Episode 5

A recent study has revealed that three-quarters of UK children spend less time outdoors than prison inmates. On an average day, as many as a fifth of British children don’t play outside at all. Digital technology, lack of green spaces and parental fear is leading youngsters to have enclosed lives. Margherita Taylor meets an inspirational head teacher who is spearheading a project that could change that. In 2010, Collette discovered an overgrown and disused space next to Clapham Junction train station and had the brain wave of turning it into a garden of plenty for learning. Margherita joins the pupils’ in their ‘secret’ garden where they are growing their own fruit and veg to sell and also use in cookery classes.

Find out more ways that children can learn outside

As the clocks go back in autumn, it gets darker much earlier. But have you ever experienced a truly dark sky? Keeley Donovan is in Kielder Forest in Northumberland. It has the largest expanse of dark night sky in the whole of Europe. Here she reveals that our 24/7 world, the artificial light from nine million street lamps and 27 million British homes and offices means that two-thirds of the country never gets completely dark. A hundred years ago, pretty much everyone would have been able to view the Milky Way with the naked eye. Now three-quarters of us will never see it because of light pollution. Keeley discovers it isn’t just that we are not able to see the stars. Recent research by the University of Newcastle has shown that light at night is having a knock on effect to animal behaviour. Biologist Callum MacGregor shows Keeley the impact of light pollution on Britain’s moth species. This same light is also having an impact on humans too. Keeley meets Professor Debra Skene from the University of Surrey who explains the effect the blue light from our smart phones has on our sleeping patterns.

Find out where you can see the best night skies in the UK

Autumn is a spectacular time of year but it can also be a particularly perilous time for our wildlife. In the UK, care of injured wildlife falls to a network of rescue centres staffed almost entirely by volunteers. These wildlife centres respond to up to half a million animal casualties providing around the clock care with the aim of releasing as many of them as possible back to the wild. Paul Martin heads to Secret World rescue centre in Somerset. It takes in more than 5,000 injured wild animals every year. They are on the look out for adoption sites where they can release rehabilitated animals and Paul is hoping to sign up his smallholding. He finds out what sort of animals are in need of help this autumn and learns whether his smallholding makes the grade.

Find out what to do if you find an injured animal.

The River Dart has its source in the soil of Dartmoor. Thousand-year-old rain seeps from the peat before carving its way across South Devon to reach the sea. Halfway along its journey it flows through the town of Totnes. Anita Rani meets Alarik Greenland who is an artist born and bred in the area. He sculpts trees by intricately weaving up to a mile of metal wire and many thousand semi-precious gems. His inspiration is the relationship between trees and the relics of human architecture. Anita attempts to weave her own metal branch in the ruins of the 15th Century Berry Pomeroy Castle. There’s one final ingredient to Alarik’s sculptures, something which may have lain hidden for hundreds of years. To track that down Anita must go face first into the River Dart!

Find out more about South Devon

20 years ago a man, Sherwood Keogh set out on a project of a lifetime. His aim was to construct his own home, using timber sourced from his own woodland. Five years ago, Jules Hudson met Sherwood who had given up his everyday life to live off grid. Now Jules returns to find out what progress he has made and what measures he is putting in place to live a more sustainable life.

Find out how much energy your family uses and what you can do to cut down, save money and help the environment

Adam Henson meets turkey farmer Tom Copas as he prepares for autumn in an unusual way. He’s training 38,000 turkeys for fireworks night on the 5th of November. In the weeks leading up to bonfire night, Tom and his team get the turkeys used to the sound of fireworks by introducing them into their daily routine. By the time bonfire night arrives the birds are familiar with the noise and are no longer scared or likely to injure each other.

Learn more about keeping your animals safe during bonfire night

The Countryfile calendar for 2017 is sold in aid of BBC Children in Need. The theme for this year’s calendar is ‘From Dawn Till Dusk’.

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