0:00:25 > 0:00:28Yorkshire and the mighty Humber.
0:00:28 > 0:00:33A dynamic landscape where vast skies take in views across low-lying
0:00:33 > 0:00:36countryside and a dramatic coastline.
0:00:38 > 0:00:42Out here in the Humber Estuary when the tide retreats, it reveals
0:00:42 > 0:00:47this - a vast expanse of saltmarsh and mudflats.
0:00:47 > 0:00:50Beneath is a banquet for the thousands of wading birds
0:00:50 > 0:00:53that flock here, but to make sure there's enough food for them,
0:00:53 > 0:00:58the marsh has to be managed and that is where these girls come in.
0:00:58 > 0:01:01So I'm going to be finding out about a new project that's bringing
0:01:01 > 0:01:03together farming and conservation.
0:01:03 > 0:01:08It's not just the coastline that's a rich breeding ground for wildlife.
0:01:08 > 0:01:12It can also be found in the most unlikely of places.
0:01:12 > 0:01:16This is MoD Leconfield and it's where every soldier in the UK comes
0:01:16 > 0:01:19to learn how to drive military vehicles of all shapes and sizes.
0:01:19 > 0:01:21But hidden away between the trucks
0:01:21 > 0:01:23and the hangars is a small army of volunteers
0:01:23 > 0:01:27doing their bit for wildlife and I'm here to lend them a hand.
0:01:27 > 0:01:29And obviously have a good nosy around, as well!
0:01:29 > 0:01:33'Tom's investigating the dramatic decline of some of our most
0:01:33 > 0:01:35'important plants.'
0:01:35 > 0:01:40British wild flowers used to be everywhere, but in the last
0:01:40 > 0:01:4470 years, many species and habitats have disappeared.
0:01:44 > 0:01:47Though now, they're fighting back in the strangest of places.
0:01:50 > 0:01:54'Meanwhile, Adam's going on a shopping trip.'
0:01:54 > 0:01:58A few years ago, I travelled out to Australia and saw some magnificent
0:01:58 > 0:02:01herds of Hereford cattle and when I came home,
0:02:01 > 0:02:05I had a dream that one day I'd be able to buy a herd of my own.
0:02:05 > 0:02:08And today, that dream might come true.
0:02:08 > 0:02:10Well, nearly.
0:02:23 > 0:02:25'The open-skied landscape of the Humber
0:02:25 > 0:02:28'on the east coast of Yorkshire is a bird's paradise.
0:02:32 > 0:02:35'Its lush pastoral countryside takes in the Rivers Ouse
0:02:35 > 0:02:39'and Trent as they flood into the North Sea.
0:02:39 > 0:02:42'For centuries, people here have been defending
0:02:42 > 0:02:45'the flatlands against an encroaching tide.'
0:02:54 > 0:02:58And now it's home to another form of defence.
0:02:58 > 0:03:02This is MoD Leconfield, the UK's only defence school of transport
0:03:02 > 0:03:05and it's where every military driver must come to train before they
0:03:05 > 0:03:07head off for active service.
0:03:19 > 0:03:22Lying deep within the Humber countryside,
0:03:22 > 0:03:26the MoD's taken advantage of this secluded and malleable
0:03:26 > 0:03:30landscape to carve out a playground for vehicles big and small.
0:03:30 > 0:03:33There are 1,300 on site of all shapes and sizes
0:03:33 > 0:03:37and it's Commandant Colonel Rob Peacock's job to look after them.
0:03:38 > 0:03:41So, Rob, what exactly goes on here?
0:03:41 > 0:03:43This is where we take everyone from across defence,
0:03:43 > 0:03:45young soldiers, airmen, Royal Marines,
0:03:45 > 0:03:49and we teach them everything they need to know about military driving.
0:03:49 > 0:03:52You've got all sorts of vehicles, all shapes and sizes and a lot of them.
0:03:52 > 0:03:56People come here aged 17, 18, might not even have a car licence,
0:03:56 > 0:04:00so we take them through the car licence, the early stages of getting
0:04:00 > 0:04:03a truck licence, truck and trailer licence, but then the serious
0:04:03 > 0:04:06business is we put them onto the military vehicles.
0:04:06 > 0:04:10They learn on the MAN trucks, DROPS truck is the old stuff.
0:04:10 > 0:04:14We've got the sort of Oshkosh fuel tankers over there.
0:04:14 > 0:04:18The point is, they've got to learn to drive in all conditions, day and
0:04:18 > 0:04:21night, all sorts of terrain because they need to do this on operations.
0:04:21 > 0:04:24The driving part of it is almost the easy bit.
0:04:24 > 0:04:27We need to teach them to be soldiers on the battlefield,
0:04:27 > 0:04:29it's just that they have to drive vehicles.
0:04:29 > 0:04:32'The reality of what these recruits are training for was brought
0:04:32 > 0:04:36'home just a few weeks ago when a Mastiff, the MoD's most
0:04:36 > 0:04:38'armoured wheeled vehicle was hit by a roadside
0:04:38 > 0:04:40'bomb in Afghanistan.'
0:04:40 > 0:04:43I feel very sorry for the families at the moment.
0:04:43 > 0:04:47We really shouldn't forget how tragic it is for them.
0:04:47 > 0:04:48But we do our very best to train them
0:04:48 > 0:04:52in these vehicles in every condition we can think of.
0:04:52 > 0:04:55Trying to replicate as closely as possible what's going to
0:04:55 > 0:04:57happen to them in Afghanistan.
0:04:57 > 0:05:00And we need to wait and see what we can learn from that and see
0:05:00 > 0:05:04if there's any tiny improvements we can make on the driving side of it.
0:05:04 > 0:05:07'Tens of thousands of soldiers have come through here in the past
0:05:07 > 0:05:12'five years. Jason Figgett's been a DST instructor since 2006.
0:05:12 > 0:05:14'After 15 years as a tank commander,
0:05:14 > 0:05:19'he's now passing on his wisdom to the next generation.
0:05:19 > 0:05:22'And today, it's my turn in the hot-seat.
0:05:22 > 0:05:25'Not in an armoured vehicle, but in our 4X4.'
0:05:25 > 0:05:27Let's hope she's up to the job.
0:05:32 > 0:05:36'It's not about speed, you know. It's all about control.'
0:05:38 > 0:05:41OK, all we're going to do now then is come out of this area here,
0:05:41 > 0:05:43just carry on, follow the truck.
0:05:43 > 0:05:46So this is meant to recreate surroundings
0:05:46 > 0:05:52and terrain that you will come across in a military environment.
0:05:52 > 0:05:57Yeah, it is. Yeah. We actually bring all sorts of vehicles on here.
0:05:57 > 0:05:59The Mastiff, the Foxhound,
0:05:59 > 0:06:04but also our LGVs, our normal military trucks.
0:06:04 > 0:06:06- Just watch these dips.- Yeah.
0:06:13 > 0:06:14- Yeah.- OK.
0:06:14 > 0:06:17What we're going to do now is accelerate and as you're going
0:06:17 > 0:06:20over the brow of the hill, I want you to release the accelerator,
0:06:20 > 0:06:22as you go over the tipping point.
0:06:22 > 0:06:25If you don't, you'll end up going back the way you've just come up.
0:06:25 > 0:06:27If you don't do it as we're on the descent,
0:06:27 > 0:06:30- you'll end up balancing on top. - OK.
0:06:33 > 0:06:37OK, foot off the accelerator. Well done.
0:06:37 > 0:06:41- Woo!- Did you like that? - Yeah, I liked that.- Good, good.
0:06:43 > 0:06:47- That'll do you nicely. Nice and gentle.- Yeah.- So start to turn now.
0:06:47 > 0:06:48- Yeah.- Turn now.- Yeah.
0:06:48 > 0:06:52- Turn now.- Straight. - Keep it nice and straight.- Yeah.
0:06:53 > 0:06:57- There we go.- OK.- Cushty. - And we're going to go right again.
0:06:57 > 0:07:01So this is very real training, but it's very real training for the
0:07:01 > 0:07:06kind of terrain that you will face at some stage in your military career.
0:07:06 > 0:07:09Yeah, we're now putting them into a cross-country environment,
0:07:09 > 0:07:12which can simulate all the different types of conditions that they
0:07:12 > 0:07:15could come up against, especially on operational tours.
0:07:15 > 0:07:18So with the kind of obstacles that they have got here,
0:07:18 > 0:07:21at least they're getting experience prior to going into operations.
0:07:21 > 0:07:24So you've experienced this environment in places like
0:07:24 > 0:07:28Iraq, Afghanistan, and all over the world and it's real, it makes sense.
0:07:28 > 0:07:32Yeah, especially with the urban village that we now have here.
0:07:32 > 0:07:35Driving in built-in areas,
0:07:35 > 0:07:39what you're constantly looking at is how you can escape, especially
0:07:39 > 0:07:43if you're ambushed and the urban village here simulates that.
0:07:43 > 0:07:45And there we go.
