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Countryfile - Season 38 Episode 3 - Exe Estuary
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00:00So we've got some limpets there. Yeah. So they can come off. Yeah. So it's just a case of going down, getting the barnacles off and the seaweed off. A bit more effort required. Everyone's a critic.
00:30Isn't this beautiful? The X estuary. Now, unsurprisingly, even in the depths of winter, this is a busy place, not just for people.
00:59Also for wildlife. So how do they get on?
01:04The X estuary begins just south of Exeter, where the River X widens into an eight-mile stretch that flows towards the coastal town of Exmouth and out into the English Channel.
01:16Where are we heading to today, then? We're going to go and have a look at the Dolich Warren Refuge.
01:20Life jacket. Life jacket. OK. Let's go.
01:24Charlotte and I will see how those who live and work here go to extraordinary lengths to protect this special landscape.
01:37There we go. That's the back box doorway.
01:40Looking out today, it's a beautiful winter morning, and this is your office, in effect, isn't it?
01:47Yeah.
01:49And I've been across the UK, investigating whether we're still failing victims of domestic abuse in the countryside.
01:56This beautiful area that we live in has been transformed into a place of severe threat.
02:05Along its wide tidal waters, the X estuary provides an important habitat and shared space for people and wildlife.
02:26But keeping both happy involves a lot more work than you might expect.
02:32Well, the sun isn't quite up yet, but I have an early start for a reason.
02:37What better way to get to know this area than to go out with the harbour master?
02:41OK, Charlotte, careful where you put your hands on the shiny bit.
02:50Graham Forshaw and his team are responsible for overseeing many aspects of the estuary.
02:54Right, we're going to start the engines and get cracking.
02:56Right.
02:59OK.
03:00Clear it out.
03:01They're off to do their daily inspection of the waterway, and this morning, they've got me on board too.
03:07I've been here as harbour master for six years, and before I came here, I was harbour master at Lyme Regis for ten years.
03:15So what was it about here that made you want to come and do the job?
03:19A challenge.
03:20So it's a much bigger area, and more to do, and I just enjoy it.
03:24I mean, looking out today, it's a beautiful winter morning, and this is your office in effect, isn't it?
03:31Yeah.
03:32It changes all the time, and it changes obviously throughout the seasons.
03:37This time of the year, it's pretty quiet, but in the summer months, all of these moorings that are currently empty, they're all full.
03:45With the occasional, or with lots of day users, the Dawlish Warren, which is behind us, you know, you can have 50 boats parked up on the Warren,
03:54with hundreds of people jumping in and out of water, going swimming.
03:57It's fantastic.
03:59It's an atmosphere.
04:00It really is.
04:01In peak season, up to 2,000 boats can be moored in the estuary, with an average of 300 boat movements a day, which requires daily monitoring.
04:13It's quieter in winter, but there's still plenty of work to do.
04:17What is the actual job of a harbour master?
04:19Safety.
04:21So whether that be safety of the public using the waterway, safety of navigation, safety in terms of keeping boats apart, collision regulations, that's the thing, and also environmental issues like pollution.
04:38Because it is difficult, isn't it, if you've got powerboats and sailboats and people on paddleboards and kite surfing and body surfing and all the rest of it.
04:48It's a lot of people doing different things.
04:50Yeah, but it can be quite difficult because we've got such a huge expanse of water.
04:54I don't want to say chaotic.
04:56I just want to say busy.
04:57Right.
04:57Busy and interesting.
04:58The tides of the ex-estuary are notoriously strong.
05:05And to keep all the vessels clear of shifting sandbanks, they use a series of navigation aids to guide boats along the safest passage.
05:13The buoys are all numbered or named, and today the team will be working on one called Hinton.
05:19So we're just going to get a line around the buoy.
05:22Right.
05:23That's just to make sure that we stay next to the buoy.
05:28So you can see on this buoy now, this one's been in the water without being serviced for just shy of a year.
05:41And you can see the amount of growth that comes onto the buoy.
05:46What are we going to use to get all this off then?
05:48We're going to use one of these.
05:49Oh, scraping it.
05:50Mark 1 scraper.
05:51Oh, right, okay.
05:52It needed no improvement.
05:53No.
05:54So we've got some limpets there.
05:55Yeah.
05:55So they can come off.
05:56Yeah.
05:57So it's just a case of going down, getting the barnacles off and the seaweed off.
06:02Do what?
06:02A bit more effort required.
06:05Everyone's a critic.
06:08As well as a clean, the buoy gets a full inspection, from the solar-powered light on the top, all the way down to the chain and concrete block, which secures it to the seabed.
06:18There is a bit of a knack to it, actually, because when you get a big bit off, it's really satisfying.
06:28Doing a grand job there, Charlotte.
06:30It's really satisfying.
06:31So there we have Hinton restored to his former glory.
06:50So there we have Hinton restored to his former glory.
06:54It didn't take us that long.
06:55It was about, I don't know, 40 minutes, maybe.
06:57But there are 60 buoys in this estuary, and they've got to check all of them.
07:03So you can see, there's a lot to do.
07:05There's a lot to do.
07:06There's a lot to do.
07:08With more and more people using the estuary, keeping these waterways clear is an ongoing challenge.
07:16We're going to go and look at some abandoned boats that we have in the river.
07:20In the six years that we've been here, we've probably disposed of close on 20 boats.
07:25If you look around all of the edges of the river, you can see abandoned boats just washed up onto the shore.
07:31I guess this is one of those points, isn't it, where the people have an impact on the river and the wildlife and everything when they abandon a boat or don't look after a boat.
07:43Yeah.
07:44And there could be a very good reason for it, illness or bereavement or whatever.
07:49But it still has that impact.
07:50It still has that impact.
07:51Somebody's got to clear up the mess.
07:55How do you manage the people and the wildlife, particularly at this time of year,
08:01when you've got all these migratory birds?
08:03It's very, very tricky at any time of the year.
08:07What we'd rather not happen is people interacting with wildlife, which is why we have the wildlife refuge areas.
08:13And we do liaise with the wildlife wardens and asking people not to go into those areas at specified times of the year.
08:22But if you tried to control everybody and everything, you'd never do it.
08:25You'd just drive yourself silly.
08:26So I think what we try to do is get involved and help people when we need to.
08:31But for all it is, it's a great place.
08:34It really is.
08:35It's a marvellous stretch of water, not just for recreational use, but professionally.
08:42We enjoy working in the water.
08:43We enjoy what we do.
08:45We get a huge kick out of it.
08:47But we also get a huge kick out of seeing everybody else enjoying the water.
08:52I've come down to the X a few times now on holiday and I've never honestly realised just how much work goes into managing this waterway
09:15so that it is safe for all of us to enjoy.
09:18The harbour masters can't be everywhere at once,
09:42which is why specialist wildlife teams are needed to keep the plethora of animals safe from human traffic.
09:48This is especially important in winter when the ex-estuary becomes one of the busiest habitats in Britain.
09:56Tens of thousands of birds arrive here, many from as far away as the Arctic Circle, exhausted, hungry and in need of space to rest.
10:05With recreational activities on the increase, the pressures on this vital habitat are mounting.
10:12But there's one team working very hard to change that.
10:19South East Devon Wildlife have created two winter refuges on the ex-estuary.
