Sir David Attenborough makes a passionate plea for conserving our dwindling tree population in his hit new nature series tonight. In Wild Isles, the naturalist reveals that since he was born 96 years ago, “we have lost almost half of our ancient woodlands, and now only 13 percent of our isles are covered by trees”.
Sir David says Britain is “one of the least forested countries in Europe”, based on research by the Forestry Commission.
He continues: “We need to give better protection to the woodlands that remain, restore those we have lost, and allow our trees the time and space to spread naturally.
“It will take many years to restore the woods we have lost, but surely it should be our target to do so.”
Tonight’s episode also features Strictly winner Hamza Yassin, who lifted the famous glitterball dance trophy with professional partner Jowita Przystal in December.
The wildlife cameraman captures incredible scenes of rare golden eagles nesting in the Cairngorms National Park in Scotland.
With only 20 pairs known to exist in the British Isles, finding a pair proves a challenge.
Hamza, 33, will tell viewers: “It’s a waiting game. I am scanning the high ridge line there waiting for the golden eagles to pop up.”
The show also features a starling roost of one million birds on Bodmin Moor, Cornwall, which attracts night-time predators.
The filming team use remote, low-light cameras to get into the roost, with bespoke rigs attached to trees and scaffolding.
There’s also extraordinary footage of purple emperor butterflies, with the males battling to hold territories at the top of oak trees where they hope to attract a mate.
Filmed on the Knepp Estate, West Sussex, the crew wiped their clothes with fish paste to bring them closer.