Open Country

Martha Kearney visits one of the UK’s earliest environmental restoration projects. Southern Scotland was once covered in broadleaf woodland, rich scrub, heath and bog. That was before sheep, humans and conifers took hold. Now a group of visionary volunteers are restoring that landscape in what they call the ‘wild heart of southern Scotland’.Set in a 1600 acre glacial valley in lowland Scotland, Carrifran Wildwood is the first tranche of a wider restoration area which aims to wheel back six thousand years. The idea is to recreate the primeval forest that proliferated back then. It will act as a carbon sink, a flood mitigator and a generator of biodiversity.The planting schedule is drawn from a catalogue created from evidence in the ancient peat bog. Unlike other ‘rewilding’ projects, Carrifran Wildwood aims to exclude human beings from this valuable space, an unusual step which the founders see as crucial to its success.Producer: Mary Ward-Lowery

Angela Cano, deputy curator at Cambridge Botanic Garden, explains daffodil taxonomy and medicinal links. Paul Earnshaw, organiser of the Thriplow Daffodil Weekend, recounts the festival’s origins and giant community planting efforts. They discuss huge variety counts, rare pink blooms, planting logistics and local traditions in short, lively conversations.

Geoff Delve, longtime volunteer and project lead who runs tours and studies birdlife, and Rachel Fancy, RSPB site manager overseeing habitat creation, discuss transforming arable fields into Europe’s largest manmade coastal reserve. They cover using Crossrail clay to raise land, creating mudflats, saltmarsh and saline lagoons, huge increases in waders and migratory importance, and how the site is managed and experienced by visitors.

John Newton, vice chair of the Cotswold Canals Trust, gives a potted history and outlines engineering and funding plans to restore the Stroudwater Canal's 'missing mile'. The conversation covers wildlife returning to restored stretches. It explains how the canal will be diverted under the M5, the scale and cost of the rebuild, and targets to reconnect the waterway by 2029.

Ewan Chapman, National Trust countryside manager restoring heathland and bringing back tree pipits, reptiles and other rare fauna. David Bowen, volunteer guide who leads tours through restored rock-cut cottages and explains daily life and furnishings. Claire Hale, National Trust manager outlining the rock houses' long occupancy and features. Brett Westwood, naturalist describing oil beetles and their ties to solitary bees. Short, lively chat about homes, history and returning wildlife.

Rob Walton, ecologist and Devon farmer who surveyed a single hedge and catalogued its life. George Pidgeon, hedge-layer and trainer who teaches traditional Devon-style hedgelaying. Megan Gimber, hedge specialist on ecology, carbon and management. They discuss hands-on hedgelaying, staggering species richness found in one hedge, hedgerows as wildlife corridors and carbon stores, and traditional craft and techniques.

Emma Heard, chronicler of Weird Wiltshire, shares spine-tingling hauntings from Savernake Forest. Nikki Morgans, a forester, discusses techniques like haloing and veteranization to protect ancient trees. Andy Harris, an ecologist, talks about pond and bird surveys and monitoring wildlife. Graham Bathe, local historian, traces the forest’s royal past and measures its thousand-year oaks.

Sam McConnell, a third-generation hill sheep farmer in the Mourne Mountains, talks about grazing, gorse buildup, and how moorland wildfires threaten livestock and wildlife. He recounts facing fast-spreading burns, contrasts past controlled burning with modern rules, and explores how undergrazing and drier summers worsen fires. Restoration and prevention efforts are also discussed.

Join botanical artist Ruth Wharrier, who captures nature's beauty, as she discusses the allure of black poplars in her work. David Appleton reveals the critical conservation work behind this endangered species, while ecologist Fe Morris highlights its ecological significance. Gemma Marridge shares fascinating insights on managing a clone bank and the importance of genetic diversity. Discover the threats facing these trees and the ambitious plans to restore black poplar forests to preserve this British icon.

Tucked away in a wooded valley on the outskirts of Bristol is a magical woodland nature reserve, Snuff Mills. Helen Mark discovers what lies beneath the trees, a now peaceful place with a history of heavy industry, where milling and stone quarrying has left behind a stunning playground for walkers and climbers. Local residents John, Beryl and Margaret grew up next to the quarry and witnessed its transformation from their secret playground to a busy public park. Engineer Geoff Wallis helped to literally unearth a fascinating piece of industrial history, and Steve England shows Helen the natural secrets of the valley. Following the stones of the quarry Helen crosses the river and finds the grounds of what was once Bristol’s asylum and – Helen hears from volunteer Anwyl Cooper-Willis - a landscape carefully designed to be therapeutic for patients and speed their recovery. But where does the name Snuff Mills come from? Is it really one of the most haunted places in Bristol? And which Hollywood star has a connection with the Asylum's story?Presented by Helen Mark Produced by Beth Sagar-Fenton Assistant production by Ellie Richold Series Producer: Emma Campbell