bowling green in weeks,
0:33:59 > 0:34:01so that's why we move them around.
0:34:01 > 0:34:04- So these are about to be moved, are they?- They are, yes.
0:34:04 > 0:34:05- Shall we go?- Yes, we'll go.
0:34:05 > 0:34:06Come on, girls.
0:34:06 > 0:34:09Come on, girls. Come and get it.
0:34:15 > 0:34:18You are going the wrong way, sweetheart.
0:34:18 > 0:34:22'But Exmoors have minds of their own.'
0:34:22 > 0:34:23No, don't go up there.
0:34:23 > 0:34:25Come on, girls.
0:34:25 > 0:34:27- They are not easy to organise, are they?- No.
0:34:30 > 0:34:32After lots and lots of gentle coaxing,
0:34:32 > 0:34:36we have managed to get seven out of the 11 moving in the right direction.
0:34:36 > 0:34:40It is just the breed, isn't it? Some are semi-wild.
0:34:40 > 0:34:43- They're not going to do what you want all the time.- No.
0:34:44 > 0:34:47Chris is going to leave the uncooperative ones for another day,
0:34:47 > 0:34:51but rather than quit the roundup, he now wants to move
0:34:51 > 0:34:54these rare Shetland cows, another hardy breed,
0:34:54 > 0:34:56and, like the ponies, they have been chosen
0:34:56 > 0:34:59because they chew their way through coarse vegetation.
0:35:01 > 0:35:03So we'll lead these to another large field with
0:35:03 > 0:35:05plenty of food in.
0:35:05 > 0:35:06OK, girls, follow me.
0:35:06 > 0:35:07Come on, then.
0:35:07 > 0:35:09Through you come, and boy.
0:35:09 > 0:35:10Come on, then.
0:35:14 > 0:35:18'Just like the ponies, not all the cows are keen to move.'
0:35:18 > 0:35:20Come on, then.
0:35:20 > 0:35:21No, no, come on.
0:35:25 > 0:35:28Come on. Oh, no!
0:35:29 > 0:35:31Now, if Adam was here no problem.
0:35:35 > 0:35:37'But we've got a cunning plan.
0:35:37 > 0:35:40'Never underestimate the power of a bucket of feed.'
0:35:41 > 0:35:44Yah-hoo! We did it!
0:35:44 > 0:35:46- Great, John, brilliant. - At long last.
0:35:46 > 0:35:47They're not easy, are they?
0:35:47 > 0:35:49No, they're not.
0:35:49 > 0:35:50And they'll stay in there for quite a while?
0:35:50 > 0:35:52They'll be there for a few months.
0:35:52 > 0:35:54And then you'll have to get them back again.
0:35:54 > 0:35:56Back again. So, can you come back?
0:35:56 > 0:35:58No way.
0:36:03 > 0:36:05Well, that was a hard day's work.
0:36:05 > 0:36:09But it's great to see two rare breeds helping the wildlife trust to
0:36:09 > 0:36:10manage their reserve.
0:36:10 > 0:36:14And, right on time, here come the seven willing Exmoors,
0:36:14 > 0:36:17ready to enjoy their new pasture,
0:36:17 > 0:36:18all winter long.
0:36:24 > 0:36:29Now, this is the time of year when ewes come into season,
0:36:29 > 0:36:32so that means Adam's got his hands full with some very feisty rams.
0:36:37 > 0:36:39My rams can sense there's something in the air.
0:36:39 > 0:36:41They're excited and boisterous.
0:36:41 > 0:36:43They know it's mating season.
0:36:52 > 0:36:55At this time of year, when the day length is getting shorter,
0:36:55 > 0:36:58the ewes are coming into season, ready to accept the ram
0:36:58 > 0:37:00and the rams are full of testosterone,
0:37:00 > 0:37:02ready to mate with the ewes.
0:37:02 > 0:37:04By, good girl.
0:37:04 > 0:37:08And they will conceive now, and then give birth in the spring.
0:37:08 > 0:37:13And the Cotswolds, this breed, the ram's already in with the ewes.
