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Countryfile - Season 38 - Episode 03: 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
00:05down, getting the barnacles off and the seaweed off. A bit more effort required.
00:11Everyone's a critic.
00:49Isn't this beautiful? The ex-estuary.
00:53Now, unsurprisingly, even in the depths of the winter, this is a busy place, not just for people, also for
01:01wildlife.
01:02So how do they get on?
01:04The ex-estuary begins just south of Exeter, where the River Ex widens into an eight-mile stretch that flows
01:12towards the coastal town of Exmouth and out into the English Channel.
01:16Where are we heading to today, then?
01:18We're going to go and have a look at the Dulloch Warren Refuge.
01:20Here's your life jacket.
01:21OK. Let's go.
01:24Charlotte and I will see how those who live and work here go to extraordinary lengths to protect this special
01:31landscape.
01:36There we go. That's the back box doorway.
01:41Looking 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.
01:57This beautiful area that we live in has been transformed into a place of severe threat.
02:18Along its wide tidal waters, the ex-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?
02:46OK, Charlotte, careful where you put your hands on the shiny bit.
02:50Graham Foreshaw 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.
02:59Clear.
02:59OK.
03:00Clear out.
03:01They're off to do their daily inspection of the waterway, and this morning, they've got me on board too.
03:08I've been here as harbour master for six years, and before I came here, I was harbour master at Lyme
03:14Regis for ten years.
03:15So what was it about here that made you want to come and do the job?
03:18A challenge.
03:19A challenge, so 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 is pretty quiet, but in the summer months, all of these moorings that are currently
03:43empty, they're all full.
03:45Now, with lots of day users, the Dawlish Warren, which is behind us, you know, you can have 50 boats
03:52parked up on the Warren,
03:53with hundreds of people jumping in and out of the water, going swimming.
03:57It's fantastic.
03:59It's an atmosphere.
04:00It really is.
04:03In peak season, up to 2,000 boats can be moored in the estuary, with an average of 300 boat
04:09movements a day, which requires daily monitoring.
04:12It's quieter in winter, but there's still plenty of work to do.
04:17What is the actual job of a harbourmaster?
04:20Safety.
04:21So whether that be safety of the public using the waterway, safety of navigation, safety in terms of keeping boats
04:31apart, collision regulations, that sort of thing,
04:34and also environmental issues like pollution.
04:38Because it's difficult, isn't it, if you've got powerboats and sailboats and people on paddleboards and kite surfing and body
04:46surfing 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.
04:55I just want to say busy.
04:57Right.
04:57Busy and interesting.
04:59The tides of the ex-estuary are notoriously strong.
05:04And to keep all the vessels clear of shifting sandbanks, they use a series of navigation aids to guide boats
05:11along 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.
05:34So you can see on this buoy now, this one's been in the water without being serviced for just shy
05:40of 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.
05:51Mark one scraper.
05:51Oh, right.
05:52Okay.
05:52It needed no improvement.
05:53No.
05:53So 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.
06:02What?
06:02A bit more effort required.
06:05Everyone's a critic.
06:08As well as a clean, the buoy gets a full inspection.
06:11From the solar-powered light on the top, all the way down to the chain and concrete block, which secures
06:17it to the seabed.
06:19There is a bit of a knack to it, actually, because when you get a big bit off, it's really
06:22satisfying.
06:28Doing a grand job there, Charlotte.
06:30It's really satisfying.
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.
07:07With more and more people using the estuary, keeping these waterways clear is an ongoing challenge.
07:15We'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
07:31the shore.
07:32I guess this is one of those points, isn't it, where the people have an impact on the river and
07:38the wildlife and everything.
07:39When they abandon a boat or don't look after a boat.
07:43Yeah.
07:44And there could be a very good reason for it.
07:46Illness or bereavement or whatever.
07:48But 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?
08:00Particularly at this time of year, when you've got all these migratory birds.
08:02It's very, very tricky at any time of the year.
08:06What 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
08:21of the year.
08:21But if you try 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.
08:38Not just for recreational use.
08:40But professionally, we 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.
09:06I've come down to the X a few times now on holiday, and I've never honestly realised just how much
09:12work goes into managing this waterway so that it is safe for all of us to enjoy.
09:39The 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 X estuary becomes one of the busiest habitats in Britain.
09:56Tens of thousands of birds arrive here.
09:58Many from as far away as the Arctic Circle.
10:02Exhausted, hungry and in need of space to rest.
10:06With 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 X 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?
10:41We're heading out onto the X estuary today.
10:44We're going to go and have a look at the Dulwich Warren Refuge.
10:46We'll go up as far as Coccu, that's where the refuge ends.
10:49So what sort of things are you looking out for?
10:51We're going 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.
10:59You 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.
11:17X-Myth Marina, X-Myth Marina, this is Branta Isco.
11:21We are heading out on patrol.
11:22Over.