0:07:45 > 0:07:48Jason, I really enjoyed that. How did I do?
0:07:48 > 0:07:51I've really enjoyed being with you. Very good!
0:07:53 > 0:07:56'Driving aside, there's more to Leconfield than meets the eye.
0:07:56 > 0:08:01'Later, I'll be joining some soldiers doing their bit for conservation.
0:08:01 > 0:08:03'But first, wild flowers.
0:08:03 > 0:08:06'Once a common sight in the British landscape,
0:08:06 > 0:08:08'they've now become something of a rarity.
0:08:08 > 0:08:10Tom's finding out why.'
0:08:16 > 0:08:19After a bleak start to the year,
0:08:19 > 0:08:22life is now returning to the countryside.
0:08:22 > 0:08:24Our beautiful wild flowers are being slowly
0:08:24 > 0:08:27coaxed from their winter slumber.
0:08:27 > 0:08:30But the colourful jewels that once blanketed our landscape
0:08:30 > 0:08:32are fading fast.
0:08:32 > 0:08:36Wild flowers native to the UK have endured a steep decline over
0:08:36 > 0:08:40the last 70 years and that means not only the loss of the flowers
0:08:40 > 0:08:44themselves, but also habitats for animals and insects.
0:08:46 > 0:08:48This is by no means a new problem.
0:08:48 > 0:08:51In fact, it started during the Second World War.
0:08:51 > 0:08:54With chronic food shortages and rationing,
0:08:54 > 0:08:57farmers were asked to produce more food for the nation
0:08:57 > 0:09:01and growing more food meant using more land.
0:09:01 > 0:09:06We've all dined out on the success of agriculture since the war,
0:09:06 > 0:09:09but our need for food has drastically reduced
0:09:09 > 0:09:13the amount of green space left for wild flowers to grow.
0:09:13 > 0:09:14In England alone,
0:09:14 > 0:09:18we've lost an astonishing three million acres of wild flower
0:09:18 > 0:09:23meadows, taking some colour from our landscape and upsetting
0:09:23 > 0:09:28a food chain that supports a huge variety of plants and animals.
0:09:28 > 0:09:32And it's not just the amount of farmland that's had an impact -
0:09:32 > 0:09:34it's the way we farm too.
0:09:34 > 0:09:37Here at the Millennium Seed Bank, it's Ted Chapman's job to
0:09:37 > 0:09:41preserve the wild flowers we have for the future.
0:09:41 > 0:09:43This is a wet meadow or fen,
0:09:43 > 0:09:46- looking pretty glorious at this time of year.- Looks lovely.
0:09:46 > 0:09:49So farming's been getting a lot of the blame,
0:09:49 > 0:09:51but how does that actually work?
0:09:51 > 0:09:54Well, I think probably the key culprits there are modern
0:09:54 > 0:09:57fertilisers and herbicides, which favours the grass
0:09:57 > 0:10:00but it certainly doesn't favour the wild flowers.
0:10:00 > 0:10:02And how bad is the loss?
0:10:02 > 0:10:05It's been pretty catastrophic, to be frank.
0:10:05 > 0:10:09We've lost 97% of our species-rich wild flower meadows,
0:10:09 > 0:10:11since the Second World War.
0:10:11 > 0:10:15It's probably slowed a little now, but we really need to work hard to
0:10:15 > 0:10:18prevent that further deterioration and reverse that decline.
0:10:19 > 0:10:22The statistics are pretty stark.
0:10:22 > 0:10:25Of around 1,400 wild plants in Britain,
0:10:25 > 0:10:2945 are classed as critically endangered.
0:10:29 > 0:10:36101 species are endangered and 307 species are listed as vulnerable.
0:10:36 > 0:10:40That means about a third of our wild plants
0:10:40 > 0:10:43are edging towards extinction.
0:10:46 > 0:10:48Feels like the Secret Garden!
0:10:49 > 0:10:52'Behind the scenes, Ted and his colleagues are going to
0:10:52 > 0:10:57'extraordinary lengths to stop our wild flowers disappearing forever.'
0:10:57 > 0:11:00By the look of it, we've got a mixture of the quite rampant
0:11:00 > 0:11:05- and the very rare here.- Yeah. We've got some spring beauties here.
0:11:05 > 0:11:06You started with the cowslip.
0:11:06 > 0:11:09This will be reasonably familiar to many people.
0:11:09 > 0:11:12It's declining but it's not too endangered yet.
0:11:12 > 0:11:16Really important food plant for butterflies. So we mustn't lose it.
0:11:16 > 0:11:20Next, we've got this lovely plant. This is the pasque flower.
0:11:20 > 0:11:24Really associated with old undisturbed chalky grassland.
0:11:24 > 0:11:27And it's just become so rare, so fragmented,
0:11:27 > 0:11:29you'd be very lucky to see it in the wild.
0:11:29 > 0:11:32And finally, tell me about this one.
0:11:32 > 0:11:33This is a favourite of mine.
0:11:33 > 0:11:36This is the spiked rampion, the Rapunzel flower.
0:11:36 > 0:11:40- And this is a very rare species. - Great name - Rapunzel flower.
0:11:40 > 0:11:43When you say "very rare", what do you mean?
0:11:43 > 0:11:46There are less than 300 of these surviving in the wild, we think.
0:11:46 > 0:11:50- Less than 300 plants?- Less than 300 plants in the wild.- That's tiny!
0:11:50 > 0:11:53And the fact that there are such small numbers means it's in real
0:11:53 > 0:11:59danger of becoming extinct in the UK unless we act fast to save it.
0:11:59 > 0:12:04'Bringing each new seedling to life is a delicate operation.
0:12:04 > 0:12:07'And Ted's trusting me to pot one.'
0:12:07 > 0:12:09I feel quite a responsibility
0:12:09 > 0:12:11if there are only 300 of these in the wild.
0:12:11 > 0:12:14There are 50 in there. I think I got that one OK.
0:12:16 > 0:12:19'The work they're doing at the Millennium Seed Bank is vital,
0:12:19 > 0:12:23'not just for preserving rare and endangered species of wild
0:12:23 > 0:12:27'flowers, but to ensure the future of the creatures that rely on them.'
0:12:27 > 0:12:31Those wild flowers are the basis of the ecosystem.
0:12:31 > 0:12:34'Pete Burgess is a conservation manager for the Wildlife Trust,
0:12:34 > 0:12:36'here in Devon.'
0:12:36 > 0:12:39We've seen big reductions in the abundance of some
0:12:39 > 0:12:43of our butterflies, over the past 50 years,
0:12:43 > 0:12:46real significant loss of greater horseshoe bat populations
0:12:46 > 0:12:49and they rely on all of those insects
0:12:49 > 0:12:52which are coming from all of those pastures.
0:12:52 > 0:12:55'For Pete, there's no question - the decline in insects and even
0:12:55 > 0:13:00'other larger animals is linked to the disappearance of wild flowers.
0:13:00 > 0:13:03'But though many see farming as part of the problem,
0:13:03 > 0:13:06'he thinks it's also a vital part of the solution.'
0:13:06 > 0:13:10It's crucial that this area is farmed.
0:13:10 > 0:13:14We've got to maintain that balance between the biodiversity
0:13:14 > 0:13:16and the production side of things.
0:13:16 > 0:13:19It's essential that we get that balance absolutely right.
0:13:19 > 0:13:22Too little and this site would revert back to something
0:13:22 > 0:13:25- that's less wildlife ripped.- You don't want to let it go back
0:13:25 > 0:13:28to nature. That's not necessarily good for wild flowers.
0:13:28 > 0:13:33No, we're reliant on agriculture to maintain what are cultural
0:13:33 > 0:13:37- habitats.- It's quite a subtle balance.- It is. Absolutely.
0:13:37 > 0:13:41You've got to get that level just right in these sorts of areas.
0:13:41 > 0:13:43If you let this go without any farming,
0:13:43 > 0:13:46the bracken would dominate first, then trees would come up.
0:13:46 > 0:13:49Bracken would be the first thing that would really invade.
0:13:49 > 0:13:51The bracken would create this dense litter layer
0:13:51 > 0:13:54and all of those really rich wild flowers just wouldn't be able
0:13:54 > 0:13:56to get through that bracken layer.
0:13:56 > 0:13:59So we've got to cherish the farming and cherish the flowers as well.
0:13:59 > 0:14:03Absolutely. It's getting that balance perfectly right.
0:14:03 > 0:14:07'But relying on changes to farming methods won't be enough.'
0:14:07 > 0:14:11Our wild flowers and the animals that feed on them
0:14:11 > 0:14:16have endured a quiet catastrophe, so what can we do to help?
0:14:16 > 0:14:19Later on, I'll be on the road to find out.
0:14:32 > 0:14:37I'm on the Outer Humber, where the estuary meets the North Sea.
0:14:37 > 0:14:41This unique salty landscape is being given over to farming
0:14:41 > 0:14:44and I'm finding out how farming is giving back.
0:14:46 > 0:14:50This is a place both ravaged and nourished by the waves.
