0:00:34 > 0:00:38Residing at the top of the High Weald in East Sussex is
0:00:38 > 0:00:40this spectacle, Ashdown Forest.
0:00:40 > 0:00:44It's an ancient, tranquil landscape of great ecological importance.
0:00:44 > 0:00:49Loved by many as the inspiration for AA Milne's Hundred Acre Wood
0:00:49 > 0:00:52in Winnie-The-Pooh stories, as I'll be discovering a bit later.
0:00:52 > 0:00:55And I'll be meeting a team who are protecting this landscape
0:00:55 > 0:00:57and keeping it open for all.
0:00:57 > 0:01:01Tom asks if turbines are a danger to our feathered friends.
0:01:01 > 0:01:05Since they were first introduced in and around our country
0:01:05 > 0:01:08more than 20 years ago, there's been concern about the impact that
0:01:08 > 0:01:11wind turbines could have on birds.
0:01:11 > 0:01:14But how much of a threat do they really pose?
0:01:14 > 0:01:17And Adam's finding out about the refugees being thrown
0:01:17 > 0:01:19a lifeline in Suffolk.
0:01:19 > 0:01:23The least I can do is to offer a day on the farm,
0:01:23 > 0:01:27because some of the people, they are from a rural background,
0:01:27 > 0:01:31and it is just for them to get reconnected with the land.
0:01:40 > 0:01:43From its spectacular coastline to the rolling
0:01:43 > 0:01:47chalk hills of the South Downs, the counties of East and West Sussex
0:01:47 > 0:01:49boast a rich, rural tapestry.
0:01:54 > 0:01:58Today, I'm exploring Ashdown Forest, a patchwork of woodland
0:01:58 > 0:02:01and heathland scattered across the East Sussex countryside.
0:02:06 > 0:02:09The name Ashdown Forest dates back to the 13th century,
0:02:09 > 0:02:13when the term "forest" was used to describe a royal deer-hunting park.
0:02:16 > 0:02:21These days, Ashdown attracts thousands of visitors every year,
0:02:21 > 0:02:22many of whom are hoping to
0:02:22 > 0:02:24follow in the footsteps of Christopher Robin
0:02:24 > 0:02:26and his friends, looking for adventure
0:02:26 > 0:02:28deep in the Hundred Acre Wood.
0:02:32 > 0:02:35But it's not the trees that makes this place so important.
0:02:38 > 0:02:42Because Ashdown Forest is home to one of the rarest habitats
0:02:42 > 0:02:45in Britain - lowland heathland.
0:02:55 > 0:02:58The conservation officer tasked with protecting
0:02:58 > 0:03:01this precious landscape is Steve Alton.
0:03:02 > 0:03:05Steve, what defines this place as lowland heathland? Because
0:03:05 > 0:03:08looking down the valley there, it seems that we are quite high here.
0:03:08 > 0:03:11We are actually, yeah, and technically we're
0:03:11 > 0:03:12about on the cusp of the borderline
0:03:12 > 0:03:14between lowland heathland and moorland,
0:03:14 > 0:03:18so we're talking about heather, gorse, bracken,
0:03:18 > 0:03:20purple moor grass that we are walking through now.
0:03:20 > 0:03:23Obviously, Steve, this is very difficult for us to get through,
0:03:23 > 0:03:27- but the place is home to some very, very precious species.- It is, yes.
0:03:27 > 0:03:29There's a whole suite of species that are found in this habitat
0:03:29 > 0:03:31and nowhere else.
0:03:31 > 0:03:33The two bird species for which it has its international
0:03:33 > 0:03:36designation, which are the nightjar and the Dartford warbler.
0:03:37 > 0:03:39Very good for reptiles.
0:03:39 > 0:03:42We've got adders, we've got grass snakes, we've got lizards.
0:03:42 > 0:03:45A lot of invertebrates associated with the wet areas.
0:03:45 > 0:03:47Dragonflies, damselflies.
0:03:47 > 0:03:50And standing looking at the place from this viewpoint here,
0:03:50 > 0:03:52I mean, it is absolutely vast, isn't it?
0:03:52 > 0:03:54So how big is the area that those species have got to thrive in?
0:03:54 > 0:03:57The forest itself is about 6,500 acres,
0:03:57 > 0:04:00but roughly 60% of that is lowland heathland.
0:04:00 > 0:04:02The rest is woodland.
0:04:04 > 0:04:07The wild expanse of Ashdown Forest might look as if it's
0:04:07 > 0:04:09been left for nature to take its course.
0:04:11 > 0:04:15But like great swathes of our countryside, this environment
0:04:15 > 0:04:19needs sensitive conservation to retain its beauty and wildlife.
0:04:22 > 0:04:24As well as Steve, this responsibility
0:04:24 > 0:04:27also falls to his grazing officer, Caroline FitzGerald,
0:04:27 > 0:04:30who I'm meeting along with a few helpful friends
0:04:30 > 0:04:32in a specially fenced-off area.
0:04:32 > 0:04:35Very nice to see you. Exmoor ponies.
0:04:35 > 0:04:37So what's the story with these, then?
0:04:37 > 0:04:39We started with six,
0:04:39 > 0:04:44and therefore spot grazing, really, in our smaller enclosures.
0:04:44 > 0:04:46And they've been here all winter, these ponies.
0:04:46 > 0:04:48You can see what a good job they've been doing,
0:04:48 > 0:04:50how they have really taken it down.
0:04:50 > 0:04:52- And nibbling the gorse, then, as well.- Yes.
0:04:52 > 0:04:55- Which seems, on the face of it, quite unusual.- Yeah.
0:04:55 > 0:04:58We have a particular problem on the forest
0:04:58 > 0:05:02- because our main grass is the millennia, which is this.- Right.
0:05:02 > 0:05:04And that's a deciduous grass.
0:05:04 > 0:05:08So, in the winter, the ponies get by on gorse.
0:05:08 > 0:05:12It is a really good plant for biodiversity, but very rampant.
0:05:12 > 0:05:16And it will just cover the whole place if you don't control it.
0:05:16 > 0:05:18Why is this area fenced off, then?
0:05:18 > 0:05:20Because the heathland habitat is not natural,
0:05:20 > 0:05:24it has been created over thousands of years, originally by
0:05:24 > 0:05:28large mammals like these guys, and then by the grazing of commoners.
0:05:28 > 0:05:30In order to keep the landscape the way it is,
0:05:30 > 0:05:33we need to keep that grazing. Stops it turning back into woodland.
0:05:33 > 0:05:36And is that because you just don't have the numbers of animals,
0:05:36 > 0:05:40- so therefore you need to graze more intensely?- It is, yes.
0:05:40 > 0:05:43The numbers of grazing animals have varied over history.
0:05:43 > 0:05:45Sort of...end of the 13th century,
0:05:45 > 0:05:48there were probably 3,000 cattle on the forest.
0:05:48 > 0:05:50Just all the local villagers would have put their livestock
0:05:50 > 0:05:52out onto the forest.
0:05:52 > 0:05:55Today, hardly any commoners exercise their right to graze,
0:05:55 > 0:05:57so we have to supplement that.
0:05:57 > 0:06:00This habitat would have been created by large mammals
0:06:00 > 0:06:01before humans were here.
0:06:01 > 0:06:04So the ancestors of the Exmoor ponies - wild horses,
0:06:04 > 0:06:08wild cattle, deer - would have created these open areas,
0:06:08 > 0:06:12and then grazing by the commoners just continue that process.
0:06:12 > 0:06:14And we're just the next step in that succession.
0:06:16 > 0:06:20So, with careful management, these ponies will continue to graze,
0:06:20 > 0:06:23helping to maintain this heathland for years to come.
0:06:25 > 0:06:28It's been really nice to meet you. And carry on the good work.
0:06:28 > 0:06:30But I'm going to leave you now, all right? I'm going
0:06:30 > 0:06:33to head up to the woodland. See you later.
0:06:37 > 0:06:41Now, whilst Ellie and I are exploring Sussex, Tom's in Scotland
0:06:41 > 0:06:44to find out if wind farms really are a threat to birds.
0:06:49 > 0:06:52Britain is a bird spotter's paradise.
0:06:56 > 0:06:59Every year, hundreds of different species arrive
0:06:59 > 0:07:01and depart from our shores.
0:07:04 > 0:07:08But for the past 25 years, they've been sharing their territory
0:07:08 > 0:07:11with another more mechanical creature.
0:07:15 > 0:07:18When you count both offshore and onshore,
0:07:18 > 0:07:22there are almost 7,000 wind turbines in the UK.