0:37:13 > 0:37:15He wears a harness, and on the harness is a chalk,
0:37:15 > 0:37:19so we're just catching the ram now, to change his chalk.
0:37:19 > 0:37:21Good girls, bring them on.
0:37:29 > 0:37:31Sit.
0:37:35 > 0:37:38So this is the Kerry Hill ram, or some people call them tups,
0:37:38 > 0:37:41and mating time is known as tupping.
0:37:41 > 0:37:46These rams wear a harness, and when they mate with the ewes
0:37:46 > 0:37:48the chalk on the front of the harness here
0:37:48 > 0:37:51rubs on their rumps, and marks them.
0:37:52 > 0:37:56He started off with yellow, 18 days later, we're changing it to
0:37:56 > 0:38:00an orange mark, and then we will go green, then red, then blue
0:38:00 > 0:38:02and then black.
0:38:02 > 0:38:06So what we will know is which ewes are going to give birth and when.
0:38:06 > 0:38:10We mate them in the autumn, and they give birth in the spring.
0:38:10 > 0:38:13So, about a five-month gestation period, from mating to birth.
0:38:15 > 0:38:17We'll carry on tupping for the next couple of weeks,
0:38:17 > 0:38:19until all the ewes are covered.
0:38:19 > 0:38:22Ideally, each ewe will have two offspring.
0:38:22 > 0:38:26So, come next March, the fields will be full of leaping lambs.
0:38:29 > 0:38:30Over the past few weeks,
0:38:30 > 0:38:33we've been preparing our fields for sowing wheat.
0:38:33 > 0:38:34It hasn't been easy.
0:38:34 > 0:38:36The wet weather's been a nightmare,
0:38:36 > 0:38:39but by grabbing every dry opportunity,
0:38:39 > 0:38:42my hard-working team has been able to get all our wheat sown.
0:38:45 > 0:38:47Now, it's even beginning to germinate.
0:38:57 > 0:39:00We had a very late, wet harvest on this farm,
0:39:00 > 0:39:02but it wasn't just here, it was nationally,
0:39:02 > 0:39:06and that is already having an effect on next year's harvest.
0:39:06 > 0:39:08Because the crops weren't taken off the fields early enough,
0:39:08 > 0:39:12it meant that drilling, or planting the crops didn't start early enough.
0:39:12 > 0:39:14So, usually, this oilseed rape,
0:39:14 > 0:39:17we would have drilled it middle of August, but we couldn't
0:39:17 > 0:39:21get on here until the first week of September and that has meant
0:39:21 > 0:39:24that the plants are now small and immature.
0:39:24 > 0:39:27Usually by now, this would be a blanket of green
0:39:27 > 0:39:31and the size and quality of the plant now, in the autumn,
0:39:31 > 0:39:35determines the potential yield next August, and because
0:39:35 > 0:39:36they're small and immature,
0:39:36 > 0:39:39it's already having an effect on the next harvest.
0:39:39 > 0:39:42We're lucky to have got it planted at all,
0:39:42 > 0:39:44but it's still not looking great.
0:39:46 > 0:39:49The bad luck doesn't stop with my crops.
0:39:49 > 0:39:52One of my bulls has caused a few headaches, too.
0:39:52 > 0:39:56A couple of months ago, I bought a Belted Galloway bull.
0:39:56 > 0:40:00Unfortunately, he has been giving me a bit of grief.
0:40:00 > 0:40:02His name is Cracker, and he is aptly named,
0:40:02 > 0:40:04because he has been a little bit crackers.
0:40:04 > 0:40:06He jumps out a bit, and he is a bit feisty,
0:40:06 > 0:40:08but now he's settling in quite well,
0:40:08 > 0:40:11he's jumped out a few times to go and visit
0:40:11 > 0:40:14cows that he shouldn't, which is a bit naughty, but he's a good bull,
0:40:14 > 0:40:16he's a good Belted Galloway, and he's got a job to do,
0:40:16 > 0:40:19he has to serve these three cows, and hopefully get them in calf,
0:40:19 > 0:40:22then I will pregnancy test them in about a month's time, and it's then
0:40:22 > 0:40:26that I'll have to make a decision, whether to keep him or not.
