:00:28. > :00:38.'You can have known its hills and its valleys since childhood.'
:00:39. > :00:43.But it can still surprise you. Take this place - Crummack Dale.
:00:44. > :00:51.a region that I love, but this small dale is completely new to me.
:00:52. > :01:00.Huge boulders lie scattered all across the valley floor.
:01:01. > :01:03.They're known as the Norber Erratics.
:01:04. > :01:06.Now, a name like that sounds to me much more like a punk rock band!
:01:07. > :01:12.But these rocks have been around for much, much longer.
:01:13. > :01:15.I'll be finding out how they got here and how the Erratics
:01:16. > :01:26.have inspired artists, from painters and poets to dancers.
:01:27. > :01:30.Tom is finding out that there really is no such thing
:01:31. > :01:37.and shopping from supermarket shelves,
:01:38. > :01:41.the idea of finding your own food from wild in the woods
:01:42. > :01:46.But is our appetite for samphire or mushrooms
:01:47. > :01:49.threatening parts of the countryside?
:01:50. > :01:56.Helen's meeting the English team going for glory in this year's
:01:57. > :02:00.Can we see her in action? Yeah. Meg!
:02:01. > :02:04.SHE LAUGHS She's like a whippet!
:02:05. > :02:10.'..while Adam is over the water checking out the Irish competition.'
:02:11. > :02:13.I'd love to take this little one home,
:02:14. > :02:25.I'll see you in the Cotswolds. No bother.
:02:26. > :02:31.Lush, green pastures, babbling streams and brooks,
:02:32. > :02:35.all surrounded by dramatic limestone escarpments.
:02:36. > :02:41.Quiet yet grand, like a deserted, natural amphitheatre.
:02:42. > :02:46.One of the Yorkshire Dales' best kept secrets,
:02:47. > :02:50.Crummack Dale is tucked between the big box office destinations
:02:51. > :03:00.of Ingleborough and Pen-Y-Ghent in the south-west corner of the Dales.
:03:01. > :03:04.The Crummack Dale landscape encapsulates
:03:05. > :03:10.The shifting of the continents and the comings and goings
:03:11. > :03:14.of the ice ages have created this unique landscape
:03:15. > :03:17.and every fold, every dip, every rise -
:03:18. > :03:22.everything is all because of the rocks.
:03:23. > :03:24.'Limestone dominates this part of the Dales,
:03:25. > :03:28.'most noticeably in the striking limestone pavements,
:03:29. > :03:33.'furrowed by weathering with character in every grike and clint.'
:03:34. > :03:37.But step over the limestone and this is what I've come to see.
:03:38. > :03:41.and there are lots of them around here.
:03:42. > :03:45.Large boulders perched precariously on much smaller stones.
:03:46. > :03:49.It's an amazing sight, I've never seen anything quite like it before.
:03:50. > :03:52.And if you think that it needs Stonehenge-type manpower
:03:53. > :03:55.or modern lifting equipment to achieve something like this,
:03:56. > :04:01."Erratic" means this piece of rock shouldn't be here.
:04:02. > :04:03.This hulking bit of sandstone on Norber Hill
:04:04. > :04:08.is 100 million years older than the relatively tiny pieces of limestone
:04:09. > :04:14.To explain this bit of upside down but completely natural geology
:04:15. > :04:20.It does look as though somebody's put the big one on top of the little one.
:04:21. > :04:24.They'd need to be very strong, John, because there's a few tonnes there.
:04:25. > :04:26.And we as geologists have always wondered
:04:27. > :04:30.how these boulders had possibly got here.
:04:31. > :04:33.And we have to look no further than ice.
:04:34. > :04:36.And we believe that the ice came down from the north
:04:37. > :04:41.some 17,000 years ago in what we call a moraine field.
:04:42. > :04:43.This is where, effectively, ice was melting,
:04:44. > :04:50.Basically, all of these rocks were inside the ice while it was frozen,
:04:51. > :04:53.and when it melted and retreated, they fell to the ground.
:04:54. > :04:56.So what is the age of the big rock and the limestone?
:04:57. > :05:02.The block on top was laid down in a sea 400-odd million years ago,
:05:03. > :05:04.so it's very, very old, and we think these have come
:05:05. > :05:06.from about two miles up the valley
:05:07. > :05:10.because that's where we can find bedrock of the same material.
:05:11. > :05:13.Whereas the limestone underneath would have been here
:05:14. > :05:19.In terms of geological time, where we build the layers up,
:05:20. > :05:24.the oldest at the bottom, this is completely upside down geology.
:05:25. > :05:30.and this is a world-famous erratic field, as we call it.
:05:31. > :05:34.There's a large area of these boulders left for us to see,
:05:35. > :05:43.While these Erratics can be explained by nature,
:05:44. > :05:49.'In his book, Walks In Limestone Country,
:05:50. > :05:53.'Alfred Wainwright had a similar view.'
:05:54. > :05:56.'Monoliths lie stranded in confusion.
:05:57. > :06:01.'An amazing scene, one that imparts a feeling of unreality,
:06:02. > :06:07.'as though this were not Earth, but some strange lunar landscape.'
:06:08. > :06:11.And it isn't just Wainwright who's been inspired to commit
:06:12. > :06:18.'Local painter Peter Osborne has been interpreting
:06:19. > :06:24.These rocks make perfect subjects, don't they, Peter?
:06:25. > :06:26.This place, more than almost any I know,
:06:27. > :06:31.has got this character about it, it's built into these rocks.
:06:32. > :06:35.Because of their enormous geological life cycle
:06:36. > :06:37.and the things that they've kind of suffered.
:06:38. > :06:40.You feel these rocks have been lifted out of their home,
:06:41. > :06:43.carried away and dropped, and worn away by the weather,
:06:44. > :06:48.and so there's a feeling of endurance and strength in them.
:06:49. > :06:53.you try to bring out more than what the camera would see.
:06:54. > :06:56.There's so many different shapes here.
:06:57. > :07:00.There's architectural, there's movement in them,
:07:01. > :07:05.There's everything here so they're a terrific subject.
:07:06. > :07:13.It's like a sort of great museum of strangeness here.
:07:14. > :07:17.The erratic nature of the Erratics certainly sparks the imagination.
:07:18. > :07:21.A whole troupe of artists has been inspired by these humble
:07:22. > :07:30.Photographer Paul Rogers focused on the millennia of lichen growth
:07:31. > :07:35.that's created patterns like a night sky...
:07:36. > :07:42...whilst poet Elizabeth Burns has portrayed the Erratics in verse.
:07:43. > :07:48.'Stopped, halted, frozen. A scatter of rocks in a field.
:07:49. > :07:51.'The things that held them - glacier and limestone -
:07:52. > :08:01.And here's a dance performance going on, in and around the Erratics.
:08:02. > :08:15.Well, Louise, you've created this, how did it come about?
:08:16. > :08:18.This was originally part of a three-day performance
:08:19. > :08:21.that happened in Crummack Dale and beyond.
:08:22. > :08:25.And during the performance, an audience made a 25-mile journey
:08:26. > :08:30.and as they travelled, they experienced dance, poetry, music
:08:31. > :08:33.and scientific talks in the landscape,
:08:34. > :08:35.and this was one of those... one of those moments.