11:23These boat patrols are the backbone of the winter refuge programme,
11:27protecting the birds when they're at their most vulnerable.
11:34They'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.
11:53So 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, where they get predated by Arctic foxes,
12:05and 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 and there's already a lot of activity.
12:15I've seen a sailing boat, I've seen kite surfers, there's a lot going on, isn't there?
12:18That's right. People love the estuary, quite rightly so,
12:21and what we're asking people to do is just share the space with nature.
12:25And when both refuges are active, we're only talking about 7% of the whole estuary.
12:31And what about enforcement, then, if 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 if they weren't aware
12:43and then kindly ask them to move on when they can.
12:46So now we're seeing much reduced levels of disturbance.
12:50And as long as they continue to work on a voluntary basis,
12:53then we don't want to bring in any enforcement or fines.
13:05When 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 for 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 Dullish Warren Wildlife Refuge.
13:36And it's very important because 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.
13:48And 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.
14:00So these guys breed up in northern Siberia
14:02and then they migrate 3,000 miles along the Baltic coastline just to come here.
14:07We get around 1,000, 2,000 that come migrate every single winter
14:11to the ex-estuary and 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 for the first three, four years of their life
14:27and then they will head to their breeding grounds throughout the UK.
14:30But however, their breeding population has decreased significantly by 80%, unfortunately.
14:36Waders are just a really struggling population to breed
14:38because they have such specific habitat requirements
14:41and they also breed on the ground,
14:42which 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 what they can do for wildlife,
14:52all these small changes, like not disturbing wildlife, picking up after your dog,
14:56those actually have a massive impact on the larger scale.
14:58So any small thing that you can do will 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 are just as important.
15:16South East 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 that you can see wildlife.
15:27One is right here where we are, which is the Exmouth Wildlife Refuge.
15:32And even see them up close, using the team's telescope
15:35under the guidance of Warden Katie Jones.
15:38It's about 39 species of birds that come to the estuary in the winter.
15:42It's amazing, a small area like this.
15:43That's right. Yeah, it is amazing, isn't it?
15:45One of the reasons why they do come here
15:47is because one square metre of mud is 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, 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 and people walking dogs everywhere.
16:16And I think that could probably benefit from some living like this.
16:23These are an amazing species.
16:25They have the beaks that go up.
16:26The 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, a little bit of shared information.
16:42But the impact it can make can be huge.
16:55Now, the government has just launched the latest strategy
16:58for dealing with violence against 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.
17:12And a warning, you may find some of the scenes in her report disturbing.
17:17I first reported on the issue of rural domestic abuse for Countryfile 10 years ago
17:22and then again in 2019.
17:25Each time, what we found was truly shocking.
17:30Accounts of hidden abuse with isolated victims who have nowhere to turn.
17:35Meaning they were half as likely to report what was happening to them
17:38as victims in towns and cities.
17:41And so, on average, in 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 within the next 10 years.
18:00It includes the introduction of a new GP referral service
18:04for victims of abuse,
18:05specialist rape and sexual offences teams for every police force,
18:09and tougher restraining orders for domestic abusers.
18:13But there was nothing in the strategy
18:15specifically designed to tackle rural domestic abuse.
18:19So how are victims living in rural communities
18:22currently being supported and protected?
18:25How are you today?
18:27Mel Bugler and Catherine Harrison
18:29are rural independent domestic violence advisers
18:32covering South Gloucestershire and North Somerset.
18:36Rural domestic abuse has quite unique challenges.
18:39Key to that is isolation.
18:40Rural 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, so rural areas,
18:54there's access to gun licences for work purposes.
18:58The houses are further away, so 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 for some women.
19:11Rhiannon Bragg lives in rural Gwynedd in north-west Wales.
19:15Hi!
19:17Over the course of five years,
19:19she was psychologically and physically abused by her partner.
19:23He isolated and controlled her
19:25and turned the remote setting of her smallholding against her.
19:30It was always, and still is, a place of peaceful seclusion.
19:35What he transformed it into was a place of vulnerable isolation.
19:39Her abuser was Gareth Wynne-Jones,
19:42who she says was well-known in the local shooting community.
19:45When Rhiannon ended the relationship, his abuse escalated.
19:49He was arrested and his guns were taken away.
19:52But no further action was taken and 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 how 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.
20:38He then held her against her will for 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'd said he was going to shoot me and then shoot himself.
20:56I didn't think I'd see my children again.
20:58How 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 she felt had been restricted.
21:35His custodial sentence might have ended,
21:37but ours had begun.
21:40We 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 only came to an end last February,
21:53when she was told her former partner and abuser had died.
21:58The increased risk of more physical harm,
22:00the scarcity of support services,
22:02and the fact that the abuse is statistically more likely to last longer in the countryside,
22:08makes this a complex issue to tackle for those on the ground.
22:12Given that huge list of challenges,
22:14what help can you really offer?
22:15There are ranges of ways that we can engage with people.
