Episode 4

The warm Summer days continue in Dalby and Cropton Forests. The lack of rain even sees Yorkshire on the brink of drought status. But at the beaver pond their work continues, creating the perfect watery habitat for the family to thrive in. Now they have two young kits to teach all their incredible building skills. Having built a dam over seventy metres long, they have now moved on to other construction projects as they appear to be expanding their territory. For the baby beavers it is set to be some education. With secret cameras across the forest, we are able to see some of the forest's other youngsters investigating their new surroundings, from fawns nervously exploring, to badger cubs appearing out of their setts for the first time and learning how to play-fight with their siblings. These cameras also help us watch the life around the beaver pond. Since their arrival in Cropton, there has been a dramatic increase in many other species. Their pond is now teeming with frogs, toads, fish and the scary looking lamprey. All these creatures are tasty meals for herons. We watch these top predators on the hunt, lurking by the water, their beady eyes focussed looking for any sign of movement, ready to strike at any time. Elsewhere, we explore the special tufa fens in the area with their calcium-rich water running through the valley. These meadow habitats are rich with special flowers and butterflies. It's easy to forget in such idyllic places that in other parts of the forest there are beasts of a different kind at work. Giant machines able to fell and strip a tree in a minute are creating 20,000 tonnes of timber a year. Dalby remains an important working forest with a big commercial timber operation, although there remains plenty of room for wildlife to thrive.