0:40:28 > 0:40:33But one bull that has been behaving himself, is my Highland, Eric.
0:40:33 > 0:40:36Last March, he became a proud dad for the first time,
0:40:36 > 0:40:38and I'm hoping he can do it all again.
0:40:38 > 0:40:39Hey, hey, hey.
0:40:40 > 0:40:42Go on, then. Go on, Eric.
0:40:43 > 0:40:47I'm just taking Eric and his cows up to the handling pens.
0:40:47 > 0:40:50The vet is coming to pregnancy-test them.
0:40:50 > 0:40:55Hopefully they will all be in calf, but Eric gets pretty wound up by
0:40:55 > 0:40:57other bulls when I move him through these paddocks
0:40:57 > 0:40:59so I have to keep him going quite quickly,
0:40:59 > 0:41:02otherwise we'll have a fight on our hands.
0:41:02 > 0:41:05Come on, then, hey, hey.
0:41:08 > 0:41:10Come on, keep going, keep going.
0:41:10 > 0:41:12Come on, hey, hey.
0:41:12 > 0:41:14Go on.
0:41:16 > 0:41:21We put Eric in with the cows in about June-time, and hopefully
0:41:21 > 0:41:25the cows are now all in calf and he he'll make me very proud once more.
0:41:29 > 0:41:33I'm just separating the calves out from the cows so they don't
0:41:33 > 0:41:36get squashed when I put the cows down the cattle race here.
0:41:36 > 0:41:40These are Eric's three calves that were born in the spring,
0:41:40 > 0:41:43we have got Maisie, Mavauna and little Magee.
0:41:43 > 0:41:47He's my great hope that he's going to be someone's stock bull one day.
0:41:47 > 0:41:49He's really looking good.
0:41:50 > 0:41:52Go on, that's it, good boy.
0:41:52 > 0:41:55And they are so hairy, these Highlands,
0:41:55 > 0:41:58it's a wonderful coat on them and he's in good condition under here,
0:41:58 > 0:42:01he is a very smart calf, he is growing really well,
0:42:01 > 0:42:04and hopefully he'll be as big as his dad one day.
0:42:04 > 0:42:06Right, I'll just get these cows in.
0:42:11 > 0:42:13I have called in the vet, Graeme Sanderson,
0:42:13 > 0:42:15to see if Eric's ladies are in calf.
0:42:15 > 0:42:19So, all we have got six cows to check for pregnancy
0:42:19 > 0:42:22and Graeme, the vet here, is just feeling. How is she feeling now?
0:42:22 > 0:42:25Yes, she is about two months in calf.
0:42:25 > 0:42:28- Great, good news. - A few weeks or so.
0:42:28 > 0:42:31One down, five to go. Good old Eric.
0:42:33 > 0:42:36So what the vet does is he puts his hand up her rectum
0:42:36 > 0:42:39and then he is feeling the uterus.
0:42:39 > 0:42:43That's right, feeling down onto the uterus to see what changes there are.
0:42:43 > 0:42:47If they are further on, you might be able to feel an actual foetus itself,
0:42:47 > 0:42:51if they are early on, you are just looking for changes in size.
0:42:51 > 0:42:55And as they get very far on, you can palpate an actual calf in there.
0:42:55 > 0:42:56Yeah.
0:42:56 > 0:42:58So this is a heifer,
0:42:58 > 0:43:00she hasn't been in calf before.
0:43:02 > 0:43:04She's in calf as well, she's slightly further on than
0:43:04 > 0:43:07the previous one, so probably about three months in calf at the moment.
0:43:07 > 0:43:08Great, brilliant, fantastic.
0:43:11 > 0:43:15If some of the cows are not in calf, it may mean that they are no longer
0:43:15 > 0:43:18fertile themselves, and so they become what is known as barreners.
0:43:18 > 0:43:20Then they will go for meat.
0:43:20 > 0:43:23But it's reasonably early yet, we'll give her a bit more of a chance.
