Main content
Sorry, this episode is not currently available

Villages, Farms and Countryside

Episode 1 of 3

Broadcaster and gardener Sarah Raven is on a mission to halt the rapid decline in the UK's essential bees, butterflies and pollinating insects.

Writer, broadcaster and gardener Sarah Raven is on a mission to halt the rapid decline in Britain's essential bees, butterflies and pollinating insects by bringing flower power to towns, cities and the countryside.

The world's bees and other pollinating insects are in crisis. It is a complex problem that scientists the world over are trying to fathom, but the prognosis is grim - without healthy populations of insect pollinators across the world, our future food security is under threat.

Sarah Raven takes her mission out into the Great British countryside to encourage farmers and village communities to help recreate a network of crucial habitats for struggling bees, butterflies and pollinating insects.

With the loss of Britain's wildflower meadows and grasslands estimated at around 98 per cent, Sarah finds out whether we have simply lost our connection with the wildflowers and habitats that were once so common and supported our pollinators.

Sarah starts by attempting to change the attitude of just one small Northamptonshire village. Today tidiness rules and the village green is a close mown carpet of green. Will the village take to her plans and embrace wildflowers, or will tidiness prevail?

Sarah also meets the Farringtons - a Northamptonshire farming family spanning three generations. Duncan, who now runs the farm, investigates sowing perennial wildflower borders around his crops to increase habitats for insect pollinators and possibly to increase crop yields.

And at home, Sarah visits wildflower meadows and harvests wildflower seed in order to develop her own wildflower meadow, something everyone can do in their own community or at home.

1 hour

Last on

Mon 7 Jun 2021 15:15
BBC Two

More episodes

Previous

You are at the first episode

Next

Towns, Gardens and Britain in Bloom

See all episodes from Bees, Butterflies and Blooms

Clips

See all clips from Villages, Farms and Countryside (2)

Music Played

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

  • 00:01

    Mumford & Sons

    The Cave

  • 00:05

    Goldfrapp

    Voicething

  • 00:08

    Joni Mitchell

    Big Yellow Taxi

  • 00:09

    Mumford & Sons

    After the Storm

  • 00:35

    Hot Chip

    Brothers

  • 00:39

    The Bees

    Pressure Makes Me Lazy

  • 00:44

    Florence + the Machine

    Between Two Lungs

  • 00:50

    Eliza Doolittle

    Rollerblades

  • 00:56

    Ellie Goulding

    Your Song

Credits

Presenter Sarah Raven
Presenter Sarah Raven
Producer Andy Vernon
Producer Andy Vernon
Director Andy Vernon
Director Andy Vernon
Executive Producer Sarah Moors
Executive Producer Sarah Moors

Broadcasts

  • Wed 8 Feb 2012 20:00
    BBC HD & BBC Two
  • Fri 10 Feb 2012 00:00
    BBC HD
  • Sat 25 Feb 2012 18:00
    BBC HD
  • Sat 3 Mar 2012 02:20
    BBC One
  • Thu 8 Mar 2012 00:00
    BBC HD
  • Wed 18 Jul 2012 18:00
    BBC HD
  • Mon 7 Jun 2021 15:15
    BBC Two except Scotland