:08:36. > :08:40.So, the Erratics became a stage for this ballet? That's right.
:08:41. > :08:43.I mean, you can hardly resist these amazing Erratics,
:08:44. > :08:47.and we were really drawn to them for their shape, their textures,
:08:48. > :08:50.the fact that they're literally splitting in half,
:08:51. > :08:53.so with the choreographer, we made a piece that responded
:08:54. > :09:07.very much to the boulders themselves.
:09:08. > :09:11.we looked back at some of the resourceful people
:09:12. > :09:14.we've met recently who managed to gather food
:09:15. > :09:17.from our natural landscape. But, as Tom's been finding out,
:09:18. > :09:25.sometimes foraging can seem to go too far.
:09:26. > :09:31.Our countryside provides space for recreation, relaxation
:09:32. > :09:36.and a bountiful buffet of wild food.
:09:37. > :09:42.Foraging is the age-old activity of finding food in our natural world,
:09:43. > :09:45.appealing to the hunter-gatherer in us all.
:09:46. > :09:49.I guess I could make a little meal out of these sweet chestnuts here.
:09:50. > :09:56.But is a frenzy of foraging now damaging our countryside?
:09:57. > :10:01.'has been visited by foragers for centuries.
:10:02. > :10:06.'In recent times, the mushrooms here have been hitting the headlines.'
:10:07. > :10:11.This is a cepe de Bordeaux, this is perfection.
:10:12. > :10:17.A deadly Amanita? Deadly, deadly. Angel of death.
:10:18. > :10:20.'Brigitte Tee-Hillman and has been picking mushrooms here
:10:21. > :10:27.Well, it's a beefsteak... or we call it a beefsteak,
:10:28. > :10:32.because if it's not bloody any more, it's too old.
:10:33. > :10:35.It's good to eat, is it? It's excellent to eat, yes.
:10:36. > :10:39.As a stir-fry - the Japanese use it in stir-fry. Can we cut it off?
:10:40. > :10:45.But you have to cut it very close to the tree.
:10:46. > :10:48.And this year, they are growing like crazy.
:10:49. > :10:50.Yeah? Is this a good year for fungi?
:10:51. > :10:53.Absolutely, because last year was the worst year
:10:54. > :10:58.because of the rain and the weather, and this year is a fantastic year.
:10:59. > :11:03.'Brigitte sells the best examples to high-end restaurants in London,
:11:04. > :11:06.'and believes the way she harvests fungi
:11:07. > :11:09.'doesn't damage the natural environment.'
:11:10. > :11:13.How can I damage them if I'm still picking my same spots for 42 years?
:11:14. > :11:17.Mm. I'm looking after them. Mm. I help them grow, yeah?
:11:18. > :11:24.If they are over the top, I leave them on the tree.
:11:25. > :11:27.Other people just knock them off the tree.
:11:28. > :11:30.If they have poisonous mushrooms, they kick them over.
:11:31. > :11:33.I don't do that, that's destroying nature.
:11:34. > :11:36.'After a lengthy legal battle, Brigitte was granted
:11:37. > :11:38.'the first and only licence in the New Forest
:11:39. > :11:44.'She says she knows how to forage responsibly.'
:11:45. > :11:48.Tell me what you think about some of the other commercial pickers.
:11:49. > :11:52.They pick everything and they come with truckloads, with vanloads,
:11:53. > :11:57.and they sell them illegally to hotels, whereas in some of them,
:11:58. > :12:01.they have much stricter rules right now because they have to show where
:12:02. > :12:06.So only some people do it, but they still do it.
:12:07. > :12:10.'For Brigitte, it's the groups coming in for mass pickings
:12:11. > :12:14.'with no regard for the natural world who are causing the problem.
:12:15. > :12:17.'But what's driving their desire for large-scale foraging?'
:12:18. > :12:21.Well, for a start, TV chefs have been extolling
:12:22. > :12:25.the virtues of finding food for free in the wild,
:12:26. > :12:30.encouraging viewers to fill their basket from nature's supermarket.
:12:31. > :12:35.'Dishes like wild mushroom risotto and wild garlic soup
:12:36. > :12:39.'are increasingly commonplace on trendy menus.'
:12:40. > :12:44.So, I've come to London where many hand-picked wild mushrooms end up,
:12:45. > :12:47.in fashionable restaurants and eateries like this one,
:12:48. > :12:52.Right, look at that. So we've got these,
:12:53. > :12:54.lovely couple of beefsteak mushrooms,
:12:55. > :12:57.so we're going to use a bit of that, and we're going to use...
:12:58. > :13:04.We're going to do mushrooms on toast, keep it nice and simple.
:13:05. > :13:07.'Head chef Oliver Rowe's passion is for the seasonal,
:13:08. > :13:10.'and mushrooms are about as seasonal as it gets.'
:13:11. > :13:29.It's like...mushroom times 100, isn't it? They're amazing.
:13:30. > :13:31.It's amazing. Super-strong flavour, it's gorgeous.
:13:32. > :13:34.There is some concern, though, in some areas about over-foraging
:13:35. > :13:37.and about the amount of money that can be made by this.
:13:38. > :13:40.Do you ever worry that places like this are driving that demand
:13:41. > :13:45.I think it's a fairly recent concern.
:13:46. > :13:48.We haven't over-foraged so much in the past,
:13:49. > :13:50.so when I've started sourcing as locally as I do,
:13:51. > :13:56.and I felt it was something which we could do more with.
:13:57. > :13:58.Now, people have cottoned onto it a lot more,
:13:59. > :14:01.and I think they need to take a bit of care about what they're foraging.
:14:02. > :14:04.If they sense other people have done a lot of foraging in the areas
:14:05. > :14:09.But I think it's a shame if you don't utilise
:14:10. > :14:12.the fruits of the countryside and actually make the most of them.
:14:13. > :14:14.And on a wider note, the more in touch we feel with our food,
:14:15. > :14:18.the more care and responsibility we'll have towards
:14:19. > :14:20.sourcing it carefully and sourcing it responsibly.
:14:21. > :14:27.'as you'd expect from a top chef with fresh ingredients.
:14:28. > :14:31.'But what happens if we all start eating them?'
:14:32. > :14:37.appears to be the ultimate organic choice.
:14:38. > :14:43.that worries some environmental organisations.
:14:44. > :14:48.'One of the concerned bodies is the British Mycological Society.'
:14:49. > :14:54.It's called this because of this kind of inky effect there,
:14:55. > :14:57.and that black splurge on my fingers there,
:14:58. > :15:01.that contains all the spores for this fungus.
:15:02. > :15:05.Justin Smith is one of their conservation officers.
:15:06. > :15:08.So, what do you think about people coming and foraging for mushrooms?
:15:09. > :15:11.It's not a problem with picking fruit bodies per se.
:15:12. > :15:16.the sheer volume of people going out and picking.
:15:17. > :15:20.And then certainly there's increasing evidence that suggests,
:15:21. > :15:23.especially near the bigger populated areas,
:15:24. > :15:27.that collectors are going in and stripping the sites of everything.
:15:28. > :15:30.So they are taking the edibles, the inedibles, everything,
:15:31. > :15:34.taking them off site, sorting through them in the car park or at home,
:15:35. > :15:37.and then picking out all the edible things that they
:15:38. > :15:41.want to eat themselves or they want to sell and then discarding the rest.
