0:00:29 > 0:00:33You may think winter is a quiet time for our countryside,
0:00:33 > 0:00:38that nothing much happens as the landscape lies dormant.
0:00:38 > 0:00:42But look more closely and you may find some surprises.
0:00:45 > 0:00:48There's a floral phenomenon happening that's baffling botanists.
0:00:48 > 0:00:52Spring flowers that are blooming now in winter.
0:00:52 > 0:00:54So, like a horticultural Doctor Who,
0:00:54 > 0:00:56I'll be travelling through plants past,
0:00:56 > 0:00:58present and future to find out why.
0:01:00 > 0:01:03Whilst I explore Leicestershire, Steve's at Rutland Water
0:01:03 > 0:01:06to see the birds that are flocking in their thousands.
0:01:06 > 0:01:09How do you count 4,000 birds?
0:01:09 > 0:01:11Usually with a click counter.
0:01:12 > 0:01:14But, but they move!
0:01:14 > 0:01:18We're on call with our rural vets as they treat a cow
0:01:18 > 0:01:20with a twisted stomach.
0:01:20 > 0:01:24So now it's much easier for me to bring the stomach back round
0:01:24 > 0:01:27and put it back where it should be.
0:01:27 > 0:01:29Tom's discovering how every second counts
0:01:29 > 0:01:32when it comes to fighting rural fires.
0:01:32 > 0:01:36Well, that really shows how a few seconds can make the difference
0:01:36 > 0:01:38to the size of a blaze.
0:01:38 > 0:01:42And Adam's finding out about a special breed of old English goat.
0:01:42 > 0:01:45So these are the famous Arapawa goats.They are, yes.
0:01:45 > 0:01:47Goodness me!
0:01:58 > 0:02:01Today, we're in the heart of rural England.
0:02:03 > 0:02:05While Steve's over the border in Rutland,
0:02:05 > 0:02:07I'm in neighbouring Leicester.
0:02:10 > 0:02:12This is the Sence Valley.
0:02:12 > 0:02:14Once an open cast coal mine,
0:02:14 > 0:02:17this place is now a haven for woodland and wildlife.
0:02:19 > 0:02:23And some unseasonal surprises.
0:02:23 > 0:02:25Now you normally associate wild flowers
0:02:25 > 0:02:29with the spring or the summer, NOT the depths of winter,
0:02:29 > 0:02:32but there's a horticultural head-scratcher going on.
0:02:32 > 0:02:35A mass of flowers blooming early.
0:02:36 > 0:02:39It goes against all the rules in the botany bibles.
0:02:39 > 0:02:41So, for the past five years,
0:02:41 > 0:02:44Louise Marsh has been rallying troops all over the country
0:02:44 > 0:02:49to take part in New Year Plant Hunts, gathering valuable data.
0:02:49 > 0:02:53So what's this big drama that's going on in the wild flower world?
0:02:53 > 0:02:58Well, our classic textbooks tell us we should find 20-30 plants
0:02:58 > 0:03:00in bloom in the middle of winter.
0:03:00 > 0:03:04And in the last few years, we've been finding 500-600.
0:03:04 > 0:03:06Cor, that's a huge difference!
0:03:06 > 0:03:09I know. It's absolutely jaw-dropping, isn't it?
0:03:09 > 0:03:12So botanists like yourself, Louise, must be very excited about this.
0:03:12 > 0:03:15We're really excited to find out what's causing this and, really,
0:03:15 > 0:03:18to gather more evidence and to try and work out why is this happening.
0:03:18 > 0:03:21So, how are you doing that? How are you going to gather the evidence?
0:03:21 > 0:03:25We've got people across the country, botanists and non-botanists,
0:03:25 > 0:03:26just people going out,
0:03:26 > 0:03:29seeing what wild flowers they can find and letting us know.
0:03:29 > 0:03:31What's the knock-on effect,
0:03:31 > 0:03:33if you're seeing wild flowers growing at this time of year?
0:03:33 > 0:03:37This is what we want to find out because, as you know, in ecology,
0:03:37 > 0:03:38everything's connected.
0:03:38 > 0:03:41You've got butterflies using wild flowers as food plants,
0:03:41 > 0:03:43you've got pollinators,
0:03:43 > 0:03:45how are they going to be impacted if things are flowering
0:03:45 > 0:03:47at different times?
0:03:49 > 0:03:53The changing climate is one possible reason and volunteers like
0:03:53 > 0:03:57Jack Riggall are helping piece together more clues.
0:03:57 > 0:03:59What's this?So these were male catkins for the hazel here.
0:03:59 > 0:04:01And then they've got the female flowers...
0:04:01 > 0:04:03Ah, just there!..just coming out of the buds there.
0:04:03 > 0:04:05So they're very small. That's a good spot.Yeah.
0:04:05 > 0:04:08So you've got the male flowers and the female flowers.Yeah.
0:04:08 > 0:04:12Yes! I can see the little bits sticking out. Wonderful.
0:04:12 > 0:04:14When would that normally bloom?
0:04:14 > 0:04:16Kind of February, March.
0:04:16 > 0:04:18Yeah, it's a good month early.
0:04:18 > 0:04:20Great. Well done.Yeah.
0:04:20 > 0:04:23People up and down the country are sharing their discoveries
0:04:23 > 0:04:27through a special New Year Plant Hunt app.
0:04:27 > 0:04:30Ciara and Ellen are part of the social media support team.
0:04:30 > 0:04:33Can you show me some of the stuff that you've got coming in?
0:04:33 > 0:04:34Yeah, of course.
0:04:34 > 0:04:38This is a wild clary, normally a midsummer flowering plant.
0:04:38 > 0:04:40Wow!So it's really, really early. It's rare as well,
0:04:40 > 0:04:44so it's probably one of the least expected plants that we'd find.
0:04:44 > 0:04:46That's the beauty of social media, isn't it?Yeah.
0:04:46 > 0:04:48Like, you've got all these volunteers
0:04:48 > 0:04:51collecting this information and instantly at the touch of a button,
0:04:51 > 0:04:53you can see what's coming through. Yeah.It's fantastic.
0:04:57 > 0:05:00It's not only the number of species flowering that's unusual.
0:05:00 > 0:05:02It's also the size of some of them,
0:05:02 > 0:05:04as nine-year-old Elizabeth Widdowson found out
0:05:04 > 0:05:06on a recent hunt.
0:05:06 > 0:05:08So, what did you find? A shepherd's purse.
0:05:08 > 0:05:11And what was so unusual about your shepherd's purse?
0:05:11 > 0:05:13It was so tall.
0:05:13 > 0:05:16How tall was it? A meter and one centimetre.
0:05:16 > 0:05:18The tallest in Europe. The tallest in Europe.
0:05:18 > 0:05:19Wow! Fantastic.
0:05:20 > 0:05:23So why do you enjoy looking at flowers?
0:05:23 > 0:05:27Cos it's good family time and we all like the pretty colours
0:05:27 > 0:05:30of the flowers.It's just a great thing to do and get out and about
0:05:30 > 0:05:32at this time of year.See you later.
0:05:32 > 0:05:34People aren't just searching in rural areas.
0:05:34 > 0:05:36They're out in cities too.
0:05:36 > 0:05:38And in the centre of Leicester,
0:05:38 > 0:05:43they're finding autumn flowers like wormwood and scentless mayweed
0:05:43 > 0:05:46and early bloomers like eastern rocket.
0:05:46 > 0:05:50Winter wild flowers don't just give colour to concrete,
0:05:50 > 0:05:55they also have unexpected benefits for volunteers like Richard Mabbutt.
0:05:55 > 0:05:57What have you found? It's a cornflour.
0:05:57 > 0:06:00Oh, wow! That's beautiful.Yeah, it's a lovely purple, isn't it?
0:06:00 > 0:06:02Isn't that gorgeous?
0:06:02 > 0:06:04And so why do you do this? Why have you got involved?
0:06:04 > 0:06:07For the love of plants, mainly,
0:06:07 > 0:06:10and it helps me to de-stress as well, you know.
0:06:10 > 0:06:14I get a lot of stress and anxiety and I find getting out amongst
0:06:14 > 0:06:16plants really helps me.
0:06:16 > 0:06:20So you've noticed an improvement in your own wellbeing,
0:06:20 > 0:06:22in your own mental health? Absolutely, yes. Yeah.
0:06:22 > 0:06:25That's remarkable.Yeah. I love the smile as well.
0:06:25 > 0:06:27It's like, "Yes, if you don't believe me,
0:06:27 > 0:06:28"look at the smile on my face."
0:06:30 > 0:06:34And whilst hunting with Russell Perry, we spot a real gem.
0:06:36 > 0:06:39That's Austrian camomile.
0:06:39 > 0:06:43This one has not been found in flower anywhere else in the country
0:06:43 > 0:06:46at this time of the year, so this is really quite exceptional.
0:06:46 > 0:06:49That's quite a big deal, then. It is, it is.
0:06:49 > 0:06:50In fact, it's such a big deal,
0:06:50 > 0:06:56we really ought to take at least one specimen for the herbarium
0:06:56 > 0:06:59to preserve it and press it. Do they not have one?
0:06:59 > 0:07:02I don't think they do at the moment, no, so this is quite exciting.
0:07:02 > 0:07:05Out it comes. Oh, yeah!
0:07:05 > 0:07:08Beautiful.Perfect. Great.
0:07:08 > 0:07:10Wild flowers look beautiful where they are
0:07:10 > 0:07:14but we've got permission to pick this as data from plant hunts
0:07:14 > 0:07:17is crucial for the future of our flowers.
0:07:17 > 0:07:19I'll find out more later.
0:07:19 > 0:07:20But first...
0:07:20 > 0:07:24..fires in the countryside are causing more damage than ever before
0:07:24 > 0:07:27and it's taking the fire brigade longer to respond to them.