0:14:50 > 0:14:54The Holderness coast, which stretches to the north,
0:14:54 > 0:14:57is the fastest eroding coastline in Europe.
0:14:57 > 0:15:00But while the cliffs lose out to the sea,
0:15:00 > 0:15:03the estuary has something to gain from all of this erosion.
0:15:03 > 0:15:06Sea water ladened with sediments from the cliffs is
0:15:06 > 0:15:09deposited on the banks of the Humber,
0:15:09 > 0:15:14creating one of the most fertile and richest breeding grounds in Britain.
0:15:14 > 0:15:15Saltmarsh.
0:15:20 > 0:15:24I'm meeting Andrew Gibson from the Yorkshire Wildlife Trust.
0:15:24 > 0:15:27He's heading up an innovative project that hopes to
0:15:27 > 0:15:29conserve the Welwick saltmarsh.
0:15:31 > 0:15:34Saltmarshes are a special habitat. It's a unique habitat,
0:15:34 > 0:15:39it needs that twice daily saline water to push over and onto it
0:15:39 > 0:15:44to maintain these succulent species that we see at our feet.
0:15:44 > 0:15:48And so often, this is the type of habitat that is reclaimed.
0:15:48 > 0:15:52We reclaim it for ports, for farmland, and it's being lost
0:15:52 > 0:15:56in Britain and here we have a large expanse of it, but it's changing.
0:15:56 > 0:15:58Let's have a look around our feet
0:15:58 > 0:16:01and see what it is that the birds are coming here for.
0:16:01 > 0:16:05The plants that we have here are sea lavender, you have arrowgrass
0:16:05 > 0:16:09and then you go onto these domes of frescura, saltmarsh grass.
0:16:09 > 0:16:12You can see the really special bit is there's only
0:16:12 > 0:16:15a couple of centimetres difference in this height
0:16:15 > 0:16:18and yet that changes the mosaic of the species in there.
0:16:18 > 0:16:21And with that, changes the mosaic of insects that are in there.
0:16:21 > 0:16:25- And the birds that feed on those insects.- A lot going on then.
0:16:25 > 0:16:26A hell of a lot going on, yes.
0:16:28 > 0:16:30But this is a changing landscape.
0:16:30 > 0:16:34Human attempts to drain the land and reclaim it for farming has
0:16:34 > 0:16:36altered the dynamics of the saltmarsh.
0:16:36 > 0:16:38Taller grasses now dominate,
0:16:38 > 0:16:42choking out some of the important shorter species.
0:16:42 > 0:16:47What we have is this large expanse of land. How do you manage this?
0:16:47 > 0:16:50How do you bring about positive change for wildlife?
0:16:50 > 0:16:53You could do it with mechanical means,
0:16:53 > 0:16:55you could do it with volunteers.
0:16:55 > 0:16:58Often the Wildlife Trust uses lots of volunteers.
0:16:58 > 0:17:01But to make it sustainable, you need grazing animals.
0:17:01 > 0:17:04And what better way than having farming grazing animals
0:17:04 > 0:17:08and involving the community that live on its boundary?
0:17:10 > 0:17:13Andrew was keen that involvement included the next
0:17:13 > 0:17:16generation of farmers. He had the sheep,
0:17:16 > 0:17:19all he needed was a local young farmer to shepherd them.
0:17:22 > 0:17:24That's where Jack Johnson comes in.
0:17:27 > 0:17:29Farming's in his blood.
0:17:29 > 0:17:33He grew up helping his dad Charlie out on the family sheep farm,
0:17:33 > 0:17:35started up by his great-grandfather,
0:17:35 > 0:17:39a stone's throw from the saltmarshes of the Humber Estuary.
0:17:39 > 0:17:41Now then, lads. How are we doing?
0:17:41 > 0:17:43Good to see you, Jack. Hello, Charlie. How's everything?
0:17:43 > 0:17:45Good, thank you.
0:17:45 > 0:17:48'The Yorkshire Wildlife Trust has loaned Jack and Charlie
0:17:48 > 0:17:51'an area of the saltmarsh, along with a flock of sheep.
0:17:51 > 0:17:55'It's 17-year-old Jack's responsibility to look after them.'
0:17:55 > 0:17:59Do you have your own set of traffic lights? Now, that's something!
0:17:59 > 0:18:01That is amazing!
0:18:03 > 0:18:07And so this is the first time in the history of your family that
0:18:07 > 0:18:13- you've grazed sheep down on this marsh.- Yeah, it is.
0:18:13 > 0:18:17- Did you feel a big weight of responsibility there?- Kind of, yeah.
0:18:17 > 0:18:20And these sheep are all registered to you, they are your flock,
0:18:20 > 0:18:22- as such.- Yeah, they are.
0:18:22 > 0:18:24So your dad's basically given you this responsibility.
0:18:24 > 0:18:27He can look after the sheep up there, nice and easy on the
0:18:27 > 0:18:32fresh pasture up there, and then you get the challenges of the saltmarsh.
0:18:32 > 0:18:33Yeah!
0:18:33 > 0:18:35I know how it works, Charlie!
0:18:35 > 0:18:38THEY LAUGH
0:18:42 > 0:18:45With the average age of farmers at 58,
0:18:45 > 0:18:50a project like this is invaluable in giving young people an opportunity.
0:18:50 > 0:18:53Well, the first thing to do really is just to keep an eye out,
0:18:53 > 0:18:57see whether any sheep have fallen or are stuck or anything like that.
0:18:57 > 0:19:01Then second thing is try getting them in the pen over there.
0:19:01 > 0:19:04'Jack's been given 35 ewes to graze the saltmarsh,
0:19:04 > 0:19:06'which after five years, he'll have to give back.'
0:19:06 > 0:19:09Come on, you've got your lambs, don't worry.
0:19:11 > 0:19:14'The cost of the upkeep falls to Jack and his dad, but any
0:19:14 > 0:19:17'money they make from selling lambs for meat is theirs to keep.'
0:19:19 > 0:19:22Basically, so we don't trample too much over the saltmarsh
0:19:22 > 0:19:26and disturb any of the birds that may be in there, we just
0:19:26 > 0:19:30slowly walk to the edge so the sheep funnel down through this gateway.
0:19:30 > 0:19:34Now we pop them up there and into the corral.
0:19:34 > 0:19:36Lie down, lie down!
0:19:37 > 0:19:41Did you um and ah quite a bit with the breed here cos obviously
0:19:41 > 0:19:45you're not experienced in the world of grazing a saltmarsh?
0:19:45 > 0:19:47Why go for mules?
0:19:47 > 0:19:51We tried getting a mixture between a butcher's lamb and something that
0:19:51 > 0:19:56would survive out here, but also it's quite good for producing meat.
0:19:56 > 0:20:00So you as farmers are happy and also then on the conservation side,
0:20:00 > 0:20:04they must be pleased. We've seen where they've been nibbling.
0:20:04 > 0:20:06Yeah, I mean, them
0:20:06 > 0:20:10being out there is to make it habitable for wildlife so it's
0:20:10 > 0:20:13two balances, between the butcher's lamb and the wildlife.
0:20:13 > 0:20:17'At this time of year, the marsh is a busy stop-off point
0:20:17 > 0:20:19'for a whole host of migrating birds,
0:20:19 > 0:20:22'and an important breeding ground for many species,
0:20:22 > 0:20:25'like roe deer and redshank.'
0:20:25 > 0:20:27We've seen a lot more birds coming in in wintertime,
0:20:27 > 0:20:30especially down where it's been nagged down at that far end,
0:20:30 > 0:20:33and then hopefully they're going to keep on coming here.
0:20:33 > 0:20:35'If all goes to plan,
0:20:35 > 0:20:38'farming will help enrich this environment for flora and fauna,
0:20:38 > 0:20:40'and Jack and Charlie will benefit, too,
0:20:40 > 0:20:43'from sales of their tasty lamb.'
0:20:43 > 0:20:46So, have you tried saltmarsh lamb?
0:20:46 > 0:20:49- Er... No, not yet!- No?!
0:20:49 > 0:20:52- Have you, Charlie?- No!- No! - First year, so no.
0:20:52 > 0:20:55- This is exciting stuff, then! - It'll be on the shelves before long.
0:20:55 > 0:20:58- Which one's going on the table? - Pick one!
0:20:58 > 0:21:01- Pick one, we'll all get some lunch. - Pick a big one.
0:21:01 > 0:21:04'There's no substitute for hands-on experience like this,
0:21:04 > 0:21:07'and it's great to see Jack's making the most of it.
0:21:07 > 0:21:09'He's not only finding out
0:21:09 > 0:21:12'what comes with the responsibility of owning your own livestock,
0:21:12 > 0:21:15'but he's helping to preserve this unique habitat
0:21:15 > 0:21:17'for generations to come.
0:21:17 > 0:21:19'Later, I'll be meeting young female farmers
0:21:19 > 0:21:23'hoping to make their mark in the farming world.'