10:24These areas, marked by yellow buoys, allow the birds to feed undisturbed during the hardest months of the year.
10:31But to monitor these safe spaces, you need to be out on the water.
10:37Hello, you must be Neil.
10:38Hi, Adam. Good to see you.
10:40Good to see you. Where are we heading to today then?
10:42We're heading out onto the ex-estuary today.
10:44We're going to go and have a look at the Dulwich Warren Refuge.
10:46Go up as far as Koku, that's where the refuge ends.
10:49So what sort of things are you looking out for?
10:50We're heading to see if there's any disturbance, any recreational activities taking place in these refuges,
10:55the types of birds that we're finding there, numbers of birds, their behaviour.
10:59Can you head out?
11:00Let's go.
11:01Life jacket.
11:01Here's your life jacket.
11:02OK.
11:04Neil Harris has been working in conservation for 20 years.
11:08Welcome!
11:12His wildlife team run two patrols a week during these crucial winter months.
11:17Ex-McMarina, Ex-McMarina, this is Branta Issa.
11:20We are heading out on patrol.
11:22Over.
11:23These boat patrols are the backbone of the winter refuge program,
11:27protecting the birds when they're at their most vulnerable.
11:33They're quite often on the margins of survival when they reach us,
11:37so that's why it's really important that the things that we can do something about,
11:40such as recreational disturbance,
11:42we can talk to people about how that might impact the birds
11:45and then ask them to work with us
11:46and just give them space to do what they need to do over winter
11:50and then return to their breeding grounds in good condition in the spring.
11:54So what sort of things are disturbing them?
11:56Most human activity.
11:57If you think about the duck-bellied brents, for example,
12:00coming from the Siberian Arctic,
12:02where they get predated by Arctic foxes,
12:06and so they come here, they see someone walking their dog,
12:08they just get that predator-prey response and then they'll fly away.
12:12I mean, it's a beautiful morning here on the X,
12:13and there's already a lot of activity.
12:15I've seen a sailing boat, I've seen kite surfers.
12:17There's a lot going on, isn't there?
12:18That's right.
12:19People love the estuary, quite rightly so,
12:21and what we're asking people to do
12:23is just share the space with nature.
12:25And when both refuges are active,
12:27we're only talking about 7% of the whole estuary.
12:31And what about enforcement, then,
12:32if you find people going into these areas?
12:35So there's no enforcement, really.
12:38These areas are voluntary with the wardens.
12:40The wardens will explain why the refuges are here
12:42if they weren't aware
12:43and then kindly ask them to move on when they can.
12:47So now we're seeing much reduced levels of disturbance.
12:49And as long as they continue to work on a voluntary basis,
12:53then we don't want to bring in any enforcement or fines.
13:06When you're out on the estuary,
13:07you very quickly realise just how busy it is in the winter.
13:10But all this area behind us is absolutely essential
13:13for these migratory birds to rest and feed.
13:19Neil has a team of four wardens, including Claire Spence,
13:23to help him monitor and maintain the refuges.
13:27So what are we looking at here, then, Claire?
13:29Yeah, so here what we're seeing is Fingerpoint,
13:32and this is within the Dollish Worn Wildlife Refuge.
13:36And it's very important
13:37because this little piece of sandbank
13:39is one of the only areas that is exposed at high tide,
13:42so that is where all our birds go to rest.
13:44So right now we can see lots of cormorants out on the end.
13:48I see them, yeah, lovely.
13:49And then we have some little tiny ones.
13:51Those are probably Dunlin.
13:53They like to live in these really big flocks.
13:56Oh, behind them you can see the bred geese.
13:58Oh, yeah.
13:59Yeah.
13:59So these guys breed up in northern Siberia,
14:03and then they migrate 3,000 miles
14:05along the Baltic coastline just to come here.
14:07We get around 1,000, 2,000
14:09that come migrate every single winter
14:11to the ex-estuary,
14:12and they're really sight-faithful.
14:14So that means they'll come back every single year.
14:16I believe I see one curlew.
14:18They're the ones with the really, really long beaks.
14:20Yeah.
14:21They don't breed until they're four years old,
14:23so they will stay on the ex-estuary
14:25for the first three, four years of their life,
14:27and then they will head to their breeding grounds
14:29throughout the UK.
14:30But, however, their breeding population
14:32has decreased significantly by 80%, unfortunately.
14:36Waders are just a really struggling population to breed
14:39because they have such specific habitat requirements,
14:41and they also breed on the ground,
14:43which makes them really susceptible to predators.
14:45So every little thing we can do to help is important.
14:47Exactly.
14:48The biggest thing is when people understand
14:50what they can do for wildlife,
14:52all these small changes,
14:53like not disturbing wildlife, picking up after your dog,
14:56those actually have a massive impact on the larger scale.
14:59So any small thing that you can do
15:00will have a big impact on wildlife.
15:02Yeah, great message.
15:08While the boat patrols keep an eye on the water,
15:11the conversations happening back on land
15:14are just as important.
15:17Southeast Devon Wildlife regularly set up information stands
15:20where passers-by can learn all about the birds.
15:24On the ex-estuary, there are so many places
15:26that you can see wildlife.
15:27One is right here where we are,
15:29which is the Exmouth Wildlife Refuge.
15:32And even see them up close,
15:34using the team's telescope
15:35under the guidance of Warden Katie Jones.
15:38It's about 39 species of birds
15:41that come to the estuary in the winter.
15:42That's amazing, a small area like this.
15:43That's right.
15:44Yeah, it is amazing, isn't it?
15:45One of the reasons why they do come here
15:47is because one square metre of mud
15:49is the equivalent of 14 chocolate bars.
15:53And visitors to the area, like Ron and Renna,
15:56really appreciate the outreach work being done here.
16:00I think it's a really good idea.
16:03It's not a huge area.
16:04We're really not stopping people doing a heck of a lot.
16:07We live near the Torridge.
16:09We go down there quite a bit, but we don't see too much.
16:11But I think it's because it's open access
16:14and people walking dogs everywhere.
16:16And I think that could probably benefit
16:17from some movement like this.
16:23These are an amazing species.
16:25They have the beaks that go up.
16:27The refuge is only on until the end of December
16:29because by that time they've eaten all the seagrass.
16:34What strikes me is how simple this all is.
16:37A conversation, a telescope,
16:40a little bit of shared information.
16:42But the impact it can make can be huge.
16:55Now, the government has just launched
16:57the latest strategy for dealing with violence
16:59against women and girls.
17:01But there are concerns that when it comes to tackling
17:04the issue of domestic abuse in rural communities,
17:07we're still failing victims in the countryside.
17:10Charlotte has been investigating.
17:13And a warning, you may find some of the scenes
17:15in her report disturbing.
17:17I first reported on the issue of rural domestic abuse
17:20for Countryfile 10 years ago,
17:23and then again in 2019.
17:26Each time, what we found was truly shocking.
17:29Accounts of hidden abuse
17:32with isolated victims who have nowhere to turn,
17:35meaning they were half as likely to report
17:37what was happening to them
17:38as victims in towns and cities.
17:42And so, on average,
17:43in the most rural areas,
17:45the abuse lasted 25% longer.