:15:42. > :15:44.I think it's the scale, really, that's the problem.
:15:45. > :15:50.Fungi are nature's recyclers, an essential part of our ecosystem.
:15:51. > :15:55.And it will take decades to measure any damage.
:15:56. > :15:58.Few people want foraging stopped altogether,
:15:59. > :16:01.but there is growing concern that when it's done on a large scale,
:16:02. > :16:07.especially commercially, it could have an impact on our natural world.
:16:08. > :16:10.So, how do we make sure that it's done responsibly?
:16:11. > :16:16.That's what I'll be investigating later.
:16:17. > :16:20.It's not only in our woodlands that wildlife thrives.
:16:21. > :16:24.As Ellie discovered when she visited Essex in the summer.
:16:25. > :16:28.Industry and urban landscapes as far as the eye can see.
:16:29. > :16:34.The shorelines of the Thames estuary aren't exactly the sort of places
:16:35. > :16:37.you'd expect to find much life, let alone wildlife.
:16:38. > :16:41.What happens when oil refineries, landfills
:16:42. > :16:46.and industrial sites like these come to the end of their useful life?
:16:47. > :16:50.Well, this site has been abandoned for more than 40 years,
:16:51. > :16:54.and it looks like it hasn't been cared for at all in that time.
:16:55. > :17:01.But that couldn't be further from the truth.
:17:02. > :17:04.Places like this are known as brownfield sites.
:17:05. > :17:07.And the conventional wisdom is to build on them.
:17:08. > :17:11.But they're finding a new lease of life as nature reserves.
:17:12. > :17:14.And some of them are up there with the best.
:17:15. > :17:19.Of the UK's top five sites for rare and endangered species,
:17:20. > :17:22.only three are traditional nature reserves.
:17:23. > :17:27.The other two are brownfield sites. Both of those are here in Essex.
:17:28. > :17:30.This one, on Canvey Island, is the best.
:17:31. > :17:34.And get this, there's more biodiversity here, per square foot,
:17:35. > :17:45.This area used to be a coastal grazing marsh.
:17:46. > :17:49.But in the 1960s, it was decided to build an oil refinery here.
:17:50. > :17:53.Changing circumstances meant that it was never finished.
:17:54. > :17:57.And in 1973, the builders and developers moved out.
:17:58. > :18:06.Now its evolution is being monitored by Sarah Henshall from Buglife.
:18:07. > :18:08.Hi, Sarah, how are you doing? Yes, good, thank you.
:18:09. > :18:14.some of the really rare bumblebees that live here.
:18:15. > :18:18.Got it! Here we go. What's this one? This is a brown banded carder bee.
:18:19. > :18:22.It's one of our rarest bee species. It's a really cute one.
:18:23. > :18:24.As you can see, it's really fluffy and ginger
:18:25. > :18:28.and it's got lots of brown bands on its abdomen, hence its name.
:18:29. > :18:32.We've got 1,400 different species of invertebrates or insects here.
:18:33. > :18:35.The reason these sites are important is because we've lost
:18:36. > :18:37.lots of our more natural habitats in the wider landscape.
:18:38. > :18:40.Sites like these are mimicking wildflower meadows,
:18:41. > :18:45.heathlands, sites like that. It's covered in sandy Thames dredgings.
:18:46. > :18:49.That's perfect habitat and substrate for insects and wildflowers.
:18:50. > :18:54.That's a great find. Well caught. We'll let it go.
:18:55. > :18:58.We need every single one of them out there, don't we? We do.
:18:59. > :19:02.The value of brownfield sites has only really been recognised
:19:03. > :19:05.in the past decade, so no-one knows much about how to look after them.
:19:06. > :19:11.But they are a valuable asset, so how do we protect them?
:19:12. > :19:16.is running an experiment here to find out.
:19:17. > :19:23.I'm using a thermal camera here to measure how much heat
:19:24. > :19:25.we're getting off these bare patches of ground.
:19:26. > :19:28.The reason for that, a lot of the insects here really enjoy
:19:29. > :19:31.having these bare scrapes, this exposed substrate.
:19:32. > :19:35.So they can bask in the sunshine and warm themselves up.
:19:36. > :19:37.So this plot here is actually part of a trial that we're doing
:19:38. > :19:40.to look at how we manage brownfields.
:19:41. > :19:42.If this was a woodland, or a fenland or a sand dune,
:19:43. > :19:46.because someone has written a book about it.
:19:47. > :19:51.So it's a new area of conservation, isn't it? It is, yes.
:19:52. > :19:54.Brownfields are probably the biggest slice of luck that conservation
:19:55. > :19:57.has had in the UK in the past 20 years. They're fabulous.
:19:58. > :19:59.But in order to maintain the value of the sites,
:20:00. > :20:02.we have to know how to manage them, and that's what we're doing here.
:20:03. > :20:06.So, what does the trial involve and what's it going to tell you?
:20:07. > :20:09.If we look here and behind us, we've got
:20:10. > :20:12.three trial areas, and essentially what's happened is,
:20:13. > :20:15.the vegetation has been removed, either a little bit,
:20:16. > :20:17.a median amount or in this case, underneath our feet here, a lot.
:20:18. > :20:21.Right. So what we are now doing is we're going to measure
:20:22. > :20:25.and whether we get the species we actually want.
:20:26. > :20:28.The transformation of Canvey Wick from oil refinery
:20:29. > :20:32.to Site of Special Scientific Interest is complete.
:20:33. > :20:34.But it's happened almost by accident.
:20:35. > :20:37.The same can't be said about another site
:20:38. > :20:43.Here, a new nature reserve has been created from scratch,
:20:44. > :20:51.London's rubbish was brought 30 miles down the Thames by barge
:20:52. > :20:56.and dumped in one of the largest landfill sites in Western Europe.
:20:57. > :21:00.A million tonnes of it a year in a never-ending stream.
:21:01. > :21:05.Two years ago, the landfill site closed, but the barges still come.
:21:06. > :21:08.Not bringing rubbish from our bins any more, but instead
:21:09. > :21:12.bringing the waste from the big tunnelling projects in the city.
:21:13. > :21:18.And the chalk and soil from that gets used to cap this vast area.
:21:19. > :21:21.The capping process was started just 18 years ago.
:21:22. > :21:25.And since then, plants and animals have been colonising it.
:21:26. > :21:28.They've had a little help from their friends.
:21:29. > :21:33.and reptiles from some of the major developments nearby were rehoused.
:21:34. > :21:37.Now, this whole end of the site, 120 acres of it,
:21:38. > :21:41.has been turned into Thurrock Thameside Nature Park.
:21:42. > :21:44.The reserve has only been open since May,
:21:45. > :21:47.so they don't really know what's out there yet.
:21:48. > :21:52.But already the species list is growing.
:21:53. > :21:55.The reserve is being surveyed by Lisa Smart, the reserve manager,
:21:56. > :22:00.and Darren Tansley, a mammal expert from Essex Wildlife Trust.
:22:01. > :22:04.Darren, Lisa, how are you doing? Hello.
:22:05. > :22:07.Are you all right? Yes, we're fine. Has it sprung?
:22:08. > :22:09.Yes, this one has here, we can see the door's down.