0:21:28 > 0:21:31'Here at MoD Leconfield, I've been experiencing
0:21:31 > 0:21:34'the rough-and-tumble of a military driver's training.
0:21:34 > 0:21:37'But there's a whole lot more going on in this part of East Yorkshire
0:21:37 > 0:21:39'than first meets the eye.'
0:21:39 > 0:21:42This site has been owned by the military since 1937.
0:21:42 > 0:21:46There are 16 miles of off-road routes and 1,300 vehicles.
0:21:46 > 0:21:50Last year, 18,000 soldiers trained here.
0:21:50 > 0:21:52But they're not the only ones passing through.
0:21:56 > 0:22:00'Birds, thousands of them, love this not-so-tranquil paradise,
0:22:00 > 0:22:04'and it's the job of MoD conservation officer Alan Bakewell
0:22:04 > 0:22:06'to look out for them.'
0:22:07 > 0:22:10Alan, why is this such a cracking place for wildlife,
0:22:10 > 0:22:13because it's slightly unexpected?
0:22:13 > 0:22:16It's the same as a lot of MoD sites.
0:22:16 > 0:22:18Because of the nature of our business,
0:22:18 > 0:22:22they tend to be in sort of wild, secluded places.
0:22:22 > 0:22:26This used to be an old World War II airfield,
0:22:26 > 0:22:30and because of the fact it has been in Defence ownership for so long,
0:22:30 > 0:22:34it hasn't had all of the agrochemicals and pesticides.
0:22:34 > 0:22:37It's about as near to organic East Yorkshire as you're going to get.
0:22:37 > 0:22:41So it's such a natural environment, that's why the wildlife flocks here?
0:22:41 > 0:22:42'Yes, that's right.
0:22:42 > 0:22:45'We never know what we're going to find next on the site.'
0:22:45 > 0:22:47- Do you manage the wildlife? - We don't manage it.
0:22:47 > 0:22:52What we're really doing is surveying to see what species are on-site,
0:22:52 > 0:22:56and we, as a group, have to rely on our expertise,
0:22:56 > 0:23:00'but to actually assist us we get experts in.
0:23:00 > 0:23:03'We learn lots and gain from all of their experience.'
0:23:03 > 0:23:07- So even the MoD needs help sometimes with some things?- Even the MoD.
0:23:10 > 0:23:13'But with a site the size of Leconfield,
0:23:13 > 0:23:16'it's not easy keeping track of all the wildlife that's coming and going,
0:23:16 > 0:23:20'so the conservation team has come up with a plan.
0:23:20 > 0:23:22'Retired Major Tim Cowley is heading up
0:23:22 > 0:23:24'the tri-service bird-ringing initiative
0:23:24 > 0:23:27'to monitor the birdlife here.
0:23:27 > 0:23:30'The project involves people from across the three services,
0:23:30 > 0:23:33'the Royal Navy, the Army and the Royal Air Force,
0:23:33 > 0:23:35'who net and ring birds together.'
0:23:38 > 0:23:40There are several benefits that come out of this.
0:23:40 > 0:23:43First of all, we get to find out some of the birds that are here,
0:23:43 > 0:23:46and we might find something we don't know is here.
0:23:46 > 0:23:49There are over 100 species of bird on this site.
0:23:49 > 0:23:53'We also find out something about the condition of the birds,
0:23:53 > 0:23:56'because if they are breeding they might have a brood patch,
0:23:56 > 0:23:59'and we get to, if we're lucky,
0:23:59 > 0:24:02'catch birds that have been caught before, which they call controls,
0:24:02 > 0:24:05'and then we find out where this bird's been in the past,'
0:24:05 > 0:24:07and maybe in future someone will catch the birds
0:24:07 > 0:24:09that have been ringed here in the first instance.
0:24:11 > 0:24:15'As owners of nearly 600,000 acres of land across the UK,
0:24:15 > 0:24:19'the MoD claims to take its duty of care for any wildlife
0:24:19 > 0:24:21'that takes up residence very seriously.
0:24:21 > 0:24:23'And it's encouraging to see how enthusiastic
0:24:23 > 0:24:26'the servicemen and women are about the animals.'
0:24:28 > 0:24:32And it's that enthusiasm that led to a rediscovery a few years ago
0:24:32 > 0:24:35of a rare bird. I'm hoping I might see one.
0:24:37 > 0:24:40'Between 1997 and 2010,
0:24:40 > 0:24:43'just three turtledoves were recorded at Leconfield.
0:24:46 > 0:24:49'But, this year alone, they've already counted seven.
0:24:49 > 0:24:55'This iconic songbird has declined by 93% in the UK since the 1970s,
0:24:55 > 0:24:58'and it's a species likely to be extinct by 2020
0:24:58 > 0:25:01'unless we do something to save it.
0:25:01 > 0:25:04'I'm joining Chris Tomson from the RSPB
0:25:04 > 0:25:08'to find out why these beautiful birds are in trouble.'
0:25:09 > 0:25:12So, Chris, what's so special about the turtledove?
0:25:12 > 0:25:14It comes here for the summer, it spends a third of its life here.
0:25:14 > 0:25:17'It's come all the way from Africa to try and breed in this country.
0:25:17 > 0:25:20- 'That's pretty special.- It's very special, it's part of our heritage.
0:25:20 > 0:25:23'And it is a very attractive bird, and it's the quintessential
0:25:23 > 0:25:26'sound of summer that's really disappearing fast.'
0:25:26 > 0:25:29Why has there been this rapid decline?
0:25:29 > 0:25:32Well, there's a number of problems. They're not finding enough food.
0:25:32 > 0:25:34'Having made that vast journey of 3,000 miles
0:25:34 > 0:25:36'they can't get into good breeding condition'
0:25:36 > 0:25:39so they're not breeding as frequently as we would like.
0:25:39 > 0:25:42They might get one brood off but for the population to actually increase
0:25:42 > 0:25:45they need to get two, preferably three, broods off,
0:25:45 > 0:25:48- and that's what's not happening. - So where's the food?
0:25:48 > 0:25:51What did they have 100 years ago that they don't have today?
0:25:51 > 0:25:53Weed seeds, basically.
0:25:53 > 0:25:56Weeds is perhaps not the right word, it's wildflowers,
0:25:56 > 0:25:58it's sort of traditional weeds that we're used to seeing
0:25:58 > 0:26:01like birdsfoot trefoil, knotgrass, redshank,
0:26:01 > 0:26:03those sorts of things that these birds are feeding on.
0:26:03 > 0:26:06Farmland is very efficient, it's very well farmed,
0:26:06 > 0:26:10and lots of chemicals are used to control these weeds,
0:26:10 > 0:26:12and so it's harder for them to find food.
0:26:12 > 0:26:15Why is this such a good habitat for them here at Leconfield?
0:26:15 > 0:26:18They've got the sort of habitat that they need to breed in.
0:26:18 > 0:26:22They're quite secretive, so they nest in scrub
0:26:22 > 0:26:26or in this case they're in a small spruce plantation.
0:26:26 > 0:26:30All this, the trucks, the tanks, the cars, the lorries, the digging,
0:26:30 > 0:26:33- doesn't put them off? - Well, they were here last year.
0:26:33 > 0:26:36Tim Cowley tells me that there are six here today and a pair,
0:26:36 > 0:26:38so there's six singing males,
0:26:38 > 0:26:41so they've obviously voted with their feet,
0:26:41 > 0:26:43- or with their wings, should we say? - With their wings!
0:26:43 > 0:26:45I'll give you £1.50 if you show me a turtledove now.
0:26:45 > 0:26:48If we look in the right direction we might see one.
0:26:48 > 0:26:49Come on, then, let's see.
0:26:56 > 0:26:58This is very exciting.
0:26:58 > 0:27:01You won't be able to see it because it's tiny, tiny, tiny,
0:27:01 > 0:27:02the top of a tree just over there,
0:27:02 > 0:27:06but you'll hear the song of a turtledove.
0:27:06 > 0:27:07BIRDSONG
0:27:07 > 0:27:10I didn't think I was going to get to see one.
0:27:13 > 0:27:15'To reverse the decline of these farmland birds
0:27:15 > 0:27:19'the RSPB has launched Operation Turtledove.
0:27:19 > 0:27:23'If you've spotted a turtledove this year, the RSPB want to hear about it.
0:27:23 > 0:27:24'You can find details on that
0:27:24 > 0:27:27'and how you can get involved in saving this bird on the brink
0:27:27 > 0:27:29'on the Countryfile website.'
0:27:33 > 0:27:36'Earlier, we heard about the dramatic loss of wildflowers
0:27:36 > 0:27:38'across the British countryside.
0:27:38 > 0:27:41'Is there anything we can do to bring them back? Here's Tom.'
0:27:45 > 0:27:49'Nature's gems that stud our countryside.
0:27:49 > 0:27:51'At least, they used to.
0:27:51 > 0:27:54'There's been a dramatic decline in wildflower numbers
0:27:54 > 0:27:59'in the last 70 years. One in three are moving towards extinction.
