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Waterworlds Compilation

Helen Skelton is at Kielder Water in Northumberland, exploring the ways in which water shapes our lives. Plus watery worlds from the Countryfile archive.

Water is our most precious natural resource. There is not a plant or animal on earth that can do without it. Our landscape is shaped by it; livelihoods depend on it. Water provides homes for wildlife and is a source of inspiration and a place for recreation.

Helen Skelton is at Kielder Water in Northumberland, exploring the ways in which the wet stuff shapes our lives. There is also a meander through the archives, dipping a toe into previous watery worlds to which Countryfile has been.

55 minutes

Last on

Tue 13 Mar 2018 01:40

Music Played

Timings (where shown) are from the start of the programme in hours and minutes

  • 00:07

    Kasabian

    Shoot The Runner

  • 00:07

    Camera Obscura

    Forests & Sands

  • 00:30

    Of Monsters and Men

    Empire

Kielder History

Kielder History

Helen Skelton is at Kielder Water in Northumberland exploring the ways in which water shapes our lives. Here she meets Jonty Hall who is truly part of the lake’s history. As a boy he pushed the button to flood the reservoir when it was launched. He started it all, 36 years ago, and now he is in charge of the place!

Urban Wildlife

Urban Wildlife

Anita is celebrating countryside in the city and meets the local residents living around Woodberry Wetlands,Ìýa surprising wildlife oasis in the heart of London,Ìýwho share their love of this haven on their doorstep. Anita then catches up with a wildlife photographer who specialises in urban wildlife. ‘Wildlife Photographer of the Year’ in 2016, Sam Hobson’s photographs of urban foxes in Bristol are now world famous. Anita and Sam take a walk around Woodberry Wetlands as Sam captures more portraits for his collection.

Ratty Returns

Ratty Returns
Back at Kielder Water,ÌýHelen explores its importance as a wildlife habitats. She learns about aÌý 5-year project to bring back water voles that’s currently keeping the volunteers very busy. The ‘Restoring Ratty’ project at Kielder is the UK’s biggest ever reintroduction of the endangered species in one location.

River Bann

River Bann

The beautiful Lower River Bann is one of Northern Ireland’s most important waterways, taking water from the mighty Lough Neagh out to the sea almost 40 miles away. Ellie joins Chris Scott and Robin Ruddock to undertake part of the Lower Bann Canoe Trail. While taking in the beauty and the wildlife Ellie also spots hints of the river’s past and stops off to meet Stephen Douglas from Waterways Ireland to see how the locks on the route are getting a facelift.

Anthony Garratt

Anthony Garratt

We all love to walk through picturesque landscapes and take in the beauty of a place. But do we really appreciate everything that we encounter?Ìý Joe Crowley is meeting an artist whose work gives passers by a different vision of the world around them. Anthony Garratt is a contemporary artist who’s become renowned for his large painted outdoor installations which sit as one with the landscape. Here in Snowdonia Joe will witness Anthony’s greatest challenge to date!

Surf Snowdonia

Surf Snowdonia

Anita Rani is in the heart of Wales visiting Surf Snowdonia, the world’s first commercial surf lake. Nestled in the Conwy river valley and fed by the ample rainwater that fills the nearby reservoirs, the owners’ vision was to preserve and protect the abundant wildlife and clean up a polluted landscape once dominated by a disused Aluminium processing plant. Working with Natural Resources Wales the site is now decontaminated and thriving again as a natural habitat. It is, as Anita discovers, now home to a large population of rare Lesser Horseshoe bats that live in the surrounding woodland.Ìý

Lough Erne

Lough Erne

Adam’s in Northern Ireland, on one of the UK’s biggest freshwater lakes, Lough Erne. He’s helping stockman, Andrew Gallagher as he moves cattle and sheep, but this is no ordinary job! There’s more than 150 pasture rich islands on this lake and farmers have been taking advantage of them for hundreds of years, moving livestock from island to island. So how will Adam fare shipping livestock across the lake in something called a cot? Ìý


Credits

Role Contributor
Presenter Helen Skelton
Executive Producer William Lyons
Series Producer Joanna Brame

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