Iolo Williams will bring Springwatch back to our screens later this month – but will be filming at his home in Powys.

The programme, a BBC Two staple since 2005, will return with a special three-week run of live programmes to keep viewers connected to the natural world at a time of heightened uncertainty.

But with its presenters no longer able to gather together for filming because of the coronavirus crisis, they will instead stay on home turf and broadcast live from their local areas.

Chris Packham will be live from his New Forest patch, Gillian Burke will broadcast from a Cornish base, and Iolo Williams will be taking part from his home in mid Wales.

"Many people are in more contact with wildlife and nature than ever before, so it's really important that Springwatch does go out," said Iolo, 57.

"Obviously, we can't have the usual 120 people all coming together in one place, so it's going to be different

"But as well as the footage filmed before this happened, people have also been filming in their own back gardens or in their own local park.

"We're conscious that people want to know, 'What are these bees that I'm seeing?' 'What are these yellow flowers on my lawn?' People have that hunger for knowledge of local wildlife, so there will be a lot more of that this year."

Burke, 44, added: "For a lot of people this whole experience has been difficult, but at the same time it's reworking how you do things and realising some things actually work well as they are. So even with restrictions, it is going to feel rich covering this unique spring."

Another major difference this year is the fact Springwatch veteran Michaela Strachan won't be joining the team in person because she is locked down in South Africa.

She will, however, send a message of support to the viewers and the series will revisit some of her favourite highlights from past years.

"I've worked with her for the last 28 years so it's going to be a real breather for me," joked Packham, who first encountered his co-presenter when they teamed up for nineties children's TV hit, The Really Wild Show.

In the meantime, this year's threesome will be joined by special guests, Steve Backshall, Ellie Harrison and Gordon Buchanan.

Similarly operating from their own spots across the country, wildlife presenter Backshall will join from his home patch on the Thames; ecologist Ellie Harrison from her Cotswold base; and wildlife cameraman Gordon Buchanan will cover from Scotland.

In addition, wildlife TV presenter and zoologist Megan McCubbin will join her stepfather Packham, with whom she has been self-isolating in the New Forest, to share her observations on how this spring is developing for our wildlife.

It's a packed programme. But do the co-presenters think this pandemic will change the nation's attitude towards nature?

"I think certain things will change," Williams responds. "But I suspect, I hope I'm wrong, that human nature means a lot of things won't.

"But the one really positive thing I hope will come out of this is the fact that people have reconnected or connected for the first time with nature.

"What I really hope is that plants a little seed and they'll think, 'Do you know what? We're going to switch onto Springwatch this year. The kids might learn something there...'

"And that seed will grow into an interest, knowledge and respect that will stay there for a lifetime and be passed onto their kids, in turn."

  • Springwatch returns to BBC Two on Tuesday, May 26.