0:27:59 > 0:28:02Modern farming methods often catch much of the blame
0:28:02 > 0:28:04for the loss of wildflowers,
0:28:04 > 0:28:07but, in reality, most disappeared when we were at our most desperate
0:28:07 > 0:28:11for food, during and just after the last world war.
0:28:11 > 0:28:13And, in recent years,
0:28:13 > 0:28:16farmers have made some effort to encourage their return.
0:28:19 > 0:28:23'Farmers in Britain directly manage more than 200,000 acres of fields
0:28:23 > 0:28:28'and field margins across the country where wildflowers can grow.
0:28:28 > 0:28:32'But we don't have to rely on farmland.
0:28:32 > 0:28:36'Across the UK there are plenty of other green spaces we could use.'
0:28:36 > 0:28:39TRAFFIC ROARS
0:28:39 > 0:28:41This little verge alone
0:28:41 > 0:28:44has two nationally rare plant species growing on it.
0:28:44 > 0:28:48'As founder of the wild plant charity Plantlife,
0:28:48 > 0:28:50'Andy Byfield thinks roadside verges
0:28:50 > 0:28:53'are the perfect vehicle for wildflowers.'
0:28:53 > 0:28:57- Can verges really be good for wildflowers?- Oh, absolutely, Tom.
0:28:57 > 0:29:02I mean, for starters, two thirds of all our flowering plants occur
0:29:02 > 0:29:06on verges somewhere in Britain, which is a staggering total.
0:29:06 > 0:29:10It's extraordinary, really, that, in what is such a barren habitat,
0:29:10 > 0:29:12that you can get these flowers. But I'm learning that's the point
0:29:12 > 0:29:15with wildflowers, they quite like it infertile, in a way, don't they?
0:29:15 > 0:29:20Oh, absolutely. All these plants want is bare ground, short turf,
0:29:20 > 0:29:23open patches when they come to seed,
0:29:23 > 0:29:26so it's no different from your allotment or my garden.
0:29:26 > 0:29:29'As well as being an ideal habitat,
0:29:29 > 0:29:33'these man-made corridors do a lot of the work for Mother Nature, too.'
0:29:33 > 0:29:36So much of the British countryside is a tiny meadow here,
0:29:36 > 0:29:38a tiny meadow tens of miles away.
0:29:38 > 0:29:42It's become so fragmented, the plants in those places,
0:29:42 > 0:29:46and indeed animals in those places, can't really get from A to B to C,
0:29:46 > 0:29:48but here, of course, what we're getting is the cars
0:29:48 > 0:29:50coming down the road at high speed,
0:29:50 > 0:29:54and what they do in their slipstream is just drag all the seed
0:29:54 > 0:29:57from this junction to the next junction and beyond.
0:29:57 > 0:30:00So, just like seeds catching in the fur of animals
0:30:00 > 0:30:03as they move around, they get moved in the slipstream of the cars?
0:30:03 > 0:30:06And carrying really very rare things up and down the verges.
0:30:07 > 0:30:11'Plantlife believes verges and the edges of railway lines
0:30:11 > 0:30:14'are also the most viewed habitats in the country.
0:30:14 > 0:30:17It's recently launched a campaign to make councils aware
0:30:17 > 0:30:21'of the huge potential for growing wildflowers.
0:30:21 > 0:30:24'Here in Devon, in just one district,
0:30:24 > 0:30:27'the council manages over 1,000 acres of roadside verges.'
0:30:27 > 0:30:30If you multiply that across the whole country,
0:30:30 > 0:30:34that's a vast area of potential wildflower habitat.
0:30:34 > 0:30:37'Something environment manager Peter Chamberlain
0:30:37 > 0:30:39'is taking full advantage of.'
0:30:39 > 0:30:41So why have you brought me here?
0:30:41 > 0:30:43I've brought you to one of Devon County Council's
0:30:43 > 0:30:46special verge sites, one of 100 or so of our better verges
0:30:46 > 0:30:49- that we have around the county. - And what's so special about it?
0:30:49 > 0:30:51If we take a look at this verge here,
0:30:51 > 0:30:54we've got a stunning display of spring flowers just in front of us,
0:30:54 > 0:30:57- a lovely group of early purple orchids...- That's these ones here?
0:30:57 > 0:31:00..and some glorious primroses. Yes, this is the early purple orchid.
0:31:00 > 0:31:04And a lovely display of primroses in flower for us out in the open here.
0:31:04 > 0:31:07They are quite beautiful. I can see one or two of the orchids here,
0:31:07 > 0:31:10and I'm no plant expert, but looking at those I'd think,
0:31:10 > 0:31:13"That's unusual, not something I expect to see out the car window."
0:31:13 > 0:31:16- That's right.- So, what are you doing, or perhaps not doing, here
0:31:16 > 0:31:19- that enables them to grow?- Over the whole of our road network,
0:31:19 > 0:31:21which is almost 13,000 kilometres in length,
0:31:21 > 0:31:24we've adopted a policy where we would only regularly cut
0:31:24 > 0:31:26the first metre of a verge.
0:31:26 > 0:31:29The remainder of a width of a verge would be left
0:31:29 > 0:31:31and be cut only every two or three years,
0:31:31 > 0:31:34therefore allowing a range of lengths of grassland
0:31:34 > 0:31:36to develop over the verge.
0:31:36 > 0:31:3713,000 kilometres?
0:31:37 > 0:31:40One of the greatest road lengths of any highway authority,
0:31:40 > 0:31:42so it is a massive length
0:31:42 > 0:31:44and a massive area of habitat that we're managing.
0:31:44 > 0:31:47So it's really important that we do get it right.
0:31:47 > 0:31:50'From local councils to the Highways Agency,
0:31:50 > 0:31:52'the people who manage British roads
0:31:52 > 0:31:55'are starting to take notice of this potential.'
0:31:56 > 0:32:02But how can we improve our own green spaces at a more grass-roots level?
0:32:03 > 0:32:07'In Wandsworth, they're being asked to do just that
0:32:07 > 0:32:10'by experts from the Royal Botanical Gardens at Kew.'
0:32:10 > 0:32:13Bees will travel 12 miles from the centre of Westminster
0:32:13 > 0:32:17just to get food, because there's hardly anything there,
0:32:17 > 0:32:20so they'll travel to sites like this just to get their food,
0:32:20 > 0:32:23a bit of nectar from the wildflowers.
0:32:23 > 0:32:28'This year, Kew is launching a national campaign called Grow Wild,
0:32:28 > 0:32:30'which it hopes will encourage communities to transform
0:32:30 > 0:32:35'inner-city spaces like this into havens for wildflowers.'
0:32:35 > 0:32:39The growth of towns and the growth of cities, over-development,
0:32:39 > 0:32:40has meant that a lot of spaces
0:32:40 > 0:32:44which would have been quite natural spaces, brownfield sites,
0:32:44 > 0:32:46have been lost to development.
0:32:46 > 0:32:48So they would have been exceptionally important spaces
0:32:48 > 0:32:51for wildflowers to take a natural refuge.
0:32:51 > 0:32:55And the benefits that these bring here, the flowers themselves,
0:32:55 > 0:32:57but also the people who live around?
0:32:57 > 0:33:01Absolutely, getting people together to show what can be achieved
0:33:01 > 0:33:05through a simple task like planting native wildflowers in an area.
0:33:05 > 0:33:07The colour, the surprise it brings,
0:33:07 > 0:33:09but also the knowledge that comes with it,
0:33:09 > 0:33:11and they're working together and then looking back, saying,
0:33:11 > 0:33:15"Wow, we created that, we rejuvenated that area ourselves."
0:33:15 > 0:33:18And instilling a bit of pride in their own space, as well.
0:33:18 > 0:33:22'Campaigns like this aim to inspire us all
0:33:22 > 0:33:26'and they're seen as so important they're now attracting public money.
0:33:26 > 0:33:29'Peter Ainsworth was once the Shadow Environment Secretary.
0:33:29 > 0:33:32'He's now the UK chair of the Big Lottery Fund.'
0:33:32 > 0:33:35The story of wildflowers, really,
0:33:35 > 0:33:37since the war has been a pretty depressing one.
0:33:37 > 0:33:39Are we in any sense turning that around?
0:33:39 > 0:33:41I think we can turn it round.
0:33:41 > 0:33:44You're right, it's been very depressing, you know the statistics.
0:33:44 > 0:33:49Only 2% of the wild meadows that existed before the war now exist.
0:33:49 > 0:33:51I mean, it is a shocking fact.
0:33:51 > 0:33:55But, yes, with projects like this one, other projects
0:33:55 > 0:33:58that, for example, Plantlife are engaged in, we can turn it around.
0:33:58 > 0:34:00It takes effort, it takes time, and it takes money,
0:34:00 > 0:34:02and it takes passion, too.
0:34:02 > 0:34:05It takes the involvement of people who really care about this
0:34:05 > 0:34:07and get the point about wild plants
0:34:07 > 0:34:10and their importance to the whole of nature.