0:07:27 > 0:07:30So what is going on? Here's Tom.
0:07:32 > 0:07:34Space.
0:07:34 > 0:07:36Peace.
0:07:36 > 0:07:38Beauty.
0:07:38 > 0:07:42Just some of the plus points of living in the countryside.
0:07:42 > 0:07:43But there are downsides too.
0:07:47 > 0:07:49Because all it takes is one little spark
0:07:49 > 0:07:54and devastation can tear through homes, farms, and the landscape.
0:07:56 > 0:08:00When it comes to fires, remote communities are at increasing risk.
0:08:00 > 0:08:02According to government figures,
0:08:02 > 0:08:04response times by the Fire and Rescue Service
0:08:04 > 0:08:08to fires in rural areas have gone up over the last five years.
0:08:12 > 0:08:16Here in North Wales, they're up by two and a half minutes
0:08:16 > 0:08:20and across the whole of Wales by 59 seconds.
0:08:20 > 0:08:23In England, the rise is 48 seconds
0:08:23 > 0:08:26and that's double the increase in our cities.
0:08:27 > 0:08:33Seconds, even minutes, might not seem like much, but just look at this.
0:08:33 > 0:08:35On the stove is a pan of oil.
0:08:33 > 0:08:35BEEPING
0:08:35 > 0:08:39It overheats and ignites in just a few seconds.
0:08:39 > 0:08:41Throwing on water is a big mistake.
0:08:47 > 0:08:48Oh!
0:08:48 > 0:08:52Well, that really shows how a few seconds can make the difference
0:08:52 > 0:08:53to a size of a blaze.
0:08:53 > 0:08:56But that doesn't just apply to what could happen in your kitchen,
0:08:56 > 0:09:00it could be your garden shed, your car, or even a hay barn.
0:09:00 > 0:09:02Seconds make all the difference.
0:09:04 > 0:09:09And on farms where people live and work, the losses can be huge.
0:09:09 > 0:09:12NFU Mutual say that in 2016
0:09:12 > 0:09:18there was a massive 26% hike in the cost of farm fires to £44 million.
0:09:18 > 0:09:22They say that's directly linked to longer response times.
0:09:24 > 0:09:26So why this increase?
0:09:28 > 0:09:32Well, one possible reason is that almost all rural fire stations
0:09:32 > 0:09:37in the UK are unmanned and staffed entirely by retained
0:09:37 > 0:09:39or on-call firefighters,
0:09:39 > 0:09:42and finding people to do that job is getting harder.
0:09:44 > 0:09:48Pete Preston is watch manager at Colwyn Bay Fire Station
0:09:48 > 0:09:50and has been a retained firefighter
0:09:50 > 0:09:53and part of the fire brigade's union for decades.
0:09:54 > 0:09:57So, Pete, what actually is a retained firefighter?
0:09:57 > 0:10:02A firefighter that provides cover on an on-call basis in, usually,
0:10:02 > 0:10:04in a rural community.
0:10:04 > 0:10:07And could that be for just a couple of hours, or, you know,
0:10:07 > 0:10:09ten or 20 hours a week, sometimes?
0:10:09 > 0:10:11It's usually for a little longer than that.
0:10:11 > 0:10:15It's usually, it could be for up to 120 hours a week.
0:10:15 > 0:10:17Front. At ease.
0:10:18 > 0:10:21On-call firefighters aren't volunteers.
0:10:21 > 0:10:25They're paid a retainer fee of around £3,000 a year,
0:10:25 > 0:10:28plus an hourly rate when they're called out.
0:10:33 > 0:10:37The retained duty system was launched in the 1800s
0:10:37 > 0:10:40but really came into its own during the Blitz.
0:10:40 > 0:10:44Life in those days revolved around the local community
0:10:44 > 0:10:47with most people working close to home.
0:10:47 > 0:10:50NEWSREEL:Many were part-timers who responded to the siren's call
0:10:50 > 0:10:53after a day's work in our vital factories, offices and shops.
0:10:57 > 0:11:00But times have changed and today,
0:11:00 > 0:11:03finding people who live and work within five minutes
0:11:03 > 0:11:06of a rural fire station is tough.
0:11:06 > 0:11:09Do you think this struggle to get hold of retained firefighters
0:11:09 > 0:11:12is impacting on response times?
0:11:12 > 0:11:17Without a doubt, it's having some effect in a number of areas.
0:11:17 > 0:11:21It's significantly more difficult to maintain
0:11:21 > 0:11:26good 24/7 cover in rural areas,
0:11:27 > 0:11:29compared to 20, 25 years ago.Yeah.
0:11:32 > 0:11:34Despite the difficulties,
0:11:34 > 0:11:38thankfully some people are still taking up the challenge.
0:11:38 > 0:11:41Like Brian Roberts, a farmer in Bala, Snowdonia.
0:11:45 > 0:11:49Hi, Brian.Hi.You look hard at work.You all right?Yeah, yeah.
0:11:49 > 0:11:52So tell me, I mean, what's a typical day like on the farm for you?
0:11:52 > 0:11:55Well, I need to feed the sheep, then I feed the cattle and then
0:11:55 > 0:11:57on to other jobs after.
0:11:57 > 0:12:00Fencing, maintenance.
0:12:00 > 0:12:02So why have you chosen to take on extra work
0:12:02 > 0:12:04as a retained firefighter as well?
0:12:04 > 0:12:07Oh, just the extra income helps and being part of a team,
0:12:07 > 0:12:09you get to talk to different kinds of people.
0:12:09 > 0:12:12There's butchers, there's wardens.
0:12:12 > 0:12:14It's something different to farmers.
0:12:14 > 0:12:16Brian's going to show me what happens
0:12:16 > 0:12:18when he gets an alert at work.
0:12:21 > 0:12:24He has just a few minutes to get to the station.
0:12:24 > 0:12:27It's interesting, as you say, when the bleeper goes off, you don't...
0:12:27 > 0:12:30..you have no idea what the emergency could be?
0:12:30 > 0:12:33No. Could be a mountain fire, it could be a...
0:12:33 > 0:12:35..road smash. It could be a house fire,
0:12:35 > 0:12:38it could be anything under the sun.
0:12:46 > 0:12:47And ready to go.
0:12:47 > 0:12:50Of course, you know, there could be some nasty things out there,
0:12:50 > 0:12:53but is there a sort of a feeling, in a way, of helping the community?
0:12:53 > 0:12:55Yes, because you've got an idea who lives where
0:12:55 > 0:12:57and you're going to help out.
0:12:59 > 0:13:02Thanks to on-call firefighters like Brian,
0:13:02 > 0:13:06we have local crews tackling fires across our countryside,
0:13:06 > 0:13:07day in and day out.
0:13:09 > 0:13:14But with fewer people willing or able to make that commitment,
0:13:14 > 0:13:17how can we make sure that our rural fire stations
0:13:17 > 0:13:21have enough staff to cut those growing waiting times?
0:13:21 > 0:13:24That's what I'll be finding out later.
0:13:26 > 0:13:29Now, it's not the first time we've been to Leicestershire.
0:13:29 > 0:13:33The last time Helen was there, she stumbled across its long
0:13:33 > 0:13:36and explosive history in Charnwood Forest.
0:13:43 > 0:13:46It's kind of hard to imagine, isn't it, that 600 million years ago,
0:13:46 > 0:13:50this was a volcanic island in the southern hemisphere?
0:13:53 > 0:13:56This was a time before our planet bore any resemblance
0:13:56 > 0:13:58to what we see now.
0:13:58 > 0:14:00Over hundreds of millions of years,
0:14:00 > 0:14:05forces from deep within the Earth split the tectonic plates.
0:14:05 > 0:14:09Continents shifted, colliding as they moved around the globe.
0:14:09 > 0:14:11These violent geological processes
0:14:11 > 0:14:14laid the ground for an incredible find.
0:14:14 > 0:14:18Nearly 60 years ago, a bunch of Leicestershire schoolboys
0:14:18 > 0:14:21stumbled upon one the greatest finds
0:14:21 > 0:14:24in the history of palaeontology.
0:14:24 > 0:14:27Roger Mason was 15 at the time.
0:14:27 > 0:14:31The fossil he and his friends found was to change everything.
0:14:31 > 0:14:35Roger, take me back to 1957, on that day.
0:14:35 > 0:14:37Yes.What were you doing?
0:14:37 > 0:14:41I left after school with two school friends,
0:14:41 > 0:14:46Richard Blatchford and Richard Allen.
0:14:46 > 0:14:51And we cycled to Charnwood Forest to go rock climbing
0:14:51 > 0:14:56and I went to the top of the crag to lower the rope,
0:14:56 > 0:15:00and Blatch called up and said, "I think I've found a fossil."
0:15:00 > 0:15:03But it wasn't until Roger returned to the site
0:15:03 > 0:15:06with local geologist Trevor Ford
0:15:06 > 0:15:09that the discovery could be confirmed.
0:15:09 > 0:15:13Roger's father recorded this momentous event in his diary.
0:15:13 > 0:15:17Wow! So this was your dad's diary. That's my dad's diary.
0:15:17 > 0:15:20There you are. That's the day.
0:15:20 > 0:15:24"Pick up Dr Ford to check on 'the fossil'."
0:15:24 > 0:15:26Love the way he's written "the fossil" in quotation marks.
0:15:26 > 0:15:30Quotation marks, yeah. And then, "Seems genuine".Yes!
0:15:33 > 0:15:35The fossil was named in Roger's honour,
0:15:35 > 0:15:40Charnia masoni, and it helped confirm one of the most important
0:15:40 > 0:15:43scientific theories of all time.
0:15:46 > 0:15:50Darwin's theory of evolution stated that all life developed
0:15:50 > 0:15:55from simple organisms but for Darwin, there was a problem.