22:18It doesn't have to be face-to-face,
22:20it can be on the phone,
22:21it can be via tax messages.
22:22One of the women Mel has been helping gave Countryfile an account of the support she's received.
22:29Her words have been voiced by one of our production team.
22:33I felt incredibly guilty, sick and anxious about opening up.
22:37I felt like I was betraying him.
22:40But the kind and understanding voice on the other side of the phone didn't judge or pressure me.
22:46She was instrumental in helping to unpick myself from his damaging reality.
22:51Their service also runs a domestic champions scheme.
22:55These are seen as one of the key ways of reaching victims in the countryside.
23:00We offer to hold lunch and learns and training sessions
23:03where people can come and learn about domestic abuse
23:05and learn about recognising the signs.
23:07And they're able to recognise that abuse within their communities
23:11and bring it forward so that we can offer support to those victims.
23:15So the champions don't have to take on solving all the problems,
23:17they just have to point in the right direction.
23:19The government's new strategy on violence against women and girls
23:23doesn't contain any dedicated rural measures.
23:26But there has been a significant piece of work done on this in the past.
23:31In 2019, the National Rural Crime Network,
23:35which represents 33 police and crime commissioners and their forces,
23:38produced a landmark report on domestic abuse in the countryside.
23:43The Captive and Controlled Report looked at seven rural police force areas.
23:50It concluded that victims were left isolated, unsupported and unprotected.
23:56Now, it called on the government to fully consider the needs of rural areas
24:01when developing strategies to deal with domestic abuse
24:05and on the police to urgently improve the resources
24:09that they put into tackling the issue in the countryside.
24:13Judith Vickriss has supported victims of domestic abuse for decades
24:17and has spent the past year re-examining that 2019 report and its findings.
24:25She's given Countryfile exclusive access to her work.
24:29There were recommendations in the 2019 report.
24:33Why didn't they go anywhere?
24:34There was no organisation dedicated to rural communities and survivors of domestic abuse
24:42who could hold those who made all the promises of implementation to account at the time.
24:49Judith hoped the government would consider some of the measures from her own research
24:53and add those to its new strategy.
24:56Her recommendations include
24:58a separate action plan to deal with rural domestic violence
25:01and to ensure all strategies for dealing with violence against women and girls
25:07have a rural component.
25:10But, she says, that hasn't happened.
25:13It was a missed opportunity, really, to include rural communities
25:19where they've been left out before.
25:21We put in submissions of evidence around domestic abuse
25:27and violence against women and girls in rural areas
25:29and I couldn't see that reflected anywhere.
25:32So, I'd like to see legislation genuinely rural-proofed
25:38and what I mean by that is
25:40does this work for people who live in small villages
25:44where they don't have access to transport,
25:47to health services,
25:49to domestic abuse specialist services
25:52and if it doesn't, then change it.
25:55The government's new strategy does promise to gather evidence
26:00on what support is available to victims in the countryside
26:03and what help is most effective.
26:05And Judith says it does address some of her concerns around policing.
26:11The strategy is highlighting the need for policing
26:15to work better in collaboration with other organisations,
26:19other services that provide support to victims,
26:24survivors of domestic abuse
26:25and that feels really positive.
26:28Countryfile looked at official statistics for 15 police forces
26:32covering rural areas in England and Wales.
26:36Over the last 10 years,
26:38we found the number of domestic abuse-related crimes had doubled.
26:42Police believe this is an increase in reporting
26:44rather than an increase in domestic abuse.
26:48At the same time,
26:49prosecutions and convictions had gone down in overall terms
26:53by about 40%,
26:54although they'd begun to go back up again
26:56in the last couple of years.
26:59The same trends have also been seen in urban police forces.
27:04Louisa Rolfe is an assistant commissioner
27:06at the Metropolitan Police
27:07and the National Police Lead for Domestic Abuse.
27:11How would you say the police are doing?
27:13So we've made a huge amount of progress in the last 15 years,
27:17but we know there's a huge amount more to do.
27:20We've pleasingly seen an increase in prosecutions in the last year.
27:24We've been working with the Crown Prosecution Service
27:26on a joint plan to improve the approach to prosecutions
27:30and securing justice for victims.
27:32And we've seen an improvement in both the referrals
27:36to the prosecution service for charges for domestic abuse,
27:39but also the number of cases coming to court.
27:42What do police do differently then,
27:44faced with domestic abuse in the countryside
27:47versus in an urban area?
27:49So often there's a lot of policing that varies nationally.
27:52Some of those have very rural communities
27:55and we reach out across the domestic abuse sector
27:58and particularly to those services who provide support.
28:01And often those organisations are full of people
28:05with really powerful lived experience
28:07that can add value to the work that we do.
28:10But we've been told that actually one of the problems here
28:14is interagency working, that there isn't enough communication.
28:18Yes, and I recognise that problem.
28:20But we have been looking at every domestic homicide or suicide
28:24where there is a history of domestic abuse over the last five years.