0:07:22 > 0:07:25They produce 11% of our electricity,
0:07:25 > 0:07:28as well as providing jobs and millions of pounds of investment.
0:07:28 > 0:07:30In recent years,
0:07:30 > 0:07:34Government support for land-based turbines has declined dramatically,
0:07:34 > 0:07:39but at the moment, it still backs projects out at sea.
0:07:39 > 0:07:43Six new offshore wind farms are already being built this year,
0:07:43 > 0:07:46and construction is due to start soon on another five.
0:07:49 > 0:07:53Together, they'll nearly double the UK's offshore capacity
0:07:53 > 0:07:57and, supporters claim, bring in close to £6 billion of investment.
0:07:57 > 0:08:01But with them come fresh concerns about threats to birdlife.
0:08:03 > 0:08:05Is that fair, though, or are we
0:08:05 > 0:08:08demonising these giants of the green revolution?
0:08:10 > 0:08:12In the Firth of Forth,
0:08:12 > 0:08:16plans are afoot for more than 300 offshore turbines.
0:08:16 > 0:08:19They should create enough electricity to power nearly
0:08:19 > 0:08:211.5 million homes.
0:08:27 > 0:08:30But it's an area where sea birds thrive.
0:08:31 > 0:08:35Gannets travel to Bass Rock from as far away as West Africa.
0:08:35 > 0:08:40And with 150,000 birds here at the height of the season,
0:08:40 > 0:08:44it's the world's largest breeding colony for Northern gannets.
0:08:45 > 0:08:48- So, welcome to Bass Rock. - It is tremendous.
0:08:48 > 0:08:51Professor Keith Hamer has been studying the gannets here
0:08:51 > 0:08:55for two decades, and in recent years, he's been trying to work out
0:08:55 > 0:08:58the impact the proposed turbines could have on them.
0:08:58 > 0:09:02What an extraordinary spot to have as your lab.
0:09:02 > 0:09:03It's fantastic, isn't it?
0:09:03 > 0:09:05- What's this actual ground we are standing on?- So this is
0:09:05 > 0:09:07actually our main study site now,
0:09:07 > 0:09:09and you can see, each of these little hummocks is where
0:09:09 > 0:09:11a bird will be nesting.
0:09:11 > 0:09:14So tell me about your work. What did you do, and how did you do it?
0:09:14 > 0:09:17So what we're doing was attaching devices to birds,
0:09:17 > 0:09:21so we first needed to catch them, which is what this is.
0:09:21 > 0:09:23So you just have a nice, smooth wire.
0:09:23 > 0:09:25We pop this over the bird's head.
0:09:25 > 0:09:26That then gets the bird under control,
0:09:26 > 0:09:31and then we put devices on the birds, so we have a GPS logger.
0:09:31 > 0:09:35That records where the bird goes at sea. And we have an altimeter.
0:09:35 > 0:09:37That measures barometric pressure.
0:09:37 > 0:09:41Using this kit, Keith could measure where the birds went,
0:09:41 > 0:09:44how high they flew and how deep they dived for fish.
0:09:46 > 0:09:50What did this tell you in relation to the turbines?
0:09:50 > 0:09:53So this tells us the birds were flying higher than people
0:09:53 > 0:09:54had previously thought.
0:09:54 > 0:09:56So, the received wisdom was that gannets flied
0:09:56 > 0:09:59about ten metres, which is below the height
0:09:59 > 0:10:02at which they're in danger of being caught up with the wind turbines.
0:10:02 > 0:10:04What we found was that when they're actively foraging,
0:10:04 > 0:10:08they fly higher than that. In fact, they fly at up to about 50 metres.
0:10:08 > 0:10:10Which is just at the wrong height,
0:10:10 > 0:10:13in terms of getting caught up in the blades.
0:10:13 > 0:10:15The research estimated that each month,
0:10:15 > 0:10:21300 gannets could potentially be killed by collisions with turbines.
0:10:21 > 0:10:24A total of 1,500 every breeding season -
0:10:24 > 0:10:27that's 12 times more than previously thought.
0:10:27 > 0:10:30But questions remain.
0:10:30 > 0:10:32There's two big areas of uncertainty.
0:10:32 > 0:10:35One is how good will birds be at avoiding the turbines?
0:10:35 > 0:10:38The other is, the population has actually been increasing
0:10:38 > 0:10:40by about 2,700 birds a year.
0:10:40 > 0:10:43We don't know that that rate of colony growth will be sustained.
0:10:46 > 0:10:49Even before Professor Hamer's discoveries,
0:10:49 > 0:10:52the RSPB had concerns over
0:10:52 > 0:10:55the risks posed by these turbines to sea birds.
0:10:55 > 0:10:58It took those concerns to the Scottish courts,
0:10:58 > 0:11:03which now have to decide whether these wind farms can go ahead.
0:11:03 > 0:11:07The RSPB and the companies involved aren't commenting
0:11:07 > 0:11:10while the judicial review is ongoing.
0:11:10 > 0:11:13However, one of the developers had expressed concern that having
0:11:13 > 0:11:18to wait for a decision could affect investment in the projects.
0:11:21 > 0:11:23Battles like this one here in the Firth of Forth have raised
0:11:23 > 0:11:28new questions about the dangers turbines may pose to birds,
0:11:28 > 0:11:32but for some, those questions should have been answered long ago.
0:11:44 > 0:11:47I've come down to the National Trust For Scotland's reserve at
0:11:47 > 0:11:50St Abb's Head in Berwickshire to meet Philip Taylor
0:11:50 > 0:11:52from RSPB Scotland.
0:11:54 > 0:11:57A little bit sparse today, but what has your trained eye been seeing?
0:11:57 > 0:12:01Yes. I mean, it is still quite early for the sea bird breeding season.
0:12:01 > 0:12:03There's some kittiwakes on the cliffs over there,
0:12:03 > 0:12:05- and there's a nice raft out to sea. - Oh, yeah.
0:12:05 > 0:12:09Philip is the marine policy officer who does the charity's
0:12:09 > 0:12:11assessments of wind farm locations.
0:12:11 > 0:12:15We are, as an organisation, wholly supportive of renewable energy.
0:12:15 > 0:12:19We see that as part of our mitigation of climate change,
0:12:19 > 0:12:21adaptation to future climates.
0:12:21 > 0:12:25And in fact, we actually built a turbine on our own site.
0:12:25 > 0:12:28When it comes to the relationship with birds,
0:12:28 > 0:12:31what is it about the siting of wind farms that's important?
0:12:31 > 0:12:35For sea birds, there's two principal risks. One is collision.
0:12:35 > 0:12:36The second is displacement.
0:12:36 > 0:12:40So if the development is put on the foraging area for that sea bird,
0:12:40 > 0:12:44and in which case that foraging area is now no longer available
0:12:44 > 0:12:47to them, so for species like puffins and razorbills,
0:12:47 > 0:12:49that's actually often quite a big risk.
0:12:49 > 0:12:54The RSPB often advises on the siting of turbines, and objects to around
0:12:54 > 0:12:597% of proposals, although not all of those are actually turned down.
0:12:59 > 0:13:01It believes there's still
0:13:01 > 0:13:04a gap in our knowledge about what's going on out at sea.
0:13:04 > 0:13:09We've had offshore wind in the UK for over ten years.
0:13:09 > 0:13:12And in that time, we haven't undertaken
0:13:12 > 0:13:16decent post-construction monitoring to answer simple questions
0:13:16 > 0:13:18for the next rounds of developments.
0:13:18 > 0:13:21And we really need to step up our game to come up with
0:13:21 > 0:13:23systematic monitoring, to understand
0:13:23 > 0:13:27how developments are impacting our birds, so that we can move
0:13:27 > 0:13:30forward with using our seas for renewable energies.
0:13:30 > 0:13:32However, RenewableUK,
0:13:32 > 0:13:35which represents the turbine industry, told us that...
0:13:43 > 0:13:44It says...
0:13:46 > 0:13:49..after construction, which includes...
0:13:59 > 0:14:02One of the industry's attempts to find out
0:14:02 > 0:14:05more about bird behaviour around existing wind farms is
0:14:05 > 0:14:09currently taking place seven miles off the coast of Kent.
0:14:13 > 0:14:16Thanet Wind Farm is made up of 100 turbines,
0:14:16 > 0:14:18covering 13.5 square miles.
0:14:19 > 0:14:22It's amazing when you get out here, the number of wind farms.
0:14:22 > 0:14:25- There's one in the distance over there.- Yeah, that's right.
0:14:25 > 0:14:29Robin Ward is the lead ornithologist in charge of a team
0:14:29 > 0:14:32who are tracking bird behaviour around the site.