0:15:55 > 0:15:57He had no proof.
0:15:57 > 0:16:01The earliest fossils were of complex life forms that appeared all at once
0:16:01 > 0:16:05in the Cambrian period, half a billion years ago.
0:16:05 > 0:16:08Roger had just found the missing link,
0:16:08 > 0:16:13a simpler organism that predated anything that had been found before.
0:16:13 > 0:16:16Darwin's dilemma was solved.
0:16:16 > 0:16:18The phrase I think he used is,
0:16:18 > 0:16:23"The seas must have swarmed with living organisms"
0:16:23 > 0:16:24and indeed they did.
0:16:24 > 0:16:27And you found evidence of that.Yes.
0:16:27 > 0:16:30Is it fair to say that you found a missing piece of the jigsaw puzzle?
0:16:30 > 0:16:32I think it is, yes. It definitely is!
0:16:32 > 0:16:36ROGER LAUGHS
0:16:32 > 0:16:36Mr Humble!OK!
0:16:40 > 0:16:45Charnia masoni has been heralded as the most significant fossil find
0:16:45 > 0:16:47in human history.
0:16:47 > 0:16:49And Charnwood Forest has become a world-leading site
0:16:49 > 0:16:51for new discoveries.
0:16:52 > 0:16:55Dr Philip Wilby from the British Geological Survey
0:16:55 > 0:16:58is going to tell me more.
0:16:58 > 0:17:04Charnia masoni was one of the very first creatures that lived on Earth,
0:17:04 > 0:17:06which was large and complex.
0:17:06 > 0:17:10So this is a replica of the fossil that Roger Mason found.
0:17:10 > 0:17:13To my inexperienced eye, that looks like a leaf.
0:17:13 > 0:17:16Is it a living, breathing, walking thing? What did they do?
0:17:16 > 0:17:18They're a complete mystery at the moment.
0:17:18 > 0:17:21We don't really know anything about how these organisms,
0:17:21 > 0:17:24these creatures, lived. We don't know how they made their living.
0:17:24 > 0:17:26We don't know how they reproduced.
0:17:26 > 0:17:28We don't know how they dispersed round the world.
0:17:28 > 0:17:29Why is it so important?
0:17:29 > 0:17:32It's important because it's one of the first times
0:17:32 > 0:17:37that we knew that there were large, complex creatures on planet Earth.
0:17:38 > 0:17:41By large, complex creatures, what do you mean, because before this,
0:17:41 > 0:17:44they were only microorganisms?
0:17:44 > 0:17:47That's right, so this was a time when life changed from one
0:17:47 > 0:17:49which was dominated by single celled,
0:17:49 > 0:17:54very simple, minute organisms, to one when all of a sudden,
0:17:54 > 0:17:58there was a big flowering of life and we had large complex organisms.
0:17:58 > 0:18:01My brain hurts, but I think that's cos there's so many questions!
0:18:05 > 0:18:07With little on Earth to compare it to,
0:18:07 > 0:18:11Roger's fossil really poses more questions than it answers,
0:18:11 > 0:18:15which is why scientists from all over the world continue to look
0:18:15 > 0:18:18to Charnwood Forest for more clues.
0:18:18 > 0:18:21The rocks of Charnwood Forest are hugely significant.
0:18:21 > 0:18:25Without them, we wouldn't understand as much as we do about the evolution
0:18:25 > 0:18:28of early life and that's all thanks to a chance discovery
0:18:28 > 0:18:30by a group of teenage boys.
0:18:35 > 0:18:37In a series of special films,
0:18:37 > 0:18:39we're spending time with a team of rural vets
0:18:39 > 0:18:42and seeing what it takes to look after our livestock
0:18:42 > 0:18:44in the harshest of months.
0:18:44 > 0:18:46Winter.
0:18:46 > 0:18:47It never happens.
0:18:47 > 0:18:49The practice is based in Malmesbury, Wiltshire.
0:18:49 > 0:18:51It's one of the largest in the country
0:18:51 > 0:18:55with around 40 vets providing care to all creatures,
0:18:55 > 0:18:56great and small.
0:18:56 > 0:18:58Wahey!
0:18:58 > 0:19:00We'll track the trials and tribulations...
0:19:00 > 0:19:02Steady, girl.
0:19:02 > 0:19:04..through the blood, sweat and tears...
0:19:04 > 0:19:06Good boy, good boy, good boy. Good lad!
0:19:06 > 0:19:09..to see what it takes to be a country vet.
0:19:12 > 0:19:14And just to let you know,
0:19:14 > 0:19:16some of what they do isn't for the faint-hearted.
0:19:24 > 0:19:28Will Sommerville is an experienced vet who specialises in cattle.
0:19:28 > 0:19:31He's had an emergency call-out.
0:19:31 > 0:19:33A cow, after a difficult calving,
0:19:33 > 0:19:35has been left with a twisted stomach,
0:19:35 > 0:19:37or as it's known in the trade, an LDA.
0:19:37 > 0:19:40So if you're after a quick biology lesson of a cow's stomach,
0:19:40 > 0:19:43here's Will to fill you in.
0:19:43 > 0:19:45An LDA stands for left displaced abomasum.
0:19:45 > 0:19:46Initially, we've got the rumen,
0:19:46 > 0:19:49which is a large fermentation vessel and from there,
0:19:49 > 0:19:52the food will go out of there into the other compartments,
0:19:52 > 0:19:54one of which is the abomasum,
0:19:54 > 0:19:56which normally sits on the right-hand side of the cow
0:19:56 > 0:19:58and sometimes this can get displaced
0:19:58 > 0:20:01and it'll go underneath the rumen and get stuck on the left.
0:20:03 > 0:20:06So the plan here is that we're just prepping up for surgery,
0:20:06 > 0:20:08where I go in,
0:20:08 > 0:20:11and bring the abomasum round with my arm
0:20:11 > 0:20:14and attach it back to where it should be
0:20:14 > 0:20:15on the right-hand side.
0:20:16 > 0:20:18So with doing surgery on farm,
0:20:18 > 0:20:21it's trying to be as clean as you can
0:20:21 > 0:20:24but it's never going to be 100% sterile,
0:20:24 > 0:20:27so clipping the hair off the area where we're doing the surgery
0:20:27 > 0:20:29is going to make it a lot cleaner.
0:20:31 > 0:20:32So we've got a few injections to give
0:20:32 > 0:20:35just before doing the operation.
0:20:35 > 0:20:36This first one I'm giving here's a,
0:20:36 > 0:20:39this is an anti-inflammatory pain relief drug
0:20:39 > 0:20:43and it will, after the operation, make her feel as though
0:20:43 > 0:20:45nothing's happened, hopefully.
0:20:46 > 0:20:49We've got some antibiotic here, cos as I say,
0:20:49 > 0:20:51doing a surgery on-farm,
0:20:51 > 0:20:57never going to be 100% sterile, so antibiotics are necessary and then,
0:20:57 > 0:21:01lastly, some local anaesthetic, where we're going to go in.
0:21:01 > 0:21:02So the hole we're making, really,
0:21:02 > 0:21:05just needs to be about the size to fit my arm through,
0:21:05 > 0:21:08so I can reach round and grab the stomach. It doesn't...
0:21:08 > 0:21:10We don't need to make it much bigger than that.
0:21:11 > 0:21:14So I'm just going to scrub myself as well
0:21:14 > 0:21:17and try and make sure I'm as clean as possible.
0:21:17 > 0:21:19With my left arm, I've got to unfortunately
0:21:19 > 0:21:21be up to my shoulder, so...
0:21:21 > 0:21:25..everything, including the armpit, has to be scrubbed.
0:21:25 > 0:21:28So now the prep work's done, we can get started.
0:21:28 > 0:21:30I'm going to go through the skin...
0:21:31 > 0:21:34..and once we're through the skin, we get into the muscle layers.
0:21:37 > 0:21:41Now we've made the hole, it's, er, put my arm round,
0:21:41 > 0:21:43so it's going round the back of the rumen,
0:21:43 > 0:21:46which is a big fermentation vessel in there, putting it round,
0:21:46 > 0:21:50so I'm feeling the stomach, which is very full of gas and quite...
0:21:50 > 0:21:53..quite high up here.
0:21:53 > 0:21:54Unfortunately, you can't see much
0:21:54 > 0:21:57but it was all happening on the inside and, yeah,
0:21:57 > 0:22:00you have to be trusting that the cow's going to stand
0:22:00 > 0:22:02and behave itself and not try and kick
0:22:02 > 0:22:05or run off while your arm's there!
0:22:05 > 0:22:07This is very gassed up and I think that's what...
0:22:07 > 0:22:09We're going to have to deflate it.
0:22:09 > 0:22:12It's a bit like trying to push a volleyball underwater
0:22:12 > 0:22:16and round and me being a bit feeble, I'm not strong enough.
0:22:19 > 0:22:21So with that, we're going to reach round...
0:22:23 > 0:22:25..put the needle into the top of the abomasum
0:22:25 > 0:22:29and all the gas that's inside the stomach is going to...
0:22:29 > 0:22:31..come outside the cow.
0:22:29 > 0:22:31HISSING
0:22:31 > 0:22:33I can just hear it, hear it flowing through there.
0:22:33 > 0:22:36And so, once we let the gas out, all that buoyancy will go and it should,
0:22:36 > 0:22:39the stomach should drop to the bottom of the abdomen
0:22:39 > 0:22:41and it'll be much easier for me to then pull it back round.
0:22:43 > 0:22:46So now all the gas has been taken out,
0:22:46 > 0:22:50it's much easier for me to bring the stomach back round
0:22:50 > 0:22:53and put it back where it should be.