17:49Last month, the government unveiled its new strategy
17:52for dealing with violence against women and girls,
17:54with the aim of halving that violence
17:57within the next 10 years.
18:00It includes the introduction
18:02of a new GP referral service
18:04for victims of abuse,
18:06specialist rape and sexual offences teams
18:08for every police force,
18:10and tougher restraining orders
18:11for domestic abusers.
18:13But there was nothing in the strategy
18:15specifically designed
18:16to tackle rural domestic abuse.
18:18So, how are victims living in rural communities
18:23currently being supported and protected?
18:26How are you today?
18:28Mel Bugler and Catherine Harrison
18:29are rural independent domestic violence advisers,
18:33covering South Gloucestershire and North Somerset.
18:36Rural domestic abuse has quite unique challenges.
18:39Key to that is isolation.
18:41Rural communities are that much further away from services,
18:43making it difficult for them to access that.
18:46Things such as Wi-Fi, phone coverage makes it harder,
18:51access to weapons,
18:53so rural areas there's access to gun licences
18:56for work purposes.
18:58The houses are further away,
19:00so it's difficult to flee.
19:03Not having support in the face of an abusive partner
19:07can mean the difference between life or death
19:09for some women.
19:11Rhiannon Bragg lives in rural Gwynedd
19:13in north-west Wales.
19:14Hi.
19:16Hi.
19:17Over the course of five years,
19:19she was psychologically and physically abused
19:21by her partner.
19:23He isolated and controlled her
19:25and turned the remote setting
19:27of her smallholding against her.
19:31It was always and still is
19:33a place of peaceful seclusion.
19:35What he transformed it into
19:36was a place of vulnerable isolation.
19:38Her abuser was Gareth Wynne-Jones,
19:41who she says was well known in the local shooting community.
19:45When Rhiannon ended the relationship,
19:48his abuse escalated.
19:50He was arrested and his guns were taken away.
19:52But no further action was taken
19:55and his firearms were returned.
19:57The level of fear increased immensely at that point
20:02because I knew how angry being arrested would make him.
20:07If I call out here, nobody's going to hear me.
20:10We have single-track roads.
20:12It's so easy to be blocked on.
20:15I can remember him saying
20:17how long it would take
20:18if something happened for the police to actually arrive.
20:22Rhiannon's worst fears were realised late one night.
20:28What you're about to see is truly shocking
20:30and it was caught on this camera.
20:34Armed with a shotgun,
20:35Gareth ambushed Rhiannon outside her home.
20:39He then held her against her will
20:40for more than eight hours.
20:45And he's holding it up at my chest.
20:48And I can remember screaming,
20:50which is completely irrelevant
20:52because no-one's going to hear you.
20:53He said he was going to shoot me
20:55and then shoots himself.
20:56I didn't think I'd see my children again.
20:59How on earth do you get through that?
21:01Without knowing it,
21:02I had had five, six years of training by him
21:08in how to modify my behaviour
21:11to stop him kicking off.
21:15By morning light,
21:16Gareth let Rhiannon go
21:18and shortly after he was arrested.
21:20He was jailed in February 2020
21:22and ended up serving four and a half years in prison.
21:26After his release,
21:27conditions meant he couldn't come
21:29within four counties of Rhiannon,
21:31but it was her liberty
21:32she felt had been restricted.
21:34His custodial sentence might have ended,
21:37but ours had begun.
21:38We were now, in theory,
21:43able to safely live within four counties.
21:45Outside of that,
21:47well, what would happen if we bumped into him?
21:50Rhiannon says her nightmare
21:51only came to an end last February,
21:53when she was told her former partner
21:55and abuser had died.
21:56The increased risk of more physical harm,
22:01the scarcity of support services
22:02and the fact that the abuse
22:04is statistically more likely
22:06to last longer in the countryside
22:07makes this a complex issue to tackle
22:10for those on the ground.
22:12Given that huge list of challenges,
22:14what help can you really offer?
22:15There are ranges of ways
22:17that we can engage with people.
22:19It doesn't have to be face-to-face.
22:20It can be on the phone.
22:21It can be via text messages.
22:22One of the women Mel has been helping
22:25gave Countryfile an account
22:27of the support she's received.
22:29Her words have been voiced
22:30by one of our production team.
22:33I felt incredibly guilty,
22:35sick and anxious about opening up.
22:37I felt like I was betraying him.
22:40But the kind and understanding voice
22:42on the other side of the phone
22:43didn't judge or pressure me.
22:46She was instrumental in helping
22:48to unpick myself from his damaging reality.
22:50Their service also runs
22:53a domestic champions scheme.
22:55These are seen as one of the key ways
22:57of reaching victims in the countryside.
23:00We offer to hold lunch and learns
23:02and training sessions
23:03where people can come and learn
23:04about domestic abuse
23:05and learn about recognising the signs.
23:08And they're able to recognise that abuse
23:10within their communities
23:11and bring it forward
23:12so that we can offer support
23:14to those victims.
23:15So the champions don't have to take on
23:16solving all the problems.
23:17They just have to point
23:18in the right direction.
23:19Yeah.
23:20The government's new strategy
23:21on violence against women and girls
23:23doesn't contain any dedicated
23:25rural measures.
23:27But there has been
23:27a significant piece of work
23:29done on this in the past.
23:32In 2019,
23:33the National Rural Crime Network,
23:35which represents 33 police
23:37and crime commissioners
23:38and their forces,
23:39produced a landmark report
23:40on domestic abuse
23:42in the countryside.
23:44The Captive and Controlled report
23:46looked at seven rural police force areas.
23:50It concluded that victims were left isolated,
23:54unsupported and unprotected.
23:57Now, it called on the government
23:59to fully consider the needs of rural areas
24:01when developing strategies
24:03to deal with domestic abuse
24:05and on the police
24:06to urgently improve the resources
24:09that they put into tackling the issue
24:11in the countryside.
24:12Judith Vickriss has supported victims
24:16of domestic abuse for decades
24:17and has spent the past year
24:19re-examining that 2019 report
24:22and its findings.
24:23Hello.
24:25Hi.
24:25She's given Countryfile
24:27exclusive access to her work.
24:30There were recommendations
24:31in the 2019 report.
24:33Why didn't they go anywhere?
24:34There was no organisation
24:37dedicated to rural communities
24:41and survivors of domestic abuse
24:42who could hold those
24:44who made all the promises
24:46of implementation to account
24:48at the time.
24:49Judith hoped the government
24:50would consider some of the measures
24:52from her own research
24:53and add those to its new strategy.
24:56Her recommendations include
24:58a separate action plan
24:59to deal with rural domestic violence
25:02and to ensure all strategies
25:04for dealing with violence
25:06against women and girls
25:07have a rural component.
25:10But, she says,
25:11that hasn't happened.
25:13It was a missed opportunity, really,
25:16to include rural communities
25:19where they've been left out before.
25:21We put in submissions of evidence
25:24around domestic abuse
25:27and violence against women
25:28and girls in rural areas
25:29and I couldn't see that
25:31reflected anywhere.
25:33So, I'd like to see legislation
25:35genuinely rural-proofed
25:38and what I mean by that is
25:40does this work for people
25:42who live in small villages
25:44where they don't have access
25:46to transport,
25:47to health services,
25:49to domestic abuse specialist services?