:22:10. > :22:11.So I'm assuming something's in there.
:22:12. > :22:14.We'll just try to tease the bedding out
:22:15. > :22:17.and hope the animal will come out with it.
:22:18. > :22:22.And just see what we get. Any movement? It's exciting.
:22:23. > :22:29.Ah, now, that's what we wouldn't necessarily expect
:22:30. > :22:32.in a grassland area, but wood mice are common everywhere.
:22:33. > :22:36.He's gone quite quiet there, that's not a sign that he's calm,
:22:37. > :22:42.Do we need to crack on? We'll just let him go.
:22:43. > :22:47.That's one new species added to the list.
:22:48. > :22:50.But it's not just mammals they're looking for.
:22:51. > :22:53.So, Lisa, we're on a reptile hunt. We are. Hopefully, anyway.
:22:54. > :22:58.That's just in case we are lucky enough to find an adder.
:22:59. > :23:03.because there are plenty on the site.
:23:04. > :23:07.But I don't need the gloves because it's not an adder we find.
:23:08. > :23:19.These experiences always lift my spirits, I love this.
:23:20. > :23:24.what is it about this site that you love, Darren?
:23:25. > :23:27.I mean, it's seeing animals like this, it's fantastic.
:23:28. > :23:30.You rarely get a chance to see something like this
:23:31. > :23:36.The local people here have had to put up
:23:37. > :23:39.with it being a landfill site for 40 years.
:23:40. > :23:41.And now to have a site that's going to be restored
:23:42. > :23:45.to something that's going to support things like slowworms
:23:46. > :23:48.and reptiles and short eared owls is just amazing for them.
:23:49. > :23:53.We've got another over 600, 700 acres to come along to us,
:23:54. > :24:11.from landfill site to nature reserve, where I've seen
:24:12. > :24:16.slowworms, skylarks and wood mice has been truly remarkable.
:24:17. > :24:21.And it's a great example of how we can rethink our brownfield sites
:24:22. > :24:26.and how quickly our land can recover.
:24:27. > :24:31.before the final of One Man And His Dog here on Countryfile.
:24:32. > :24:35.And in the run-up to the big event, we're meeting the national teams.
:24:36. > :24:37.Later in the show, Adam will be in Ireland.
:24:38. > :24:40.But first, Helen caught up with the English competitors
:24:41. > :24:51.I'm meeting two people - a handler at the top of his game...
:24:52. > :24:58.And I have a fair few miles to cover because our English contestants
:24:59. > :25:01.are from the far-flung corners of the nation.
:25:02. > :25:05.I'm starting just over the border from my home county of Cumbria,
:25:06. > :25:11.here in the wilds of Northumberland.
:25:12. > :25:15.Home to Ben Smith, a shepherd from the village of Great Whittington
:25:16. > :25:20.and a competitor in the singles round. But what about his dog?
:25:21. > :25:28.Ben has an ever-expanding pack of companions to choose from.
:25:29. > :25:33.Where are they? Oh! They're tiny. Yeah, they're only three weeks old.
:25:34. > :25:37.Three weeks old? Can I meet them? Yeah. Go on in. Hello!
:25:38. > :25:44.'Ben continues a family tradition of breeding collies.
:25:45. > :25:47.'This fellow might be a champion of the future!'
:25:48. > :25:51.So these guys are clearly too young to go to One Man And His Dog.
:25:52. > :25:53.Who will you be taking? I'll be taking Meg,
:25:54. > :25:54.who I won the national with last year.
:25:55. > :25:57.Shall we go and meet Meg? Yeah. Lead the way, Ben.
:25:58. > :26:09.'At six years old, Meg is in her prime, and a national champion.'
:26:10. > :26:13.Tell me a little bit about Meg. What makes her so good at trialling?
:26:14. > :26:16.She's very quick, very responsive, and has got a very good stop on her.
:26:17. > :26:20.When you want her to stop, she stops instantly.
:26:21. > :26:28.She'll correct things very sharp, also. Can we see you in action? Meg?
:26:29. > :26:34.She's like a whippet! Yeah, she's quick.
:26:35. > :26:38.She can be very close to sheep without upsetting them,
:26:39. > :26:42.Once they get close, sheep get upset, which is her trait.
:26:43. > :26:45.When you get into the shedding ring or the penning, she can be
:26:46. > :26:48.literally a foot away where other dogs can't get anywhere near that,
:26:49. > :26:51.so she's very on hand, so if you need her to move, she's there.
:26:52. > :26:54.So do you train much with her or is she purely a working dog
:26:55. > :26:59.No, once I train a young dog I pretty much take them to work every day.
:27:00. > :27:01.Trialling is my second thing. They've got to earn me a living.
:27:02. > :27:06.I go to trials and sort of wing it. You don't! I'm afraid I do, yeah.
:27:07. > :27:10.A lot of people do a lot of schooling, but I don't.
:27:11. > :27:12.'And Ben's winging it seems to be working.
:27:13. > :27:16.'In the past six years he's been in the England team four times,
:27:17. > :27:18.'competed in the International Sheepdog Trials,
:27:19. > :27:22.'and won the English National Championship in 2012.
:27:23. > :27:30.'The foundations for his success began at a young age.'
:27:31. > :27:32.My granddad used to buy and sell dogs and train dogs.
:27:33. > :27:36.I near enough grew up with my granddad, so it was what he liked,
:27:37. > :27:39.and I loved being with him, and that's how I got into it.
:27:40. > :27:41.Do you think about your granddad now when you do it? A lot, yeah.
:27:42. > :27:44.He died just before I won the national, a couple of months,
:27:45. > :27:46.so he just missed out seeing me win the national.
:27:47. > :27:48.He would have been very proud. I'm sure he would.
:27:49. > :27:50.That would have been a good one for him.
:27:51. > :27:54.What would it mean to you, then, to win One Man And His Dog?
:27:55. > :27:58.I used to sit with my granddad and watch this kind of programme,
:27:59. > :28:01.and it would be a proud moment if I could win it.
:28:02. > :28:05.'But Ben is up against some seasoned opponents.
:28:06. > :28:10.last year's One Man And His Dog singles champion,
:28:11. > :28:15.You're facing some pretty stiff competition. Of course.
:28:16. > :28:22.So you've got to go with the game face on.
:28:23. > :28:27.or the closest thing you're going to get to it, isn't it? Yeah.
:28:28. > :28:35.but I'm not going for second place either.
:28:36. > :28:38.Ben and Meg are pretty confident, but this is a team event,
:28:39. > :28:40.so they're nothing without the young handler
:28:41. > :28:44.that they'll be competing alongside as Team England.
:28:45. > :28:52.'To meet this young handler, I've got a lot of travelling to do.
:28:53. > :28:55.'24 hours, a few modes of transport, one sleep,
:28:56. > :29:02.'and 470 miles later, I'm on the not-so-sunny shores of Cornwall.'
:29:03. > :29:09.The young handler that I'm here to meet is the youngest of them all.
:29:10. > :29:14.'This 14-year-old strapping lad is from the village of Veryan.
:29:15. > :29:16.'He was runner-up in this year's international trials
:29:17. > :29:22.'with his working dog Zac, who he trained himself.