28:28But we know in many of them abuse had been disclosed
28:31or agencies were aware or had some information.
28:33But we also know in many of them that opportunities
28:37to share that information were missed.
28:39So we're working really hard to ensure that we do as much
28:42with our workforce about sharing information
28:45when we believe that there is a risk to an individual
28:48and someone to be protected.
28:51The government's new strategy has been widely welcomed,
28:54including by the National Rural Crime Network,
28:57although it added that it contained
28:59no specific measures for tackling domestic abuse in the countryside.
29:04And the Domestic Abuse Commissioner for England and Wales
29:07said the strategy, while welcome, won't change the fact that
29:11survivors need urgent support now.
29:14This will only be addressed by the government
29:16providing long-term sustained funding for specialist services.
29:22Jess Phillips is the Minister for Safeguarding
29:25and Violence Against Women and Girls.
29:28You've spoken in the past about the different challenges
29:32for tackling domestic violence in rural settings.
29:36And yet there is very little mention of anything rural
29:39in this latest action plan.
29:42Why?
29:42So, look, what I would say is that there is also not a mention
29:45of anything urban in the action plan.
29:48There is a plan for the entire country.
29:52The whole point of the strategy is about where
29:56any victim of domestic abuse
29:58or, in fact, any of the crimes listed,
30:00sexual violence, stalking and harassment,
30:04where they present,
30:06we need to make those systems better.
30:09What this does talk about is aiming to do more research
30:13into what rural communities need.
30:15We have had reports, one in 2019, one about to come out,
30:19which have looked at what rural communities need.
30:21And they pretty much agree what rural communities needed
30:23is for all these action points to be rural-proofed.
30:26So you just look at what does it look like in a rural setting?
30:29What do I need to change?
30:31Why don't you just do that?
30:32I have to country-proof everything, if you will.
30:36I don't mean the countryside.
30:37I mean the entire country.
30:39So what we've sought to do is make our national services available,
30:43whether that's our helpline services,
30:45so that we are ensuring that those people
30:49get the same specialist service,
30:50whether they live in an area where it's funded or not.
30:53And I have to do that for the whole country.
30:55So I do try and rural-proof,
30:58but I try and everywhere-proof it.
31:01And so that is why,
31:02working with other Members of Parliament
31:03and other rural stakeholders,
31:05we will look at exactly what is and isn't working
31:09and seek to make sure that we do more of what we can.
31:14But that work has already been done.
31:16That's the argument from campaigners and survivors in rural areas.
31:19We've done that work.
31:20You're just in danger of doing it again
31:22rather than taking the recommendations and acting on them.
31:25But I have to say,
31:26I think that we do take those recommendations.
31:28So that is exactly why I have to look at the infrastructure
31:31that already exists and work to create
31:33to make sure that victims of domestic violence,
31:35wherever they are,
31:36that the infrastructure that we have is used to assist them.
31:39And the whole point of that, really,
31:42is part of the rural-proofing.
31:45In the ten years since I first reported on rural domestic abuse,
31:49there are signs of change in awareness.
31:52But for some,
31:53recognition at government level remains lacking.
31:56For survivors like Rhiannon,
31:58continuing to speak out keeps hope of further change alive.
32:04The countryside is a wonderful place to be.
32:06And there's no reason why we should be at higher risk
32:10because decision-makers haven't thought about
32:13what it's like to live here.
32:16And you can get information and support
32:18for some of the issues raised in this film
32:20at bbc.co.uk forward slash action line.
32:32Back in Devon, Charlotte and I have been meeting the people
32:36who care for the ex-estuary.
32:38The fields flanking the estuary are flood-prone,
32:41which can create significant challenges
32:43when it comes to producing food.
32:45On the banks of the River Clist,
32:47a tributary to the ex-estuary,
32:49we're meeting a family who don't battle the elements.
32:52They embrace them.
32:57Dart's farm was founded in the 1970s by Ronald Dart,
33:01a pioneer of the pick-your-own model.
33:05We've been on this farm for over 55 years,
33:08and being on the river here,
33:10it really just does guide the way that we farm
33:12and it's influenced a lot of the way that we do things.
33:16George Dart is part of the third generation
33:18of his family farming this land.
33:21We're stood right in the Clist Valley here,
33:23and as you can see in the distance,
33:25it's flooded at the moment,
33:26so we're only a few metres above sea level,
33:29so that really does have an impact
33:30on what we can grow veg-wise.
33:32In the summer, not too much of a problem.
33:35There's not too much water in the ground,
33:37so we tend to grow a lot of our summer crops
33:39down towards the bottom of the hill.
33:40And then in the winter,
33:41because that ground's that much wetter
33:43because of the water table and the flooding,
33:46if you get a frost,
33:47then it really damages the brassicas
33:49and any veg that's low to the ground.
33:51So in the winter,
33:52we have lovely brassicas at the top of the hill here,
33:55away from the frost and thriving.