25:52And if it doesn't,
25:54then change it.
25:57The government's new strategy
25:58does promise to gather evidence
26:00on what support is available
26:01to victims in the countryside
26:03and what help is most effective.
26:06And Judith says
26:06it does address
26:07some of her concerns
26:08around policing.
26:11The strategy is highlighting
26:14the need for policing
26:15to work better
26:16in collaboration
26:17with other organisations,
26:19other services
26:20that provide support
26:23to victims,
26:24survivors of domestic abuse
26:25and that feels really positive.
26:28Countryfile looked at official statistics
26:30for 15 police forces
26:32covering rural areas
26:34in England and Wales.
26:36Over the last 10 years,
26:38we found the number
26:39of domestic abuse-related crimes
26:41had doubled.
26:42Police believe this is an increase
26:43in reporting
26:44rather than an increase
26:46in domestic abuse.
26:47At the same time,
26:49prosecutions and convictions
26:51had gone down
26:52in overall terms
26:53by about 40%,
26:54although they'd begun
26:56to go back up again
26:56in the last couple of years.
26:59The same trends
27:00have also been seen
27:01in urban police forces.
27:04Louisa Rolfe
27:04is an assistant commissioner
27:06at the Metropolitan Police
27:07and the National Police
27:08Lead for Domestic Abuse.
27:10How would you say
27:12the police are doing?
27:13So we've made
27:13a huge amount of progress
27:15in the last 15 years,
27:17but we know
27:18there's a huge amount
27:19more to do.
27:20We've pleasingly seen
27:21an increase in prosecutions
27:23in the last year.
27:24We've been working
27:25with the Crown Prosecution Service
27:26on a joint plan
27:28to improve the approach
27:29to prosecutions
27:30and securing justice
27:32for victims,
27:32and we've seen
27:33an improvement
27:34in both the referrals
27:36to the prosecution service
27:37for charges
27:38for domestic abuse,
27:39but also the number
27:40of cases coming to court.
27:42What do police
27:43do differently then,
27:44faced with domestic abuse
27:46in the countryside
27:47versus in an urban area?
27:49So often there's
27:50a lot of policing
27:51that varies nationally.
27:53Some of those
27:53have very rural communities,
27:55and we reach out
27:56across the domestic abuse sector
27:58and particularly
27:59to those services
28:00who provide support,
28:01and often those organisations
28:04are full of people
28:05with really powerful
28:06lived experience
28:07that can add value
28:09to the work that we do.
28:10But we've been told
28:11that actually
28:12one of the problems here
28:14is interagency working,
28:16that there isn't
28:17enough communication.
28:18Yes, and I recognise
28:19that problem,
28:20but we have been looking
28:21at every domestic homicide
28:23or suicide
28:24where there is a history
28:26of domestic abuse
28:26over the last five years,
28:28but we know in many of them
28:29abuse had been disclosed
28:31or agencies were aware
28:32or had some information,
28:33but we also know
28:34in many of them
28:36that opportunities
28:37to share that information
28:38were missed.
28:39So we're working really hard
28:41to ensure that we do
28:42as much with our workforce
28:43about sharing information
28:45when we believe
28:46that there is a risk
28:47to an individual
28:48and someone to be protected.
28:51The government's new strategy
28:53has been widely welcomed,
28:54including by the
28:55National Rural Crime Network,
28:57although it added
28:58that it contained
28:59no specific measures
29:00for tackling domestic abuse
29:02in the countryside.
29:04And the Domestic Abuse Commissioner
29:06for England and Wales
29:07said the strategy,
29:09while welcome,
29:09won't change the fact that
29:11survivors need
29:12urgent support now.
29:14This will only be addressed
29:16by the government
29:16providing long-term,
29:18sustained funding
29:19for specialist services.
29:22Jess Phillips is the Minister
29:24for Safeguarding
29:25and Violence Against Women and Girls.
29:26You've spoken in the past
29:29about the different challenges
29:32for tackling domestic violence
29:34in rural settings.
29:36And yet there is
29:37very little mention
29:38of anything rural
29:39in this latest action plan.
29:42Why?
29:43So, look,
29:43what I would say
29:44is that there is also
29:45not a mention of anything urban
29:46in the action plan.
29:48There is a plan
29:50for the entire country.
29:52The whole point
29:53of the strategy
29:54is about where
29:55any victim
29:57of domestic abuse
29:58or, in fact,
29:58any of the crimes listed,
30:00sexual violence,
30:01stalking
30:02and harassment,
30:04where they present,
30:06we need to make
30:07those systems better.
30:09What this does talk about
30:10is aiming
30:11to do more research
30:13into what rural communities need.
30:15We have had reports,
30:16one in 2019,
30:17one about to come out,
30:18which have looked
30:19at what rural communities need.
30:21And they pretty much agree
30:22what rural communities needed
30:23is for all these action points
30:25to be rural-proofed.
30:26So you just look at
30:27what does it look like
30:28in a rural setting,
30:29what do I need to change?
30:31Why didn't you just do that?
30:32I have to country-proof
30:34everything,
30:35if you will.
30:36I don't mean the countryside,
30:37I mean the entire country.
30:39So what we've sought to do
30:40is make our national services
30:42available,
30:43whether that's
30:44our helpline services,
30:46so that we are ensuring
30:47that those people
30:49get the same specialist service,
30:50whether they live in an area
30:51where it's funded or not.
30:53And I have to do that
30:54for the whole country.
30:55So I do try
30:56and rural-proof,
30:58but I try and everywhere-proof it.
31:01And so that is why
31:02working with other members
31:03of parliament
31:03and other rural stakeholders,
31:06we will look at exactly
31:07what is and isn't working
31:09and seek to make sure
31:11that we do more of what we can.
31:14But that work
31:15has already been done.
31:16That's the argument
31:17from campaigners
31:18and survivors in rural areas.
31:19We've done that work
31:20because you're just in danger
31:21of doing it again
31:22rather than taking
31:23the recommendations
31:24and acting on them.
31:25But I have to say
31:26I think that we do
31:27take those recommendations
31:28so that is exactly why
31:30I have to look at
31:30the infrastructure
31:31that already exists
31:32and work to create
31:33to make sure that
31:34victims of domestic violence,
31:35wherever they are,
31:37that the infrastructure
31:37that we have is used
31:38to assist them.
31:40And the whole point of that,
31:42really,
31:42is part of the rural-proofing.
31:45In the ten years
31:46since I first reported
31:48on rural domestic abuse,
31:49there are signs of change
31:51in awareness.
31:52But for some,
31:53recognition at government level
31:54remains lacking.
31:56For survivors like Rhiannon,
31:58continuing to speak out
32:00keeps hope of further change alive.
32:04The countryside is a wonderful place to be
32:06and there's no reason
32:08why we should be at higher risk
32:10because decision makers
32:12haven't thought about
32:14what it's like to live here.
32:16And you can get information
32:18and support
32:18for some of the issues
32:19raised in this film
32:20at bbc.co.uk
32:22forward slash action line.
32:32Back in Devon,
32:34Charlotte and I have been meeting
32:35the people who care
32:36for the ex-estuary.
32:37The fields flanking the estuary
32:40are flood-prone,
32:41which can create
32:42significant challenges
32:43when it comes to producing food.