0:14:35 > 0:14:38The research is a multi-million pound project,
0:14:38 > 0:14:41managed by the Carbon Trust and funded by developers
0:14:41 > 0:14:45and public bodies, including the Crown Estate.
0:14:45 > 0:14:48- You need a lot of training for this?- Seven days.
0:14:48 > 0:14:51Seven days training on all aspects of health and safety.
0:14:51 > 0:14:53- Just to be on the outside of the turbine.- Really?
0:14:55 > 0:14:59A team of bird spotters can be stationed on the turbines here
0:14:59 > 0:15:01for up to seven hours a day.
0:15:01 > 0:15:02How on earth are you doing this?
0:15:02 > 0:15:05Birds are pretty small, the seascape is pretty big.
0:15:05 > 0:15:07We bring several technologies together,
0:15:07 > 0:15:11which includes radar, a day and night camera system.
0:15:11 > 0:15:15And we're using observers with military-grade range finders.
0:15:15 > 0:15:18This combination of technology has never been used
0:15:18 > 0:15:21in the world before for this purpose.
0:15:21 > 0:15:22We've got this radar set out,
0:15:22 > 0:15:26so the bird can be followed from as far as 6km out,
0:15:26 > 0:15:30but when it becomes within about 1km or so, we can then lock onto
0:15:30 > 0:15:33the bird using the rangefinder and then get
0:15:33 > 0:15:35a three-dimensional pattern.
0:15:35 > 0:15:38And in the end, what will happen to this information?
0:15:38 > 0:15:39What's its purpose?
0:15:39 > 0:15:43It will be used to improve the models that we use throughout
0:15:43 > 0:15:45all wind farms, and reduce
0:15:45 > 0:15:50the uncertainty in our understanding of how birds react to wind farms.
0:15:50 > 0:15:54We won't know the results of this work until next year, but it's
0:15:54 > 0:15:58exactly the sort of research the RSPB wants to see more of.
0:16:00 > 0:16:04So while there may not be agreement on whether enough research is
0:16:04 > 0:16:08being done, both the industry and the RSPB do feel that
0:16:08 > 0:16:13understanding the impact of offshore wind farms is vital if turbines
0:16:13 > 0:16:17and sea birds are going to continue sharing the skies around our coast.
0:16:26 > 0:16:27This is West Langley Marsh,
0:16:27 > 0:16:31just outside Eastbourne on the East Sussex coast.
0:16:32 > 0:16:35Once home to an important Bronze Age settlement,
0:16:35 > 0:16:38these days it's a flourishing wildlife habitat
0:16:38 > 0:16:41and a cherished oasis for nature-loving locals.
0:16:43 > 0:16:46Particularly for children.
0:16:46 > 0:16:50In fact, the 120 acres of marshland here are part of the grounds
0:16:50 > 0:16:52of West Rise Junior School.
0:16:52 > 0:16:57It's a regular state-run school, but this makes it far from typical.
0:17:00 > 0:17:02Every week of the academic year,
0:17:02 > 0:17:05children from the Forest School programme at West Rise
0:17:05 > 0:17:09head out of the classroom and across to the marsh.
0:17:09 > 0:17:13Mike Fairclough took over this once underachieving school 12 years ago.
0:17:13 > 0:17:15He saw the potential of the ancient marsh after
0:17:15 > 0:17:17hearing about its history
0:17:17 > 0:17:21from an archaeologist, and now he's a headmaster on a quad bike.
0:17:21 > 0:17:23- Hello, John, how are you? - Never seen this before.
0:17:23 > 0:17:25THEY LAUGH
0:17:25 > 0:17:28- A lot of ground to cover here, haven't you?- Yeah.
0:17:28 > 0:17:30So we got this about eight years ago,
0:17:30 > 0:17:34and decided to approach the local authority and said, "We'd like
0:17:34 > 0:17:37"to start to look at the Bronze Age
0:17:37 > 0:17:40"and explore history, using this bit of land."
0:17:40 > 0:17:44And this marshland must be a great learning resource for the children.
0:17:44 > 0:17:47Yes. There's a myriad of different things you can do.
0:17:47 > 0:17:50So we have animals onsite, like water buffalo and sheep.
0:17:50 > 0:17:54We also teach the children lots of skills, like fire making,
0:17:54 > 0:17:56making bows and arrows.
0:17:56 > 0:17:58We have a very, very large lake,
0:17:58 > 0:18:01which we're teaching the children boating on, so paddle boarding
0:18:01 > 0:18:03and sailing, and of course the archaeological side of things.
0:18:03 > 0:18:07So we've actually had a few excavations here as well.
0:18:07 > 0:18:10This school is all about hands-on experience,
0:18:10 > 0:18:12and today, as part of the curriculum, we're
0:18:12 > 0:18:17stepping back 3,000 years to experience the Bronze Age.
0:18:18 > 0:18:21You're the official Forest School teacher here, aren't you, Helen?
0:18:21 > 0:18:24What does that mean? This is just marshland, not forest.
0:18:24 > 0:18:28It's true, but Forest School is actually sort of an ethos.
0:18:28 > 0:18:31We take the children outside to learn,
0:18:31 > 0:18:34so we spend time here on the marsh.
0:18:34 > 0:18:37The children come back to the same place for a whole term,
0:18:37 > 0:18:39and they come every single year.
0:18:39 > 0:18:43Does that mean that you use subjects that children would normally
0:18:43 > 0:18:46have in class, like, you know, history, geography, English, things
0:18:46 > 0:18:49like that, and use the marshland to make it more interesting?
0:18:49 > 0:18:52Absolutely. So, today we're doing a Bronze Age day.
0:18:52 > 0:18:54So it's not just history.
0:18:54 > 0:18:56We're doing pond dipping, that's our science.
0:18:56 > 0:18:59We do a lot of English,
0:18:59 > 0:19:03so we'll write recipes for the campfire cooking that we've done.
0:19:03 > 0:19:07Children love coming to Forest School, and we love teaching them.
0:19:07 > 0:19:10And they, by the look of it, have quite a bit of fun as well.
0:19:10 > 0:19:12Yeah, absolutely. And that goes for all of us.
0:19:12 > 0:19:15We all have a lot of fun and we love being out here.
0:19:20 > 0:19:22So what's going on here, Maisie?
0:19:22 > 0:19:26At the moment, we're just making our own moulds.
0:19:26 > 0:19:29- You doing a bit of smelting, are you?- Yeah.
0:19:29 > 0:19:33You can pick it up and then what you do is you place it in there
0:19:33 > 0:19:36and then it just... That will pump.
0:19:36 > 0:19:39Yeah. The air goes straight through.
0:19:39 > 0:19:40And it makes the fire hot.
0:19:48 > 0:19:51- You're making Bronze Age bows, are you?- Yeah.
0:19:51 > 0:19:54- Have you ever done anything like this before?- No.
0:19:54 > 0:19:56So how are you doing it?
0:19:56 > 0:19:59- So we tie a knot at the top.- Yes.
0:19:59 > 0:20:02And then move that down onto there.
0:20:02 > 0:20:04And move that down here, yeah.
0:20:13 > 0:20:16An activity you certainly wouldn't have found in the Bronze Age
0:20:16 > 0:20:18is clay pigeon shooting.
0:20:18 > 0:20:20It's taught here under the watchful eye of
0:20:20 > 0:20:24The British Association For Shooting And Conservation.
0:20:24 > 0:20:25GUNSHOT
0:20:25 > 0:20:30Not only are your pupils learning how to make bows and arrows,
0:20:30 > 0:20:34they're learning the modern equivalent of how to use a shotgun.
0:20:34 > 0:20:37We teach the children about responsible use of a shotgun,
0:20:37 > 0:20:41the legal consequences of misuse
0:20:41 > 0:20:44and its proper use within the countryside.
0:20:44 > 0:20:47But I'm sure there'll be some people who think that there's
0:20:47 > 0:20:49no place for shotguns in a primary school.
0:20:49 > 0:20:52There are 40 independent schools across the UK
0:20:52 > 0:20:55who do clay pigeon shooting routinely.
0:20:55 > 0:20:58We're the only state school who do it.
0:20:58 > 0:21:01There's never been any criticism of any independent school
0:21:01 > 0:21:05using shotguns. So I think that's just prejudice
0:21:05 > 0:21:07on the part of the people who have that opinion.
0:21:09 > 0:21:12West Rise was the first school in the county
0:21:12 > 0:21:15to have its own farm animals, but when it comes to livestock,
0:21:15 > 0:21:18this is not a school to stick to the norm.
