Saving Species - Episode 2

This is the week we launch "Memories Are Made of This". We go out and invite those who can remember the wildlife around them in the 1940's and 1950's. "Memories" is not so much about nostalgia but much more about past abundances of species. Was there a time in living memory when wild flowers were truly numerous and swallows darkened the sky? This week we kick off with memories of daffodils and hedgehogs. And Hugh Warwick, a hedghog expert, is in the studio. Our anecdotal research indicates there are less hedgehogs being seen in Britain and even less road kills being seen. What does this say about hedgehog populations? We'll find out. Also in this programme we get very close to displaying Red-Crowned Cranes, the national bird of Japan. Julian Hector interviews Mark Brazil during late winter in Hokkaido, a time when the cranes are as raucous as they are flamboyant with their displays, calls and dances. Japanese cranes have a big relevance to the UK too as conservationists seek to re-introduce our own [once extinct] crane species from a German wetland to the Somerset Levels in Southern England. We'll be following that re-introduction in a future programme. As with every week, we'll have a wildlife news round-up, this week gathered by Kelvin Boot and we'll work with our associates in The Open University to see who is sharing what observations about biodiversity on their interactive website iSpot. Presented by Brett Westwood Producer: Kirsty Henderson Editor: Julian Hector.