33:59Apparently, Robbie's got quite an aggressive technique
34:01on the cabbage.
34:02Jack's very smooth and silky,
34:04straight through the middle.
34:06I wouldn't say I've really developed
34:07any sort of technique yet.
34:10We might have to discount a few cabbages
34:11this afternoon.
34:14So as well as the veggies,
34:17we've also got a beautiful herd
34:18of Ruby Red Devon cattle,
34:20which are a native breed
34:21to this part of the country.
34:23And they've bred over hundreds of years
34:26to be perfectly suited to a farm like this.
34:29For most of the year,
34:30they're out here grazing the wetland ground.
34:32And because they're small, lighter breeds,
34:35they don't damage the ground as much
34:36and they can be out for a lot longer period.
34:39So we're now in the depths of winter
34:40where all of the wetlands are pretty much flooding.
34:43So the cattle are much happier
34:45in a nice, warm, cosy barn,
34:46which means we can raise the water levels
34:48and make this whole valley an amazing place
34:50for all sorts of different amazing wildlife.
34:53The family doesn't view the seasonal flooding
34:56as a problem to solve.
34:58Instead, they take steps to encourage it.
35:01In the lead-up to winter,
35:03ditches are deliberately blocked
35:05to welcome the water into the fields,
35:07shrinking their farm by up to 40 acres in the process.
35:12George's cousin, Jack Dart,
35:14manages the farming side of the family business.
35:16Steady, guys.
35:18Steady.
35:18Shh, shh, shh, shh, shh.
35:20Which includes looking after their 300-strong herd
35:23of ruby-red Devon cattle.
35:25These cattle have a really important relationship
35:28with our ground, especially the wetlands.
35:30The cattle will go out in March,
35:32they go on to the wetlands,
35:34and they'll graze there for 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 particularly high-quality grass,
35:46which works really well with our wetlands.
35:48In that time, they're creating fantastic habitats
35:50for later in the year
35:52for different varieties of birds, insects, everything,
35:56and it's great to see the benefit
35:58of having them out in the summer
35:59and then letting it flood in the winter
36:00and letting nature take over.
36:03To encourage a wetland habitat on the farm,
36:06the family drew on advice from the local RSPB reserves
36:09just across the river.
36:11The changes could help boost biodiversity
36:14and increase bird life,
36:16enjoyed by visitors and staff,
36:18as well as the family,
36:21including Jack's cousin, Maddy.
36:23At the moment, the water levels are quite high,
36:26but they will rise a lot more.
36:28We'll be in water where we are at the moment.
36:30It's an absolutely beautiful, magical part of the farm.
36:34It's where we've got a haven of activity going on
36:37all throughout the year,
36:39particularly now as we've got the migration
36:41of a lot of brent geese.
36:42We've got thousands and thousands that come here,
36:44which is incredible.
36:46Heron, lapwing, avocyt.
36:49So the marshes down here are super important
36:52for the whole wider area as well.
36:56So we've got the RSPB marshes just down the road,
36:58we've got the accessory,
36:59so they're all obviously very connected.
37:01It seems there's over 20,000 birds
37:03that migrate here every year.
37:08Another thing that's been great
37:10with working with the RSPB is
37:11they've done surveys over the last 10 years
37:14of the impact of having cattle grazing
37:17and the impact it has on birds and their population.
37:21So they found, I think it's something like tenfold increase
37:25in bird habitat from cattle grazing on the marshes.
37:30That's fantastic for us to know
37:31that through grazing our ruby reds on the marshes
37:35that we're actually having such a positive impact
37:37on the bird population here on the farm.
37:42I think it's just really important for us
37:44to work with nature and not against it,
37:47so as much as we can to steward the land
37:49and support nature.
37:52We're coming up to 55 years of the farm.
37:54I think you feel a responsibility to keep it like that
37:57and protect it for the next 50 years.
38:12We've had all sorts of weather here on the X
38:15but look at it now, it's beautiful.
38:17Will it hold?
38:18Here's the Countryfile forecast.
38:27Good evening to you.
38:29Moisture-laden air, fairly mild air,
38:31has been moving across the country
38:32off the Atlantic this weekend.
38:34It's brought a lot of cloud,
38:35some damp and drizzly weather and some fog
38:38and also outbreaks of rain.
38:41Now, through the weekend, not much change.
38:43It's going to stay rather cloudy.
38:44If anything, in the middle part of the week,
38:45it'll turn wet and windy
38:47with low pressure starting to move
38:48and temperatures will remain around average.
38:50This is the current air mass set up across Europe.
38:52We're picking up these milder air passage
38:55off the Atlantic
38:57but there is some very cold air
38:58towards the east of Europe
38:59around this area of high pressure
39:01which could start to edge towards our shores
39:03as we head into next weekend
39:05by the end of the month.
39:06But we've still got a couple of weather fronts
39:08across the UK to end today.