:29:23. > :29:26.'Mark inherited his passion for trialling from his dad Trevor,
:29:27. > :29:31.'a shepherd who looks after 900 ewes on this cliff-top farm.
:29:32. > :29:35.'Straight back from school, and Mark's practising with Zac.'
:29:36. > :29:43.Mark! Sorry to interrupt this glorious Cornish evening.
:29:44. > :29:49.How old were you when you started, you know, first running a dog?
:29:50. > :29:53.I first started running a dog when I was ten. How often do you train?
:29:54. > :30:03.Not any more. I love how you're looking at your dad there.
:30:04. > :30:10.Does he really get up early? He's laughing at me, so I thought...
:30:11. > :30:13.Tell me a bit about Zac, then. Zac is waiting patiently. Yeah.
:30:14. > :30:17.He's two and a half years old. He's a Border collie dog.
:30:18. > :30:23.'As Zac is a young dog, he is sometimes too keen.
:30:24. > :30:26.'He can go in tight on the sheep and unsettle them.
:30:27. > :30:28.'But making sure the flock stays calm
:30:29. > :30:30.'is key to keeping it all under control.
:30:31. > :30:33.'Fortunately, Mark has a friend on the farm who's taught him
:30:34. > :30:39.'the experienced, now semi-retired, Tweed.'
:30:40. > :30:41.You've seen him kicking around and you used to run him.
:30:42. > :30:46.I learned to keep the dog off when working sheep
:30:47. > :30:49.as he tends to come in and spook the sheep.
:30:50. > :30:52.And I also learned just to relax when working a dog,
:30:53. > :30:56.because your feelings can transmit to the dog and then the dog
:30:57. > :31:01.acts differently and possibly doesn't listen to your commands.
:31:02. > :31:04.So are you going to have to keep the lid on your nerves
:31:05. > :31:08.on competition day? Yep. Can you do that? I'll try.
:31:09. > :31:15.What would it mean to you to win One Man And His Dog?
:31:16. > :31:21.because I came as a runner-up in the international, so I almost got there,
:31:22. > :31:27.So winning One Man And His Dog would be quite an achievement.
:31:28. > :31:29.'To get there, this young man and his dog Zac
:31:30. > :31:32.'will need to hold their nerve and work as a team.'
:31:33. > :31:36.What, if anything, is going to let your team down?
:31:37. > :31:40.I have let the dog down in the past by giving him the wrong command,
:31:41. > :31:44.It might be Zac's inexperience as well,
:31:45. > :31:48.coming in too tight onto the sheep, or something like that.
:31:49. > :31:53.If it goes wrong, it'll probably be my fault.
:31:54. > :31:59.'He might be the youngest by almost a year, but Mark is a cool customer.
:32:00. > :32:02.'Mum and Dad, on the other hand, are a little more tense.'
:32:03. > :32:05.I'll probably be more nervous watching him
:32:06. > :32:09.than he will actually be running him. Do you think? Yeah.
:32:10. > :32:13.I just walk away to the other side of the field and leave him to it.
:32:14. > :32:16.How would you feel if he won? Over the moon.
:32:17. > :32:19.The whole of Veryan is going to be watching anyway,
:32:20. > :32:24.so if he won there would be a big party. It would be great!
:32:25. > :32:31.So there we have it. Team England - Ben Smith and Mark Hopper.
:32:32. > :32:34.Later in the programme, Adam will be catching up with
:32:35. > :32:40.the last of the contenders, Team Ireland.
:32:41. > :32:44.Earlier on, we heard how the fashion for wild foods has led to concerns
:32:45. > :32:48.that over-foraging is threatening parts of our countryside.
:32:49. > :32:57.So how do we strike a healthy balance? Here's Tom again.
:32:58. > :33:03.Foraging for free food in the great outdoors.
:33:04. > :33:12.But some people are not simply foraging to get a taste of nature.
:33:13. > :33:22.A mushroom like this can fetch ?40-?50 a kilo on the market,
:33:23. > :33:25.leading woodlands that are close to some of our cities
:33:26. > :33:30.needing to reach for extreme measures to protect their fungi.
:33:31. > :33:36.'looks after 16 green spaces around our capital.
:33:37. > :33:39.'After parts of its woodlands were stripped of fungi,
:33:40. > :33:45.This is an almost magical feeling in this glade, isn't it?
:33:46. > :33:49.Quite a few fungi around. Yeah. It's a fantastic show, this year.
:33:50. > :33:53.'Paul Thompson is the superintendent at Epping Forest.'
:33:54. > :33:56.We're very happy to support foraging in general,
:33:57. > :33:58.but I think the big issue for us here in the forest,
:33:59. > :34:01.two-thirds of it is a Site of Special Scientific Interest.
:34:02. > :34:08.around the desire to pick edible fungi.
:34:09. > :34:11.Have you really seen that pressure grow in recent years?
:34:12. > :34:14.We're undertaking record numbers of discussions
:34:15. > :34:16.and conversations with the public, and, unfortunately,
:34:17. > :34:20.confiscations of large quantities of material being picked. Really?
:34:21. > :34:23.Maybe ten years ago, we had individuals coming up with
:34:24. > :34:26.a small basket, taking what they need for personal consumption,
:34:27. > :34:30.and now they're coming with bin bags and collecting large,
:34:31. > :34:34.very large quantities of material, and it's no longer...
:34:35. > :34:42.'Here at Epping, they started with a formal code of conduct,
:34:43. > :34:48.'but when neither worked, it led to an outright ban.'
:34:49. > :34:50.Our process is very much an educational approach.
:34:51. > :34:53.We will approach people who are fungi picking
:34:54. > :34:56.and try to explain to them why we don't want it to happen.
:34:57. > :34:59.We encourage people to put back what they've found.
:35:00. > :35:03.And reluctantly, if that doesn't work, we will prosecute.
:35:04. > :35:06.Our forest keepers have constabulary powers,
:35:07. > :35:10.and we can take people to court. Have you done that? We have.
:35:11. > :35:14.and nine prosecutions in the last couple of years,
:35:15. > :35:18.and we've got new impending prosecutions with this season.
:35:19. > :35:21.So here, you're simply not allowed to pick mushrooms,
:35:22. > :35:25.but in other parts of the country, the rules aren't so clear.
:35:26. > :35:29.For example, it's banned in some but not all protected areas,
:35:30. > :35:32.like Sites of Special Scientific Interest.
:35:33. > :35:35.And then, generally, you need the landowner's permission,
:35:36. > :35:39.but that becomes a bit blurry when you've got public access.
:35:40. > :35:42.And then there's the amount you're going to take - are they just
:35:43. > :35:47.for you, or are you hoping to make money from the mushrooms?
:35:48. > :35:53.and perhaps even more restrictions on foraging the answer?
:35:54. > :35:59.Well, most organisations would like to try education first.
:36:00. > :36:03.'Urban forager Andy Hamilton is here to teach me the basics.
:36:04. > :36:11.These could be my final words, however.
:36:12. > :36:14.there's not a massive amount of taste, but they weren't unpleasant.
:36:15. > :36:17.You have to have a few in one go to get a big taste.
:36:18. > :36:19.There's a few things I'm more familiar with there.
:36:20. > :36:21.We've got some elderberries just there.
:36:22. > :36:23.You want to leave a few for the birds.