0:34:10 > 0:34:13'If you want to find out more about the Grow Wild campaign,
0:34:13 > 0:34:16'and suggest an area that you would like to see transformed,
0:34:16 > 0:34:20'then check out our website for details.'
0:34:20 > 0:34:24The classic chocolate box image of a floaty flower meadow
0:34:24 > 0:34:29may sadly be vanishingly rare, but, with a bit of care and compromise,
0:34:29 > 0:34:33we can provide great habitats for wildflowers
0:34:33 > 0:34:38that fit with our 21st-century town and country.
0:34:39 > 0:34:44Herefords, one of our most popular breeds of cattle.
0:34:44 > 0:34:48This week, Adam's helping a friend out by looking at an entire
0:34:48 > 0:34:50herd that's for sale.
0:34:50 > 0:34:53First though, he's got a buying decision of his own to make.
0:34:53 > 0:34:58He's found a White Park bull that would be perfect for his farm.
0:34:58 > 0:35:01But an animal like this doesn't come cheap.
0:35:01 > 0:35:05- We're looking for about 3,250 for him.- Are you?- Yeah.- OK.
0:35:07 > 0:35:09THEY LAUGH
0:35:16 > 0:35:19I've only got a small herd of White Parks
0:35:19 > 0:35:22and it's important that the genetics within the herd are constantly
0:35:22 > 0:35:24refreshed to keep them all healthy.
0:35:24 > 0:35:26The most important thing is the bull
0:35:26 > 0:35:29I have isn't mated with his own offspring.
0:35:29 > 0:35:33I recently went up to Leicestershire to look at a White Park
0:35:33 > 0:35:36bull I was thinking about buying and having thought about it,
0:35:36 > 0:35:40I've decided he was quite expensive and I've only got two cows
0:35:40 > 0:35:43that are related to the stock bull I'm using at the moment.
0:35:43 > 0:35:46So rather than using natural service to get them pregnant,
0:35:46 > 0:35:49I'll use artificial insemination.
0:35:49 > 0:35:53That way, I'll know there are fresh genetics coming into the herd
0:35:53 > 0:35:55and I'll have saved £3,000.
0:35:55 > 0:35:59Artificial insemination will cost me a lot less.
0:36:01 > 0:36:04The crops have been through a hard winter
0:36:04 > 0:36:06and we're expecting a lower yield than usual.
0:36:08 > 0:36:13Now that the weather is warming up, the wheat is starting to improve.
0:36:13 > 0:36:17We really need to look after what we do have.
0:36:17 > 0:36:20And one way to encourage growth is to feed it with nitrogen.
0:36:25 > 0:36:30As well as 300 acres of wheat, I also grow 600 acres of grassland.
0:36:30 > 0:36:33This is food for the animals, of course, not humans.
0:36:33 > 0:36:37Thankfully, the grass is also beginning to thrive.
0:36:37 > 0:36:40A few weeks ago, it was pale, yellow and lifeless,
0:36:40 > 0:36:43but now it's much more green and lush,
0:36:43 > 0:36:45which is great news for the animals.
0:36:47 > 0:36:49As well as running our own farm,
0:36:49 > 0:36:52we sometimes help out on neighbouring farms.
0:36:52 > 0:36:55And this farm here is quite close to where I live.
0:36:55 > 0:36:58And the new owners have asked us if we'll help them manage it.
0:36:58 > 0:37:01They want to run it in a very sustainable way.
0:37:01 > 0:37:04They've planted lots of trees and improved the hedges.
0:37:04 > 0:37:06We've taken on the arables,
0:37:06 > 0:37:10but we're also helping them run the grassland and a couple of weeks
0:37:10 > 0:37:14ago, I got a mineral expert, Barry, to come and test the grass.
0:37:14 > 0:37:17Shall we cut some grass? How much do you need?
0:37:17 > 0:37:21Well, it's in great shortage, so it won't be too much!
0:37:21 > 0:37:23I'll hold the bag.
0:37:24 > 0:37:27What we need is a complete ration
0:37:27 > 0:37:30so that it's got all the right vitamins and minerals in it.
0:37:30 > 0:37:33He's got the results to me, which are quite interesting.
0:37:33 > 0:37:39It's quite low in sodium, in cobalt and selenium,
0:37:39 > 0:37:42but high in things like iodine and potassium.
0:37:42 > 0:37:46And if there's an imbalance in the minerals, it can affect the growth
0:37:46 > 0:37:50rates of the cattle, the fertility, or how much milk they're producing.
0:37:50 > 0:37:52So what we need is a balanced diet,
0:37:52 > 0:37:56so Barry is going to put together a mineral lick bucket that the
0:37:56 > 0:38:00cattle will feed on while they're out here grazing to make sure they
0:38:00 > 0:38:04maintain their health and so what we need now is to get some cattle.
0:38:08 > 0:38:12Sadly, the cattle destined for this grassland aren't going to be mine.
0:38:12 > 0:38:15The owner will be my neighbour, Jane Parker,
0:38:15 > 0:38:18who's asked me to look at some potential animals for her.
0:38:18 > 0:38:20Jane and her husband are novice farmers
0:38:20 > 0:38:22but they've done their research.
0:38:22 > 0:38:25Because they're starting from scratch, they've got to buy
0:38:25 > 0:38:28a whole herd, which is unusual when you're buying cattle.
0:38:28 > 0:38:31And the breed they've decided on is the Hereford.
0:38:31 > 0:38:33I'm heading over to Herefordshire now, to Ledbury.
0:38:33 > 0:38:36The Hereford is a breed that I'm very fond of.
0:38:36 > 0:38:41In 2005, I was fortunate enough to go out to Australia to see how
0:38:41 > 0:38:43they've thrived out there.
0:38:43 > 0:38:46'The cattle farms over there are nothing like I'd ever seen before.
0:38:48 > 0:38:51'They were so vast that helicopters had to be used to round up
0:38:51 > 0:38:55'the 8,000-strong Hereford herd down from the dusty land.'
0:38:56 > 0:38:59There's a freshly born calf down there. It's not very old.
0:38:59 > 0:39:03But it's amazing how it's following its mother in.
0:39:03 > 0:39:07'It was whilst working with the cowboys out there that
0:39:07 > 0:39:09'I got a real appreciation for the breed.
0:39:09 > 0:39:11'But stunning as Australia was,
0:39:11 > 0:39:15'you can't beat seeing a Hereford in Herefordshire.
0:39:15 > 0:39:18'Gerald Blandford is one of the UK's top breeders and I'm hoping
0:39:18 > 0:39:22'he might have a few animals suitable for Jane's new venture.'
0:39:22 > 0:39:25- Gerald, hi.- Hello, Adam.- They look lovely. Can we get a bit closer?
0:39:25 > 0:39:27Yeah, sure.
0:39:27 > 0:39:30- What have you got here then? - These are first calving heifers.
0:39:30 > 0:39:34They've been out about a week. They've settled down well.
0:39:34 > 0:39:38- They're lovely and quiet.- Yes. We're on a footpath at this very minute.
0:39:38 > 0:39:41They have to be quiet with the public.
0:39:41 > 0:39:45I suppose you're keeping Herefords because you live in Herefordshire?
0:39:45 > 0:39:50Yes, partly. But they are the easiest breed to keep, the cheapest.
0:39:50 > 0:39:54They do well on grass. They convert grass efficiently into beef.
0:39:54 > 0:39:58Jane Parker, who's interested in buying the cattle, I've shown
0:39:58 > 0:40:03her lots of different native British breeds and she's chosen the Hereford.
0:40:03 > 0:40:06- She's made a good choice, hasn't she?- Of course.
0:40:06 > 0:40:08Mainly because they're so quiet.
0:40:08 > 0:40:12For a novice, you couldn't have a better breed.
0:40:12 > 0:40:15Jane's decided to come and see the Herefords for herself.
0:40:15 > 0:40:20Choosing the breed wasn't easy. She's looked at many different options.
0:40:20 > 0:40:24We spent quite a long time getting to this decision.
0:40:24 > 0:40:28We've even eaten some and enjoyed the results very much.
0:40:28 > 0:40:31But we definitely fell in love with the Herefords.
0:40:31 > 0:40:34They're a fantastic cattle to have, particularly for a family.
0:40:34 > 0:40:36They're benign and docile.
0:40:36 > 0:40:40For us, they fit very well with our model of sustainable farming,
0:40:40 > 0:40:42where we obviously want to have the right
0:40:42 > 0:40:45amount of animals on the land, but we also want animals
0:40:45 > 0:40:49that are very efficient at converting food into meat.
0:40:49 > 0:40:52How many cattle are we planning on starting with? Round about 20?
0:40:52 > 0:40:55- Round about 20, yes.- And then build the herd up from there.
0:40:55 > 0:40:59We've got a five-year plan based on as sustainable a model as we think
0:40:59 > 0:41:04we can manage, whilst bearing profit in mind all the time obviously.