32:46On the banks of the River Clist,
32:48a tributary to the ex-estuary,
32:50we're meeting a family
32:51who don't battle the elements.
32:53They embrace them.
32:57Dart's farm was founded
32:58in the 1970s
33:00by Ronald Dart,
33:01a pioneer of the pick-your-own model.
33:03We've been on this farm
33:06for over 55 years
33:08and being on the river here,
33:10it really just does
33:11guide the way that we farm
33:12and it's influenced
33:13a lot of the way
33:14that we do things.
33:16George Dart is part
33:17of the third generation
33:18of his family
33:19farming this land.
33:21We're stood right
33:22in the Clist Valley here
33:23and as you can see
33:24in the distance,
33:25it's flooded at the moment
33:26so we're only a few metres
33:28above sea level
33:29so that really does
33:30have an impact
33:30on what we can grow
33:31veg-wise.
33:32In the summer,
33:33not too much of a problem.
33:35There's not too much
33:36water in the ground
33:37so we tend to grow
33:38a lot of our summer crops
33:39down towards the bottom
33:40of the hill
33:40and then in the winter
33:41because that ground's
33:42that much wetter
33:44because of the water table
33:45and the flooding,
33:46if you get a frost
33:47then it really damages
33:49the brassicas
33:49and any veg
33:50that's low to the ground
33:51so in the winter
33:52we have lovely brassicas
33:54at the top of the hill here
33:55away from the frost
33:56and thriving.
33:59Apparently Robbie's got
34:00quite an aggressive technique
34:01on the cabbage
34:02Jack's very smooth
34:03and silky
34:04straight through the middle
34:05I wouldn't say
34:06I've really developed
34:07any sort of technique yet
34:08we might have to discount
34:11a few cabbages
34:12this afternoon.
34:15So as well as the veggies
34:17we've also got
34:17a beautiful herd
34:18of Ruby Red Devon cattle
34:19which are a native breed
34:21to this part of the country
34:23and they've bred over
34:25hundreds of years
34:26to be perfectly suited
34:27to a farm like this
34:28for most of the year
34:30they're out here
34:31grazing the wetland ground
34:32and because they're
34:33small, lighter breeds
34:35they don't damage
34:35the ground as much
34:36and they can be out
34:37for a lot longer period.
34:39So we're now
34:39in the depths of winter
34:40where all of the wetlands
34:42are pretty much flooding
34:43so the cattle are much happier
34:45in a nice warm, cosy barn
34:46which means we can raise
34:47the water levels
34:48and make this whole valley
34:49an amazing place
34:50for all sorts of different
34:51amazing wildlife.
34:52The family doesn't view
34:55the seasonal flooding
34:56as a problem to solve
34:57instead they take steps
34:59to encourage it.
35:02In the lead up to winter
35:03ditches are deliberately
35:04blocked to welcome
35:05the water into the fields
35:07shrinking their farm
35:08by up to 40 acres
35:09in the process.
35:12George's cousin Jack Dart
35:14manages the farming side
35:15of the family business.
35:17Steady guys.
35:18Steady.
35:18Shh, shh, shh, shh.
35:19Which includes looking after
35:21their 300 strong herd
35:23of ruby red Devon cattle.
35:25These cattle have
35:26a really important relationship
35:28with our ground
35:29especially the wetlands.
35:30The cattle will go out
35:32in March
35:33they go onto the wetlands
35:34and they'll graze there
35:36for six to nine months
35:38depending on the weather.
35:39They grow really, really well
35:41they're slow maturing
35:42so they don't need
35:43particularly high quality grass
35:46which works really well
35:47with our wetlands.
35:48In that time
35:49they're creating
35:49fantastic habitats
35:51for later in the year
35:52for different varieties
35:54of birds, insects, everything
35:56and it's great
35:57to see the benefit
35:58of having them out
35:59in the summer
35:59and then letting it flood
36:00in the winter
36:00and letting nature take over.
36:03To encourage a wetland habitat
36:05on the farm
36:06the family drew on advice
36:07from the local RSPB reserves
36:09just across the river.
36:11The changes could help
36:13boost biodiversity
36:14and increase bird life
36:15enjoyed by visitors
36:17and staff
36:18as well as the family
36:19including Jack's cousin
36:22Maddie.
36:23At the moment
36:24the water levels
36:25are quite high
36:26but they will rise
36:27a lot more
36:28we'll be in water
36:29where we are at the moment.
36:31It's an absolutely
36:31beautiful magical part
36:33of the farm
36:34it's where
36:35we've got a haven
36:36of activity going on
36:37all throughout the year
36:38particularly now
36:40as we've got the migration
36:41of a lot of Brent geese.
36:42We've got thousands
36:43and thousands
36:43that come here
36:44which is incredible
36:45heron
36:46lapwing
36:48avocyt
36:48so the marshes
36:51down here
36:51are super important
36:52for the whole
36:54wider area as well
36:56so we've got
36:56the RSPB marshes
36:57just down the road
36:58we've got the accessory
36:58so they're all
37:00obviously very connected
37:01so there's over 20,000 birds
37:03that migrate here
37:04every year.
37:04Another thing that's been
37:09great with working
37:10with the RSPB
37:11is they've done surveys
37:13over the last 10 years
37:14of the impact
37:16of having cattle grazing
37:17and the impact
37:18it has on birds
37:19and their populations
37:21so they found
37:22I think it's something
37:23like tenfold
37:24increase in bird habitat
37:26from cattle grazing
37:28on the marshes
37:30that's fantastic
37:31for us to know
37:31that through grazing
37:33our ruby reds
37:34on the marshes
37:35that we're actually
37:35having such a positive
37:36impact on the bird
37:38population here
37:39on the farm.
37:42I think it's just
37:43really important
37:43for us to work
37:45with nature
37:45and not against it
37:47so as much as we can
37:48to steward the land
37:49and support nature
37:51we're coming up
37:53to 55 years
37:53of the farm
37:54I think you feel
37:55a responsibility
37:56to keep it like that
37:57and protect it
37:58for the next 50 years.
38:04we've had all sorts
38:13of weather here
38:14on the Expo
38:15look at it now
38:16it's beautiful
38:17will it hold?
38:18here's the country
38:19file forecast
38:19good evening to you
38:28moisture laden air
38:30fairly mild air
38:31has been moving
38:31across the country
38:32off the Atlantic
38:33this weekend
38:34it's brought a lot
38:34of cloud
38:35some damp
38:36and drizzly weather
38:36and some fog
38:37and also outbreaks
38:40of rain
38:41now through the weekend
38:42not much change
38:43it's going to stay
38:43rather cloudy
38:44if anything
38:44in the middle parts
38:45of the week
38:45it'll turn wet
38:46and windy
38:47with low pressure
38:48starting to move
38:49and temperatures
38:49remain around average
38:50this is the current
38:51air mass set up
38:52across Europe
38:52we're picking up
38:53these milder air
38:54passage off the Atlantic
38:57but there is some
38:57very cold air
38:58towards the east of Europe
38:59around this area
39:00of high pressure
39:01which could start
39:02to edge towards
39:02our shores
39:03as we head into
39:04next weekend
39:05by the end of the month
39:06but we've still got
39:07a couple of weather fronts
39:08across the UK
39:09to end today
39:10this one bringing outbreaks
39:11of drizzly rain
39:12across England and Wales
39:12and a new one
39:13pushing into the west
39:14of the country
39:15it'll bring some rain
39:16to Northern Ireland
39:17the Hebrides
39:17by the end of the night
39:19but where we have
39:19the cloud again
39:20it's going to be frost free
39:21but under clearer skies
39:22Northern Scotland
39:23could turn cold
39:24and frosty
39:25temperatures down
39:26to minus 4 or 5 degrees
39:28got those weather fronts
39:29then to start
39:30the new week
39:31mainly towards
39:31central and western areas
39:32this one a bit more
39:33energy to it
39:34so some heavier rain
39:35for Northern Ireland
39:36and Western Scotland
39:37otherwise it's a mostly
39:38grey damp
39:38drizzly sort of day
39:39again for large parts
39:40of England and Wales
39:41but those temperatures
39:42sit around or above
39:43normal
39:44with our air source
39:45coming in from the south
39:46to the south west
39:4711 or 12 degrees
39:48will be the high
39:49across southern areas
39:50as we move into Tuesday
39:51we see this area
39:52of low pressure
39:53a little bit deeper
39:54pushing into the south west
39:55now this is bad news
39:56for Cornwall
39:56which is still reeling
39:57from the clear up operations
39:59after Storm Goretti
40:00so gale force winds
40:01developing here
40:02with some heavier rain
40:03the rest of the country
40:04will see variable cloud
40:05a little bit of rain
40:06but also some sunshine
40:07and again with that
40:08less cold air moving in
40:10we could hit
40:1011 or 12 degrees
40:12in the warmest spots
40:12high single digits
40:14further north
40:14now it starts to turn
40:16more and settle
40:17around the middle
40:17part of the week
40:18this area of low pressure
40:19becomes more widespread
40:20across the UK
40:21so it will be a windier
40:22day generally
40:23there will be outbreaks
40:24of rain in places
40:25some of it heavy
40:26but also some drier
40:27interludes
40:27perhaps a little bit
40:28of sunshine
40:29but it could be quite wet
40:30for the south west
40:31of England
40:31with a new weather front
40:32moving in here
40:33I've got the wind gust
40:34arrows on there
40:35so it's going to be
40:36a blustery day
40:37across the board
40:38now although temperatures
40:39could hit double figures
40:40in the south
40:40when you factor in the wind
40:41it's going to start to feel
40:43a little bit cooler
40:44now as we push towards
40:45the end of the week
40:46so this is Thursday's picture
40:47low pressure sits towards
40:48the south of the UK
40:49we're beginning to pull in
40:50easterly winds to the north
40:52tapping into some of that
40:53cold air perhaps
40:54across the near continent
40:55certainly for the northern
40:56half of the country
40:57so any rain moving
40:58into the north
40:59certainly for the north
40:59Pennines across Scotland
41:01start to see some snow
41:02falling mainly on the hills
41:04but maybe even down to
41:04lower levels across Scotland
41:06later in the day
41:06but it's mainly of rain
41:08towards the south
41:09and the south west
41:09where we have the less
41:10cold air
41:11I think on Thursday
41:12temperatures will be
41:13dropping back into
41:14single digits for most
41:15and feeling cool
41:16when you factor in the wind
41:17for Friday then
41:18similar picture
41:19an elongated area
41:20of low pressure
41:21towards the south
41:21and the west
41:22allowing these easterly winds
41:23to tap into that cold air
41:25across the north sea
41:26so again
41:26a wintry element to the rain
41:28across northern areas
41:29but mainly wet rain
41:31towards southern areas
41:33and it will be windy again too
41:35single figure values here
41:36so we're around average
41:37falling just a bit below
41:39and then that falling trend
41:41of temperature continues
41:42into next weekend
41:43staying quite unsettled
41:44but there's just a chance
41:46for the end of January
41:47we could tap into that cold air
41:49across the whole UK
41:49and looking at a very cold snap
41:52so stay tuned to the forecast
41:53take care
41:54we've been exploring
42:05the ex-estuary in Devon
42:07meeting the people
42:08who work on the water
42:09this is your office
42:11in effect
42:11isn't it?
42:12yeah
42:12as well as witnessing
42:14the wildlife
42:15that flocks here
42:16for the winter months
42:17so right now
42:19we can see lots of cormorants
42:20out on the end
42:21I see them
42:22yeah lovely
42:22and then we have
42:23some little tiny ones
42:25those are probably Dunlin
42:26they like to live
42:28in these really big flocks
42:29but the estuary
42:33isn't just a winter refuge
42:35for birds
42:35it's a busy hub
42:37for recreation
42:37and for some
42:38it's a lifelong workplace
42:40it's a landscape
42:44doing several things
42:45at once
42:46so getting the balance
42:47right is crucial
42:48Stuart Line cruises
42:54have been travelling
42:55up and down the estuary
42:56for more than 50 years
42:58they are one of the few
42:59commercial operators
43:00to continue in the winter
43:02no matter the weather
43:04Lauren Clark
43:05has been in charge
43:06of running these trips
43:07for the past decade
43:08so the business started
43:10back in the 60s
43:11what would it have been like then?
43:13quite different
43:13the boat trips ran
43:15from the seafront
43:15Tony Stuart became
43:17very well known locally
43:18he had a megaphone
43:19and he would perch
43:20on the edge of his boat
43:21and he would shout
43:22through the megaphone
43:2315 minute trips
43:23around the bay
43:24you pay on the boat
43:25something along those lines
43:26and what sort of boat
43:27are we talking then
43:28back in the day?