:36:24. > :36:25.You're already introducing that idea of being a bit
:36:26. > :36:28.responsible, thoughtful, about how you go about it.
:36:29. > :36:31.Yeah, we're sharing this area, it's not just us that come
:36:32. > :36:35.and pick, there's animals, birds, insects...that come
:36:36. > :36:40.For us to come in - when we can buy these foods -
:36:41. > :36:44.it's good to just leave some for the species.
:36:45. > :36:47.This, of course, is a real autumn favourite, the blackberry,
:36:48. > :36:51.The phrase that's always used here is that foraging is
:36:52. > :36:54."food for free", but in a sense that's not quite...
:36:55. > :36:57.There is a cost, possibly, to wildlife,
:36:58. > :37:00.to yourself if you get it wrong... You need to think about that.
:37:01. > :37:03.No, exactly, and I got it wrong once.
:37:04. > :37:07.I remember going out and seeing a patch of wild rocket and picking it
:37:08. > :37:10.cos I got so excited, came back the next year, there was none there.
:37:11. > :37:13.You know, you're doing yourself out of food for free as well
:37:14. > :37:17.Even on a selfish level, you perhaps don't want to do it.
:37:18. > :37:23.'taking only what you need from a plentiful supply,
:37:24. > :37:27.'just picking what you can confidently identify
:37:28. > :37:33.'and leave any rare, protected or poisonous species well alone.'
:37:34. > :37:36.So your amateurs should stick to the blackberries
:37:37. > :37:38.and the obvious things we all know about,
:37:39. > :37:41.and then if you want to learn more, do a bit of reading, get stuck in.
:37:42. > :37:44.Exactly, just to get started you could even go out in your garden
:37:45. > :37:49.and see what's there - probably nettles, dandelions, yarrow.
:37:50. > :37:55.'If you're in any doubt, foraging courses
:37:56. > :38:01.And the British Mycological Society are working on updating
:38:02. > :38:06.There's a link to the current one on our website.
:38:07. > :38:08.This has been a tremendously abundant autumn,
:38:09. > :38:12.but that's so much more than simply a mouthwatering spectacle,
:38:13. > :38:16.and we shouldn't let our greed blind us to the fact that these are
:38:17. > :38:22.beautiful and critical components of the British countryside.
:38:23. > :38:25.Earlier, Helen met the competitors representing England in
:38:26. > :38:31.Now it's time to find out the strength of the Irish challenge.
:38:32. > :38:44.Lush green hills, soaring mountains, spectacular coastlines.
:38:45. > :38:50.Home to the senior and junior members of the Irish team hoping to
:38:51. > :38:57.I'm on the west coast in County Mayo,
:38:58. > :38:59.and I'm meeting up with the first member of the Irish team
:39:00. > :39:08.everything One Man and His Dog will throw at him.
:39:09. > :39:11.Competing in the singles is Michael Hastings.
:39:12. > :39:16.He's been working with sheepdogs since he was ten years old.
:39:17. > :39:23.He keeps around 100 black-faced ewes and uses eight dogs to work them.
:39:24. > :39:25.My word, Michael, you've got plenty of dogs here.
:39:26. > :39:28.Well, actually, Adam, they're all the one family,
:39:29. > :39:33.All sons and daughters of this dog here, Kilgreen Ben.
:39:34. > :39:37.Oh, Ben's my favourite, yeah, my first trial dog.
:39:38. > :39:42.Friends of mine have got bitches and they've brought them to be
:39:43. > :39:45.covered by Kilgreen Ben, cos he was working well and trialling well.
:39:46. > :39:48.I take a stud pup instead of taking money, you know.
:39:49. > :39:51.So rather than taking money for getting their bitches
:39:52. > :39:54.pregnant by Ben, you choose to have a puppy from them instead?
:39:55. > :39:56.That's right, Adam. How old is he now?
:39:57. > :40:00.He's ten years old after Christmas, he's getting on a bit.
:40:01. > :40:02.And is he the one you're going to work on One Man And His Dog?
:40:03. > :40:05.Well, he is my favourite, but I'm not too sure,
:40:06. > :40:07.cos he's getting a bit stiff in the bones.
:40:08. > :40:09.I might decide to bring Meg, his daughter, instead.
:40:10. > :40:12.Let's go and see them running in the field, shall we? OK.
:40:13. > :40:20.Lovely, it's a great set-up you've got.
:40:21. > :40:23.Let's see him go, then. Yeah, I'll send him off to the left here.
:40:24. > :40:27.Oh, he's got a lovely wide out run, hasn't he?
:40:28. > :40:32.Yeah, he's going a bit too wide maybe at this stage of his life,
:40:33. > :40:36.And is that what you're worried about
:40:37. > :40:40.That's right, I'd be a bit concerned about that
:40:41. > :40:43.going over to England, if you had a small course it mightn't suit him.
:40:44. > :40:45.Because he doesn't like to weave quickly,
:40:46. > :40:46.he likes to take a nice, wide gentle turn?
:40:47. > :40:53.'At ten, Ben has plenty of experience in trialling, but Michael
:40:54. > :40:57.'still practises regularly with him to keep him at the top of his game.'
:40:58. > :41:01.So this is quite an art, he's going to try and get the two big rams
:41:02. > :41:06.out here and split them from the rest of the flock.
:41:07. > :41:09.It's really working man and dog in harmony. Come bye, Ben.
:41:10. > :41:12.The dog has got to try and understand what he's doing.
:41:13. > :41:20.Lie down, Ben. He's got the rams to the edge now.
:41:21. > :41:24.It's as much about understanding the sheep and what they're thinking and
:41:25. > :41:30.where they're moving, and working with the dog to make it happen.
:41:31. > :41:35.'he's separated the two rams from the flock.'
:41:36. > :41:37.Brilliant, he's done it, look at that!
:41:38. > :41:42.Here, here. That's brilliant, Michael.
:41:43. > :41:47.Very good, I'm impressed. That'll do, Ben.
:41:48. > :41:55.Shall we put Meg through her paces now, see how she gets on? OK, yeah.
:41:56. > :41:59.So this is little Meg, do you want to send her off? We'll send her off.
:42:00. > :42:05.Good dog, good dog. Away, Meg, away. Meg.
:42:06. > :42:07.Lie down there. She's good, isn't she?
:42:08. > :42:11.I hear you praising her there - is that something you use a lot?
:42:12. > :42:14.When you're training a young dog, I use the praise a lot, like,
:42:15. > :42:16."Good dog, good dog." They love that, like.
:42:17. > :42:19.So if you see them doing something nice that you like,
:42:20. > :42:22.And they're always looking for that praise,
:42:23. > :42:28.'Michael's success with his dogs is remarkable.
:42:29. > :42:33.'He has to fit training around his full-time job.'
:42:34. > :42:37.No, no. Actually, I work at a telephone company,
:42:38. > :42:42.How long have you been trialling? Six years now.
:42:43. > :42:46.but there will be plenty of people with more experience.
:42:47. > :42:51.That's right, I've only six years. Does that put you at a disadvantage?
:42:52. > :42:53.It does a bit, like, but I've been working with sheep
:42:54. > :43:09.You've got every chance. Good luck. Thanks very much, thank you.
:43:10. > :43:13.Joining Michael in the Irish team is Jake Hamilton from County Antrim.