0:41:04 > 0:41:07- And we thought we'd start with 20. - So when you're buying a cow, Jane,
0:41:07 > 0:41:10you're not only getting the cow itself
0:41:10 > 0:41:13and all the genetics that's with that that Gerald has built up over
0:41:13 > 0:41:17years, but also she'll have a calf at foot that's suckling from her
0:41:17 > 0:41:21and hopefully she'll be pregnant as well. You're buying three animals.
0:41:21 > 0:41:24And the calf that's suckling will grow on quite quickly to bring
0:41:24 > 0:41:25you in some money.
0:41:25 > 0:41:29Although it's a big investment, the return will soon come.
0:41:29 > 0:41:30Sounds terrific.
0:41:30 > 0:41:35And also, what we're buying from you is 40 years of breeding.
0:41:35 > 0:41:40Correct, yes. It makes me feel older than ever!
0:41:40 > 0:41:43So, Gerald, we haven't talked about buying a bull.
0:41:43 > 0:41:45What would be your advice?
0:41:45 > 0:41:50You'll have to put a lot of thought into it. It will be half your herd.
0:41:50 > 0:41:53Half of his genetics is in all your calves that are born,
0:41:53 > 0:41:56so you need to buy a good male.
0:41:56 > 0:41:58Well, I'll leave you two together,
0:41:58 > 0:42:00so maybe you can pick up a few more tips, Jane.
0:42:00 > 0:42:04- And perhaps even strike a deal. See you later.- Thank you, Adam.
0:42:04 > 0:42:08'OK, so maybe I'm a bit jealous that Jane's buying the Herefords
0:42:08 > 0:42:12'and I'm not. But it will be a big financial outlay for her.
0:42:12 > 0:42:16'We're talking around £50,000 for 20 cattle of all ages.
0:42:16 > 0:42:19'Luckily, Gerald will steer her in the right direction.'
0:42:19 > 0:42:23It's been a great day to come and see this wonderful herd of Hereford
0:42:23 > 0:42:25cattle and for Jane, this is a big investment.
0:42:25 > 0:42:29She's a novice when it comes to cattle farming, but what she's buying
0:42:29 > 0:42:34here are a wonderful herd with 50 years' worth of breeding behind them.
0:42:34 > 0:42:38And a great brain in Gerald when it comes to Hereford breeding.
0:42:38 > 0:42:41All she's got to do now is strike a deal.
0:42:43 > 0:42:46Next week, I'll be looking at working dogs,
0:42:46 > 0:42:48including one with a bit of a difference.
0:42:53 > 0:42:57Earlier, I was out on the exposed coastal saltmarsh at the edge
0:42:57 > 0:43:00of the Humber Estuary with 17-year-old Jack Johnson.
0:43:00 > 0:43:03He's part of a scheme to encourage young farmers to get
0:43:03 > 0:43:06firsthand experience of the industry.
0:43:07 > 0:43:10I'm heading deeper into Yorkshire where there's
0:43:10 > 0:43:14something of a sea change happening at grassroots level.
0:43:15 > 0:43:19Here at Bishop Burton Agricultural College near Beverley, there's an
0:43:19 > 0:43:23irrepressible force at work amongst our next generation of farmers.
0:43:23 > 0:43:25And it's all to do with girl power.
0:43:25 > 0:43:28Bishop Burton has witnessed a surge in female
0:43:28 > 0:43:31applicants for their farming courses.
0:43:31 > 0:43:34One in five of their agricultural students are now women,
0:43:34 > 0:43:37compared to less than one in ten five years ago.
0:43:41 > 0:43:4417-year-old identical twins Vicky
0:43:44 > 0:43:47and Lizzie Appleyard are studying for their level three
0:43:47 > 0:43:49agriculture course and today,
0:43:49 > 0:43:54they're preparing for the college's 52nd annual stockmanship show.
0:43:54 > 0:43:57- Now then, girls. How are you doing? - Hello.- Lovely to see you.
0:43:57 > 0:44:01- Who's this?- This is Delilah.- Why did you choose Delilah?- I like the song.
0:44:01 > 0:44:06- You know the song.- Fair enough. And, Lizzie?- This is Miranda.
0:44:06 > 0:44:09Right. Well, let me give you a hand with a bit of sponging.
0:44:09 > 0:44:11We'll do the armpits down here.
0:44:11 > 0:44:13Yeah, just get all the yellow patches.
0:44:13 > 0:44:17As identical twins, you've chosen an identical profession.
0:44:17 > 0:44:20Have you always been into it? Do you come from a farming family?
0:44:20 > 0:44:23None of our family are anything to do with farming.
0:44:23 > 0:44:26So in that respect, it's quite hard for us to get anywhere.
0:44:26 > 0:44:28As well as being girls.
0:44:28 > 0:44:30So we came into it through our auntie.
0:44:30 > 0:44:34She got some lambs to look after and we spent a couple of weeks
0:44:34 > 0:44:37looking after them and we were just hooked.
0:44:37 > 0:44:40So would the ultimate goal then be for you two to have a farm together?
0:44:40 > 0:44:44- That would be pretty cool.- It would. - We work brilliantly together.
0:44:44 > 0:44:46So it wouldn't be a problem. We never fall out.
0:44:46 > 0:44:50- And what would you have on your farm?- Sheep.
0:44:50 > 0:44:53- Sheep!- Just sheep! - And a pink tractor maybe!
0:44:53 > 0:44:58So all of your friends at your age, I guess on the girls side of it,
0:44:58 > 0:45:02- not many of them would wander round farms.- Not really.
0:45:02 > 0:45:05My friends would be sat there reading their Glamour magazine
0:45:05 > 0:45:08and I'd have my Farmers Weekly. We're a bit different, I'd say!
0:45:11 > 0:45:14Time for a run through for tomorrow's parade with
0:45:14 > 0:45:16teacher Helen Martin.
0:45:19 > 0:45:21- Oh, we've got a sitter.- We have!
0:45:21 > 0:45:25- We've got a protest on our hands! - Well, what can you do
0:45:25 > 0:45:28when you've got a big animal like that lying on the ground?
0:45:28 > 0:45:34I'm afraid 500 kilos of cow has the final say in this case!
0:45:34 > 0:45:37The girls are doing incredibly well, aren't they?
0:45:37 > 0:45:38They're doing so, so well.
0:45:38 > 0:45:41They seem to have that touch and Lizzie and Vicky
0:45:41 > 0:45:43had them on a halter within two days.
0:45:43 > 0:45:45Some of the lads couldn't match that at all.
0:45:45 > 0:45:47Women in farming is nothing new,
0:45:47 > 0:45:50but we've seen an increase in the amount that want to come in
0:45:50 > 0:45:53and take top management jobs and actually build a career out of this.
0:45:53 > 0:45:56They're lining up, so I'll let you get back to the class
0:45:56 > 0:45:58and continue with the rehearsals for tomorrow.
0:45:58 > 0:46:00- Thank you.- Good luck with it.
0:46:02 > 0:46:06One example of Bishop Burton's new breed of business-minded
0:46:06 > 0:46:10young women is 17-year-old Jess Graves.
0:46:10 > 0:46:15She runs her own bacon business from home, Jess's Porky Pigs.
0:46:15 > 0:46:18You're quite unique. There's not many students that are obsessed
0:46:18 > 0:46:21- with pigs like you are.- I know. Really obsessed!
0:46:21 > 0:46:24- When did that start? - When I was eight.
0:46:24 > 0:46:28My dad bought me two little pigs and I loved them to bits.
0:46:28 > 0:46:30And I sold them and I saw the money and thought,
0:46:30 > 0:46:35"Oh, my God!" So then I bought some more pigs, like 25 and then 50.
0:46:35 > 0:46:38- Even at the age of ten?- Yeah. I've never stopped.
0:46:38 > 0:46:40So do you just come here to learn about pigs?
0:46:40 > 0:46:43Or are you doing the wider business as well?
0:46:43 > 0:46:46Pig nutrition and we do business management.
0:46:46 > 0:46:48It's learning more about business.
0:46:48 > 0:46:51'There are 23,000 female farmers nationwide.
0:46:51 > 0:46:55'But Jess finds there are still some barriers for women to get over.'
0:46:55 > 0:46:59I'm filling the troughs up here and my wellies are being nibbled.
0:46:59 > 0:47:01- I thought you'd want the feed!- Yeah.
0:47:01 > 0:47:04What is it about my wellies that are so exciting and lovely?
0:47:06 > 0:47:10- Are you taken quite seriously as a young lady?- No.
0:47:10 > 0:47:14They don't believe that a woman can do a guy's job.
0:47:14 > 0:47:16You've got to like believe in yourself
0:47:16 > 0:47:19and think that you can do it and just do it.
0:47:22 > 0:47:26It's the eagerly awaited Bishop Burton Stockmanship Show.
0:47:26 > 0:47:29Nearly time for Jess and the twins to display their wares
0:47:29 > 0:47:31and Lizzie's up first.
