Countryfile Catch up, Storrington on BBC 1

Countryfile

Storrington

Vick Hope and Joe Crowley are in West Sussex to celebrate the revival of the white stork. \n\nIn the Middle Ages, the white stork was so prevalent, villages such as Storrington are thought to have derived their name from the species. But for the past 600 years, they have not bred anywhere in the whole country. That is until the White Stork Project started a revolutionary breeding programme. \n\nAt Knepp Wilding project, they’ve gone from two breeding pairs in 2020 to growth beyond expectation. It’s been such a success that in May, they and the neighbouring village of Storrington will be crowned a ‘European Stork Village’ - an accolade so rare that only one is allowed per country. So, what better time to visit the region and celebrate the revival of this charismatic creature?\n\nJoe is at Knepp Wilding, learning how a flightless colony of white storks from Poland have been instrumental in the success of the new breeding programme, and helping to feed the latest generation of chicks. He then takes to the vast 3,500-acre estate to meet the resident Tamworth pigs and their three-day-old piglets grazing the land to create a healthy stork habitat. Vick is on a stork safari to catch them in the wild. \n\nTo celebrate another traditional habitat of the stork, a local thatcher and his son show us how this ancient tradition is still going strong. And further afield, Charlotte investigates the impact of the sudden closure of a government scheme designed to encourage farmers to be greener.

Source: BBC 1

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