39:10This one bringing outbreaks of drizzly rain
39:11across England and Wales
39:12and a new one pushing into the west of the country
39:15that'll bring some rain to Northern Ireland,
39:17the Hebrides, by the end of the night.
39:19But where we have the cloud again,
39:20it's going to be frost-free
39:21but under clearer skies, Northern Scotland
39:23could turn cold and frosty
39:25with temperatures down to minus four or five degrees.
39:28We've got those weather fronts then
39:29to start the new week,
39:31mainly towards Central and Western areas.
39:32This one, a bit more energy to it
39:34so some heavier rain for Northern Ireland,
39:36Western Scotland.
39:37Otherwise, it's a mostly grey, damp,
39:39drizzly sort of day again
39:40for large parts of England and Wales.
39:41But those temperatures sit around or above normal
39:44with our air source coming in
39:45from the south to the southwest.
39:4711 or 12 degrees will be the high
39:49across southern areas.
39:50As we move into Tuesday,
39:51we see this area of low pressure
39:53a little bit deeper
39:54pushing into the southwest.
39:55Now, this is bad news for Cornwall,
39:57which is still reeling from the clear-up operations
39:59after Storm Goretti.
40:00So gale force winds developing here
40:02with some heavier rain.
40:03The rest of the country will see variable cloud,
40:05a little bit of rain,
40:06but also some sunshine.
40:07And again, with that less cold air moving in,
40:10we could hit 11 or 12 degrees
40:12in the warmest spots,
40:13high single digits further north.
40:15Now, it starts to turn more and settle
40:17around the middle part of the week,
40:18this area of low pressure
40:19becomes more widespread across the UK.
40:21So it will be a windier day generally.
40:23There will be outbreaks of rain in places,
40:25some of it heavy,
40:26but also some drier interludes.
40:27Perhaps a little bit of sunshine,
40:29but it could be quite wet
40:30for the southwest of England
40:31with a new weather front moving in here.
40:33I've got the wind gust arrows on there
40:35to show it's going to be
40:36a blustery day across the board.
40:38Now, although temperatures
40:39could hit double figures in the south,
40:40when you factor in the wind,
40:42it's going to start to feel
40:43a little bit cooler.
40:44Now, as we push towards the end of the week,
40:46so this is Thursday's picture.
40:47Low pressure sits towards the south of the UK.
40:49We're beginning to pull in
40:50easterly winds to the north,
40:52tapping into some of that cold air,
40:53perhaps, across the near continent,
40:55certainly for the northern half of the country.
40:57So any rain moving into the north,
40:59certainly for the North Pennines,
41:00across Scotland,
41:01start to see some snow falling,
41:03mainly on the hills,
41:04but maybe even down to lower levels
41:05across Scotland later in the day.
41:06But it's been mainly of rain
41:07towards the south and the southwest,
41:09where we have the less cold air.
41:11I think on Thursday,
41:12temperatures will be dropping back
41:13into single digits for most,
41:15and feeling cool when you factor in the wind.
41:17For Friday then,
41:18similar picture,
41:19an elongated area of low pressure
41:21towards the south and 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,
41:30but 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,
41:37or falling 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
41:48across the whole UK
41:49and looking at a very cold snap,
41:52so stay tuned to the forecast.
41:53Take care.
42:04We've been exploring
42:05the ex-estuary in Devon,
42:07meeting the people
42:08who work on the water.
42:10This is your office in effect,
42:11isn't it?
42:12Yeah.
42:13As well as witnessing
42:14the wildlife that flocks here
42:16for the winter months.
42:18So right now we can see
42:19lots of cormorants out on the end.
42:21I see them, yeah, lovely.
42:22And then we have some
42:23little tiny ones.
42:25Those are probably Dunlin.
42:27They like to live
42:28in these really big flocks.
42:32But the estuary
42:33isn't just a winter refuge
42:34for birds.
42:35It's a busy hub for recreation,
42:37and for some,
42:38it's a lifelong workplace.
42:43It's a landscape
42:44doing several things at once,
42:46so getting the balance right
42:47is crucial.
42:52Stuart 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 has been in charge
43:06of running these trips
43:07for the past decade.
43:09So the business started
43:10back in the 60s.
43:11What would it have been like then?
43:12Quite different.
43:14The boat trips ran
43:15from the seafront.
43:16Tony 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 around 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.
43:33So good for its time,
43:35but wouldn't quite suffice now.
43:37You have a bit of a 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
43:52that 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.
44:02I'm not sure the old wooden boat
44:04would have handled
44:05these conditions.
44:06Luckily for me,
44:07the new one is slightly larger.
44:10Now, 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.
44:19And because of that,
44:20these cruisers are popular
44:22with one group in particular,
44:24birders.
44:27I think getting out
44:28on the water
44:28is pretty magic.
44:30When you're actually
44:30on the water,
44:31the birds are flying past you,
44:32you're in amongst the wildlife,
44:34you get amazing views,
44:35and plus the estuary
44:36is absolutely beautiful
44:36from the water.