0:43:23 > 0:43:25She is in calf as well, about three months or so.
0:43:25 > 0:43:28In calf, about three months. Good news.
0:43:29 > 0:43:32So Eric's OK, and most of the cows are in calf,
0:43:32 > 0:43:35so, we should be all right, I think.
0:43:35 > 0:43:36What is this one like?
0:43:36 > 0:43:39She is not detectably in calf at the moment,
0:43:39 > 0:43:41but Eric's been in with her so we'll probably wait another month
0:43:41 > 0:43:44and check because she could be too early on to know at the moment.
0:43:44 > 0:43:46OK, thanks very much.
0:43:46 > 0:43:48So good news, out of six there is only really this one
0:43:48 > 0:43:52we will have to re-test, but she may be early on in pregnancy, so we'll
0:43:52 > 0:43:56test her again in four weeks' time and then Eric'll have a full house.
0:43:59 > 0:44:01There's a good boy.
0:44:01 > 0:44:04Eric cost me two and a half thousand pounds
0:44:04 > 0:44:05and he has been worth every penny.
0:44:05 > 0:44:08He's already fathered some cracking calves,
0:44:08 > 0:44:11and it looks like there could be up to another six on the way.
0:44:11 > 0:44:14Next time, I will be catching up with a young farmer,
0:44:14 > 0:44:16who has realised his dream.
0:44:16 > 0:44:17Hey.
0:44:19 > 0:44:21Go on, little Magee.
0:44:21 > 0:44:22Go on, then.
0:44:26 > 0:44:30Earlier, John was exploring Leicestershire's Soar Valley
0:44:30 > 0:44:32where a wildlife corridor is providing a new
0:44:32 > 0:44:35habitat for an amazing array of flora and fauna.
0:44:35 > 0:44:38But just a little way down the river there is an invader that is
0:44:38 > 0:44:41threatening to shatter this watery wilderness.
0:44:41 > 0:44:43It is called floating pennywort.
0:44:43 > 0:44:45It is an invasive species,
0:44:45 > 0:44:48and it is on the Environment Agency's most wanted list.
0:44:48 > 0:44:51It's known as an aquatic triffid,
0:44:51 > 0:44:53and it can grow at a rate of up to 20cm per day.
0:44:53 > 0:44:58It covers the surface of the water in a thick mat of green leaves,
0:44:58 > 0:45:01starving it of light, nutrients and oxygen.
0:45:02 > 0:45:04The agency is on a mission
0:45:04 > 0:45:05to wipe it out.
0:45:05 > 0:45:07Biodiversity specialist, Rebecca Brunt,
0:45:07 > 0:45:12is on the front line of the defence against this aquatic intruder.
0:45:12 > 0:45:14- So this is pennywort?- This is it, yes.
0:45:14 > 0:45:17But it looks like lettuce, or watercress or something.
0:45:17 > 0:45:19There is quite a lot of it when you see it up close.
0:45:19 > 0:45:22It looks quite innocuous, Rebecca.
0:45:22 > 0:45:24It doesn't look like an evil weed.
0:45:24 > 0:45:27What is the problem with it, does it just strangle the water
0:45:27 > 0:45:28and everything in it, and around?
0:45:28 > 0:45:31It does, yeah. It out-competes our native plants,
0:45:31 > 0:45:33so we've had a problem with water lilies
0:45:33 > 0:45:35and things like that elsewhere.
0:45:35 > 0:45:37It can also affect fish migration,
0:45:37 > 0:45:39with it going far down into the water
0:45:39 > 0:45:41the fish can't get backwards and forwards.
0:45:41 > 0:45:43And where does it come from?
0:45:43 > 0:45:44It actually comes from North America.
0:45:44 > 0:45:48Those Americans, thank you.
0:45:48 > 0:45:52It came over, probably in the 1980s, as an ornamental plant,
0:45:52 > 0:45:55and then it has escaped out into the wild,
0:45:55 > 0:45:59and in Leicestershire it was 2004 that we had it here.
0:45:59 > 0:46:01It looks solid, what's happening beneath the leaves?
0:46:01 > 0:46:02Can we have a look?