:43:14. > :43:17.At 18, Jake's the oldest of our young handlers.
:43:18. > :43:19.His passion for sheepdog trialling started
:43:20. > :43:22.when he was given a collie pup for his birthday.
:43:23. > :43:24.But it's four-year-old Jim that he's relying on to steer him
:43:25. > :43:40.He's fast, isn't he? Quite a big dog. Aye.
:43:41. > :43:44.Look at him, he's very responsive, straight down.
:43:45. > :43:47.Aye, he listens well, he knows. And what's the right-hand command?
:43:48. > :43:51.So that's away. JAKE WHISTLES
:43:52. > :43:59.Brilliant, look at him, he's like a robot. And to the left?
:44:00. > :44:11.Really powerful mouth whistle. Do you ever use a plastic one?
:44:12. > :44:16.If you use your fingers and your mouth, then you can't forget them
:44:17. > :44:20.if you go to a trial. So it's handier. Good point.
:44:21. > :44:23.And how old were you when you first started working dogs?
:44:24. > :44:26.About 15, 14 or 15. And now you're 18? Aye.
:44:27. > :44:29.So you've had a few years at it, but not that long.
:44:30. > :44:34.Good to be in the Irish team. Aye, it's nice to get onto it. Amazing.
:44:35. > :44:36.You've got more than just him, haven't you?
:44:37. > :44:37.Aye, there's about seven or eight,
:44:38. > :44:40.Oldest would be about eight months old.
:44:41. > :44:43.Can I see some of the others? Aye, come on, I'll show you.
:44:44. > :44:54.Let's bring that dog, where is he? C'mon. Good boy!
:44:55. > :44:56.Finding a young dog who's showing all the
:44:57. > :44:59.right signs for working sheep can pay dividends,
:45:00. > :45:03.and this is young Jess, who's only 12 weeks old
:45:04. > :45:07.and could be a future trialler one day, like her dad Jim over there.
:45:08. > :45:11.Now, Jake is training a young dog who's only eight months old
:45:12. > :45:15.called Bob, and you can see his inexperience.
:45:16. > :45:19.He's keen to work, working his way round the sheep,
:45:20. > :45:22.sitting when he's told - but he hasn't got the skill
:45:23. > :45:27.and ability of Jim, who's his trialler.
:45:28. > :45:29.He's trying to get the dog to go round the sheep,
:45:30. > :45:33.he's running in too close, he's overexcited.
:45:34. > :45:36.And Jim has just laid there patiently,
:45:37. > :45:49.watching the young understudy making mistakes.
:45:50. > :45:53.How long does it take you to get from that standard up to Jim?
:45:54. > :45:55.Well, it all depends, some of them are quick learners
:45:56. > :46:00.He's a fast learner, but it'll still take a good year,
:46:01. > :46:03.year and a half before he's up around that standard.
:46:04. > :46:09.Little Jess is certainly very keen, wants to join in.
:46:10. > :46:13.Would you ever sell Jim? No, definitely not.
:46:14. > :46:15.I got offered good money for him there,
:46:16. > :46:22.I got offered 10,000 for him. Did you? 10,000!
:46:23. > :46:24.But no, I definitely wouldn't sell him.
:46:25. > :46:26.What if someone offered you more than that?
:46:27. > :46:31.That's good, isn't it, really? It's good that you adore him so much.
:46:32. > :46:36.do you fancy your chances on One Man And His Dog on the day?
:46:37. > :46:39.If he's on form, he's capable of winning,
:46:40. > :46:42.but time will tell, it's a lot to do with luck on the day,
:46:43. > :46:45.holding your nerve and things like that.
:46:46. > :46:48.Well, best of luck, I think you've got every chance.
:46:49. > :46:50.You'd better have this one back, I'd quite like to take it
:46:51. > :46:53.back to the Cotswolds, but I think he'd better stay with the experts.
:46:54. > :46:56.Good to see you, all the best, bye-bye. All right, cheers.
:46:57. > :47:01.Join us for the big event next Sunday,
:47:02. > :47:15.Well, it's all shaping up to be a cracking final
:47:16. > :47:18.And talking of things to look forward to,
:47:19. > :47:20.I know a lot of you will want to buy this -
:47:21. > :47:31.the Countryfile calendar for 2014, so here's how to get one.
:47:32. > :47:35.The calendar costs ?9, including free UK delivery.
:47:36. > :47:43.You can buy yours on our website. That's:
:47:44. > :48:06.To order by post, send your name, address and cheque to:
:48:07. > :48:10.And please make cheques payable to "BBC Countryfile Calendar."
:48:11. > :48:14.A minimum of ?4 from the sale of each calendar will be donated to
:48:15. > :48:26.In a moment, I'll be helping to bring back a special creature
:48:27. > :48:29.here in the Yorkshire Dales, as part of a conservation project
:48:30. > :48:33.which is the first of its kind in the UK.
:48:34. > :48:34.But before that, here's the detailed
:48:35. > :48:52.Countryfile weather forecast for the weekend.
:48:53. > :48:56.Good evening. The weather across Yorkshire has been stormy with
:48:57. > :49:01.reports of flooding and thunderstorms. Flooding is something
:49:02. > :49:07.we might need to keep in the back of our minds, as these is rain and
:49:08. > :49:15.strong winds. On Tuesday, the warmth is spread across the country, higher
:49:16. > :49:21.than we would expect temperatures at this time of year. This will be
:49:22. > :49:26.choose the and Wednesday, bringing high temperatures. Perhaps by the
:49:27. > :49:34.end of the week, things will cool off, bringing temperatures back down
:49:35. > :49:37.to where we would expect them. The one weather across as today with the
:49:38. > :49:43.moisture has led to thunderstorms and reported tornado in Hampshire.
:49:44. > :49:49.There will be a bit of a break, allowing some mist and fog falling
:49:50. > :49:57.across Scotland, but it is not set to last. The rain will move north
:49:58. > :50:00.across England and Wales during tomorrow morning, accompanied by
:50:01. > :50:06.some strong winds, with gales around the coasts. Things are cloudy for
:50:07. > :50:10.Northern Ireland in the morning, but clearing a little in the afternoon.
:50:11. > :50:14.In the North of Scotland it will be some showers, but staying mainly dry
:50:15. > :50:21.and bright for the afternoon. The cloud will thicken across Northern
:50:22. > :50:24.Ireland through the afternoon. It stays cloudy across England and
:50:25. > :50:29.Wales, with strong winds and patchy rain, with temperatures like the
:50:30. > :50:33.weekend, forecast to reach high temperatures of 17 or 18 degrees.
:50:34. > :50:39.But the rain keeps on coming, with the low pressure staying across the
:50:40. > :50:44.Atlantic. The temperatures will stay up, and it will be another male
:50:45. > :50:50.mate, leading us into the start of Tuesday. The low pressure will
:50:51. > :50:54.dominate the forecast. East Anglia might start off on Tuesday with a
:50:55. > :50:58.dry day, but you can see a lot of rain still across the country,
:50:59. > :51:04.across the North and West, and the rain is slowly and erratically
:51:05. > :51:07.moving its way through the country during the day. It is all
:51:08. > :51:14.accompanied by strong winds, drawing one temperatures from the South.
