Video Documentaries

Jules Hudson is in Herefordshire with his dog Teddy to sniff out the spring dangers lurking outdoors and in homes which could harm pets. Countryfile: Spring Diaries episode 5   Pet Health Warning Jules Hudson is in Herefordshire with his dog Teddy sniffing out the spring dangers lurking outdoors and in our homes which could harm our pets. From bluebells and daffodils to adders and Alabama Rot which can carry a death sentence to dogs from just a roll in the mud, Vet Charlotte Watkins warns of the perils and how to avoid them. Indoors, Jules learns why we need to keep our pets out of harm’s way while we’re Spring cleaning and why onion gravy from the traditional Sunday roast must never find its way into Teddy’s bowl. Smallholding School Paul Martin’s at Smallholding School in Somerset with two wannabees looking to live the good life. Thomas James and partner Faith Miller have already got chickens and they’ll soon be welcoming pigs but, along with Sally Morgan, who runs courses for smallh

Countryfile spin-off series unveiling the secrets of spring. Keeley Donovan's on the shores of Loch Ness finding out about a cutting-edge trial by the ambulance service. Countryfile: Spring Diaries episode 4   Saving Wildlife from Extinction From burying terracotta pots to help bumblebees to allowing some of your lawn to go wild, Paul Martin is on a mission to discover what we can all do to protect our native wildlife from extinction. The statistics are frightening: two hundred birds on the watch list –sparrows and starlings amongst them – the hedgehog population has virtually halved in the last decade, honey bees are in trouble…. But it’s not too late if we all go to the rescue. Whether you have a sprawling garden or a patio, backyard or balcony, Paul picks up some clever tricks from the Wildlife Trust including a nature reserve in an old seed tray for those of us with just a windowsill. Wildlife Rescue Squad In her final report with the wildlife rescue squad in North Somerset, Ma

Countryfile spin-off series unveiling the secrets of spring. John Craven enlists with firefighters in south Wales. Countryfile: Spring Diaries episode 3 Wild Fire Paul Martin enlists with firefighters in the Rhondda Valley in South Wales for the day. Despite being one of the wettest places in the UK, the team here are braced for around a thousand wild fires during the course of the next year. Spring is one of the worst times of year as white grass and bracken stay bone dry and can go up in flames in just seconds, threatening hillside homes. Sheep are nature’s fire prevention officers as they graze on the hillsides but these animals have vanished from the valleys and the vegetation is running riot. Luckily Fire Chief Craig Hope knows just how to tame the landscape, and demonstrates pioneering fire- fighting techniques to his new recruit. Paul also meets Becky Davies of Natural Resources Wales. He learns that ironically the vegetation is a haven for wildlife but they too are at risk. Wha

Countryfile spin-off series unveiling the secrets of spring. Matt Baker is out at sea as he joins the RNLI for a high-octane training exercise.   Countryfile: Spring Diaries episode 2   Killer Worms Keeley Donovan is in Scotland investigating how an intruder is destroying our earthworm population and the health of our gardens and allotments in the process. The New Zealand Flatworm is thought to have wormed its way into the UK in imported plants in the sixties. Since then territories have spread throughout the land, especially in Scotland, the North of England and Northern Ireland. Keeley meets Aberdeen University Scientist Annie Robinson who knows just what havoc these creepy crawlies are causing. Allotment holder Sue Callan demonstrates just how much their presence has affected her soil and produce. So how do you make sure you don’t get invaded? Keeley gets the lowdown on how to keep them at bay. Canal Spring Clean Our British waterways and canals are among our most famous countryside

Countryfile spin-off series unveiling the secrets of spring. John Craven is on the Malvern Hills to celebrate their spring beauty and wildlife.   Countryfile: Spring Diaries episode 1 Incredible Edibles With the world population predicted to grow by 35 per cent over the next 25 years, our food industry is under more pressure than ever before to come up with nutritional solutions that will feed us all. Margherita Taylor is in Norwich on the trail of some of the foods destined to land on our plates in the near future. At the John Innes Centre, trail-blazing scientists are working on these incredible edibles, among them purple tomatoes – specially developed to be super disease-busters. Professor Cathy Martin lets Margherita into a few secrets about just what it is that makes purple fruit and vegetables so life-enhancing. But will we want to give tomatoes that have been scientifically enhanced the thumbs up or the thumbs down? Shoppers at Norwich market - one of the oldest in the UK - give