0:46:02 > 0:46:06It goes quite a long way into the water course,
0:46:06 > 0:46:07so it is quite difficult to pull out.
0:46:07 > 0:46:10- Gosh, that is strong stuff, isn't it?- It is quite a mat.
0:46:10 > 0:46:13- It's like a squidgy bed.- You can't really get anything through it.
0:46:13 > 0:46:15This is some of the problems that we've had in the past
0:46:15 > 0:46:18where there are pictures of animals getting stuck in it
0:46:18 > 0:46:21because it looks like an extension of the bank when it's next
0:46:21 > 0:46:23to the normal fields, so it can be a bit of a health and safety issue.
0:46:24 > 0:46:26Oh, dear me.
0:46:26 > 0:46:30Pennywort, it sounds like a Beatrix Potter character.
0:46:30 > 0:46:34Getting rid of floating pennywort is easier said than done.
0:46:34 > 0:46:38It can re-grow from the tiniest fragment,
0:46:38 > 0:46:41quickly taking over whole swathes of rivers in a matter of weeks.
0:46:41 > 0:46:43The Environment Agency is working hard
0:46:43 > 0:46:46to manage the problem, spraying large beds with herbicide.
0:46:46 > 0:46:49And at smaller sites -
0:46:49 > 0:46:51my favourite, they grab it.
0:46:55 > 0:46:59Managing floating pennywort costs the economy
0:46:59 > 0:47:00around £25 million a year.
0:47:02 > 0:47:04You can feel the drag, it is so heavy, isn't it?
0:47:04 > 0:47:07- Yeah.- It is such a tough plant.
0:47:07 > 0:47:08- Look at that.- Yeah.
0:47:08 > 0:47:10It is a constant battle,
0:47:10 > 0:47:14but ignoring this voracious invader isn't an option.
0:47:14 > 0:47:16We're going to be here all day.
0:47:16 > 0:47:19Sometimes I spend weeks on it, yeah, just getting rid of it.
0:47:19 > 0:47:22- It knows it's got that, doesn't it?- Oh, yes.
0:47:22 > 0:47:26Aside from affecting the health and vibrancy of our waterways,
0:47:26 > 0:47:28it also poses a serious flood risk.
0:47:28 > 0:47:30Die, pennywort, die.
0:47:37 > 0:47:38I'm soaking.
0:47:39 > 0:47:43One of the most important things for the agency is finding out about new
0:47:43 > 0:47:48sites, and they have come up with a very 21st-century way of doing that.
0:47:48 > 0:47:52You are clutching technology, what are you going to show me?
0:47:52 > 0:47:55This is actually what we call a plant tracker.
0:47:55 > 0:47:57And as we are doing all of our monitoring,
0:47:57 > 0:47:59we also want people to be the eyes
0:47:59 > 0:48:02and ears for us on the ground.
0:48:02 > 0:48:04- So there's an app? - There is an app.- I love it.
0:48:04 > 0:48:05- An app for everything. - How exciting.
0:48:05 > 0:48:08And basically, this was developed by the Environment Agency
0:48:08 > 0:48:10and Bristol University
0:48:10 > 0:48:14asking people to do download it onto their phones, take it
0:48:14 > 0:48:17out with them when they go for a walk with the dog, and if they see an
0:48:17 > 0:48:21invasive species then they can record it on here, and it's basically just
0:48:21 > 0:48:24putting on a photo, if you've got a good signal it takes a GPS reference
0:48:24 > 0:48:27for you and then it is sent off to Bristol University for verification.
0:48:27 > 0:48:29How clever.
0:48:29 > 0:48:31- Can I have a little go?- You can.
0:48:31 > 0:48:34I love it, there are plant detectives out there doing this.
0:48:34 > 0:48:35All over the country.
0:48:35 > 0:48:40The only way to protect our native species is to wipe out invasive
0:48:40 > 0:48:43plants like floating pennywort.
0:48:43 > 0:48:44Here they're fighting back.
0:48:44 > 0:48:47If you want to help, or are interested in the plant tracker app,
0:48:47 > 0:48:49go to our website for more details...
