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Last year nearly 15 thousand people took part in apprenticeships in agriculture, horticulture and animal care in the UK. Jason Smith is one of 700 students currently carrying out an apprenticeship at Reaseheath College in Cheshire - one of the UK’s leading specialist land-based colleges. He gets hands-on experience at his dad’s farm and spends one day each week swatting up in the classroom on everything from cow anatomy to grassland management. Ahead of National Apprenticeship Week, Matt Baker will gain an insight into Jason’s work on the farm before one of Reaseheath’s tutors arrives to observe Jason in a practical examination. Will he make the grade?

In March, a bizarre natural phenomenon occurs in our nation’s lakes - the elaborate courtship ritual of the Great Crested Grebe. There are various stages to the display including mimicking behaviour as two birds meet together on the water, shaking their heads and dipping their necks. This incredible bonding behaviour intrigued the famous naturalist Julian Huxley, whose paper ‘The Courtship Habits of the Great Crested Grebe’ pioneered the study of animal behaviour within the natural sciences. Ellie Harrison heads to Tatton Park in search for these incredible birds and meets renowned Grebe photographer, Ben Hall.

John Craven heads to Rode Hall and Gardens where thousands of snowdrops can be spotted at this time of year. First introduced to the estate in 1833, by the ancestor of current owner Sir Richard Wilbraham, there are now over 70 different varieties of this beautiful winter flower on site. For 15 years, Sir Richard and his wife, Anne ‘the galanthophile’, have opened up their grounds to the public to share their love of the snowdrops. Lady Anne and gardener Tony need to split the bulbs and replant them to continue their spread throughout the estate – so John helps out with the replanting and learns more about this species.

Charlotte Smith investigates claims that there is not nearly enough affordable housing in the countryside. Although it is claimed that living in rural areas is more expensive, rural wages tend to be lower on average and that can make it difficult for people who grow up in the countryside to buy a house there. One solution is ‘affordable housing’, usually managed by housing associations or local councils and offered to local people at a reduced rental price.  But as Charlotte discovers there’s concern that there aren’t enough to go around – and that, in the future, we will be building fewer of them.  

Adam Henson travels to Paris to visit one of the biggest agricultural trade fairs on the planet. It gives Adam the chance to see the very latest in high-tech farming machinery. He also learns about something that’s causing quite a buzz in French agriculture at the moment, agro-ecology. Agro-ecology is a way of farming that’s more environmentally friendly and sustainable. It uses less artificial fertiliser, encourages natural predators as a way of pest control and it uses trees to improve soil and protect crops.  Adam visits a research farm where they are already trialling the use of trees between strips of crops. He also finds out that the French Government sees agro-ecology as major part of the future of French farming.

Quarry Bank mill was one of the first rural cotton mills of the Industrial Revolution. Built on the bank of the River Bollin, it used water wheels to power the looms and child apprentices to help work them. Ellie explores what life was like as a child apprentice of the early Industrial Revolution. She then meets Quarry Bank Mill’s modern day apprentice, Tony Williamson, who has been restoring the old bell tower to its former glory. The bell housed in the tower used to ring out to summon the child apprentices and Ellie will help Tony get it ringing again.