44:39Every tide is different.
44:41Every day is different.
44:44Every...
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.
44:53I just love being out
44:55on the estuary,
44:55and I just love
44:57the winter birds
44:58that come here.
44:58So the brent geese,
44:59one of my favourites,
45:00they're just a gorgeous
45:01little goose.
45:02Today we're looking
45:03for a rare bird
45:04that probably came
45:05from North Africa
45:06or the Red Sea.
45:07It'll be flying over birds
45:08that have come here
45:09for the winter
45:10from Siberia.
45:11So it is a completely
45:12internationally connected place,
45:14and it's also really
45:15important scientifically
45:16for the numbers
45:17and the types of birds
45:18that we have here.
45:22Graham Madge
45:23is 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 since 1985.
45:34I heard a tern calling.
45:37Initially,
45:37I thought it was
45:38a sandwich tern,
45:39which would be
45:40a really rare bird
45:41here in winter,
45:42and I was just aiming
45:43to get some record shot.
45:44As the bird came up
45:46off 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 the camera
45:54that I realised
45:56that I'd got
45:56a lesser-crested tern,
45:58which hasn't been seen
45:59in Britain for 20 years.
46:00It was quite funny
46:01because as we were
46:03cruising up the estuary
46:04like we are now,
46:05we put the news out,
46:06and then by the time
46:08we started on
46:09the return journey,
46:10you could pick out
46:11little groups
46:12of bird watchers
46:13just in hope
46:14just scanning the estuary
46:16with their binoculars
46:17and scopes.
46:18Why on earth
46:19was 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,
46:31I've rarely been out
46:32of marine heatwave conditions.
46:34Now, I'm not saying
46:35that that's what
46:36brought this bird in.
46:38There's a saying
46:38that one swallow
46:39doesn't make a summer
46:40and one turn
46:41doesn't make
46:42a climate catastrophe,
46:43but when you start
46:44looking at the evidence,
46:46we are beginning
46:47to see tropical seabirds
46:49turning up
46:50with greater frequency
46:52around the shores
46:54of the UK.
46:55Birds 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
47:07climate change
47:07is beginning
47:08to have an impact
47:09on our wildlife.
47:13If this trend continues,
47:15the ex-estuary
47:15could 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 consideration,
47:24there's room
47:24for everyone to share it
47:25without ruffling
47:27any feathers.
47:39I know it's January
47:40but it's not too late
47:42to get your hands
47:42on one of these.
47:44The Countryfile calendar
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47:48Here's John
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47:52It costs £11.99
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49:01And if you haven't picked one of these up yet,
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49:39The ex-estuary
49:41is fed by many tributaries,
49:44including Wotton Brook
49:45to the east.
49:47Follow this little brook inland
49:49and you reach the area's
49:50newest nature reserve,
49:53yonder oak wood.
49:57Walking around this reserve,
49:59I'm wondering whether my eyes
50:01are deceiving me
50:02because there's some pretty
50:03odd-looking trees around.
50:07This form of farmland
50:09was purchased by the Woodland Trust
50:11in 2022.
50:12And the team here
50:14have since planted 18,000 trees
50:16as part of a woodland recreation project.
50:19But the new saplings alone
50:21can't match the biodiversity
50:23offered by an ancient woodland.
50:26So, a novel solution
50:28is being tested here.
50:30Sam Hamer
50:31is the site manager
50:32and mastermind
50:34of this ambitious project.
50:36Hi, Sam.
50:37Hi, Adam.
50:38How are you?
50:38It's a gorgeous spot
50:39despite the fairly dramatic weather.
50:42Welcome to yonder oak.
50:44I've noticed you've got
50:45these strange-looking trees
50:46in the background.
50:47Tell me what's going on here.
50:48Right, so these are
50:49the Frankenstein trees.
50:51Frankenstein trees.
50:51Frankenstein trees, yeah.
50:53Well, 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.
51:21And 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
51:40certain types of species.
51:42They're opportunities
51:43within the landscape.
51:45Things like bats,
51:46things like birds,
51:47mosses, 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.
52:02The technique used
52:03to prematurely age
52:04the Franken trees
52:06is known as veteranisation,
52:08making the younger wood
52:09resemble older,
52:11veteran trees.
52:13Crevices are carved,
52:14holes are drilled
52:15and cavities created
52:16for birds and bats
52:18to make their homes in.
52:21All right,
52:21I'll grab a helmet
52:22and we'll go and have a look
52:23at some of these things.
52:24Yeah, great.
52:25You've certainly done
52:26a bit of spoiling on you,
52:27do you?
52:27No, no,
52:28you definitely don't.
52:29How deep into the ground
52:30are they?
52:30So they're about
52:31six foot into the ground
52:33into what we've found out
52:35was just nothing but clay.
52:37As an extra proportion,
52:39what we've done
52:39is we've attached
52:40what we call
52:40witnesses 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
52:48or not there's any movement.
