Episodes
Devon and Cornwall: Greener Lives (S4EP Channel 4 Sat 7 May 2022)
Greener Lives: In this episode, we meet people who are dedicated to protecting and preserving the environment of this beautiful corner of the United Kingdom. Cyril Cole, a farmer near Exmoor, is determined to resurrect wildflower meadows. He was once one of those responsible for depleting the now-threatened natural habitats as an intensive farmer. He’s now returning to the land by promoting and selling his wildflower-rich hay to others. As it takes hold, he’s overjoyed to be a part of restoring nature, getting hands-on with the barn owl chick he’s nursed back to health.
On the outskirts of Cornwall, in Gweek, clean ocean campaigner Steve Green prepares to embark on another adventure with his band of volunteers, paddling to the peninsula’s hard-to-reach beaches in an effort to rid the shoreline of plastic flotsam. On the Cornish mainland, farrier and horseman David Jones hopes to pass down his age-old skills to his daughter Myrtle as they set out to tackle a rampant bracken problem in an old woodland.
Lundy Island, located off Devon’s north coast in the Bristol Channel, is a haven for puffins and other seabirds. After decades of population decline due to rat infestation, warden Dean Jones is optimistic that the beloved birds are on the mend.
Heading inland, Devon wildlife ranger Jake Chant is looking after some special guests: wild beavers! The River Otter is home to approximately 15 beaver families as part of the first legally sanctioned reintroduction of an extinct native mammal to England. Jake’s job is to keep an eye on these once-persecuted animals and make sure they continue to live happily alongside the local community.
Exec Prod: Christian Hills; Prod Co: True North
Airdate: Sat 7 May 2022 at 20:15 on Channel 4
Season 4 Episode
Daily life in the beautiful south west – from the viewpoint of locals, villagers, farmers, fishermen, shop-keepers and the tourist industry.