´óÏó´«Ã½

Matt Baker joins a group of school children on a journey of discovery in a picturesque wood in the heart of Oxfordshire. The woodland trust is working with schools to help connect children with trees. The kids learn to identify leaves and feathers and practice important field crafts helping them connect with this special place. 

The approach of Autumn signals the start of fruit harvests across the nation. At Tewin orchard in Hertfordshire the apples are ripe and juicy and the local wildlife takes full advantage before the long, cold winter. But for Ellie Harrison the draw of this historic orchard is the more elusive badgers seen only when the sun goes down. Ellie joins Volunteer Warden and badger expert Michael Clark in the hide to find out why the badgers are doing so well here and why Michael has dedicated his life to studying them. 

The fully illustrated edition of ‘Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them’ aims to bring JK Rowling’s magical creations to life. For the book’s illustrator, Olivia Lomenech Gill, the challenge of drawing  make-believe creatures from scratch meant turning to the wild to draw inspiration. We join Olivia at her home in the Cheviot Hills and follow her journey to the Coquet island off the coast of Northumbria. On this RSPB reserve, Olivia has drawn inspiration from the island’s wildlife. 

As the growing season comes to an end, most plants are preparing to shut down. But that’s not the case for one variety of autumn crocus. They emerge at this time of year producing not only vivid purple flowers, but the World’s most expensive spice, Saffron. Adam’s at a farm in Cheshire where they are at the start of the Saffron harvest. It’s a delicate process that involves harvesting the flowers by hand and extracting the Saffron from each individual flower. It’s a short season that requires lots of labour.

Less than a mile off the stunning Pembrokeshire coast lies Skomer Island, an island rich with wildlife. Best known for the puffins which breed and nest on the island over the warmer summer months the island still has a lot to offer as the chill of autumn sets in. For this is the time of year when grey seals give birth to their pups undisturbed on the islands secluded beaches. Ellie Harrison teams up with the Wildlife Trust wardens to help survey the pups to get a feel for how they’re doing.

The Woodland Trust is celebrating 800 years of the Forest Charter. This ancient document came into force in 1217 and established important rights for the common people of medieval Britain. Since then our use of woodlands has changed so the Woodland Trust have released a new charter for the modern era. A wide range of community groups, conservation organisations and people have been involved in it and its contents are to be represented by 10 engraved woodland poles placed across the UK. Matt will meets the professional carvers tasked with this project and even tries his hand at wood carving.