0:22:59 > 0:23:01Then once we manage to get the stomach round,
0:23:01 > 0:23:05it's a case of fixing it in place and stitching the muscle layers
0:23:05 > 0:23:06and the skin and closing the hole.
0:23:06 > 0:23:08Well, she shouldn't be able to feel anything
0:23:08 > 0:23:11with the local I've done and, usually, if you've done the local
0:23:11 > 0:23:13and you've missed a bit, they let you know about it,
0:23:13 > 0:23:17so I don't want to jinx it, but she seems to have been very quiet.
0:23:23 > 0:23:25And the final touch,
0:23:25 > 0:23:28this is a bit of, er...
0:23:28 > 0:23:29..antibiotic spray...
0:23:30 > 0:23:34..on the outside, just to prevent any infection getting in.
0:23:34 > 0:23:35And that's her done.
0:23:40 > 0:23:44It went well and it was nice to see her eating straightaway after
0:23:44 > 0:23:45and looking like not much had happened,
0:23:45 > 0:23:48which makes you feel like it's gone well at the time.
0:23:57 > 0:24:00Just down the road, one of the team's equine vets, Angela,
0:24:00 > 0:24:04is checking on a pony that's also having stomach issues.
0:24:04 > 0:24:07She's catching up with owner Alex Hambleton Burnett
0:24:07 > 0:24:09to see how Titch is doing.
0:24:09 > 0:24:11Morning, Alex.Oh, morning, Angela, how are you?
0:24:11 > 0:24:13I'm good, thanks. How are you? Good, good.
0:24:13 > 0:24:15He looks really well.Yeah.
0:24:15 > 0:24:17Hi, darling. Good boy.
0:24:18 > 0:24:20Titch had had three episodes of colic in a two-week period,
0:24:20 > 0:24:22so his owners were quite concerned.
0:24:22 > 0:24:25Colic is just a sign of abdominal pain
0:24:25 > 0:24:27and it can be life-threatening in certain situations.
0:24:27 > 0:24:30You are so...He's so grumpy.
0:24:30 > 0:24:32He hasn't had any breakfast. Good boy.
0:24:32 > 0:24:35When I first saw Titch, he had some quite nasty ulcers
0:24:35 > 0:24:37on the lining of his stomach,
0:24:37 > 0:24:40so we prescribed him a drug that suppresses acid production,
0:24:40 > 0:24:43so it reduces the acidity of his stomach
0:24:43 > 0:24:44and allows his ulcers to heal.
0:24:44 > 0:24:46Good boy.
0:24:46 > 0:24:49Started looking into the reasons why ponies get stomach ulcers.
0:24:49 > 0:24:52Normally, it's because if they're kept in the stable a lot
0:24:52 > 0:24:57and they don't have enough grass and hay, whereas Titch mostly lives out.
0:24:57 > 0:24:59He's got unlimited grass and hay.
0:24:59 > 0:25:03So the other big reason that horses can get stomach ulcers is stress
0:25:03 > 0:25:07and so, suggested he might be lonely and he might want a companion.
0:25:07 > 0:25:10So they got him an unbelievably cute
0:25:10 > 0:25:12miniature Shetland pony called Tango,
0:25:12 > 0:25:17who's about knee-high and is just the sweetest thing you've ever seen.
0:25:17 > 0:25:19And it certainly has helped relieve his stress levels,
0:25:19 > 0:25:22which can be a risk factor in causing gastric ulcers in horses.
0:25:23 > 0:25:25So cute!
0:25:25 > 0:25:28And no signs of colic since we last saw him, nothing at all?
0:25:28 > 0:25:31No, no. He's been absolutely fine.
0:25:31 > 0:25:34So, are we expecting the ulcers to have cleared up or to have improved?
0:25:34 > 0:25:35I would hope that they've completely...
0:25:35 > 0:25:37Completely gone?Yeah, absolutely.
0:25:37 > 0:25:39The fact that he's a lot better
0:25:39 > 0:25:41makes me think that they'll have all gone.
0:25:41 > 0:25:42Good boy.
0:25:46 > 0:25:47Brave man.There we go.
0:25:47 > 0:25:50So, should get nice and sleepy, hey? And then you won't know anything
0:25:50 > 0:25:52about not having breakfast, will you?
0:25:52 > 0:25:54HORSE SNORTS
0:25:54 > 0:25:57During a gastroscope, we'll pop a scope up their nose,
0:25:57 > 0:26:01down into their oesophagus and into their stomach and we have a look at
0:26:01 > 0:26:02the lining of their stomach.
0:26:05 > 0:26:07So we're going down his oesophagus.
0:26:08 > 0:26:11Good boy.So you can see all the nice longitudinal muscles,
0:26:11 > 0:26:13as we go down.
0:26:13 > 0:26:15Good boy. So Tich has been really well starved,
0:26:15 > 0:26:19so we can see everything that we need to see. Perfect.
0:26:19 > 0:26:20That's a lovely shot.
0:26:20 > 0:26:22So, you can see here,
0:26:22 > 0:26:26Alex, that's the lesser curvature of his stomach and that's where he had
0:26:26 > 0:26:28all those nasty ulcers and abrasions before.
0:26:28 > 0:26:31We've got nothing there at all that I'm worried about at the moment.
0:26:31 > 0:26:34Gosh, so they've all gone completely?Yeah, absolutely.
0:26:34 > 0:26:37Yeah. There's nothing. There's absolutely nothing there at all.
0:26:37 > 0:26:39It is really satisfying to see the difference
0:26:39 > 0:26:41between the two gastroscopes,
0:26:41 > 0:26:43only four weeks apart.
0:26:43 > 0:26:46The ulcers weren't even apparent at all at the second scope,
0:26:46 > 0:26:47so it was really satisfying.
0:26:49 > 0:26:51Good boy.Good boy. What a brave man!
0:26:51 > 0:26:53Good boy, good boy.
0:26:55 > 0:26:57Big success story. And we're very,
0:26:57 > 0:26:59very grateful and pleased to have found out what was wrong with him.
0:26:59 > 0:27:01He's our little superstar.
0:27:01 > 0:27:03Tich responded really well to his medication
0:27:03 > 0:27:06and is now back out competing with his little jockey, India,
0:27:06 > 0:27:08and they're getting on really well.
0:27:08 > 0:27:10It's lovely to see them both working together.
0:27:13 > 0:27:17Next week, we'll see this job really is a matter of life and death
0:27:17 > 0:27:19as Will and Georgia are called out
0:27:19 > 0:27:22to save the life of a cow and her calf.
0:27:28 > 0:27:32Now, earlier, we heard how rural fire stations are under strain,
0:27:32 > 0:27:34so what can be done to improve response times?
0:27:34 > 0:27:36Here's Tom.
0:27:41 > 0:27:45Rural fires are causing more costly damage than ever before.
0:27:50 > 0:27:51But over in Wiltshire,
0:27:51 > 0:27:55they're working to prevent fires from starting in the first place.
0:27:55 > 0:27:59Which is why station manager for Salisbury and Wilton Jason Moncrieff
0:27:59 > 0:28:04is here in Devizes for a farm safety visit.
0:28:04 > 0:28:05Hi, there.
0:28:05 > 0:28:08Good to see you, Jason.Hi, Tom. Nice to meet you.Nice to see you.
0:28:08 > 0:28:11Farmer Adrian White is keen to safeguard his business.
0:28:13 > 0:28:15Hi, Adrian. Thanks for having us here today.Pleasure.
0:28:15 > 0:28:18Straight away, there was a few bits I wanted to talk to you about.
0:28:18 > 0:28:21Right.So we have a couple of vehicles here,
0:28:21 > 0:28:24right next to a stack of straw.
0:28:24 > 0:28:27So, the straw, obviously very flammable.
0:28:27 > 0:28:30Right.The vehicles themselves represent a fire risk to us,
0:28:30 > 0:28:33so should there be a fire, should one of the vehicles have a fault,
0:28:33 > 0:28:37hot engine, hot exhaust, they can easily ignite the straw.
0:28:37 > 0:28:39And I gather you have some experience of a fire on your farm?
0:28:39 > 0:28:42Not actually this property, but another one?
0:28:42 > 0:28:44Yeah, on another property, last year, we had a barn fire
0:28:44 > 0:28:48where some children were smoking in the barn and unfortunately, yes,
0:28:48 > 0:28:50set it alight and the Fire Brigade were very good.
0:28:55 > 0:28:59Hay barn fires like Adrian's are a major strain for rural firefighters,
0:28:59 > 0:29:01and they can take days to put out.
0:29:03 > 0:29:07That's why Jason thinks preventing them is so important.
0:29:07 > 0:29:09Have you been to one or two of those?A fair few.
0:29:09 > 0:29:11You'd like to not go to another one, if you could?
0:29:11 > 0:29:12If at all possible,
0:29:12 > 0:29:14not go to another barn and stay there overnight.
0:29:16 > 0:29:19But prevention will never stop every fire,
0:29:19 > 0:29:22and doesn't deal with the recruitment crisis.
0:29:22 > 0:29:26But some rural fire stations are tackling this problem head-on.
0:29:31 > 0:29:31Here in Buckinghamshire,
0:29:31 > 0:29:33Here in Buckinghamshire,
0:29:33 > 0:29:36they've managed to cut response times by ten seconds.
0:29:36 > 0:29:38How have they done it?
0:29:38 > 0:29:42I've come to meet station commander Andy Maloney in Olney to find out.
0:29:42 > 0:29:44How's it going? Nice to see you.
0:29:44 > 0:29:48So, tell me, how are you finding getting retained firefighters here?
0:29:48 > 0:29:50OK, we've made some quite drastic changes.
0:29:50 > 0:29:52We're now using things like Facebook, Twitter,
0:29:52 > 0:29:54to try and get out.
