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Matt Baker is in the heart of a small town with a big claim to fame. 

Southwell in the heart of Nottinghamshire is where the famous cooking apple, the Bramley was born. 

But the original tree is living on borrowed time: stricken with honey fungus, there is no saving it. 

Today, a team of scientists and horticulturists at Nottingham Trent University are hoping to clone and examine the tree to unlock its secrets.  

Matt will also meet Roger Merryweather whose great grandfather was involved in the commercialisation of the Bramley, to hear the incredible story of how the apple grew to fame.

Charlotte discovers how our council-run country parks are facing an uncertain future. They were first set up 50 years ago to offer an escape into the countryside for those living in the UK's towns and cities.But today funding cuts mean it's becoming harder and harder for local authorities to maintain them and to pay for the staff to manage them.So what's the answer? Parking charges are now being introduced at some parks to raise funds while others may be handed over to charities to manage. But could some be sold off into private hands?

Barn owls are one of Britain’s favourite and most iconic species but numbers have plummeted in some areas. 

Ellie meets Howard and Kate Broughton who are reversing that trend and helping the population bounce back in Rushcliffe, Nottinghamshire.

Their work involves putting up owl boxes with the permission of land owners and then ringing the chicks. 

Ellie joins the couple on a ringing session and finds out more about how farmers have seen a significant improvement in bird sightings by leaving margins in their fields.

Steve finds out how local charity `Framework’ is using the countryside skills to help some of the most vulnerable people in society.

He joins those on the Forestry Commission’s Bushcraft course to see how getting out into Sherwood and learning traditional woodland skills has helped them deal with issues such as isolation, loneliness and depression.

The day's activities include green woodwork, shelter building, wood-splitting  and firepit-making for those all-important cups of tea!

With months of extreme weather, it's been a tough year for farmers across the UK.
Adam's back on his farm to see how the recent hot weather has affected his crops and livestock.
He discovers his barley doesn't look in great shape and the oil seed rape has had to be harvested already.

Meanwhile, his ewes and some of his cattle have had to be moved onto the farm's conservation areas. Normally, they wouldn't be allowed to graze these protected areas between April And August, but the hot weather means Adam was able to apply for special dispensation to ensure the animals have enough to eat. 

Ellie stays out late on the hunt for a bat so elusive it was only discovered in Nottingham in 2011 as no one expected to find it so far north. 

Ecologist Matt Cook and his team from the Nottinghamshire Bat Group are looking for the barbastelle, one of the rarest mammals in the UK. 

Matt is hoping to catch a mature female to tag with a tiny GPS tracker that will allow the team to track her to the roost location, usually in a dead tree. 

With this information, the managers of the woodland will be better able to manage it in the interests of this rare breed.

Matt is at the first ever commercial Bramley orchard in the world joining enthusiastic grower Suzannah Starkey. 

Her family’s story has been intertwined with that of the Bramley apple almost from the start.

Matt joins her on her rounds, checking the fruit and learning how an orchard is run and all about the most efficient way to produce the best Bramleys.

And with the rounds done, Matt can finally get a taste of what all the fuss is about...