Britain's hidden worlds
Programme
Expedition Date
16 April 2009 - 12 May 2009
The Mission
The rock pools of the Gower Peninsula were a perfect place for the Radio 4 team to look for starfish, inlcuding some giants lurking at the bottom. The ancient orchards of the Brockhampton Estate are a special place for the invertebrates that live on and in old and decaying wood. The team visited Norfolk to interview Nigel Middleton of the Hawk and Owl Trust. They hoped to see the marsh harriers living in the Wensum Valley.
Latest Stories
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Starfish enterpriseIn our coastal waters, where life is ruled by the moon rather than the sun, Julian Hector goes in search of a brittlestar.
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The living dead of England’s ancient orchardsJulian Hector heads into the depths of middle England to search for life amongst the rot.
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Monarch of the marshOne of the UK's most charismatic raptors, the marsh harrier, can even do beige with style as Julian Hector discovers.
Meet the explorers
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Julian HectorJulian is Editor of Radio in the BBC Natural History Unit. Before the BBC Julian was a seabird biologist and university lecturer.
Where on Earth?
The south and west coasts of the Gower Peninsula in South Wales face the Atlantic, a warm, rich part of the ocean and a star fish hot spot. Brockhampton Estate in Herefordshire is home to an ancient orchard with some fruit trees of 150 years old. Sculthorpe Moor Community Nature Reserve, near Fakenham in Norfolk is a Site of Special Scientific Interest. It includes saw sedge wetland, a priority habitat for preservation in Europe.
© Microsoft Virtual Earth, image courtesy of Navteq
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