43:29we're talking a 52 seater
43:31wooden boat
43:32so good for its time
43:34but wouldn't quite
43:36suffice now
43:37you have a bit of
43:38a tricky balance
43:39don't you
43:40because you're wanting
43:40to take people out
43:41to see the wildlife
43:42but that has an impact
43:43on the wildlife
43:44the wildlife is
43:45critically important to us
43:47at the end of the day
43:47we are in the wildlife's
43:49natural habitat
43:50in the winter
43:51it's the bird life actually
43:53that largely keeps us going
43:54it's obviously all about
43:55protecting the environment
43:56that we're working in
43:57and ensuring that this
43:58can be enjoyed for years to come
43:59and that the birds
44:00continue to thrive
44:01I'm not sure the old wooden boat
44:04would have handled these conditions
44:06luckily for me
44:07the new one is slightly larger
44:09now you can actually see
44:11the birds in the estuary
44:12from the dry land
44:14but to get a proper view
44:16you need to get on the boat
44:17and because of that
44:20these cruisers are popular
44:22with one group in particular
44:24birders
44:25I think getting out on the water
44:28is pretty magic
44:30when you're actually on the water
44:31the birds are flying past you
44:32you're in amongst the wildlife
44:33you get amazing views
44:35and plus the estuary
44:36is absolutely beautiful
44:36from the water
44:37every tide is different
44:41every day is different
44:43every
44:44the weather is different
44:46so you really don't know
44:48and that's the joy
44:49of coming out birding
44:50because you just don't know
44:51what you're going to see
44:52I just love being out on the estuary
44:55and I just love the winter birds
44:58that come here
44:58so the brent geese
44:59one of my favourites
45:00they're just a gorgeous little goose
45:02today we're looking for a rare bird
45:04that probably came from North Africa
45:06or the Red Sea
45:07it'll be flying over birds
45:08that have come here for the winter
45:10from Siberia
45:11so it is a completely
45:12internationally connected place
45:14and is also really important
45:15scientifically for the
45:16numbers and the types of birds
45:18that we have here
45:22Graham Madge is a lifelong birder
45:24who works in communications
45:26for the Met Office
45:27on his last trip
45:28on the estuary
45:29he spotted something
45:30that hasn't been seen
45:31in Devon
45:32since 1985
45:33I heard a turn calling
45:36initially I thought
45:38it was a sandwich turn
45:39which would be
45:40a really rare bird
45:41here in winter
45:42and I was just aiming
45:43to get some record shots
45:44as the bird
45:45came up off the sandbank
45:47and over the boat
45:48it was only in view
45:49for about 8 to 10 seconds
45:51and it wasn't until
45:52I actually stopped
45:53and looked at the back
45:54of a camera
45:54that I realised
45:56that I'd got
45:57a lesser crested turn
45:58which hasn't been seen
45:59in Britain for 20 years
46:00it was quite funny
46:01because as we were cruising
46:03up the estuary
46:04like we are now
46:05we put the news out
46:06and then by the time
46:08we started on the return journey
46:10you could pick out
46:11little groups of bird watchers
46:13just in hope
46:14just scanning the estuary
46:16with their binoculars
46:17and scopes
46:17why on earth was it here?
46:19well we are known
46:21for rare birds
46:23turning up
46:23in this part of the world
46:25but at the moment
46:26we have quite high
46:27sea surface temperatures
46:29in fact over this year
46:31have rarely been out
46:32of marine heatwave conditions
46:34now I'm not saying
46:36that that's what
46:36brought this bird in
46:37there's a saying
46:38that one swallow
46:39doesn't make a summer
46:40and one turn
46:41doesn't make a climate
46:42catastrophe
46:43but when you start
46:45looking at the evidence
46:46we are beginning to see
46:47tropical seabirds
46:50turning up
46:50with greater frequency
46:52around the shores
46:54of the UK
46:54birds are probably
46:55having to move
46:56in order to find food
46:58coming here
46:59and finding conditions
47:00which maybe not
47:02they're ideal
47:03but are survivable
47:05it's an indicator
47:06that perhaps climate change
47:07is beginning to have
47:08an impact on our wildlife
47:10if this trend continues
47:14the ex-estuary
47:16could become
47:16even more important
47:17for wintering birds
47:18in the years ahead
47:19but it's a place
47:21people rely on too
47:22and with a little
47:23consideration
47:24there's room for everyone
47:25to share it
47:26without ruffling any feathers
47:27I know it's January
47:40but it's not too late
47:42to get your hands
47:42on one of these
47:43the Countryfile calendar
47:45sold in aid
47:46of BBC children in need
47:48here's John
47:49with all the details
47:50you need
47:50it costs £11.99
47:55which includes UK delivery
47:57you can go to our website
47:59bbc.co.uk
48:01forward slash countryfile
48:03where you'll find a link
48:04to the online order page
48:06or you can call
48:090330 333 4564
48:13to place your order by phone
48:15standard geographic charges
48:18will apply
48:18to both landlines
48:20and mobiles
48:21the phone line
48:23will be available
48:24from Monday to Friday
48:259am to 5pm
48:27and Saturdays
48:29from 10am to 4pm
48:31if you prefer to order
48:33by post
48:34then send your name
48:35address
48:36and a cheque
48:37to BBC Countryfile calendar
48:39PO Box 25
48:41Melton Mowbray
48:42LE13 1ZG
48:46and please make your cheques payable
48:48to BBC Countryfile calendar
48:50a minimum of £5.50
48:54from the sale of each calendar
48:56will be donated
48:57to BBC children in need
48:58and if you haven't picked one of these up yet
49:04well they are on sale
49:05until January the 31st
49:08and I'm delighted to announce
49:10that so far
49:11the 2026 Countryfile calendar
49:13has raised for BBC children in need
49:16an incredible £1,776,082
49:23so from all of us
49:25to everyone
49:26who has bought
49:27one of our calendars
49:28and helped us raise that amount
49:30a very
49:31very big thank you
49:32the ex estuary
49:41is fed by many tributaries
49:43including
49:44Wooten Brook
49:45to the east
49:46follow this little brook inland
49:49and you reach the area's
49:51newest nature reserve
49:52yonder oak wood
49:54walking around this reserve
49:59I'm wondering whether
50:00my eyes are deceiving me
50:02because there's some pretty
50:03odd looking trees around
50:04this form of farmland
50:09was purchased by the Woodland Trust
50:11in 2022
50:12and the team here
50:14have since planted
50:1518,000 trees
50:16as part of a woodland
50:18recreation project
50:19but the new saplings alone
50:21can't match the biodiversity
50:23offered by an ancient woodland
50:25so
50:27a novel solution
50:28is being tested here
50:29Sam Hamer
50:31is the site manager
50:32and mastermind
50:34of this ambitious project
50:35and I'm going to talk to you
50:37Hi Sam
50:37Hi Adam, how are you?
50:38It's a gorgeous spot
50:39despite the fairly dramatic weather
50:42Welcome to yonder oak
50:43I've noticed you've got these
50:45strange looking trees
50:46in the background
50:47tell me what's going on here
50:48Right, so these are
50:49the Frankenstein trees
50:50Frankenstein trees
50:51Frankenstein trees, yeah
50:52well because they're built
50:54from lots of trees
50:56and they're functioning
50:57outstanding deadwood habitat
50:59which as you know
50:59is an incredibly valuable habitat
51:01so like Frankenstein
51:03took bits of people
51:05to create the monster
51:06you're doing that with the trees
51:08Absolutely
51:09So these are beech trees
51:10and they came from
51:12Kingsettlewood
51:13which is just north of Shaftesbury
51:14that's a plantation
51:15on an ancient woodland site
51:17so these are trees
51:18that are being thinned out
51:19from that plantation
51:20and not only that
51:22but we've also covered it
51:24with all sorts of
51:25interesting features
51:26to increase each of those
51:28bits of standing deadwood's potential
51:29to offer homes for wildlife
51:31down the line
51:32The temptation in the landscape
51:33generally is to be tidy
51:35you know
51:35and sometimes dead trees
51:37get tidied away
51:38but in being tidy
51:39obviously we deprive
51:41certain types of species
51:42there are opportunities
51:43within the landscape
51:44things like bats
51:46things like birds
51:46moths, lichens, fungi
51:48all the sorts of things
51:49that in time
51:50will find homes
51:52in these trees
51:53but obviously
51:54we don't have enough
51:56old trees within our landscape
51:57the idea behind this
51:58is that they do offer
51:59some of that potential habitat
52:01Yeah, sure
52:01The technique used
52:03to prematurely age
52:05the franken trees
52:06is known as
52:07veteranisation
52:08making the younger wood
52:10resemble older
52:11veteran trees
52:12Crevices are carved
52:14holes are drilled
52:15and cavities created
52:17for birds and bats
52:18to make their homes in
52:19Alright, then
52:21grab a helmet
52:22and we'll go and have a look
52:23at some of these things
52:23Yeah, great
52:24You certainly don't want
52:26bits falling on you, do you?
52:27No, no, you definitely don't
52:29How deep into the ground are they?
52:30So they're about
52:31six foot into the ground
52:32into what we've found out
52:35was just nothing but clay
52:36As an extra proportion
52:39what we've done
52:39is we've attached
52:40what we call witnesses to them
52:41Essentially spirit levels
52:43are vaulted to the tree
52:45and they'll just give us
52:46an idea as to whether or not
52:48there's any movement
52:49We're anticipating
52:50that they will rot
52:51that they will start to move
52:52which is why in addition to that
52:54we're creating an exclusion zone
52:55around the base of the tree here
52:57with a lot of the brash
52:58that you see
52:58and then plant in and amongst that
53:01with spiky species like thorn
53:03to really discourage people
53:05from coming near it
53:06when the site is open
53:07Yeah, sure
53:07How long do you think
53:08they'll last before they start to rot?
53:10I think they should last
53:11about ten years
53:11and in that ten years
53:13they provide valuable habitat
53:14while the surrounding field
53:16establishes as new woodland
53:18So the idea is
53:19that those trees are growing up
53:20as this one is slowly crumbling
53:22and decaying down
53:23So you're really encouraging people
53:25that dead wood is good wood?
53:26Dead wood is great wood
53:27It's an amazing habitat
53:29It needs to be in the right place
53:30and safe
53:31but dead wood is amazing
53:32That's a really important message
53:34behind this project
53:34For many of the key species
53:38the benefits of the Frankenstein trees
53:40will multiply over time
53:42as they decay
53:42But for other target species
53:45like birds of prey
53:47the positive effects
53:48have been immediate
53:49Within 20 minutes
53:51of finishing the last tree
53:53as we drove away
53:54a kestrel came
53:55and landed on top
53:56and then was not only
53:57just landing on it
53:57and using it as a perch
53:58but hunting from it
53:59and then returning to the tree
54:00so that was absolutely fantastic
54:02They're helping us manage
54:03in an organic way
54:04the small mammal population
54:06which is here
54:06and obviously that small mammal population
54:08at the moment
54:08is trying desperately
54:09to nibble our newly planted saplings
54:11So
54:11And how many of these
54:12have you got now?
54:13So there's six of these
54:14on the site
54:14but we're just planning
54:16to put some smaller ones in
54:18for the bottom of the field
54:19if you'd like to come
54:19and give us a hand
54:20Yeah, I'd love to
54:20Alongside Sam
54:23habitat management professional
54:24Martin Bradley
54:25is co-creator
54:27of the Franken-trees project
54:28The pair met
54:30at a wood veteranisation workshop
54:32and hatched a plan
54:33to trial these techniques
54:34for standing deadwood
54:35here at Yonder Oak Wood
54:37Hi Martin
54:39Hello
54:40So what are you going to do
54:41with these bits then?
54:42So we're going to be putting in
54:43artificial cavities
54:44into these
54:45So there'll be anything
54:46from bird boxes
54:48to kestrel and little owl boxes
54:50or bat boxes
54:51which is what
54:52I was going to attempt
54:53on this one
54:53Brilliant
54:54Well look
54:54we'll put our helmets on
54:55and ear defenders
54:56and stand back
54:57and watch you at your work
54:58Brilliant
54:58So that cut he's doing at the moment
55:14is just coming in down
55:15behind the back of that piece of wood
55:17to release it
55:18so that it comes off like a lid
55:20and then he's going to hollow out behind it
55:23and then replace that
55:25with a hole in it
55:26in order for that
55:27to then be an entrance
55:28into a void
55:29that he's created
55:30inside the tree
55:31So something men can live in there
55:33Absolutely
55:34So simulating the sorts of things
55:36that rock
55:37and canker
55:38and fungi
55:39would do
55:40and exploit
55:40inside the natural weaknesses
55:41of an older tree
55:43but we're now doing that
55:45in this younger tree
55:46hence the veteranisation
55:47Very impressive
55:49An entrance hole
55:52of around 7cm
55:53is then drilled
55:54to allow access
55:56for one of the UK's
55:57rarest mammals
55:58the Bechstein's bat
56:00Oh no
56:01I need to be a bit more there
56:02look
56:02Get bat building inspectors
56:03on you
56:04There we go
56:15That's the bat box doorway
56:17It's fascinating work isn't it
56:21I mean being a forester
56:22you know
56:22you've got all your
56:23tree surgery work
56:24but to be working
56:25with conservation
56:27at the same time
56:28must be quite exciting
56:29for you guys isn't it
56:30It's really weird
56:31because it completely goes
56:31against everything we were taught
56:32because we're completely
56:34battering these trees in
56:35but we're advanced
56:36to habitats
56:37that way
56:38so instead of
56:38nice clean cut
56:39happy tree
56:39it's really ugly cut
56:41happy habitats
56:42Yeah
56:42And how do you feel about it?
56:44It's great fun
56:46Yeah
56:47It is nice to be able
56:48to smash stuff up
56:48And what's the vision
56:51for this area then
56:52over the next 10, 20, 30 years?
56:55Well it's to support
56:56the wildlife
56:57and biodiversity
56:58within this part of the country
56:59We have the excess estuary
57:01to one side of us
57:02we've got the pebble bed
57:03heath
57:04the AONB
57:05and a site like Yonder Oak
57:06as a woodland creation site
57:08is adding to that picture
57:10of connectivity
57:10across the landscape
57:11Hello Charlotte
57:22Hey
57:23How was your boat trip?
57:24It was really lovely
57:25it's so beautiful here
57:26I had a really nice time
57:27and you
57:28what have you been up to?
57:28Well I've been building
57:29a bat box
57:30in a Frankenstein tree
57:31There is no answer to that
57:33is there?
57:33Well that's all we've got time
57:35for today
57:35on the ex-estuary
57:36Next week
57:37we will be in
57:38on and above
57:39the Mennais Strait
57:40in North Wales
57:41Well this is a view
57:44that not many people
57:45get to see
57:45There's no plaque
57:47on it or anything
57:48is there?
57:49Plaque on the foundation stone
57:50It's a great idea
57:51I don't think anyone
57:52has ever thought of that
57:53These rings will last
57:55maybe 20 years
57:56We have actually
57:57re-ringed birds
57:58more than once
57:59I had no idea
58:00they lived so long
58:01We didn't know that
58:02until we started
58:03ringing them
58:04We've done it
58:06hundreds and hundreds
58:07of times
58:07It should be as smooth
58:08as anything
58:08It should
58:08How easily could it go wrong?
58:10I hate the same thing
58:12Okay slowly down
58:13Hope you can join us then
58:18Bye bye
58:19Bye bye
58:19In all walks of life
58:27there's adventure
58:28and soul searching
58:29to be found
58:30watch Bear Grylls'
58:31wild reckoning
58:32on iPlayer now
58:33Cancel your plans
58:34for Tuesday night
58:35It's a date in front
58:36of the TV
58:37on BBC2
58:38Winter Watch
58:39is back again
58:39at 7
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