0:29:54 > 0:29:57We've got a proactive manager here that actually supports the crew,
0:29:57 > 0:30:00gets that message out to local businesses, and so,
0:30:00 > 0:30:02we're trying to make some big changes.
0:30:02 > 0:30:05Using social media is starting to have an effect.
0:30:05 > 0:30:09In the last year, they've recruited three new firefighters,
0:30:09 > 0:30:12taking their numbers up to ten.
0:30:12 > 0:30:15What impact have these tactics had on your response times?
0:30:15 > 0:30:18We are finding that the response times are coming down
0:30:18 > 0:30:20and people are responding a lot quicker.
0:30:20 > 0:30:24But they still need to get more people through the door, so today,
0:30:24 > 0:30:27they're holding a have-a-go day, where members of the public
0:30:27 > 0:30:30who might be interested in becoming an on-call firefighter
0:30:30 > 0:30:33can find out if they've got what it takes.
0:30:34 > 0:30:38I'm joining potential new recruit Tiffany Star in a fitness test.
0:30:40 > 0:30:41Let's go, let's do it.
0:30:45 > 0:30:48Keep going, keep going, keep going, keep going.
0:30:49 > 0:30:53HE SHOUTS
0:30:57 > 0:30:58Keep going.
0:30:59 > 0:31:01Place him on the floor when we get back.
0:31:01 > 0:31:04Well done, son. Well done. Keep going.
0:31:04 > 0:31:05Mine's quite light.
0:31:05 > 0:31:08That's it, keep going. Keep going.
0:31:11 > 0:31:13HE PANTS
0:31:13 > 0:31:15Easy.
0:31:15 > 0:31:20Oh! Well, that's quite a toasty little work-out, there.
0:31:21 > 0:31:22That was hard.
0:31:22 > 0:31:24So, have we made the grade?
0:31:24 > 0:31:27OK, so I'd like to say you've all passed, so well done.
0:31:27 > 0:31:28Hey, well done!
0:31:30 > 0:31:32Well, it's tough. It's not kind of impossible,
0:31:32 > 0:31:35so people shouldn't be kind of put off by this test, should they?
0:31:35 > 0:31:36Oh, definitely not. I mean,
0:31:36 > 0:31:38the idea of becoming an on-call firefighter
0:31:38 > 0:31:40is not about being superfit.
0:31:40 > 0:31:43It's about being fit. Fit enough to do the job to a good enough standard
0:31:43 > 0:31:45and see you through your career.
0:31:45 > 0:31:47And this applies to you, whether you're 18 or 60.
0:31:48 > 0:31:50And it hasn't put Tiffany off.
0:31:50 > 0:31:52She is joining the service.
0:31:52 > 0:31:56Our test is over, but while we're still filming with the crew,
0:31:56 > 0:31:58they get a real emergency call.
0:31:59 > 0:32:03OK, this is a live fire call that's come in now whilst we were here,
0:32:03 > 0:32:04cos they were on duty.
0:32:04 > 0:32:06Good. We'd better let them go.
0:32:06 > 0:32:07SIREN WAILS
0:32:11 > 0:32:13They're on the scene in a matter of minutes.
0:32:13 > 0:32:15OK, if you come this way.
0:32:15 > 0:32:19Thankfully, nothing's ablaze, but the crew prepare for the worst.
0:32:21 > 0:32:23It turns out to be an electrical heater,
0:32:23 > 0:32:25which smoked but didn't catch fire.
0:32:28 > 0:32:29Take the sets off, all right?
0:32:30 > 0:32:33It's been very impressive to see what Olney fire station
0:32:33 > 0:32:35are doing to recruit more people.
0:32:37 > 0:32:41And though all our rural Fire Services are trying to adapt,
0:32:41 > 0:32:46finding enough local people able to do this job is a huge challenge.
0:32:53 > 0:32:55Today, we're exploring Leicestershire and Rutland.
0:32:57 > 0:32:59Ellie was there a couple of winters ago,
0:32:59 > 0:33:01when she met colourful creatures
0:33:01 > 0:33:03bringing a taste of South America to the area.
0:33:07 > 0:33:11Six years ago, businessman Chris Deakin was watching -
0:33:11 > 0:33:13you've guessed it - Countryfile.
0:33:13 > 0:33:15I absolutely love them!
0:33:15 > 0:33:18Big eyes.It's those big eyes that look right into your soul, isn't it?
0:33:18 > 0:33:19You've just got to love them.
0:33:19 > 0:33:22That programme changed his life.
0:33:23 > 0:33:25So, your alpaca story began, then,
0:33:25 > 0:33:26when you were watching the programme?
0:33:26 > 0:33:28Yes. I was working in industry,
0:33:28 > 0:33:30and I was looking to do something different,
0:33:30 > 0:33:32and we had the opportunity of some land.
0:33:32 > 0:33:35And I took the plunge and I bought three or four alpacas.
0:33:35 > 0:33:37Right.And then, very quickly after that,
0:33:37 > 0:33:40I ended up going from the four to about 55
0:33:40 > 0:33:41in the space of about three months.
0:33:44 > 0:33:47And his flock continues to grow.
0:33:47 > 0:33:49Chris now farms around 80 alpacas.
0:33:51 > 0:33:53As a bloodstock breeder,
0:33:53 > 0:33:56he's always aiming to improve the quality of his herd.
0:33:56 > 0:33:58This fleece is what it's all about, isn't it?
0:33:58 > 0:34:00It is, indeed.Beautiful.
0:34:00 > 0:34:04Feel a little feel of that, soft, soft, soft.
0:34:04 > 0:34:06And there's a grading system, isn't there?
0:34:06 > 0:34:08Yeah, they are graded and they grade one to five,
0:34:08 > 0:34:11and it's a number of traits that are taken into account.
0:34:11 > 0:34:16The staple length, the crimp here, going from end to end like that,
0:34:16 > 0:34:19the uniformity of that length, and all of these things produce a
0:34:19 > 0:34:22very, very fine, very, very high-quality product.
0:34:22 > 0:34:23They're pretty placid, aren't they?
0:34:23 > 0:34:25Are they quite easy to look after, would you say?
0:34:25 > 0:34:28They're used to that hardy environment in the Andes.
0:34:28 > 0:34:30Yeah.So, they're low-maintenance but like all animals,
0:34:30 > 0:34:32it needs a lot of care.Absolutely.
0:34:34 > 0:34:38Alpaca fleece goes for more than eight times the price of sheep wool,
0:34:38 > 0:34:42but Chris has discovered that their gentle nature has even more value
0:34:42 > 0:34:44for those who really need it.
0:34:44 > 0:34:47See the boys over there? We're going to feed those first.OK.
0:34:47 > 0:34:50Pupils from Maplewell Hall special school
0:34:50 > 0:34:54visit the farm once a week to enjoy the therapeutic benefits
0:34:54 > 0:34:58that interacting with these placid, affectionate creatures can bring.
0:34:58 > 0:35:00Yeah!
0:35:00 > 0:35:02Well, how did this project come about?
0:35:03 > 0:35:05Mel Ison is the assistant headteacher.
0:35:06 > 0:35:09What are the different special needs of your pupils?
0:35:09 > 0:35:11We have a range of different needs.
0:35:11 > 0:35:14Our children are classed as moderate learning difficulties.
0:35:14 > 0:35:17Within that, we have visual impairment, we have some physical,
0:35:17 > 0:35:21just general learning needs, to different behaviour needs, as well.
0:35:21 > 0:35:24And what do they get out of coming to somewhere like this?
0:35:24 > 0:35:27It helps them to understand that they can look after somebody else.
0:35:27 > 0:35:31It helps them to regulate their emotions, to talk and communicate,
0:35:31 > 0:35:35using the animals, it helps them just to talk about what is going on
0:35:35 > 0:35:37in their minds and what they think about different things.
0:35:37 > 0:35:40Yeah, yeah. And how about their behaviour,
0:35:40 > 0:35:42once they get back to the classroom? How's that different?
0:35:42 > 0:35:44They're a lot more settled,
0:35:44 > 0:35:46they're a lot more engaged in what they're doing,
0:35:46 > 0:35:49and that helps them, back in the classroom, to make progress, too.
0:35:49 > 0:35:51It's incredibly rewarding to see.
0:35:51 > 0:35:53Yeah, definitely, and they really enjoy it,
0:35:53 > 0:35:55and they come back buzzing. How wonderful.
0:35:55 > 0:35:57So, yeah, it's really nice to see them,
0:35:57 > 0:36:00and really proud of what they've done with the animals.Lovely.
0:36:00 > 0:36:01Come now.
0:36:01 > 0:36:03There's another Ellie here today.
0:36:03 > 0:36:06She's 12 and has autism.
0:36:06 > 0:36:08I'm joining her in taking two alpacas,
0:36:08 > 0:36:11called Serafino and Michael, for a walk.
0:36:11 > 0:36:14What are the different jobs that you've got to do?
0:36:14 > 0:36:17Feeding them is the main one we do.
0:36:17 > 0:36:19Yeah? Which is your favourite job?
0:36:19 > 0:36:21Taking them for a walk.
0:36:21 > 0:36:23Is it nice? What about your least favourite?
0:36:23 > 0:36:26Probably picking up the poo. Poo picking!
0:36:26 > 0:36:28SHE LAUGHS
0:36:26 > 0:36:28Fair enough.
0:36:28 > 0:36:30And do you look forward to coming here?
0:36:30 > 0:36:32Yeah.Is it the best part of your week?
0:36:32 > 0:36:34Yeah. Cos I get to miss lessons!
0:36:34 > 0:36:35SHE LAUGHS
0:36:39 > 0:36:43Alpacas may be prized for their valuable fleeces,
0:36:43 > 0:36:46but to Chris and the children of Maplewell Hall,
0:36:46 > 0:36:48the value of these animals is beyond price.
