A Sense of Spring
Keeley Donovan discovers how just one in 23 people in the UK experiences spring in a truly multisensory way.
And one of the most fragrant and emblematic symbols of spring is under attack - Jules Hudson investigates why native bluebells could be extinct in the space of a generation.
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Music Played
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The Chainsmokers
Roses (feat. ROZES)
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Empire of The Sun, Various Artists
Walking On A Dream
The Smell of Spring
We can聽hear聽the sounds of spring and聽see聽the landscape changing 鈥� but does the season have a distinctive smell? John Craven meets biochemist George Dodd, a world authority on the science of smell, 聽who has been so inspired by the scents of the Highlands in spring that he鈥檚 recreated them in a perfume. John accompanies George on a scent trail before joining Adrian Hollister, owner of potentially the most remote perfume studio in the world, to put them in a bottle.
Accessible Nature
Access to the countryside for people with disabilities is often difficult if not impossible.聽 Roy Taylor, an RSPB Area Manager, is trying to change that. In 2013, Roy was diagnosed with motor neurone disease, which left him in a wheelchair.聽 Not wanting to lose his closeness with nature, Roy set out on a countryside revolution.聽 His plan was to get rid of obstacles and give greater access to nature. Margherita Taylor meets Roy at Bempton cliffs on the east coast of Yorkshire.聽 It鈥檚 the first reserve to create disabled platforms on the cliffs allowing wheelchair-users to get a clear view of nesting seabirds.
An Assault on the senses - Synaesthesia
Many people can鈥檛 get enough of the sights and sounds of springtime, but for the 4% of Brits with the neurological phenomenon called Synaesthesia, the changing of the seasons is experienced in a completely different way.聽 Keeley Donovan searches out a truly multi-sensory experience with a man who can taste sounds.
Bluebells
It鈥檚 a classic sign of spring; British woodlands awash with a sea of bluebells, but our native bluebell is in trouble and it鈥檚 down to a Spanish invader. Jules Hudson visits Duncliffe Wood in Dorset to find out what can be done to protect our native bluebell (Hyacinthoides non-scripta).
Paul Martin鈥檚 Smallholding 鈥� Orchards
Paul鈥檚 latest spring project is all about Grow Your Own. Today, he finds out how to get started with Britain鈥檚 favourite fruit 鈥� Apples. With the help of local Wiltshire fruit farmer Chris Good and Orchard Project Officer, Megan Gimber from People鈥檚 Trust for Endangered Species, Paul gets to grips with local heritage varieties and some forgotten national classics. He tries his hand at grafting to create his own orchard.
Asparagus
Adam Henson helps with the harvest of one of our favourite spring vegetables - asparagus. He starts small-scale with farmer David Brooks. David鈥檚 field is amongst the sand dunes at Formby, near Liverpool 鈥� an area where asparagus production once thrived. Adam discovers the best way to harvest these fast-growing spears is still to take them out individually by hand. Then, down in the Wye Valley, farmer Chris Chin is taking asparagus to a new level, developing techniques to extend the notoriously short season.
New Forest Pony Inspections
The New Forest is a female forest as far as ponies are concerned and that鈥檚 because 5,000 mares roam and graze freely in the forest, but for the male colts it鈥檚 a different story. Jules Hudson visits Beaulieu Road sales yard on pony inspection day. It鈥檚 an important date when the colts are checked for condition and assessed. Just fifteen of the best stallions will be chosen to run with the mares on the forest over the summer.
Credits
| Role | Contributor |
|---|---|
| Presenter | John Craven |
| Presenter | Keeley Donovan |
| Presenter | Jules Hudson |
| Presenter | Paul Martin |
| Presenter | Margherita Taylor |
| Series Producer | Andrea Buffery |
| Editor | William Lyons |