52:49We're anticipating
52:50that they will rot,
52:51that they will start to move,
52:52which is why,
52:53in addition to that,
52:54we're creating
52:54an exclusion zone
52:55around the base
52:56of the tree here
52:57with a lot of the brash
52:58that you see
52:58and then plant
52:59in and amongst that
53:01with spiky species
53:03like thorn
53:03to really discourage people
53:05from coming near it
53:06when the site is open.
53:06How long do you think
53:08they'll last
53:09before they start to rot?
53:10I think they should
53:10last about 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
53:20are growing up
53:20as this one is slowly
53:21crumbling and decaying down.
53:23So you're really
53:24encouraging people
53:25that deadwood is goodwood?
53:26Deadwood is greatwood.
53:28It's an amazing habitat.
53:29It needs to be
53:29in the right place
53:30and safe,
53:31but deadwood is amazing.
53:33That's a really important message
53:34behind this project.
53:36For many of the key species
53:37the benefits
53:38of the Frankenstein trees
53:40will multiply over time
53:42as they decay
53:43but for other target species
53:45like birds of prey
53:46the positive effects
53:48have been immediate.
53:50Within 20 minutes
53:51of finishing the last tree
53:53as we drove away
53:54a kestrel came
53:54and landed on top
53:55and 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
54:07that small mammal population
54:08at the moment
54:08is trying desperately
54:09to nibble our newly planted saplings.
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
54:17for the bottom of the field.
54:19If you'd like to come
54:19and give us a hand.
54:20Yeah, I'd love to.
54:22Alongside Sam
54:22habitat management professional
54:24Martin Bradley
54:25is co-creator
54:27of the Frankentrees project.
54:29The 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.
54:38Hi 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 into 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.
54:58Real.
55:12So that cut he's doing
55:13at the moment
55:14is just coming in
55:15down behind the back
55:16of that piece of wood
55:17to release it
55:18so that it comes off
55:19like a lid
55:20and then he's going to
55:21hollow out behind it
55:23and then replace that
55:25with a hole in it
55:26in order for that
55:26to then be an entrance
55:27into a void
55:29that he's created
55:30inside the tree.
55:31So something men
55:32can live in there?
55:33Absolutely.
55:34So simulating the sorts
55:35of things that rock
55:37and canker
55:38and fungi would do
55:39and exploit inside
55:40the natural weaknesses
55:41of an older tree
55:43but we're now doing that
55:45in this younger tree
55:46hence the veteranisation.
55:48Very impressive.
55:51An entrance hole
55:52of around 7 centimetres
55:54is 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, look.
56:02Yeah, get bat building
56:03inspectors on you.
56:14There we go.
56:16That's the bat box doorway.
56:19It's fascinating work, isn't it?
56:21I mean, being a forester
56:22you've got all your
56:23tree surgery work
56:24but to be working
56:26with 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
56:31goes against everything
56:32we were taught
56:32because we're completely
56:34battering these trees in
56:35but we're advanced
56:36habitats that way
56:37so instead of
56:38nice clean cut
56:39happy tree
56:39it's really ugly cut
56:41happy habitats.
56:42Yeah.
56:43And how do you feel about it?
56:44It's great fun
56:46Yeah, it is nice
56:47to be able to smash stuff up
56:50And what's the vision
56:51for this area then
56:52over the next
56:5310, 20, 30 years?
56:54Well, it's to support
56:56the wildlife
56:57and biodiversity
56:58within this
56:59part of the country
56:59we have
57:00the ex-estuary
57:01to one side of us
57:02we've got the pebble bed
57:03heath
57:04the AONB
57:05and a site like
57:06Yonder Oak
57:06as a woodland creation site
57:07is adding to that
57:09picture of connectivity
57:10across the landscape
57:21Hello 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
57:32to that, is there?
57:33Well, that's all
57:34we've got time for 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
57:42Well, this is a view
57:44that not many people
57:45get to see
57:46There's no plaque
57:47on it or anything
57:48is there?
57:49Plaque on the foundation
57:50stone
57:50It's a great idea
57:51I don't think
57:51anyone's ever thought
57:52of that
57:54These 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
58:05We've done it
58:06hundreds and hundreds
58:07of times
58:07It should be smooth
58:08as anything
58:08It should
58:08How easily
58:09could it go wrong?
58:10I hate the same thing
58:12OK, slowly down
58:17Hope you can join us then
58:18Bye-bye
58:19Bye-bye
58:26In all walks of life
58:27there's adventure
58:28and soul-searching
58:29to be found
58:29watch Bear Grylls'
58:31wild reckoning
58:31on iPlayer now
58:32Cancel your plans
58:34for Tuesday night
58:35It's a date in front
58:36of the TV
58:37on BBC2
58:38Winter Watch
58:38is back again
58:39at 7
58:40.
58:42Thank you together
58:50We'll see you then
58:51Too many times
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