0:36:53 > 0:36:55From alpacas to goats -
0:36:55 > 0:36:59they're one of our oldest and most adaptable species.
0:36:59 > 0:37:01Adam's got many breeds on his farm in the Cotswolds.
0:37:03 > 0:37:06We've got about 80 goats on the farm,
0:37:06 > 0:37:08and they're incredible animals.
0:37:08 > 0:37:12They're one of the first animals that man domesticated, tamed,
0:37:12 > 0:37:15and we've now been herding them for around 9,000 years.
0:37:15 > 0:37:18And they've adapted to every continent around the world,
0:37:18 > 0:37:20apart from Antarctica.
0:37:20 > 0:37:24And here in the UK, they can cope with our cold winters,
0:37:24 > 0:37:26but thrive during the summer months.
0:37:26 > 0:37:30Now, in here, I've just got to catch this Boer goat,
0:37:30 > 0:37:32because it's got a sore foot.
0:37:36 > 0:37:38And this is a classic Boer.
0:37:38 > 0:37:40They originate from South Africa,
0:37:40 > 0:37:42and they're really a meat goat.
0:37:42 > 0:37:45They've been developed over the years for fast growth
0:37:45 > 0:37:47and really good quality carcass,
0:37:47 > 0:37:50and they're becoming quite popular in the UK,
0:37:50 > 0:37:53although we're more favoured towards eating lamb and beef
0:37:53 > 0:37:55than we are goat meat, over here.
0:37:55 > 0:37:57But certainly, more people are starting to keep them.
0:37:59 > 0:38:02The Boer goat's popularity means that numbers are on the up.
0:38:03 > 0:38:06But there are some breeds here that are becoming scarce.
0:38:07 > 0:38:12The other breed I've got in here are the Golden Guernseys,
0:38:12 > 0:38:15aptly named because of their lovely golden colour.
0:38:15 > 0:38:18And I've got a billy here, and I'll just try and catch him
0:38:18 > 0:38:20and take a closer look at him.
0:38:20 > 0:38:22Might take some catching!
0:38:25 > 0:38:27Handy thing is, he's got these...
0:38:27 > 0:38:30..handlebars! Look at the amazing horns on him.
0:38:30 > 0:38:33The Guernsey, unlike the Boer,
0:38:33 > 0:38:34is a milk goat.
0:38:34 > 0:38:38It produces a really rich, creamy, high quality milk.
0:38:38 > 0:38:40It can't compete in a commercial world,
0:38:40 > 0:38:42because it doesn't yield very well.
0:38:42 > 0:38:46So they have become very rare, but they're absolutely gorgeous.
0:38:46 > 0:38:49I think they're a beautiful-looking animal and lovely to keep,
0:38:49 > 0:38:52particularly for the smallholder wanting to produce their own milk.
0:38:53 > 0:38:55We check our animals every day.
0:38:55 > 0:38:56Go on, then, mate, off you go.
0:38:56 > 0:38:59And I've just spotted a nanny who looks like she might have a problem.
0:38:59 > 0:39:02She should be easier to catch than the billy we've just looked at.
0:39:02 > 0:39:04BANJO MUSIC PLAYS
0:39:05 > 0:39:06HE LAUGHS
0:39:06 > 0:39:07Then again...
0:39:08 > 0:39:10Try again!
0:39:17 > 0:39:20So, this little nanny, this little female,
0:39:20 > 0:39:26has got a sore eye, and she may have a thorn in it, or a bit of silage,
0:39:26 > 0:39:31or something, so if I just carefully squeeze the tops of her eyes,
0:39:31 > 0:39:33it pushes her eyelids out.
0:39:33 > 0:39:37And if there is anything in there, it usually reveals itself.
0:39:37 > 0:39:40I can't see anything in there.
0:39:40 > 0:39:43All this crud around her eye, I'll just push that off.
0:39:43 > 0:39:46She's obviously been weeping quite a lot. It's quite sore.
0:39:46 > 0:39:47But the eyeball is still clear.
0:39:47 > 0:39:51It hasn't gone cloudy, and the white around it is looking OK.
0:39:51 > 0:39:53So she's probably just had a poke in the eye
0:39:53 > 0:39:55from one of the horns of these goats.
0:39:55 > 0:39:57So I'll keep a real careful eye on it, and if it does
0:39:57 > 0:40:00start to become infected, I'll put some cream in there,
0:40:00 > 0:40:04or we can get some antibiotics, or we can get the vet if we need to.
0:40:04 > 0:40:07Looks a bit sore, missus, doesn't it?
0:40:07 > 0:40:09There's one breed here as tough as old boots.
0:40:11 > 0:40:14In this pen, I've got our Bagot goats.
0:40:14 > 0:40:16They're the black and white ones here.
0:40:16 > 0:40:18They were thought to have been introduced to the country
0:40:18 > 0:40:21by Richard the Lionheart when he came back from his Crusades,
0:40:21 > 0:40:23and they ended up at Blithfield Hall,
0:40:23 > 0:40:25kept by Lady Bagot, hence their name.
0:40:25 > 0:40:28And they're a lovely looking goat, an ornamental parkland goat
0:40:28 > 0:40:30that's not very good at producing milk
0:40:30 > 0:40:32and not very good at producing meat,
0:40:32 > 0:40:34but they do look lovely, and they're very hardy.
0:40:34 > 0:40:36They can survive the harshest of conditions.
0:40:36 > 0:40:39We've had them on the farm here since 1975.
0:40:39 > 0:40:42My dad was really keen to save them from extinction,
0:40:42 > 0:40:44and started a small herd.
0:40:44 > 0:40:47There's about 500 females left in the country,
0:40:47 > 0:40:49and we've got around 15 to 20 here,
0:40:49 > 0:40:53so quite a significant amount, when it comes to the national herd.
0:40:53 > 0:40:54Right, I'll get these bedded down.
0:40:54 > 0:40:56GOATS BLEAT
0:40:58 > 0:41:00You might recall, when I was in New Zealand,
0:41:00 > 0:41:03I came across the last remnants of an old English breed
0:41:03 > 0:41:05living on a remote island.
0:41:05 > 0:41:08I didn't know Arapawa goats even existed.
0:41:09 > 0:41:11So I just had to take a look.
0:41:13 > 0:41:17It was Captain James Cook who took the original animals there,
0:41:17 > 0:41:18back in the 1770s.
0:41:20 > 0:41:23Look, there's one, there's one. On the beach, on the beach.
0:41:23 > 0:41:25The goats on Arapawa Island today are direct descendants.
0:41:25 > 0:41:27That's amazing.
0:41:27 > 0:41:30Since my visit, I found out that this endangered breed
0:41:30 > 0:41:33not only successfully made the journey halfway round the world
0:41:33 > 0:41:36to New Zealand, but remarkably, also made it back again.
0:41:39 > 0:41:41I'm at Mary Arden's farm in Warwickshire.
0:41:41 > 0:41:45The farm was the childhood home of Shakespeare's mother, Mary Arden,
0:41:45 > 0:41:47and now showcases many of the old breeds
0:41:47 > 0:41:50that would have been around in the Bard's time.
0:41:50 > 0:41:53I'm meeting with the farm's manager, Andy Walker.
0:41:53 > 0:41:56Andy used to work with the rare breeds on my farm.
0:41:56 > 0:41:59Andy, hi! Good to see you again. Nice to see you.
0:41:59 > 0:42:02So, are these the famous Arapawa goats?They are, yes.
0:42:02 > 0:42:07Goodness me.This is the billy goat that's the father to the little one.
0:42:07 > 0:42:08Yeah.And Mum is on the end there. Wow!
0:42:08 > 0:42:10Yeah.And Mum is on the end there. Wow!
0:42:10 > 0:42:14It's extraordinary, cos I didn't know there were any in the UK.
0:42:14 > 0:42:16They came back in 2004.
0:42:16 > 0:42:19An enthusiast flew six back over.
0:42:19 > 0:42:22All the ones we have now came from those original six.
0:42:22 > 0:42:25Crikey! And what sort of numbers have we got to?
0:42:25 > 0:42:28About 30, both male and female, in the country at the moment.
0:42:28 > 0:42:32So still very low numbers? Very low numbers, yes.
0:42:32 > 0:42:35Even so, these numbers give cause for hope.
0:42:35 > 0:42:38Arapawas are close to extinction.
0:42:38 > 0:42:41There could be as few as 150 worldwide.
0:42:41 > 0:42:44So the work Andy and his team are doing is really encouraging.
0:42:45 > 0:42:48Well, it's extraordinary that I've been to the other side of the world
0:42:48 > 0:42:50to look at them on the island, and here they are,
0:42:50 > 0:42:52just up the road from where I live!
0:42:52 > 0:42:55And this is very similar to the one we saw over there,
0:42:55 > 0:42:57that we got up close to.
0:42:57 > 0:43:00Remarkable looking creatures, aren't they? Pretty tough.
0:43:00 > 0:43:03Yes.Well, it's lovely that you're doing your part to look after them.
0:43:03 > 0:43:06Fascinating little animals, and if you get your numbers up a bit,
0:43:06 > 0:43:08maybe you should be selling me a couple.
0:43:08 > 0:43:10Well, we'll see how we get on.
0:43:10 > 0:43:13We'll keep in touch. All the best. Nice to meet you.Well done, Andy.
0:43:13 > 0:43:14Thank you.Cheers. Bye-bye.
0:43:15 > 0:43:20Now, you might remember we're on the hunt for a farming hero for 2018.
0:43:30 > 0:43:30This year is Countryfile's 30th birthday, and to mark it,
0:43:30 > 0:43:33This year is Countryfile's 30th birthday, and to mark it,
0:43:33 > 0:43:37we're looking for the Countryfile farming hero for 2018,
0:43:37 > 0:43:39and as always, we need your help.
0:43:41 > 0:43:45We're looking for farmers like Julia Evans, our winner back in 2016.
0:43:47 > 0:43:49I was given a prognosis,
0:43:49 > 0:43:51it was just a 50% chance of surviving beyond five years.
0:43:51 > 0:43:55And I thought, "What, really, do I want to do?
0:43:55 > 0:43:58"I want to keep farming, but I don't want to do it by myself any more."
0:43:58 > 0:44:00Or perhaps you know somebody like Cameron Hendry,
0:44:00 > 0:44:03a finalist who gave up school and took over the family farm
0:44:03 > 0:44:05after his dad died suddenly.
0:44:05 > 0:44:07It's been quite difficult recently.
0:44:07 > 0:44:09I'm just getting on with the job, really.
0:44:09 > 0:44:10Well, I take my hat off to you.
0:44:10 > 0:44:13I'm not sure, at 17, I'd have been able to do what you're doing.
0:44:15 > 0:44:17So, if you know someone who goes above and beyond...
0:44:17 > 0:44:19WHISTLES
0:44:20 > 0:44:23..who makes a difference to others, be they man or beast,
0:44:23 > 0:44:27I really want to hear about all farmers, young and old,
0:44:27 > 0:44:30unsung heroes who deserve national recognition.
0:44:32 > 0:44:34And remember, it doesn't just have to be one person.
0:44:34 > 0:44:37You can nominate a family, or even a group.
0:44:39 > 0:44:41You can nominate them by e-mail or post.
0:44:41 > 0:44:43All of the details are on our website,
0:44:43 > 0:44:45along with the terms and conditions.
0:44:47 > 0:44:49It's all part of the BBC's Food and Farming Awards,
0:44:49 > 0:44:52and the winner will be announced later in the year.
0:44:54 > 0:44:56But get your skates on.
0:44:56 > 0:44:59Nominations close at midnight on Monday the 29th of January.
0:45:00 > 0:45:04Please don't send e-mail or postal nominations after that date,
0:45:04 > 0:45:06as they won't be considered.
0:45:06 > 0:45:08And remember, if you are watching on demand,
0:45:08 > 0:45:11then nominations may have already closed.
0:45:11 > 0:45:15So, get in touch and tell us about the people you want to celebrate and
0:45:15 > 0:45:19help us find the Countryfile Farming Hero for 2018.
0:45:24 > 0:45:26The dim days of January may not offer much
0:45:26 > 0:45:27in terms of inspiration,
0:45:27 > 0:45:30but they do provide a brilliant backdrop for bird-watching.
0:45:32 > 0:45:36Covering a thousand acres, Rutland Water Nature Reserve has become
0:45:36 > 0:45:39one of the most important places for winter birds.
0:45:42 > 0:45:44With wildfowl overwintering here,
0:45:44 > 0:45:47it is the ideal time to spot your smews from your shovelers.
0:45:50 > 0:45:53This place was given an ecological overhaul in the 1970s,
0:45:53 > 0:45:56when these lagoons and wetlands were created.
0:45:56 > 0:45:58Before that, it was just a dry valley.
0:45:58 > 0:46:01For Dr Mat Cottam, it has breathed new life
0:46:01 > 0:46:04into a place that was once, well, pretty dead.
0:46:05 > 0:46:07Wow, Mat, first time to Rutland
0:46:07 > 0:46:09and it is fair to say even for a wetland,
0:46:09 > 0:46:10it is pretty wet, isn't it?!
0:46:10 > 0:46:14It is not bad, is it? Good weather for ducks, though, I suppose.
0:46:14 > 0:46:16What sort of numbers are we getting here?
0:46:16 > 0:46:18Well, the site is designated for 20,000...
0:46:18 > 0:46:2220,000?!But on a good day we can get nearly double that,
0:46:22 > 0:46:24we can get 36,000 birds.
0:46:24 > 0:46:2736,000 birds on site and you've got to remember
0:46:27 > 0:46:29that, 40 years ago, there wouldn't have been any here at all.
0:46:29 > 0:46:31Nothing like that at all.
0:46:31 > 0:46:34It is a really nice example of what can happen when industry and
0:46:34 > 0:46:36conservation work together in partnership,
0:46:36 > 0:46:38and this is the end result.
0:46:38 > 0:46:41Recent mild winters have been attracting more birds here,
0:46:41 > 0:46:44but this time of year a lot of the birds we will be seeing
0:46:44 > 0:46:47on Rutland Water will be coming down from Scandinavia,
0:46:47 > 0:46:51they might be coming from Siberia, from Russia and Eastern Europe.
0:46:51 > 0:46:54Their idea of a warm time is an English winter.
0:46:56 > 0:46:59Birds are not making the same migrations that they used to.
0:46:59 > 0:47:02If they can avoid travelling those great distances, they will.
0:47:02 > 0:47:03They are not daft.
0:47:05 > 0:47:09The huge numbers of birds that come here are counted and monitored by
0:47:09 > 0:47:11Lloyd Park and his volunteers,
0:47:11 > 0:47:14but I can't quite get my head around how they do it.
0:47:14 > 0:47:17How do you count 4,000 birds?
0:47:17 > 0:47:20Usually with a click counter and counting every single one
0:47:20 > 0:47:23of that bird, right the way through, through the end of a flock.
0:47:25 > 0:47:27But they move!They do.
0:47:27 > 0:47:30And you have to move with them and sometimes it is really frustrating.
0:47:35 > 0:47:37Just as we are talking, feathers start to ruffle.
0:47:37 > 0:47:39What's happening down there?
0:47:39 > 0:47:41Yeah, they are just responding to a predator,
0:47:41 > 0:47:45it may be an aerial predator or even a fox close to us on the shoreline
0:47:45 > 0:47:48that's come past and they are swimming towards it.
0:47:48 > 0:47:50Towards it? Yeah, it's a strange thing.
0:47:50 > 0:47:53A lot of wildfowl do, they'll come towards a predator
0:47:53 > 0:47:54in order to confuse it.Yeah?
0:47:54 > 0:47:57Yeah.You wasn't too high on your counting, was you?
0:47:57 > 0:47:59No, I hope not. We'll have to start again.Start again!
0:48:01 > 0:48:04Lately, Lloyd has been noticing some new arrivals to the waters.
0:48:04 > 0:48:08The more recent one is the great white egret, which we're seeing
0:48:08 > 0:48:11more and more of.I have seen great white egrets down in Spain
0:48:11 > 0:48:15but I had no idea they were this far up through Europe into the country.
0:48:15 > 0:48:19It started appearing in the last few years and what we have seen is them
0:48:19 > 0:48:21breeding in parts of the UK now,
0:48:21 > 0:48:24so last year there were seven pairs bred and 17 young,
0:48:24 > 0:48:27so hopefully in the future we'll see more things like great white egrets
0:48:27 > 0:48:30coming, especially as the temperature and climate is changing.
0:48:30 > 0:48:33We are seeing that with lots of smaller species of birds,
0:48:33 > 0:48:35so we'll see it with the bigger ones as well.
0:48:35 > 0:48:37Wow, when it comes to the counting,
0:48:37 > 0:48:39I'll count the great egrets, all right?
0:48:39 > 0:48:41I'll leave you with the counter.
0:48:41 > 0:48:44I reckon I can get to 17.OK. What are you going to be counting?
0:48:44 > 0:48:47Shall I stick with those few thousand coot out there?
0:48:47 > 0:48:50Yeah, that's it! Meet you for a cup of tea later!OK, fair enough.
0:48:53 > 0:48:56You get all the star species here, from tufted ducks...
0:48:58 > 0:49:02..to gadwalls. The reserve is well managed for its winter guests
0:49:02 > 0:49:05but we can all do something to help the visitors
0:49:05 > 0:49:07to our own gardens, too.
0:49:07 > 0:49:12Next weekend, the RSPB hosts one of the largest wildlife surveys in the
0:49:12 > 0:49:14world - The Big Garden Birdwatch.
0:49:14 > 0:49:16And just like Anita and the plant hunters,
0:49:16 > 0:49:19it's all about getting out there
0:49:19 > 0:49:21and building up a picture of our birdlife.
0:49:21 > 0:49:24Aha! You recognise that!A robin!
0:49:25 > 0:49:29The reserve staff here are teaching local schoolchildren
0:49:29 > 0:49:31all about our precious garden birds.
0:49:33 > 0:49:36In your gardens, what birds do you get?I don't really get any.
0:49:36 > 0:49:38Don't you?
0:49:38 > 0:49:40Maybe you will if you start feeding.
0:49:41 > 0:49:44With our feathered friends busy searching for food
0:49:44 > 0:49:46during the cold winter months,
0:49:46 > 0:49:50Dale Martin has been showing this bunch how to make some tasty treats.
0:49:50 > 0:49:53On the menu, lard, seeds and fruit.
0:49:53 > 0:49:54Delicious.
0:49:55 > 0:49:57How does it feel? Disgusting!Squidgy!
0:49:57 > 0:49:59Squidgy and disgusting!
0:49:59 > 0:50:03It's reminded me of being your age, making them with my dad.
0:50:03 > 0:50:06Look at that, not bad at all! Let's have a look at yours.
0:50:07 > 0:50:08Shall we get these hung up?
0:50:08 > 0:50:09Yes!
0:50:12 > 0:50:16If you'd like to join in and learn more about birds in YOUR garden,
0:50:16 > 0:50:18check out our website for details.
0:50:18 > 0:50:20Well done, you three!
0:50:22 > 0:50:24Look, there's mine!
0:50:31 > 0:50:35If, like me, you're getting out for the Big Garden Birdwatch this week,
0:50:35 > 0:50:38you're going to want to know what the weather has got in store,
0:50:38 > 0:50:40so here is the Countryfile forecast.
0:50:53 > 0:51:00Good evening. It has been a day of transition, some big changes taking
0:51:00 > 0:51:03place, in the atmosphere, and change is not always easy, peninsula irly
0:51:03 > 0:51:11when it is dramatic, we have been many process of swapping out cold
0:51:11 > 0:51:15air for milder air pushing in from the south-west. The contrast has
0:51:15 > 0:51:20brought a lot of rain and flooding for some, in other places today, we
0:51:20 > 0:51:24have seen some significant snow fall. And, some big variations in
0:51:24 > 0:51:28the temperatures. Through the middle of the afternoon Glasgow and
0:51:28 > 0:51:31Newcastle were sitting round freezing but in Plymouth, we were up
0:51:31 > 0:51:35at 12 degree, skip ahead to Tuesday, the mild air will win out and just
0:51:35 > 0:51:40about all of us will be up into double digits. That process of
0:51:40 > 0:51:43transition bringing that milder air in continues as we head through
0:51:43 > 0:51:47tonight, not before we have had icy patches perhaps in North East
0:51:47 > 0:51:51England, eastern Scotland. Showers into northern Scotland, rain into
0:51:51 > 0:51:55the far south-west, but generally quieter by Monday morning, and
0:51:55 > 0:51:58significantly milder as well. Now take a first glance at this weather
0:51:58 > 0:52:01chart and you might think that low pressure dominates the scene for
0:52:01 > 0:52:07Monday. I want to draw your attention down here to this area of
0:52:07 > 0:52:11high pressure which will try to nose its way in. Rain early on, some
0:52:11 > 0:52:15showers continue in the north and one or two in the west, but
0:52:15 > 0:52:19generally as that high builds in we are looking at a decent day, large
0:52:19 > 0:52:24areas of cloud, sunny spells as well. The breeze easing somewhat and
0:52:24 > 0:52:29a much better feel, a less chilly one than today as six to 11 degree,
0:52:29 > 0:52:33our high pressure moves southwards and eastwards into Tuesday, low
0:52:33 > 0:52:37pressure dominates in the Atlantic, driving things and driving the
0:52:37 > 0:52:40south-westerly winds that will pump very mild air northward across the
0:52:40 > 0:52:46country, for many I think Tuesday is the mildest day of the week, some
0:52:46 > 0:52:50rain, chiefly for Northern Ireland, Scotland and northern England and
0:52:50 > 0:52:53Wales, the best of brightness where you have Shetland tore the east of
0:52:53 > 0:52:57high ground. It will be windy, gales in places but look at the
0:52:57 > 0:53:02temperatures, confirmation of that milder air, nine to 13 degrees
0:53:02 > 0:53:08during Tuesday afternoon. Will it stay that HylandNot quite. On
0:53:08 > 0:53:12Wednesday this will push forwards. Some mild air still into the
0:53:12 > 0:53:17south-east, but that front is a cold front and behind it, we will see
0:53:17 > 0:53:21something a bit chillier returning in northern and western area, as we
0:53:21 > 0:53:25get into Thursday, follow the white line, they go up to the Arctic, we
0:53:25 > 0:53:29get back in to colder air, I say colder, it won't be anything like as
0:53:29 > 0:53:33cold as it has been over the weekend. So Thursday, quite a
0:53:33 > 0:53:39blustery day, could be gales in exposed spots. Some showers that
0:53:39 > 0:53:43could be heavy and thundery, temperatures down a bit, but 6-10
0:53:43 > 0:53:48degrees is not bad at all for this time of year. Here comes another
0:53:48 > 0:53:52area of high pressure. Toppling in, if the timing is right, with this on
0:53:52 > 0:53:58Friday morning, it could be some frost to start the day, and
0:53:58 > 0:54:01particularly in southern and eastern area, frontal systems into the
0:54:01 > 0:54:06north-west. Still lower temperatures at five to nine degree, but actually
0:54:06 > 0:54:11signs are into next weekend it will turn milder again, some rain to come
0:54:11 > 0:54:15in northern areas, often windy here as well but it should be mostly dry
0:54:15 > 0:54:17in the south.
0:54:24 > 0:54:28I've been on a plant hunt with some citizen scientists collecting
0:54:28 > 0:54:32important floral data that may help rewrite the botany rule books.
0:54:37 > 0:54:40Research has found that every three years,
0:54:40 > 0:54:43two plant species disappear from Leicestershire,
0:54:43 > 0:54:45so scientists here at the university
0:54:45 > 0:54:49are preserving wild flowers so they are not lost forever.
0:54:49 > 0:54:52And maybe my discovery will go down in botanical history, too.
0:54:55 > 0:54:59The herbarium holds thousands of species of international importance.
0:54:59 > 0:55:03They help experts like Professor Pat Heslop-Harrison
0:55:03 > 0:55:05understand how plants evolve over time.
0:55:07 > 0:55:09Hello, Pat.Hello. I come bearing gifts.
0:55:09 > 0:55:12What do you think about that, then? Fantastic.
0:55:12 > 0:55:14Full flower from Leicestershire,
0:55:14 > 0:55:16that's one that we don't have in our collection.
0:55:16 > 0:55:19So, this will actually go into your herbarium today?
0:55:19 > 0:55:23Yes, and it will become one of the 140,000 specimens that we have here.
0:55:23 > 0:55:25All collected like this.
0:55:25 > 0:55:28All collected and all pressed, yes.
0:55:30 > 0:55:33Many of the specimens here were reference materials used to write
0:55:33 > 0:55:37one of the original floral guides of the 18th-century.
0:55:37 > 0:55:40Hopefully, the data that our plant hunters are collecting today
0:55:40 > 0:55:42will help write a new one.
0:55:42 > 0:55:46This is one of the things where citizen science is so important
0:55:46 > 0:55:51for us. It gives us a survey that we would never be able to get just as
0:55:51 > 0:55:55researchers.So, this is my bit of citizen science.
0:55:55 > 0:55:58So, now we need to put it between the pieces of tissue paper.
0:55:59 > 0:56:03For pressing, the flower has to be arranged carefully
0:56:03 > 0:56:06so that its details can be studied by the scientists.
0:56:06 > 0:56:10All of a sudden, this plant I would never have batted an eyelid at,
0:56:10 > 0:56:13becoming the most important thing in my life right now.
0:56:13 > 0:56:18Though an old process, it captures details that photographs can't.
0:56:18 > 0:56:21And then we will press that and leave that to dry
0:56:21 > 0:56:25between those boards.There you go, my little Austrian camomile.
0:56:25 > 0:56:28Your Austrian camomile will now be part of the collection.
0:56:28 > 0:56:31Brilliant. Thank you so much. Thank you.
0:56:35 > 0:56:37As well as plants of the past and present here,
0:56:37 > 0:56:41the university's Genebank55 was set up a year ago
0:56:41 > 0:56:44to freeze and preserve seeds for the future.
0:56:45 > 0:56:47It is Anna Farrell's job to make sure
0:56:47 > 0:56:49the seeds they save are healthy.
0:56:51 > 0:56:52Every collection that we make,
0:56:52 > 0:56:55we need to check the quality of seed that we have.
0:56:55 > 0:56:57You don't want any duff ones. No, that's right.
0:56:57 > 0:57:01So, how can you tell which are good and which are the ones
0:57:01 > 0:57:03you don't particularly want?We need to look under the microscope.
0:57:05 > 0:57:09And what we need to do is cut one in half, so we have to sacrifice about
0:57:09 > 0:57:10ten for each collection.
0:57:14 > 0:57:17Have a look down there.Oh, wow.
0:57:17 > 0:57:19So, that is the inside of the seed.
0:57:19 > 0:57:23Wow!You can see the texture of the seed wall.That's incredible!
0:57:23 > 0:57:26Wow! It is a whole other world.
0:57:26 > 0:57:28Fantastic. So, that's a good one. That's a good one.
0:57:30 > 0:57:32This is woolly thistle.Mm-hm.
0:57:33 > 0:57:35Have a look down there,
0:57:35 > 0:57:40you can see straightaway that there is a hole in that one.
0:57:40 > 0:57:43Oh, yeah! So that is hollow.
0:57:43 > 0:57:46Yes, you can see where the insect's buried in from the side.
0:57:46 > 0:57:48So, that's no good.No.
0:57:48 > 0:57:51We find this is quite common with thistle seeds,
0:57:51 > 0:57:54sometimes up to 90% of the seeds have been eaten
0:57:54 > 0:57:57by some kind of insect.
0:57:57 > 0:57:59Once the seeds are checked,
0:57:59 > 0:58:01the good ones are dried and frozen in the cold store,
0:58:01 > 0:58:03where they will be preserved,
0:58:03 > 0:58:05patiently waiting for their floral comeback
0:58:05 > 0:58:07in the Leicestershire landscape.
0:58:07 > 0:58:10Let's have a little nosy in the freezer, shall we?
0:58:10 > 0:58:12What have we got?
0:58:12 > 0:58:15Some borage-in-something...
0:58:15 > 0:58:18Some crassulae c...
0:58:18 > 0:58:20What about this one?
0:58:20 > 0:58:24Well, I never! They get everywhere, these things, don't they?!
0:58:24 > 0:58:26Countryfile calendar!
0:58:26 > 0:58:29Thanks to all of you that have already bought one,
0:58:29 > 0:58:31and if you haven't yet, there's still time.
0:58:31 > 0:58:33Visit our website for details.
0:58:35 > 0:58:38Well, that's all from Leicestershire.
0:58:38 > 0:58:40Next week, we will be in Perthshire,
0:58:40 > 0:58:43where Matt will be meeting the farming brothers representing
0:58:43 > 0:58:45Great Britain in the Winter Olympics, no less.
0:58:45 > 0:58:47We'll see you, then.