Charlotte Smith and Matt Baker travel to Upper Teesdale in the Durham Dales to celebrate one remarkable lady who has made it her life’s work to look after one of the most important botanical sites in the UK, and to meet the people helping to protect the important species that call this area home.
Charlotte meets 97-year-old botanist Dr Margaret Bradshaw on Widdy Bank Fell, who for the last 70 years has been at the forefront of classifying, surveying and protecting the rare Arctic and alpine flora that make up the exceptional Teesdale assemblage. Charlotte hears how in the 1960s Margaret campaigned to stop the building of a reservoir on the site of these special wildflowers. Although unsuccessful, Margaret was inspired to set up the Teesdale Special Flora Trust, which is still responsible for looking after this precious habitat. Charlotte joins the trust as they survey such botanical gems as the spring gentian and lady’s mantle.