0:21:21 > 0:21:23Alex Richards is school caretaker,
0:21:23 > 0:21:25but is also the farm manager.
0:21:25 > 0:21:29Among his stock on this boggy marsh - six water buffalo.
0:21:29 > 0:21:31How have they settled in, then, the buffalos?
0:21:31 > 0:21:33They've settled in very well.
0:21:33 > 0:21:35We had a few fun and games when they first arrived.
0:21:35 > 0:21:39- No escape bids? - Erm... I'm not telling.
0:21:39 > 0:21:41THEY LAUGH
0:21:41 > 0:21:43What about the children, do they get involved and whatever?
0:21:43 > 0:21:45The children get involved,
0:21:45 > 0:21:48in respect of, come out and feed them, they write about them.
0:21:48 > 0:21:52So, therefore, that goes into the education side of things.
0:21:52 > 0:21:55Yeah. What's the reaction of local farmers? Do they help you at all?
0:21:55 > 0:21:57The support I get is second to none.
0:21:57 > 0:22:00If it weren't for the farming community,
0:22:00 > 0:22:03this project wouldn't be able to happen.
0:22:03 > 0:22:08This marshland, its creatures and its fascinating history have
0:22:08 > 0:22:12all combined to create a classroom like no other.
0:22:12 > 0:22:14I have a fragment of pottery here,
0:22:14 > 0:22:18which has the fingerprints of the makers of it
0:22:18 > 0:22:21from 3,000 years ago.
0:22:21 > 0:22:25So the children making their pots can actually put
0:22:25 > 0:22:29their fingerprints into this pot and almost be travelling back in time.
0:22:29 > 0:22:32- Connected to the past. - Absolutely.- Why don't you do it?
0:22:32 > 0:22:38Put your finger where the potter in the Bronze Age put his or hers.
0:22:38 > 0:22:40- What does that make you feel? - Cool.
0:22:40 > 0:22:43Cool.
0:22:43 > 0:22:46I suspect that there are lots of parents watching this programme,
0:22:46 > 0:22:48who have children in junior schools,
0:22:48 > 0:22:51who wish that their children were doing this kind of thing.
0:22:51 > 0:22:53- Is it possible to spread this idea? - Absolutely.
0:22:53 > 0:22:56We are very fortunate because of the specific nature of the site.
0:22:56 > 0:22:58We're on the second-largest Bronze Age settlement in Europe.
0:22:58 > 0:23:02Every place in Britain has an amazing quality about it.
0:23:02 > 0:23:05There'll be somewhere within nature that people
0:23:05 > 0:23:08- can connect with locally. - So it is possible?- Absolutely.
0:23:08 > 0:23:10For every single school and every single child.
0:23:22 > 0:23:26West Sussex - a rich and diverse landscape,
0:23:26 > 0:23:31from its wooded uplands, to the shelter of the Arun Valley.
0:23:33 > 0:23:36And that makes it ideal for a host of wildlife,
0:23:36 > 0:23:41particularly here at this reserve, which is a haven for wetland birds
0:23:41 > 0:23:44like widgeon, teal, shoveler and pintail.
0:23:47 > 0:23:53But Pulborough Brooks RSPB reserve is much more than a wetland habitat.
0:23:54 > 0:23:59With its woods and heathland, this 500-acre site is nestled
0:23:59 > 0:24:03in some of the most biodiverse landscape in the country,
0:24:03 > 0:24:07making it ideal for tree-nesting and ground-feeding birds,
0:24:07 > 0:24:10including all three species of our native woodpecker -
0:24:10 > 0:24:15the green, great-spotted and lesser-spotted woodpecker.
0:24:15 > 0:24:18And that's just what I'm hoping to see today.
0:24:18 > 0:24:23But woodpeckers are shy, so can be pretty hard to spot.
0:24:23 > 0:24:26Helping me in my search is Julianne Evans, the reserve manager.
0:24:26 > 0:24:30- Julianne, how are you doing? Nice to meet you.- Nice to meet you too
0:24:30 > 0:24:32- Good! Let's find some woodpeckers. - Yeah.
0:24:34 > 0:24:38It's very much ears and eyes with woodpeckers, particularly listening.
0:24:38 > 0:24:39Absolutely, yes.
0:24:39 > 0:24:42At this time of year, I'll be listening out for drumming.
0:24:42 > 0:24:45- Yeah.- That's how they communicate with each other.
0:24:45 > 0:24:46Both sexes do the drumming.
0:24:46 > 0:24:49Is that marking out territory or trying to find mates,
0:24:49 > 0:24:52- or a bit of both?- A bit of both, yeah. Mainly marking out territory.
0:24:52 > 0:24:55- And just generally communicating with each other.- Yeah.
0:24:55 > 0:24:57DRUMMING
0:24:57 > 0:24:59Yeah!
0:24:59 > 0:25:03Do you think that's close enough for us to try and get eyes on?
0:25:03 > 0:25:06I think it could be. I think it was just through there.
0:25:06 > 0:25:07Shall we have a look?
0:25:07 > 0:25:09Let's go and see if we can get closer.
0:25:15 > 0:25:16DRUMMING
0:25:16 > 0:25:19Yeah, it must be right on this tree here.
0:25:19 > 0:25:22That is tantalisingly close.
0:25:22 > 0:25:23DRUMMING
0:25:23 > 0:25:25Why can't we see it? It's so loud.
0:25:27 > 0:25:28DRUMMING
0:25:28 > 0:25:31- THEY LAUGH - It's crazy.
0:25:31 > 0:25:34It's a completely bare tree, right in front of us, but we can't see it.
0:25:34 > 0:25:37It's probably round the back, isn't it?
0:25:37 > 0:25:41How rare is it to have the three different woodpecker species
0:25:41 > 0:25:44that we have in this country in the same spot like this?
0:25:44 > 0:25:46It is fairly unusual.
0:25:46 > 0:25:49Although, they do all like the same habitat.
0:25:49 > 0:25:52You know, with big mature trees, plenty of dead wood.
0:25:52 > 0:25:54You know, that kind of thing.
0:25:54 > 0:25:58- They've got what they need right here.- Yeah.- Fantastic.
0:25:58 > 0:26:00We may not have seen one yet,
0:26:00 > 0:26:03but Julianne has spotted signs that they are close by.
0:26:03 > 0:26:08So, up here, you can see where they actually have been.
0:26:08 > 0:26:11What they're looking for is insects underneath the bark
0:26:11 > 0:26:13and in the rotten wood.
0:26:13 > 0:26:15So with those sharp beaks of theirs,
0:26:15 > 0:26:18they're flicking the bark off and looking underneath.
0:26:18 > 0:26:20- We've got quite a fresh bit. - Oh, yeah.- Just up there,
0:26:20 > 0:26:23you can actually see the channels where they've been digging around.
0:26:23 > 0:26:27For the saproxylic insects, aren't they? The deadwood insects.
0:26:27 > 0:26:29That's right, yeah. Yeah, yeah. That's right.
0:26:29 > 0:26:31Amazing, yeah. They've definitely been here.
0:26:34 > 0:26:35DRUMMING
0:26:37 > 0:26:39This is where it's about eyes as well as ears, cos you've
0:26:39 > 0:26:44just got to see that slight movement behind a branch or on a trunk.
0:26:44 > 0:26:47The thing is, they'll often work their way around the other
0:26:47 > 0:26:49- side of the branch, won't they? - Yeah.- And then just out of sight.
0:26:49 > 0:26:53It's almost like they know that you're watching. Shall we get a bit closer?
0:26:53 > 0:26:55Yeah, let's do it.
0:26:55 > 0:26:58They're so near, but are still playing hard to get.
0:27:01 > 0:27:03The greater and the lesser-spotted woodpeckers both drum,
0:27:03 > 0:27:06- but how can you tell the difference? - Well, it is quite subtle.
0:27:06 > 0:27:09The lesser-spotted woodpecker drums for slightly longer
0:27:09 > 0:27:12and it's slightly quieter.
0:27:12 > 0:27:16But because you don't see them very often, let alone hear them
0:27:16 > 0:27:19very often, it does make it tricky to know the difference.
0:27:19 > 0:27:21- To learn the difference.- Yeah.
0:27:21 > 0:27:23DRUMMING
0:27:23 > 0:27:25- WHISPERS:- Oh, it's going to be right there.
0:27:25 > 0:27:26DRUMMING
0:27:26 > 0:27:29Stop. Just there, quick.
0:27:30 > 0:27:33- Oh, yes, yeah. - Just going up there.
0:27:33 > 0:27:37And it's gone. Short and sweet.
0:27:37 > 0:27:40- Yes!- We saw it, though. - That's great.
0:27:40 > 0:27:42- They're really smart birds, aren't they?- Yeah.
0:27:44 > 0:27:47It was incredible to spot one in the wild at the reserve,
0:27:47 > 0:27:52but, unbelievably, the cameraman saw another great spotted woodpecker
0:27:52 > 0:27:54on the tree right outside the visitor centre.
0:27:54 > 0:27:59Well, I caught just a glimpse of a greater-spotted woodpecker,
0:27:59 > 0:28:01but far more importantly,
0:28:01 > 0:28:04I heard lots and lots of springtime drumming.
0:28:04 > 0:28:08After a along, wet, windy winter, it is
0:28:08 > 0:28:11a welcome sound and one that I love at this time of year.
0:28:18 > 0:28:22Now, recently, we asked some well-known faces from athletes...
0:28:24 > 0:28:25..to comedians...
0:28:25 > 0:28:28Oh, it's quite refreshing after a while.
0:28:28 > 0:28:30..actors,
0:28:30 > 0:28:31to chefs...
0:28:31 > 0:28:33Bon appetit!
0:28:33 > 0:28:38..what part of our magnificent countryside was special to them.
0:28:43 > 0:28:46This week, we're in Bedfordshire with England
0:28:46 > 0:28:48Test Cricket Captain Alistair Cook.
0:28:48 > 0:28:51He doesn't have to travel far to find his rural retreat,
0:28:51 > 0:28:54as it's on his wife Alice's family farm.
0:29:01 > 0:29:05'He's made 200 in a Test match against Australia.
0:29:05 > 0:29:09'That is a wonderful achievement from Alistair Cook.
0:29:09 > 0:29:12- Here, Tess. - HE WHISTLES
0:29:12 > 0:29:14'It's all over.
0:29:14 > 0:29:19'And England have won their first series in Australia for 24 years.'
0:29:21 > 0:29:23- Here, up. - HE WHISTLES
0:29:23 > 0:29:26'And Alistair Cook becomes England's all-time leading
0:29:26 > 0:29:30'run scorer in the history of Test Cricket.'
0:29:40 > 0:29:43My day usually starts 6.30 to 6.45.
0:29:45 > 0:29:47We're just starting lambing now, with the ewes.
0:29:49 > 0:29:51This one's just been born.
0:29:53 > 0:29:57There's about 600-odd acres. It's mainly arable stuff here.
0:29:57 > 0:29:59There's probably about 3,000 sheep around.
0:30:01 > 0:30:05I first came up here when I was 18, when I came to see Alice.
0:30:10 > 0:30:12We met at school.
0:30:12 > 0:30:14I used to come down the farm and potter around
0:30:14 > 0:30:16for an hour, an hour and a half,
0:30:16 > 0:30:19not really knowing what I was doing, but just doing little jobs.
0:30:19 > 0:30:21It was a big release for me,
0:30:21 > 0:30:24in terms of... You know, I wasn't thinking about cricket 24/7.
0:30:26 > 0:30:29The more time I spent up here and the more integrated that
0:30:29 > 0:30:33I got into the family and the more I understood about farming,
0:30:33 > 0:30:37the more it became a lifestyle, rather than a release.
0:30:39 > 0:30:42It's a serious farm, a serious operation.
0:30:42 > 0:30:44This is what I do when I'm not playing cricket.
0:30:44 > 0:30:46Trying to help out on the family farm,
0:30:46 > 0:30:49trying to be more useful than not.
0:30:49 > 0:30:51I feel as if I now know what I'm doing.
0:30:53 > 0:30:56I can't quite see her head, but normally they come out
0:30:56 > 0:31:00and they tuck their noses in front of their hooves at the front.
0:31:00 > 0:31:02Yeah, she's not going to be too long off.
0:31:12 > 0:31:14I do love it.
0:31:14 > 0:31:17Of course, there's days when you're electric fencing in the cold or
0:31:17 > 0:31:21you're strawing stuff and thinking, "Oh, I'd rather be somewhere else."
0:31:21 > 0:31:23That's part and parcel of it.
0:31:25 > 0:31:28I think farming does help my cricket,
0:31:28 > 0:31:30in the way that I'm not lying on the sofa thinking,
0:31:30 > 0:31:33"Oh, what's my technique doing here?"
0:31:33 > 0:31:36Cookie was going through a very lean patch once,
0:31:36 > 0:31:39but the farm was brilliant.
0:31:39 > 0:31:41He came and got completely stuck in.
0:31:41 > 0:31:45He was tagging sheep, he was up at 4.30 loading the lorry.
0:31:45 > 0:31:48He then went on to score 290, which I think my dad
0:31:48 > 0:31:51and all the local farmers took a huge amount of credit for.
0:31:51 > 0:31:52I've never let him live it down.
0:31:52 > 0:31:55Whenever he has a bit of a rough time, that's all he gets.
0:31:55 > 0:31:57You know, "Get on the farm and you'll be all right.
0:31:57 > 0:31:59"Forget batting practice."
0:32:04 > 0:32:05So we're marking up some sheep.
0:32:05 > 0:32:08Obviously they've been in here now for 24, 48 hours.
0:32:08 > 0:32:10So I'm worming them.
0:32:10 > 0:32:12I'm giving them a bit of a general MOT.
0:32:14 > 0:32:17We're ringing their tail, giving them a number,
0:32:17 > 0:32:18matching with their mother.
0:32:18 > 0:32:22That allows us to identify them when they're in the field.
0:32:25 > 0:32:27The sheep won't talk to you about cricket.
0:32:27 > 0:32:31I think, in any elite team, the environment is pretty brutal,
0:32:31 > 0:32:33because you're expected to win.
0:32:33 > 0:32:37To me, it was that release. It was the getting away from the pressure,
0:32:37 > 0:32:39I suppose, of playing international cricket
0:32:39 > 0:32:41and doing something totally different.
0:32:41 > 0:32:43So you're not always thinking about cricket.
0:32:46 > 0:32:47Good girl.
0:32:47 > 0:32:49We've got a young daughter, called Elsie,
0:32:49 > 0:32:52who's coming up to two in April.
0:32:52 > 0:32:56It's an incredible place for Elsie to grow up.
0:32:56 > 0:33:00Alice talks so fondly about her childhood, growing up on the farm.
0:33:00 > 0:33:04Mum and Dad would be working and we'd just run about in the shed.
0:33:04 > 0:33:08And now Elsie is lucky that she has the same thing.
0:33:08 > 0:33:11Cookie and I are in here working, she just potters with the dog,
0:33:11 > 0:33:13the lambs, her wheelbarrow.
0:33:15 > 0:33:19Alice's grandparents are just there, her mum farms just round the corner.
0:33:19 > 0:33:23You know, her brother's there. It's such a family environment.
0:33:23 > 0:33:25I feel really privileged that that's here.
0:33:25 > 0:33:28We're in a great environment for Elsie to grow up in.
0:33:38 > 0:33:41We're loading the ewes and lambs up to finally take them
0:33:41 > 0:33:44out in the field, where they're going to stop for the summer.
0:33:44 > 0:33:46We'll put them out on the lorry.
0:33:48 > 0:33:51Done. The job's a good 'un.
0:34:02 > 0:34:06- Who's in here, Elsie? - Baby lambs.- Baby lambs?
0:34:07 > 0:34:09The future is really interesting.
0:34:09 > 0:34:11Who knows what's going to happen with the cricket?
0:34:11 > 0:34:15Hopefully I've got three or four more years left at the top.
0:34:15 > 0:34:16That would be brilliant.
0:34:16 > 0:34:19But knowing we've got something here which I love doing anyway
0:34:19 > 0:34:22and we can get bigger, is really exciting.
0:34:22 > 0:34:24I feel we're really lucky.
0:34:24 > 0:34:27We've just bought a little small holding, five minutes away,
0:34:27 > 0:34:29and we're really excited to expand on that.
0:34:29 > 0:34:32Cookie is quite interested in doing more with cattle.
0:34:32 > 0:34:33At the minute, we have a few.
0:34:33 > 0:34:37Cookie actually bought me two for our first wedding anniversary.
0:34:37 > 0:34:40Quite an odd one, but brilliant. My sort of present.
0:34:40 > 0:34:43Shoo them on, Else Shoo them on.
0:34:44 > 0:34:47There's so many good things about farming, about the community,
0:34:47 > 0:34:51which I love. And, obviously, it is challenging.
0:34:52 > 0:34:54Cricket has been my life for so long and it's given me
0:34:54 > 0:34:57so much that I'd love to stay involved.
0:34:57 > 0:34:59But if I could combine cricket and farming at the same time,
0:34:59 > 0:35:02that would be absolutely ideal for me.
0:35:02 > 0:35:05They're both my passions. And not many people can say
0:35:05 > 0:35:09what they do for their job or their life is what they love doing all the time.
0:35:09 > 0:35:11I pretty much love everything to do with them.
0:35:14 > 0:35:16Now, on last week's show
0:35:16 > 0:35:19with Radio 1 DJs Scott Mills and Chris Stark,
0:35:19 > 0:35:21we asked you to send us your F-elfies,
0:35:21 > 0:35:24photos of you with a farm animal.
0:35:24 > 0:35:26Well, thank you, because you e-mailed and tweeted us hundreds
0:35:26 > 0:35:30and hundreds. Here are just a few.
0:35:59 > 0:36:01Now, Adam has taken time off from his farming duties
0:36:01 > 0:36:03in the Cotswolds to visit
0:36:03 > 0:36:06an extraordinary East Anglian farm that's making a big difference
0:36:06 > 0:36:08to the lives of people most in need.
0:36:15 > 0:36:18This scene has become all too familiar.
0:36:18 > 0:36:22The refugee crisis sweeping across Europe
0:36:22 > 0:36:26has left millions homeless and in desperate need of support.
0:36:26 > 0:36:28But there are some small glimmers of hope.
0:36:30 > 0:36:33I've come to a rather special farm on the Norfolk-Suffolk border
0:36:33 > 0:36:36where it is not all about growing crops and animals.
0:36:36 > 0:36:39This farm is being used to make a difference to people's lives.
0:36:41 > 0:36:42It's a Care Farm.
0:36:42 > 0:36:46Here, vulnerable people can spend their time as a kind of therapy,
0:36:46 > 0:36:50but now it has thrown open its doors to refugees
0:36:50 > 0:36:54from war-torn regions such as Kurdistan and Sudan.
0:36:54 > 0:36:57The driving force behind it is Dutch farmer Doeke Dobma,
0:36:57 > 0:37:00who has personal reasons for wanting to help those in need.
0:37:00 > 0:37:02Nice to meet you.
0:37:02 > 0:37:04I grew up in the Netherlands,
0:37:04 > 0:37:07and my mum experienced an horrendous experience
0:37:07 > 0:37:09during the Second World War.
0:37:09 > 0:37:14Watching on telly what is happening in Syria is really distressing.
0:37:14 > 0:37:17So because your mum suffered so much during the Second World War -
0:37:17 > 0:37:18she was almost a refugee herself -
0:37:18 > 0:37:20you decided to help the people today?
0:37:20 > 0:37:23Some people had businesses, they were farmers,
0:37:23 > 0:37:25they were teachers.
0:37:25 > 0:37:29The least I can do is to offer a day on the farm,
0:37:29 > 0:37:33because some of the people, they are from a rural background,
0:37:33 > 0:37:36and it is just for them to get reconnected with the land.
0:37:36 > 0:37:40- And do you find it rewarding yourself?- Very much.
0:37:40 > 0:37:43It is like, just as a small person in the world,
0:37:43 > 0:37:45being lucky that we were born here
0:37:45 > 0:37:48and not in the situation where they are,
0:37:48 > 0:37:52the least we can do is show them compassion and friendship.
0:37:52 > 0:37:55- Shall we meet them?- Yeah. Right.- OK.
0:37:58 > 0:38:01The refugees are involved in all sorts of activities,
0:38:01 > 0:38:05from apple tree pruning to tractor driving,
0:38:05 > 0:38:07and working with animals.
0:38:07 > 0:38:09And there's plenty to do.
0:38:09 > 0:38:12These cattle are being bedded down with fresh straw,
0:38:12 > 0:38:14which gives me a chance to meet some of the refugees.
0:38:16 > 0:38:19Mohammed comes from a rural background in Kurdistan.
0:38:19 > 0:38:22A lot of people there live in the countryside
0:38:22 > 0:38:24and look after sheep, cows...
0:38:24 > 0:38:26- So it reminds you of home?- Yeah.
0:38:28 > 0:38:31- And I would love to live in a place like that.- Yeah.
0:38:31 > 0:38:33And why did you leave Kurdistan?
0:38:33 > 0:38:36Every single night, people shooting,
0:38:36 > 0:38:37people...
0:38:37 > 0:38:40And people missing, people kidnappers...
0:38:40 > 0:38:42And that's why I come to here.
0:38:42 > 0:38:44And what about family?
0:38:44 > 0:38:46Have you got some, still, back home?
0:38:46 > 0:38:48Um...
0:38:48 > 0:38:51I have got some, but they are all different place.
0:38:51 > 0:38:54To be honest with you, I don't even know where are they.
0:38:54 > 0:38:56So they just all moved away?
0:38:56 > 0:38:58Yeah, moved away because there was war.
0:38:58 > 0:39:00And there is still war in Iraq.
0:39:00 > 0:39:04You know, I woke up at five o'clock in the morning for this.
0:39:04 > 0:39:06Excited?
0:39:06 > 0:39:08Exactly.
0:39:08 > 0:39:10Let's go and get the cows back in.
0:39:10 > 0:39:14There are smiles all round, and there is a happy atmosphere.
0:39:14 > 0:39:17Martin Simmons is from Suffolk Refugee Support,
0:39:17 > 0:39:19who organise the farm visits.
0:39:19 > 0:39:22Martin, are there a lot of refugees worldwide?
0:39:22 > 0:39:25Well, I think the latest UN figures suggest there are
0:39:25 > 0:39:29more than 60 million people displaced globally.
0:39:29 > 0:39:31That is the population of Britain.
0:39:31 > 0:39:33It is pretty much the population of Britain, yes.
0:39:33 > 0:39:35It is an incredible number,
0:39:35 > 0:39:38and I think the most since the Second World War, if not ever.
0:39:38 > 0:39:40Goodness me.
0:39:40 > 0:39:44When refugees arrive in the UK, they very often end up
0:39:44 > 0:39:47in urban centres, in big towns and cities,
0:39:47 > 0:39:49because that's where they're housed,
0:39:49 > 0:39:53that's where the support services are and the refugee communities are.
0:39:53 > 0:39:55So what does bringing them to the farm help them with?
0:39:55 > 0:39:57Just getting them into the great outdoors
0:39:57 > 0:40:00and putting a smile on their face, or is it more than that?
0:40:00 > 0:40:03I think that is the main thing they have been telling me,
0:40:03 > 0:40:07just how free they feel when they leave the town
0:40:07 > 0:40:11and all its hubbub and noise, and get out in the open air
0:40:11 > 0:40:16and, you know, see the horizon. Just that is therapeutic for them.
0:40:16 > 0:40:20People who have been through a lot of traumas and difficulties,
0:40:20 > 0:40:24it has a real positive, psychological benefit.
0:40:26 > 0:40:29Many of the refugees already have useful skills,
0:40:29 > 0:40:32but the farm offers them a chance to learn new ones.
0:40:33 > 0:40:36Ali was a truck driver in the oil industry
0:40:36 > 0:40:38back in his native Kurdistan.
0:40:38 > 0:40:42He has been learning how to handle a tractor.
0:40:42 > 0:40:45- Well done. Hi. I'm Adam.- All right?
0:40:45 > 0:40:47- Good driving.- Yeah. I'm a good driver, yeah.
0:40:47 > 0:40:49And do you like coming to the farm?
0:40:49 > 0:40:52Um... Definitely, I like it.
0:40:52 > 0:40:55I get fresh air,
0:40:55 > 0:40:58I am happier, really, with that,
0:40:58 > 0:41:00because I am in Ipswich...
0:41:00 > 0:41:04only I see the car, the noise and hum.
0:41:04 > 0:41:07There's houses... I came out,
0:41:07 > 0:41:11I feel really happy when I come outside, to this farm.
0:41:11 > 0:41:14Let's get this bale rolled out for this pig, shall we?
0:41:15 > 0:41:18- Ready?- Yeah.
0:41:24 > 0:41:26That's it.
0:41:27 > 0:41:30THEY LAUGH
0:41:31 > 0:41:32You OK?
0:41:34 > 0:41:35Yeah. He is happy.
0:41:37 > 0:41:41With 143 acres, Doeke has enough space to help allcomers,
0:41:41 > 0:41:44including vulnerable people from the local community,
0:41:44 > 0:41:48like Malcolm, who has dementia. It is busy in here.
0:41:48 > 0:41:51Yeah. As you can see, we are doing a lot with compost
0:41:51 > 0:41:55and just getting prepared for the new season.
0:41:55 > 0:41:58- We've got Malcolm here.- Hi, Malcolm. - Hello.- Good to meet you.
0:41:58 > 0:42:01- Pleased to meet you. - Shall I give you a hand here?- Yeah.
0:42:01 > 0:42:03- So what are you doing? - Putting the compost in pots
0:42:03 > 0:42:05- to sow some broad beans.- OK, lovely.
0:42:05 > 0:42:09- Hopefully we'll get a good crop during the spring time.- Yeah.
0:42:09 > 0:42:11And how long have you been coming here?
0:42:11 > 0:42:14- Six years.- Do you enjoy it? - Yeah, I like it.
0:42:14 > 0:42:17And what about these refugees that you're working with now?
0:42:17 > 0:42:20- What do you think about that? - A good idea.
0:42:20 > 0:42:23They have farms in their country, and that, you know,
0:42:23 > 0:42:27- that can bring them back to life, really.- Yeah.
0:42:27 > 0:42:31It's easy for people to say they shouldn't be here,
0:42:31 > 0:42:34but I don't think people live in the real world.
0:42:34 > 0:42:37They don't know what it is like to be in a war-torn country,
0:42:37 > 0:42:39and things like that.
0:42:39 > 0:42:41I think it is a good idea, a brilliant idea.
0:42:41 > 0:42:44So what do you think to Doeke? He's not bad, is he?
0:42:44 > 0:42:46He has his moments!
0:42:46 > 0:42:49He's Dutch, ain't he?!
0:42:49 > 0:42:50He's a good bloke, really.
0:42:50 > 0:42:52A smashing man.
0:42:52 > 0:42:55- Yeah.- Well, lovely to meet you. - Nice to meet you.
0:42:55 > 0:42:57I reckon it is going to be the best crop of beans
0:42:57 > 0:43:01you have ever had now, eh? Good luck with it all. Bye-bye.
0:43:01 > 0:43:03See you later, bye-bye.
0:43:03 > 0:43:05MALCOLM LAUGHS
0:43:05 > 0:43:08As the day on the farm comes to an end,
0:43:08 > 0:43:11Doeke has one last gesture for the refugees.
0:43:11 > 0:43:13So what's going on now, then, Doeke?
0:43:13 > 0:43:16We have got produce left over on the farm
0:43:16 > 0:43:20and we had some local people come this morning,
0:43:20 > 0:43:25bringing some books and clothing for the refugees to take back home.
0:43:25 > 0:43:27Wonderful.
0:43:27 > 0:43:29And I think, just on a personal level,
0:43:29 > 0:43:31it reminds me of stories from my mum
0:43:31 > 0:43:34where farmers and people in the countryside
0:43:34 > 0:43:36helped her and her family to survive,
0:43:36 > 0:43:39so I think this is just a gesture...
0:43:39 > 0:43:41- Very fitting, isn't it?- Very much.
0:43:41 > 0:43:44It is touching to see people doing this, yeah.
0:43:44 > 0:43:47And it is wonderful, the work you're doing. Long may it continue.
0:43:47 > 0:43:50Yeah, thank you and, yeah, we will.
0:43:50 > 0:43:54- Thanks very much. All the best. Bye-bye. Good luck.- Bye. Thank you.
0:44:02 > 0:44:06Today, Ellie and I are exploring Ashdown Forest.
0:44:08 > 0:44:10I'm visiting Twyford Farm,
0:44:10 > 0:44:13which sits on the edge of this striking landscape.
0:44:18 > 0:44:20Two years ago, farmers Bob Felton
0:44:20 > 0:44:23and Liz Wallis took on the ten-year tenancy here,
0:44:23 > 0:44:26and like many forward-thinking farmers,
0:44:26 > 0:44:28they are making big changes.
0:44:31 > 0:44:33But the big difference on this farm
0:44:33 > 0:44:38is the ethos that drives it forward, and that comes from the landlords.
0:44:40 > 0:44:43The Countryside Restoration Trust owns this farm,
0:44:43 > 0:44:47along with seven others and three smallholdings across England.
0:44:48 > 0:44:50Its founder and chairman is Robin Page.
0:44:53 > 0:44:56And if you're thinking you recognise him from somewhere,
0:44:56 > 0:44:58this might help jog your memory.
0:44:58 > 0:45:01MUSIC: One Man And His Dog theme
0:45:01 > 0:45:03Here we are, after eight weeks, the two finalists -
0:45:03 > 0:45:07Bute here, aged ten, and Nap here, aged nine.
0:45:08 > 0:45:11So, Robin, you started the Countryside Restoration Trust,
0:45:11 > 0:45:14- what, 23 years ago? - Yeah, 1993.
0:45:14 > 0:45:19We were fed up with wildlife disappearing from farmland.
0:45:19 > 0:45:21Right.
0:45:21 > 0:45:24We were fed up with farmland being ignored,
0:45:24 > 0:45:29fed up with people saying the future is national parks,
0:45:29 > 0:45:33and now we have got nearly 2,000 acres -
0:45:33 > 0:45:35eight farms, three smallholdings.
0:45:35 > 0:45:37So when you're talking about these farms
0:45:37 > 0:45:40and this acreage that you have, then,
0:45:40 > 0:45:43is that the Trust's, and then you invite people to work on that land?
0:45:43 > 0:45:45I mean, how does it actually work?
0:45:45 > 0:45:49Well, first of all, we started buying land,
0:45:49 > 0:45:52and land that had been industrially farmed,
0:45:52 > 0:45:54and we changed the system
0:45:54 > 0:45:59and we changed it to a mosaic of crops,
0:45:59 > 0:46:00with beetle banks
0:46:00 > 0:46:04and grass margins, and the key to it all is
0:46:04 > 0:46:07we want people working the land,
0:46:07 > 0:46:12we want them farming with wildlife-friendly farming,
0:46:12 > 0:46:17so that you can be on the fields, you can hear skylarks,
0:46:17 > 0:46:21you can see barn owls, you can have the brown hare...
0:46:21 > 0:46:26Farming and wildlife together, we think that is the future.
0:46:26 > 0:46:28Listen, I was going to ask about the relationship
0:46:28 > 0:46:31and how you then work with you farmers that are looking after
0:46:31 > 0:46:34your properties, but I think we'll have a word with Bob about that.
0:46:34 > 0:46:35Yeah.
0:46:39 > 0:46:41Now, then, Bob. How are things?
0:46:41 > 0:46:44- All right. Welcome to Twyford. - Thank you very much.
0:46:44 > 0:46:48How long have you been here on this wonderful property,
0:46:48 > 0:46:50and how did you end up with it, Bob?
0:46:50 > 0:46:53The property was put on the market for tender
0:46:53 > 0:46:55approximately two years ago.
0:46:55 > 0:46:58We liked the ethos of the Countryside Restoration Trust.
0:46:58 > 0:47:02I had been in intensive dairy most of my life...
0:47:02 > 0:47:07- Right, so you knew...- ..so the idea of backing off a bit appealed.
0:47:07 > 0:47:11Is it a lot more hard work for you to farm in this way?
0:47:11 > 0:47:13No, I wouldn't say it is a lot more hard work.
0:47:13 > 0:47:16- You have to think before you move. - Yeah.
0:47:16 > 0:47:20The landscape and the ground doesn't lend itself to real flat-out
0:47:20 > 0:47:23commercial production, and we don't want to do that now.
0:47:23 > 0:47:24Hopefully we are setting an example.
0:47:24 > 0:47:28I wouldn't be quite as bold to say we are, but we're trying.
0:47:28 > 0:47:30But you're passionate about what you're doing,
0:47:30 > 0:47:34- and it feels right for you.- It feels right and you have to be to do it,
0:47:34 > 0:47:36otherwise it doesn't work.
0:47:37 > 0:47:41Bob and Liz have started a range of Trust-endorsed schemes here.
0:47:41 > 0:47:44Right, that will do.
0:47:46 > 0:47:49Today, they are working on their latest project.
0:47:49 > 0:47:52With the help of some volunteers,
0:47:52 > 0:47:55they're planting a wildlife-friendly hedgerow.
0:48:01 > 0:48:03You've got 12 different species.
0:48:03 > 0:48:06Yeah. Don't ask me to list them all!
0:48:06 > 0:48:09Yeah, but the ultimate goal obviously being...
0:48:09 > 0:48:13To provide seeds and habitat for birds and other wildlife.
