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Episode 4

John Craven brings us autumnal stories from all over the UK and explores the countryside around the historic city of Oxford.

Paul Martin investigates an invasive and dangerous aquatic plant that is clogging up our river and waterways and putting wildlife and pets at risk. Keeley Donovan visits the largest roost of endangered bats in the country. These bats also happen to live in one of the most haunted houses in the country, Woodchester Mansion in Gloucester.

Steve Brown meets Adele Pember founder of a website called Dog Furiendly. Her dog Charley struggled with separation anxiety, a condition that affects 30% of dogs in the UK. And Jules Hudson investigates why a fifth of children between the ages of eight and ten have never played outside without adult supervision. We often blame devices and games consoles for children being sedentary, but could it be that parents are a bit too cautious when it comes to giving them a bit freedom?

44 minutes

PENNYWORT

PENNYWORT

An aggressive plant is wreaking havoc in the UK’s waterways with over 63 tonnes of it removed from the River Thames this year so far. Floating Pennywort may sound innocent enough but it can grow up to 20cm per day forming a dense carpet on the surface of the water quickly strangling plants and wildlife too.

Paul Martin joins a group of volunteers to try to eradicate the latest outbreak of Pennywort and learn more about this dangerous non – native plant. 

BATS

BATS

This time of the year a lot of our wildlife is preparing to hibernate. Bats are no different. There are eighteen species of them in Britain and they can eat up to a quarter of their body weight in insects per night.

Over the last century the numbers of bats have been in sharp decline. Keeley is in Woodchester Mansion in Gloustershire, one of the most haunted houses in Britain to learn why we should be welcoming these creatures into our garden.

DOG FURIENDLY

As the Autumn nights draw in, opportunities to get out and about with our dogs are limited. Dog Furiendly is a new website that helps owners get out and about to meet no matter the weather.

Steve meets Adele Pember, the founder of Dog Furiendly who has discovered a way to keep the social lives of pets and their owners both happy and healthy.

FOREST SCHOOL

Come rain or shine, many of us love to be outside, embracing the elements or just getting away from the stresses of every day life.

These days however, as many as a fifth of UK children between the age of 8 and 10 have never played outside alone without adult supervision.

Jules is at his son’s school to meet Chris Dee and other Forest School learning experts to find out how this crisis can be tackled.

Credits

Role Contributor
Presenter John Craven
Presenter Steve Brown
Presenter Jules Hudson
Presenter Keeley Donovan
Presenter Paul Martin
Executive Producer William Lyons
Series Producer Nicola Lafferty

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