0:47:31 > 0:47:34I'm really nervous! Really nervous! I hope she behaves.
0:47:34 > 0:47:36She's not behaving so far.
0:47:36 > 0:47:40But Lizzie's heifer Miranda isn't playing ball.
0:47:40 > 0:47:43As the rest of her class head into the judging area,
0:47:43 > 0:47:46Miranda decides she's not having any of it.
0:47:46 > 0:47:49I think she just got a bit freaked out with everyone
0:47:49 > 0:47:51and decided she wasn't going to do it.
0:47:55 > 0:47:59Meanwhile, her twin sister Vicky is having problems of her own.
0:47:59 > 0:48:01After some conferring,
0:48:01 > 0:48:04the judges decide to give Lizzie a second chance.
0:48:04 > 0:48:07She gets to show in the same class as her sister
0:48:07 > 0:48:10and this time manages to persuade Miranda into the arena.
0:48:13 > 0:48:15The judges are looking for a well-kept animal
0:48:15 > 0:48:17and good knowledge from their handler.
0:48:18 > 0:48:21Vicky and Delilah seem to be making a good impression.
0:48:28 > 0:48:30'In third place, Vicky Appleyard.'
0:48:30 > 0:48:32Am I third?
0:48:32 > 0:48:34- 'Well done, Vicky.'- Yay!
0:48:36 > 0:48:40Quite happy, actually. Least I came somewhere.
0:48:40 > 0:48:43Better luck with Miranda next time, Lizzie.
0:48:43 > 0:48:47And remember young Jack from the saltmarsh? Well, he's here
0:48:47 > 0:48:49with his ewe, known simply as 3-2-1.
0:48:49 > 0:48:52They pick up a silver in the sheep class.
0:48:52 > 0:48:56Good result, done well, I think. Good enough.
0:48:58 > 0:49:00It's a nice ewe, yeah, very nice.
0:49:00 > 0:49:04Done well, it's done very well. Yeah.
0:49:05 > 0:49:09Seeing the work ethic of these young stockmen and stockwomen,
0:49:09 > 0:49:12I'd say the future of farming looks incredibly bright.
0:49:14 > 0:49:18In a moment, Julia will be on night duty with the Army hoping to catch
0:49:18 > 0:49:22a glimpse of an elusive animal that is making the most of MoD land.
0:49:22 > 0:49:25Before that, let's find out what the weather has got in store for them
0:49:25 > 0:49:28and us in the week ahead with the Countryfile forecast.
0:51:50 > 0:51:57.
0:52:10 > 0:52:13We've been exploring the Humber in East Yorkshire while
0:52:13 > 0:52:17Matt has been meeting some young ladies who could be the future of farming.
0:52:17 > 0:52:21I've been putting my driving skills to the test at the Defence School of Transport.
0:52:23 > 0:52:27But it's not just driving that goes on here at MoD Leconfield,
0:52:27 > 0:52:29there's wildlife conservation too.
0:52:29 > 0:52:34It's happening during the day, and after dark.
0:52:37 > 0:52:40I've been waiting for night to fall and now, armed with these night
0:52:40 > 0:52:43vision goggles, I'm on a military mission with a wildlife twist.
0:52:43 > 0:52:45Or is it the other way around?
0:52:47 > 0:52:50If the picture is looking a little strange at home, no,
0:52:50 > 0:52:53I haven't dyed my hair, it's because we're working in the wee small
0:52:53 > 0:52:56hours and we're in infrared mode.
0:52:57 > 0:53:02These are a truly incredible invention.
0:53:02 > 0:53:06Sadly, I can't see what I would like to see.
0:53:10 > 0:53:14It's not enemy combatants we're on the lookout for, it's deer.
0:53:14 > 0:53:18The man leading the charge in tonight's operation is
0:53:18 > 0:53:21ex-tank commander Jason Figgett.
0:53:21 > 0:53:25Just as soldiers would use vehicles like this with thermal imaging
0:53:25 > 0:53:27technology to spot the enemy at night, we are
0:53:27 > 0:53:32using it to track deer for the Leconfield conservation group.
0:53:32 > 0:53:35Why is it important to keep an eye on the deer numbers?
0:53:35 > 0:53:40As you probably heard in the press recently,
0:53:40 > 0:53:42they are saying there are too many deer in the country.
0:53:42 > 0:53:46Some reports are saying we need to cull at least
0:53:46 > 0:53:48half of the population.
0:53:48 > 0:53:50As a member of the conservation group,
0:53:50 > 0:53:53I am not here to talk about culling.
0:53:53 > 0:53:56We're just getting an idea of what numbers we have got on the site
0:53:56 > 0:54:00to see if it is sustainable, for what we've got on site.
0:54:00 > 0:54:02What do you think?
0:54:02 > 0:54:05I reckon it is about right at the moment, 20 to 30 for the size of the area.
0:54:07 > 0:54:11- I'll erm...- Put your sleeping cap on and we can wait.
0:54:11 > 0:54:13..cross my legs and bed in then.
0:54:17 > 0:54:20I think it is fair to say that this is not one of the better nights
0:54:20 > 0:54:23I have had out, wildlife watching.
0:54:23 > 0:54:27Here we go, we've got two rabbits, no they might be deer, actually.
0:54:27 > 0:54:31- I don't know.- They're hares! - They are hares. There comes another little hare.
0:54:33 > 0:54:35This may seem a bit over the top to track deer
0:54:35 > 0:54:39but it provides valuable information about the numbers on site.
0:54:39 > 0:54:42It's also a good training opportunity for soldiers to use
0:54:42 > 0:54:44thermal imaging and night vision equipment.
0:54:44 > 0:54:47Nothing personal, Jason, but I'm going to try another tactic.
0:54:47 > 0:54:49Thank you, good luck.
0:54:50 > 0:54:52You'd better not see a whole load of them now.
0:54:52 > 0:54:58Jason and the driving school are not the only ones using their kit to monitor deer.
0:54:58 > 0:55:01The RAF are too, with this...
0:55:04 > 0:55:08Tonight Squadron Leader Stu Gwinnutt and his crew are letting us
0:55:08 > 0:55:11tag along as they do their bit for the conservation group survey.
0:55:14 > 0:55:16Right, let's see what we can get from the sky.
0:55:16 > 0:55:23'There's been a search and rescue crew based at MoD Leconfield since 1957.
0:55:23 > 0:55:26'One of their jobs can be to assist police searching for missing persons,
0:55:26 > 0:55:29'which is where their thermal imaging camera comes into its own.'
0:55:29 > 0:55:31We're up.
0:55:35 > 0:55:39This isn't all about the deer for you, is it?
0:55:39 > 0:55:44No, not really. When the Defence School of Transport asked if we can see the deer
0:55:44 > 0:55:47with our thermal imaging camera, we thought that would be a good
0:55:47 > 0:55:50training scenario to replicate what we do for real.
0:55:50 > 0:55:53So the deer is effectively simulating a casualty we might be looking for.
0:55:53 > 0:55:56Quite handy really for all parties?
0:55:56 > 0:56:01Yes, we get a free casualty to play with if you like, and it's unpredictable
0:56:01 > 0:56:05because we do not know where the deer are going to be or how it's going to behave.
0:56:05 > 0:56:08Just like for real if we're looking for a missing person.
0:56:08 > 0:56:09- I've got a deer already.- Have you?
0:56:09 > 0:56:12In our five o'clock.
0:56:12 > 0:56:15How often do you see deer from the chopper?
0:56:15 > 0:56:18Virtually every time we go night-flying.
0:56:18 > 0:56:21It is quite common to see deer.
0:56:21 > 0:56:23Sometimes, especially in the very small hours,
0:56:23 > 0:56:25they're all over the training area.
0:56:25 > 0:56:30How does it actually work, this equipment? It's a fancy bit of kit.
0:56:30 > 0:56:39Basically, every body above absolute zero emits infrared radiation.
0:56:39 > 0:56:43Depending on the properties of the body, we'll have
0:56:43 > 0:56:47a different immersivity we call it. For instance,
0:56:47 > 0:56:55- that target there, there are some cows in the field. - Yeah, sitting down.- Yeah.
0:56:55 > 0:57:00So, if we were looking for a casualty, the casualty is
0:57:00 > 0:57:04hopefully going to be a lot warmer than the area he is in.
0:57:04 > 0:57:09This gives you a good indication of what a warm body looks like against a cold background.
0:57:09 > 0:57:15'I don't know about those warm bodies, but this is one body in need of her bed.
0:57:15 > 0:57:18It seems by land, by air, by day or by night,
0:57:18 > 0:57:21the landscape of the mighty Humber holds its own hidden beauty.
0:57:23 > 0:57:25That's it from high over the Humber.
0:57:25 > 0:57:29Next week we are exploring the Tentsmuir Forest in Fife,
0:57:29 > 0:57:31up in bonnie Scotland.
0:57:31 > 0:57:34For now, this is Sergeant Bradbury signing off.
0:57:52 > 0:57:55Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd