Natural World (1983)

Season 24: Episode 9

Britain's countryside is undergoing a revolution. For decades our farmland wildlife has been in serious decline - a depressing tale of hedges ripped out, marshes drained and fields saturated with chemicals. Now something remarkable is happening - wildlife is starting to recover, and across our countryside there's real optimism that we can combine wildlife with productive farms. Thanks to the dramatic rise of organic farming and a brand new system of subsidies, animals like lapwing, skylark, dormice and barn owls are making a comeback. In Devon horseshoe bats are benefiting from organic cow pats, in Yorkshire black grouse are thriving thanks to later hay making. Could our countryside one day return to its former wild glory?