0:48:49 > 0:48:52You will also find more information about this,
0:48:52 > 0:48:54the Countryfile calendar, for 2013.
0:48:54 > 0:48:55Here is John.
0:48:55 > 0:48:58The Countryfile calendar has been raising
0:48:58 > 0:49:01lots of money for the BBC's Children In Need appeal for more than
0:49:01 > 0:49:05a decade now, and for the 2013 edition, we have a fantastic
0:49:05 > 0:49:10number of amazing photographs sent in by viewers to choose from.
0:49:10 > 0:49:13So, if you want these beautiful shots on your wall next year,
0:49:13 > 0:49:18then you can order a copy right now, either on our website...
0:49:20 > 0:49:25..or by calling the order line.
0:49:34 > 0:49:39To order by post, send your name, address and cheque to...
0:49:46 > 0:49:50And please make your cheques payable to "BBC Countryfile calendar".
0:49:50 > 0:49:52Remember, the calendar costs nine pounds
0:49:52 > 0:49:56and at least four pounds from every sale will go to Children In Need.
0:49:58 > 0:50:01In a moment, John and I will be taking part in the great
0:50:01 > 0:50:02tree-planting challenge,
0:50:02 > 0:50:05but first, here's the Countryfile forecast for the week ahead.
0:52:06 > 0:52:10John and I have been exploring the Leicestershire countryside.
0:52:10 > 0:52:12While he's been discovering
0:52:12 > 0:52:14some of the unsung heroes of our Armed Forces,
0:52:14 > 0:52:17I've been fighting my own battles against an aquatic invader
0:52:17 > 0:52:20and some rather unruly hazel trees.
0:52:20 > 0:52:23Now it's finally time for me to face the daunting challenge
0:52:23 > 0:52:27of planting 2,000 of these little fellows in just one hour.
0:52:27 > 0:52:30It sounds like a lot but the record is actually 27,000 trees
0:52:30 > 0:52:34planted in an hour, by 100 people so we should be able to do it.
0:52:35 > 0:52:38And don't forget, we've got our trusty teams to help us
0:52:38 > 0:52:39with the hard work.
0:52:39 > 0:52:42John and 10 of Leicestershire's finest female farmers...
0:52:42 > 0:52:44CHEERING
0:52:45 > 0:52:48..and me, with 10 of the county's fittest fireman.
0:52:48 > 0:52:50CHEERING
0:52:50 > 0:52:54A hardy bunch of volunteers have been busy planting all day so we're
0:52:54 > 0:52:57already well on our way to creating Britain's biggest native woodland.
0:52:57 > 0:53:00And now it's time to make things interesting
0:53:00 > 0:53:03and see how many more we can add in the next hour.
0:53:06 > 0:53:08Right, my lovelies. You ready? ALL: Yes!
0:53:08 > 0:53:10That's what I like. Are we going to win?
0:53:10 > 0:53:11ALL: Yes!
0:53:11 > 0:53:14Are we going to plant more trees than ever before?
0:53:14 > 0:53:16ALL: Yes!
0:53:16 > 0:53:17Oh, dear me!
0:53:17 > 0:53:19I'm tired out now.
0:53:19 > 0:53:21Hello, my team!
0:53:21 > 0:53:23CHEERING
0:53:23 > 0:53:26Oh, I like your banners! Now, we're going to win, aren't we?
0:53:26 > 0:53:28ALL: Yes!
0:53:28 > 0:53:31OK, teams. We're ready to go.
0:53:31 > 0:53:34Three, two, one...
0:53:34 > 0:53:35Go!
0:53:37 > 0:53:39Right, come on, boys!
0:53:39 > 0:53:42We're planting a variety of indigenous broadleaf trees
0:53:42 > 0:53:45like oak, rowan and silver birch.
0:53:46 > 0:53:51If you can, guys, leave individual saplings by the marks.
0:53:51 > 0:53:53Thank you.
0:53:53 > 0:53:58I need a tree. Where's my tree? Thank you.
