Episode 5

In the UK we use 17 million tons of wood a year for building and DIY and yet tree planting is at a 45 year low. Jules Hudson heads into the Forest of Dean to meet a company whose high tech methods allow them to process trees with eye watering speeds to produce the wood much desired by the UK timber industry.

Jules discovers from the Forestry Commission why the UK is just so good at producing timber and what the future of our forests might look like. 

Last Autumn, Paul Martin’s garden passed the test to become an adoption site and he is ready to open his gates to wildlife in need. He visits a rescue centre where over 500 injured animals arrived in September. More creatures will be taken in, cared for and released as the season continues. Find out who Paul is allowed to take home and how you can help any visitors to your garden.

Learn more about creating a wildlife-friendly garden here.

In 2009 the Cumbrian town of Cockermouth was hit by catastrophic flooding. The damage was heart-breaking for residents whose possessions, homes and livelihoods were destroyed. In the aftermath of the flooding John Craven and Countryfile visited the town to see how they were coping with the mammoth clean-up operation.

Now Keeley Donovan visits the town to find out how new technology has been helping to protect the town from flooding if and when extreme weather events happen in the future.

Adam Henson is at a Cotswold red deer farm helping out with an annual task. Deer are one of the least domesticated livestock because generally they need little husbandry. That is great - until they do need handling! It’s rutting season and at this time of year stags are fuelled with aggression and for safety reasons their antlers need to be removed. This involves darting the stags to sleep and removing their antlers with a saw. But, when the stags wake, they will have the surprise of their life, as 30 hinds will be waiting to greet them.