0:48:13 > 0:48:16It is going to be quite something, though, isn't it,
0:48:16 > 0:48:20- in ten years' time, with that kind of variety?- We hope so.- Yes.
0:48:32 > 0:48:36So when you finish planting this hedge, what's next on the job list?
0:48:36 > 0:48:40- We're taking up the commoner's rights and putting some cattle on the forest.- Right.
0:48:40 > 0:48:43So doing your bit for the lowland heathland
0:48:43 > 0:48:46- that is so precious around here? - Absolutely.
0:48:46 > 0:48:49It all ties in with the Trust and the forest and everything else.
0:48:49 > 0:48:52Yeah. So the future seems bright for the farm,
0:48:52 > 0:48:54for the forest and for the wildlife.
0:48:59 > 0:49:02BIRDSONG
0:49:02 > 0:49:04We've been exploring Sussex.
0:49:04 > 0:49:06Now I am heading to Ashdown Forest
0:49:06 > 0:49:09in search of its literary claim to fame.
0:49:16 > 0:49:19Sitting on the sandy ridge of the High Weald, Ashdown Forest
0:49:19 > 0:49:23with its wide vistas and wooded walks is a stunning setting.
0:49:25 > 0:49:27But it also has an enchanting quality,
0:49:27 > 0:49:30because this beautiful place goes by another name,
0:49:30 > 0:49:32the Hundred Acre Wood.
0:49:34 > 0:49:38It was the real-life inspiration for the adventures
0:49:38 > 0:49:42of one of the world's most famous bears, Winnie-The-Pooh.
0:49:42 > 0:49:46These woods were home to Pooh, Eeyore, Piglet and Tigger,
0:49:46 > 0:49:48and it was here that they played
0:49:48 > 0:49:52with a little boy called Christopher Robin.
0:49:54 > 0:49:56"Through copse and spinney marched Bear,
0:49:56 > 0:50:00"down open slopes of gorse and heather,
0:50:00 > 0:50:03"over rocky beds of streams,
0:50:03 > 0:50:07"up steep back banks of sandstone into heather again,
0:50:07 > 0:50:12"and so, at last, tired and hungry, to the Hundred Acre Wood."
0:50:16 > 0:50:18Now I am hoping to find the places
0:50:18 > 0:50:21where those adventures really happened.
0:50:23 > 0:50:27Written by AA Milne for his son Christopher Robin, Winnie-The-Pooh
0:50:27 > 0:50:31is a series of stories about the magical forest adventures
0:50:31 > 0:50:34of a young boy and his imaginary animal friends.
0:50:34 > 0:50:39This year is the 90th anniversary of the day that Pooh, Piglet
0:50:39 > 0:50:42and their friends stumbled into our lives.
0:50:42 > 0:50:44But with just this map to guide me,
0:50:44 > 0:50:47it's not easy to find my way around.
0:50:47 > 0:50:50Where is the enchanted place?
0:50:52 > 0:50:56Luckily, Chris Sutton, the forest ranger responsible for looking after
0:50:56 > 0:50:59the real Hundred Acre Wood is on hand to guide me.
0:50:59 > 0:51:03Chris, do you get many people coming here looking for Winnie-The-Pooh?
0:51:03 > 0:51:06Oh, yes. You get families with their children coming up
0:51:06 > 0:51:07and they love it and you can say,
0:51:07 > 0:51:11- "I've just seen Tigger bouncing away into the undergrowth."- Aw, great.
0:51:11 > 0:51:14How do you think the landscape has changed since the time of AA Milne,
0:51:14 > 0:51:17when he was here getting inspiration for the stories?
0:51:17 > 0:51:19The vegetation has got a lot taller,
0:51:19 > 0:51:22because there would have been a lot of grazing out here
0:51:22 > 0:51:24from the commoners' animals,
0:51:24 > 0:51:27but he would recognise the features that are here.
0:51:27 > 0:51:30All these features here on the map in the book,
0:51:30 > 0:51:32how have you managed to identify them?
0:51:32 > 0:51:36I found the ones which are on the top of the forest that are obvious,
0:51:36 > 0:51:39and then, some of the others, I had used a bit of poetic licence.
0:51:39 > 0:51:41But then, AA Milne would have done the same.
0:51:41 > 0:51:44He would have seen the features and drawn the stories around them.
0:51:44 > 0:51:46Excellent. What's the closest one to where we are now?
0:51:46 > 0:51:50- The heffalump trap, which is just round here.- Oh, right, let's take a look at that.
0:51:50 > 0:51:55Oh, yeah. You can actually really tell where that big tree is placed,
0:51:55 > 0:51:57and the big hole in the ground.
0:51:57 > 0:52:00Catch those pesky heffalumps, trying to eat Pooh's honey.
0:52:00 > 0:52:03- It was good.- What else have you got near here, then?
0:52:03 > 0:52:05We have got the sandy pit where Roo played,
0:52:05 > 0:52:08- and it is just back up the track. - Lovely. Let's take a look.- OK.
0:52:13 > 0:52:15- It's a big sandpit. - Oh, it's fantastic.
0:52:15 > 0:52:17It is where Roo would have played.
0:52:17 > 0:52:19It would have been sandy 90 years ago,
0:52:19 > 0:52:22but it is overgrown now because it is an old quarry site.
0:52:22 > 0:52:25I'm looking for the enchanted place. Can you tell me where to find it?
0:52:25 > 0:52:27Yes, it's back up the track, up to the top of the trees,
0:52:27 > 0:52:30and then you turn left and it's right on top of the forest,
0:52:30 > 0:52:32a lovely clump of trees.
0:52:37 > 0:52:38Ah!
0:52:40 > 0:52:42Could this be it?
0:52:43 > 0:52:46It's a circle of trees.
0:52:46 > 0:52:5263, could be 64 of them, and I could comfortably sit down, no prickles.
0:52:52 > 0:52:54CHILDREN GIGGLE
0:52:54 > 0:52:56And I can hear children,
0:52:56 > 0:52:59so this MUST be the enchanted place.
0:52:59 > 0:53:02"I think we all ought to play pooh sticks,
0:53:02 > 0:53:05"so they did, and Eeyore,
0:53:05 > 0:53:10"who had never played it before, won more times than anybody else.
0:53:10 > 0:53:12"And Roo fell in twice,
0:53:12 > 0:53:16"the first time by accident and the second time on purpose.
0:53:16 > 0:53:19"And he knew he'd have to go to bed anyhow."
0:53:19 > 0:53:21Aw, that's lovely.
0:53:21 > 0:53:24What is it about the stories, do you think, that captivates the children?
0:53:24 > 0:53:27I think it's just really magical
0:53:27 > 0:53:29and I think because parents have grown up with it,
0:53:29 > 0:53:30and the children,
0:53:30 > 0:53:33it's a very familiar thing, especially around here,
0:53:33 > 0:53:36because we are on the doorstep of the Hundred Acre Wood
0:53:36 > 0:53:40and we are really lucky, we can come up here, we can
0:53:40 > 0:53:43go for lovely walks, it gets children outside in the fresh air.
0:53:43 > 0:53:47- Does anybody know the game pooh sticks?- CHILDREN: Yes!
0:53:47 > 0:53:50- Yes? Does anybody want to play pooh sticks?- CHILDREN: Yes!
0:53:50 > 0:53:53- Shall we go and warm up and do it? - CHILDREN: Yes!
0:53:53 > 0:53:54All right, let's do it.
0:53:54 > 0:53:56We need some sticks on the way, don't we?
0:53:56 > 0:53:58Look out for the best sticks.
0:53:58 > 0:54:00"So they went off together,
0:54:00 > 0:54:04"but wherever they go and whatever happens to them on the way,
0:54:04 > 0:54:08"in that enchanted place on top of the forest,
0:54:08 > 0:54:12"a little boy and his bear will always be playing."
0:54:12 > 0:54:17- Hello!- I've got world champions. - Well, it is lovely to see you all,
0:54:17 > 0:54:19because that is all we have got time for this week.
0:54:19 > 0:54:22Next week, we'll be in the three counties of Herefordshire,
0:54:22 > 0:54:24Gloucestershire and Worcestershire,
0:54:24 > 0:54:26where I'll be learning local traditional skills.
0:54:26 > 0:54:29I'll be exploring the ultimate in wildlife gardens. We'll see you then.
0:54:29 > 0:54:32- Everybody ready?- This is it. Come on, team, here we go!
0:54:32 > 0:54:34And go!
0:54:34 > 0:54:36Oh...
0:54:36 > 0:54:39Let's find out who's going to be the winner.
0:54:39 > 0:54:42- Oh!- There it is!