:51:15. > :51:17.High temperatures 15-18 degrees. The low temperature will sit to the
:51:18. > :51:22.north by Wednesday, so while we have lost the weather front, everything
:51:23. > :51:26.is pretty unsettled. It looks as if Wednesday will be a day of sunshine
:51:27. > :51:29.and showers. The thundershowers could be heavy with strong winds,
:51:30. > :51:35.the risk of Gill forceful stop but when we get rightness in between,
:51:36. > :51:47.England and Wales will see how temperatures of 15-18 degrees.
:51:48. > :51:50.Starting to cool off a little. The forecast at the moment from England
:51:51. > :51:54.and Wales brings with it some cloud and rain, and with the rain
:51:55. > :51:59.continuing to move northwards, some of it could be on the heavy side.
:52:00. > :52:06.This is where we might need to keep an eye on things as the week goes
:52:07. > :52:11.on. On Friday, much of the rain will stay across England and Wales, with
:52:12. > :52:23.Scotland and Northern Ireland seen the mixture of sunshine and showers.
:52:24. > :52:29.From the millstone grit peaks to the limestone pavements,
:52:30. > :52:38.a landscape shaped over millions of years by ice and water.
:52:39. > :52:41.But for all its beauty, there is an epidemic in the rivers,
:52:42. > :52:52.This disease is crayfish plague, and it's having a devastating effect.
:52:53. > :52:55.This is our native white-clawed crayfish,
:52:56. > :52:59.and its numbers are being decimated by the plague which is
:53:00. > :53:03.brought here by this - its American cousin, the signal crayfish,
:53:04. > :53:06.which has now invaded our streams and rivers.
:53:07. > :53:10.It carries the plague, but it's not affected by it.
:53:11. > :53:13.I'm not allowed to touch this signal crayfish for fear that
:53:14. > :53:16.I then contaminate this native crayfish,
:53:17. > :53:23.and others that I'll be seeing for the rest of the programme.
:53:24. > :53:27.'Imported in the 1970s as a food delicacy,
:53:28. > :53:31.'signal crayfish have quickly found their way around the country.'
:53:32. > :53:49.Today, for the first time, captive-bred native crayfish
:53:50. > :53:55.are going to be released into the wild, and we'll be there.
:53:56. > :53:59.When Julia was here in 2010, she met Paul Bradley and Neil Handy,
:54:00. > :54:02.who were trying to produce the right conditions to
:54:03. > :54:09.This is what we call an ark site. As in Noah's Ark? Yes.
:54:10. > :54:15.This was set up simply to try and keep some alive, local crayfish.
:54:16. > :54:18.They were the first people in the UK to successfully breed
:54:19. > :54:23.Now, they're seeing the fruits of their labour.
:54:24. > :54:26.How successful has this project been since Julia was here?
:54:27. > :54:30.Since Julia was here, we've got to breeding quite a lot of
:54:31. > :54:33.these guys, female white-claw crayfish.
:54:34. > :54:36.You were just starting back in 2010. What lessons have you learnt,
:54:37. > :54:39.Paul, from this breeding process here?
:54:40. > :54:41.We've got a succession of tanks here,
:54:42. > :54:45.and through monitoring water quality every month for two years,
:54:46. > :54:49.we found very slight differences through the tanks,
:54:50. > :54:52.and they actually breed more successfully in the lower tanks,
:54:53. > :54:55.where the water quality is just that little bit better.
:54:56. > :54:57.It's a small difference, but it's significant.
:54:58. > :55:03.more appropriate sites to release them,
:55:04. > :55:05.and it also helps us to manage where the species is still
:55:06. > :55:09.hanging on and has a good prospect for survival as well.
:55:10. > :55:12.What we're going to try and do today
:55:13. > :55:15.is put some of these back into a safe haven,
:55:16. > :55:19.hopefully recreate their own population.
:55:20. > :55:35.Shall we set them free? We certainly shall.
:55:36. > :55:37.There are unaffected streams in the Dales,
:55:38. > :55:41.and we're heading to one right now, but I can't tell you exactly
:55:42. > :55:46.where it is, because Neil and Paul want it kept secret.
:55:47. > :55:49.So, Paul, what have you found in this sample?
:55:50. > :55:51.We've got quite a diversity of life here, John.
:55:52. > :55:55.We've got storm flies, mayflies - indicative of good water quality.
:55:56. > :55:58.So we can be reasonably sure that the crayfish are going to be
:55:59. > :56:03.Well, this threat to our native crayfish is getting very serious,
:56:04. > :56:06.isn't it? We've got this crayfish plague
:56:07. > :56:08.spreading through our native population,
:56:09. > :56:13.and it seems to be eliminating entire populations from catchments.
:56:14. > :56:17.And are these signal crayfish doing other damage as well?
:56:18. > :56:22.They are doing enormous damage to fish as well, to salmon
:56:23. > :56:25.and to trout, they seem to compete with them for shelter,
:56:26. > :56:29.There's one stream not too far from here where,
:56:30. > :56:32.if you turn a stone, you find three signal crayfish.
:56:33. > :56:34.Clearly, if a salmon goes under there,
:56:35. > :56:36.they'll be attacked by a signal crayfish.
:56:37. > :56:40.And is there anything you can do to stop these invaders?
:56:41. > :56:46.once they're in a river system, we can't get them out.
:56:47. > :56:48.So the best thing we can do is try to prevent them
:56:49. > :56:53.getting into river systems in the first place.
:56:54. > :56:58.'The first captive-bred white-clawed crayfish to be
:56:59. > :57:03.Now you've got a life jacket on, Neil. Do I need one as well?
:57:04. > :57:08.I've got mine on specifically if I have to get in the water.
:57:09. > :57:11.All right, I'll let you do the wading then.
:57:12. > :57:13.Here we are, John, this will be our first release site,
:57:14. > :57:18.I'll get in the water, and if you can pass me them down... I will do.
:57:19. > :57:23.So, what would you like, a big male first? Please.
:57:24. > :57:27.There we go. Thank you. How many are we going to put down here?
:57:28. > :57:31.What we're doing, we've got two males and four females.
:57:32. > :57:37.Two females to every male. Dainty little female.
:57:38. > :57:42.And how can you guarantee that signal crayfish won't find this spot
:57:43. > :57:46.We've chosen this site specifically because of the habitat, but also
:57:47. > :57:50.because there's an impassable waterfall about a mile downstream.
:57:51. > :57:52.So that will be a big impacting factor
:57:53. > :57:58.Signal crayfish can't get up here unless man physically brings them.
:57:59. > :58:01.It is actually against the law to release crayfish into a watercourse.
:58:02. > :58:06.I've got a licence and we, as the Environment Agency,
:58:07. > :58:09.will record all the data of where these are going, and we can
:58:10. > :58:12.come back in six months' time and hopefully find some of these
:58:13. > :58:19.females carrying up to 100, 120 eggs.
:58:20. > :58:22.Well, this is the very last one we're going to release today,
:58:23. > :58:25.but before we set her free, can I just remind you that on our website
:58:26. > :58:29.you'll find all the details about how to buy a Countryfile calendar.
:58:30. > :58:32.And next week we have the One Man And His Dog championships.
:58:33. > :58:37.Now, off you go, little lady. Let's hope you stay safe.