0:53:58 > 0:54:02We've drafted in some local cadets to keep the supply of saplings flowing.
0:54:02 > 0:54:07To hit our target, we need to be planting around two trees a minute.
0:54:07 > 0:54:10It's non-stop. More trees!
0:54:12 > 0:54:16I tell you what, these lads, they've really got the right spirit.
0:54:16 > 0:54:18They're going for it.
0:54:18 > 0:54:21You're meant to be able to plant two or three in a minute.
0:54:21 > 0:54:23I just don't know how that's possible.
0:54:23 > 0:54:26We are 15 minutes in and I just had a quick count up
0:54:26 > 0:54:30and I think you are over 200 trees so you are doing really well.
0:54:30 > 0:54:33- Keep up the good work. - What about the other team?
0:54:33 > 0:54:35They're doing very well as well.
0:54:35 > 0:54:37They're slightly further up the field, it has to be said,
0:54:37 > 0:54:40but I think you are going to catch them.
0:54:40 > 0:54:43- We've got a little system going here. - We're flying!
0:54:43 > 0:54:45It's all about the teamwork.
0:54:45 > 0:54:4740 minutes in, 20 minutes to go.
0:54:47 > 0:54:52We've just about planted 1,000 trees so far. It's a fantastic effort.
0:54:52 > 0:54:55ALL: Yeah!
0:54:56 > 0:54:58I hope my wife's not watching.
0:54:58 > 0:55:01She'll be wanting to know why I don't do the gardening.
0:55:01 > 0:55:02Well done.
0:55:09 > 0:55:12OK, guys. 10 minutes to go. Come on, final push.
0:55:12 > 0:55:13You're doing really well.
0:55:13 > 0:55:17We're absolutely storming ahead of John and the young farmers.
0:55:17 > 0:55:21But it's not over yet, Julia. I got a secret weapon up my sleeve.
0:55:21 > 0:55:25Extra helpers! Please come and join us!
0:55:25 > 0:55:28We want to beat the fireman, OK?
0:55:28 > 0:55:30Steward's enquiry!
0:55:30 > 0:55:32Those are dirty tactics.
0:55:40 > 0:55:43OK, everybody. Time's up. That's your hour.
0:55:43 > 0:55:44What an hour!
0:55:44 > 0:55:47I'm pretty sure we've smashed our target of 2,000 trees.
0:55:47 > 0:55:50We just need to find out which team has planted the most.
0:55:50 > 0:55:53I reckon we've got it in the bag.
0:55:53 > 0:55:57Fire Brigade and Julia's team, 2,040 trees.
0:55:57 > 0:55:59CHEERING
0:56:02 > 0:56:04There was never any doubt.
0:56:04 > 0:56:07Ah! Well done, boys.
0:56:07 > 0:56:12John's team and the young farmers, 2,410.
0:56:12 > 0:56:15CHEERING
0:56:16 > 0:56:20It's a fix! It's a fix!
0:56:22 > 0:56:26They had extra help, they had extra help. We did it on our own.
0:56:26 > 0:56:28- Well done, Julia. - Yes, thank you, John.
0:56:28 > 0:56:30- One more thing to do before you go. - Oh, yes.
0:56:30 > 0:56:32A little plaque to unveil.
0:56:32 > 0:56:35CHEERING
0:56:36 > 0:56:39The Countryfile Grove. That's what we're calling our trees.
0:56:39 > 0:56:43In 10 years' time, we'll all come back and there will be a lovely forest.
0:56:43 > 0:56:46Isn't that nice? It makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside.
0:56:46 > 0:56:49Well, that's all we've got time for from Leicestershire.
0:56:49 > 0:56:51- Matt's back with you next week. - He is.
0:56:51 > 0:56:53Matt and I are back together in Somerset.
0:56:53 > 0:56:55I'm looking back at the Great Storm of 1703
0:56:55 > 0:56:58and Matt is taking a nice, gentle railway journey.
0:56:58 > 0:57:00- What do you expect? See you then, bye.- Bye.
0:57:00 > 0:57:01He won't be working as hard as us!
0:57:18 > 0:57:21Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd