Matt Baker and Julia Bradbury re-kindle some animal magic when they look back at the close encounters they've had with the creatures at the heart of our countryside.

They get up close to some of our best loved native animals at the British Wildlife Centre in Surrey, including some frisky foxes, otters and some very shy red squirrels.

Matt Baker and Julia Bradbury explore the Kennet and Avon canal in Wiltshire which is celebrating its 200th anniversary, while John Craven investigates food waste including claims that up to half of the produce grown on some of our farms never even finds its way to the supermarket shelves.

Adam Henson gets to grips with the big freeze as he battles through the snow to make sure all his animals are fed and watered. Plus Katie Knapman heads to Cambridgeshire to have a go at fen-skating.

Matt Baker and Julia Bradbury head for Jersey to lend a hand with potato planting and to find out how the island's infamous war tunnels are being given a new lease of life. Jules Hudson takes to the skies with the scientists conducting an aerial survey of Scotland's grey seal population, and there are new arrivals on the farm as Adam Henson's sows give birth. Tom Heap finds out about controversial plans to dispose of the waste from ten new nuclear power stations underground.

Matt Baker and Julia Bradbury are in the Cairngorms, a part of Scotland which has seen its heaviest snowfall in more than a decade. Matt makes the most of the icy conditions by taking part in the annual sled dog rally and finding out what makes a good racing husky. Julia helps to create a snow hole, which can offer a lifeline for people caught out in the mountains.

Back on his farm in the Cotswolds, Adam Henson ensures his sheep and cattle get what they need to stay healthy through the winter, and John Craven heads to Herefordshire to investigate one of the biggest issues in rural Britain - its ageing population.